Rosh Hashana --Traditions, Rituals, Customs
By I. M. GREEN
(Copyright 1967, JTA Inc.)
The literal Hebrew meaning of
the words "Rosh Hashana" is "head
of the year," which in our parlance
means "Beginning of the Year,"
or more familiarly "New Year's
Day." It is a two-day holiday for
Orthodox and Conservative Jews
all over the world, even in Israel
where unlike the lands of the Dia-
spora, all other holidays are ob-
served for one day, instead of two
days. Reform Jews observe Rosh
Hashana for one day only.
The curious thing about Rosh
Hashana chronology is that, while
the holiday is listed as the first
and second days of the month of
Tishre, Tishre is listed in the Jew-
ish religious calendar as the sev-
New Year's Greetings
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enth, rather than the first, month
of the year—the first month being
regarded as Nisan (spring).
Nevertheless, the reference to the
ingathering "at the end of the
year" in Exodus has been accept-
ed as an indication that the Jews
early regarded the year as begin-
ning in autumn.
When the first day of the month
of Tishre was first recognized as
the New Year is not clear, but we
do know that, in the 6th Century,
that day was regularly observed as
the New Year. Up to the period of
the destruction of the Second Tem-
ple, it was observed only one day,
and afterwards extended to two.
Rosh Hashana, as is generally
known by Jews, commences the
Ten Days of Penitence (Aseret
Y'mai Teshuva, in the original
Hebrew), which end on Yom Kip-
ur, the Day of Atonement. In
the rabbinic period, the holiday
was already regarded as a Day
of Judgment for the entire world
when the fate of each man for
the coming year is inscribed in
the Book of Life, though peni-
tence and prayer and charity dur-
ing the coming week may obtain
clemency for some on Yom Kip-
ur, the final Day of Judgment.
In fact, penitential prayers,
called selihot, are recited from
the first day of the month of
Elul, the month that precedes
Tishre. During the month too,
both Ashkenazim and Sephardim
blow the shofar, the ram's horn,
every morning at the end of
prayers. The shofar too is blown
at the end of the Yom Kipur
services.
Besides the blowing of the Sho-
far several times during the Rosh
Hashana prayers, a ritual which is
best known to the world, a new
Jewish generation which is not
Orthodox may find it interesting to
become acquainted with some
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1) The wearing of white vest-
ments by older men during the
service in some communities, white
being a symbol of coming pure be-
fore God.
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2)The ceremony of "Tashlikh"
(Heb. "thou wilt cast"), a custom
observed on the afternoon of the
first day of Rosh Hashana (or the
second, when the first day falls on
Sabbath). During the "Tashlikh"
service, prayers are recited near
a stream or body of water, pre-
ferably where there are fish sym-
bolizing protection against the evil
eye. Pockets are emptied of all
contents, symbolizing the shaking
off of sins. The prayers derive
chiefly from Micah 7:10-20 ("Thou
wilt cast their sins into the sea").
It is believed by scholars that the
ritual originated in Germany dur-
ing the 14th Century, possibly
adopted from the non-Jewish en-
vironment.
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Happy New Year to
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Best Wishes for a Happy New Year to
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The importance of Rosh Hashana kl
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be over-emphasized. The Talmud,
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taking note of its importance, de- p
votes the eighth tractate in the &m::::7:7.:::::7:a•::::§ogammamemz.m:, x:::::::::::am:s., .:?::::::::::75imm.m.m.m.::=:-..=m5m.4
Mishna order of Moed, contain
ing four chapters, almost entirely
to the Jewish New Year. The trac-
Holiday Greetings
tate is actually called "Rosh Has-
hana," and it has a Gemara com-
mentary both in the Babylonian
and Palestinian Talmuds. After a
1431 TIMES SQUARE,
general introduction, it discusses
the regulations concerning the
Best Gottloeb and Sam Davis
sanctification of the new moon,
with particular reference to that
of the seventh month (i.e., Rosh
Hashana), the blowing of the sho-
far on the occasion, and the spe-
Holiday Greetings
cial order of prayer.
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3) The eating of honey (or apple • m: itt 00000m0<aii:0000wwzmism.:::::0.:iliamt:0000,
-smoammamr ,000al
,
dipped in honey) "for a sweet 0
Holiday Greetings
year." This, of course, has a special
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GREETINGS
Orthodox Rosh Hashana rituals and
customs which have been practiced
for many centuries and which are
still being practiced by the Ortho-
dox. Here are the most important:
It might also be of interest to
note here that the day after Rosh
Hashana is still observed by the
very Orthodox as a fast day. It
commemorates the assassination of
Gedalia, last of the princes of
whom
hom Nebuchadnezzar, the
Babylonian king who had destroyed
Solomon's Temple had appointed
him as governor of Palestine and
who ruled from Mizpah. Gedalia,
for whom the fast is named, was
assassinated by Jews in a political
conspiracy. This destroyed any
hope of holding a Jewish commu-
nity together in Palestine after
the Babylonian conquest. The "Fast
of Gedalia," occurring as it does
during the Ten Days of Penitence,
prove once again how interwined
the political fortunes of ancient
Jewry were with their religion.
But Rosh Hashana itself, though
a time of spiritual stock-taking and
sober reflections, as enjoined on
Jews during the two days of the
holiday, as well as during the ensu-
ing week, is not a sad festival. Peo-
ple greet each other with a cheer-
ful "Le 'Shana tova," or "Happy
New Year," families and friends
go visiting each other, and though
the jolly abandon of a semi-holi-
day like Purim or a full holiday
like Simhat Tora is absent, Jews
show a cheerful hope that the year
to come will be good, even better
than the preceding year.
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Friday, October 6, 1967-41
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