Rosh Hashanah

JEWISH MAN BLOWING THE SHOFAR

Jemenittisk sjofar av kuduhorn

File:The National Library of Israel - Shofar Prayer, Ashkenazi version - 1785188 SHOFAR78.ogg

Ribotroshhashana

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Symbols of Rosh Hashana

Aleksander Gierymski, Święto Trąbek I

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), literally meaning "head [of] the year," is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (Hebrew: יום תרועה), literally "day of shouting or blasting." It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (Yamim Noraim—Hebrew: ימים נוראים, "Days of Awe") specified by Leviticus 23:23–32 that occur in the early autumn of the Northern Hemisphere.

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. This is because Tishrei is considered the month in which the world was created. The celebration marks the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, and the special relationship between humans and God. The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, a ram's horn, which also marks this day as Yom Teruah. The shofar is blown during prayer services, in a series of specific patterns, as a call to repentance.

The holiday involves a number of liturgical and cultural rituals, among them is the recitation of the Machzor, a special prayer book used during the High Holy Days. Other practices include Tashlich, a ceremony in which participants symbolically cast off their sins by throwing pieces of bread into a flowing body of water, and the eating of symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey, to evoke a sweet new year.

Customs and Traditions

• Shofar Blowing: The most iconic and central commandment of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar. It is a wake-up call to repentance and a reminder of the Abrahamic sacrifice.
• Tashlich: This ceremony involves reciting prayers near natural flowing water and symbolically casting off sins by throwing bread crumbs into the water.
• Rosh Hashanah Seder: Some communities hold a "seder" on Rosh Hashanah, where a series of symbolic foods are eaten. Each food is accompanied by a prayer that the coming year will be filled with blessings.
• Sweet Foods: Eating sweet foods, such as apples dipped in honey, is customary to express hopes for a sweet year ahead.

Significance

Rosh Hashanah is not just a celebration of the new year; it is also a day of judgment and remembrance. It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into the "Book of Life" and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. During the Days of Awe, individuals reflect on their actions over the past year and seek forgiveness from God and from those they have wronged.

Observance

In addition to the religious rituals, Rosh Hashanah is a time for personal reflection and renewal. Many Jews use this time to make personal resolutions and to begin the new year with a clean slate. Observance of the holiday also includes festive meals with family and friends, where special dishes and symbolic foods are served.

See Also

• Yom Kippur
• Sukkot
• Jewish holidays
• Hebrew calendar