Rosh Hashanah
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...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there
shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy
convocation. -Leviticus 16:24
Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of
Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally,
"head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known
as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is
little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year,
and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.
There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and
the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better
life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin
introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning
the changes to make in the new year. More on this concept at
Days of Awe.
The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday.
The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance)
or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted
in Leviticus 23:24-25.
 The shofar is a ram's
horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important
observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the
synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded
each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second
sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a
series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds;
and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which
lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an
approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives
no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that
the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the
holiday falls on Shabbat.
No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of
the day is spent in synagogue, where the
regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded.
In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur because of the extensive
liturgical changes for these holidays.
Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in
honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish
religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting
Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend
it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice
of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.
Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk
to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first
day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins.
Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice
is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is
normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services.
When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many
synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread)
on Shabbat.
Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of
G-d's sovereignty.
The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This
is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah
tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed
for a good year." More on that concept at
Days of Awe.
You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the
first day of the seventh month. The first month of the
Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March
and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh
month?
Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange
at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January,
but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal
years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the
new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the
calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals,
Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees
(determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah)
is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and
Jubilee years begin at this time).
See Extra Day of Jewish Holidays
for an explanation of why this holiday is celebrated for two days instead
of the one specified in the Bible.
Rosh Hashanah will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:
-
Jewish Year 5768: sunset September 12, 2007 - nightfall September 14, 2007
-
Jewish Year 5769: sunset September 29, 2008 - nightfall October 1, 2008
-
Jewish Year 5770: sunset September 18, 2009 - nightfall September 20, 2009
-
Jewish Year 5771: sunset September 8, 2010 - nightfall September 10, 2010
-
Jewish Year 5772: sunset September 28, 2011 - nightfall September 30, 2011
For additional holiday dates, see
Links to Jewish Calendars.
© Copyright 5756-5767 (1995-2007), Tracey
R Rich
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