The BiG Story

Why It's Not In The Cards ...
Just as gift-giving at Chanukah is a
-1 custom that arose solely because
1 of its proximity to Christmas, so,
too, is the sending of cards at
Rosh Hashanah based on the
practice of Christmas cards.
1, While it's nice to wish others a
I happy holiday, there's nothing in
Jewish tradition that directs us to
I send greeting cards.

the Happiest

of New Years

to all our friends

and customers

Lettuce Tell You About This!
In some Jewish homes, Rosh
Hashanah also is the time to serve up
a rather strange assortment of foods,
selected specifically not for their taste,
but for the symbolic significance in
I their name, usually a play on words.
The idea is to usher in a new
I year with positive thoughts. Some-
times, the message is quite serious;
a family may have a peach
I (afarsek in Hebrew), for example,
to symbolize the plea, "Forsake us
not." Others prefer the more humor-
: ous (or attempted humorous)
options, such as placing on the
'table a raisin and a piece of cel-
ersi. (Did you miss the pun? May
1 you have a - raise in celery. Awful,
I yes, but it keeps these families
I entertained ...) If you've never done
this project, give - it a try. Once you
I get started, it's hard to stop.
One bit of advice: While it may
I be tempting to include almonds (for,
"May my children not drive me nuts
"), note that it's traditional not to
I eat nuts at Rosh Hashanah. Quite
j often as people eat nuts, particles
I of chewed nuts lodge in the throat
and cause coughing. The ancient
I rabbis were concerned that Rosh
Hashanah, when there's a large vol-
ume of prayers to be recited,
I should not be a time when people
I have mishaps that may hinder their
ability to vocalize. Also, some try to
avoid nuts because the numerical
I value of the Hebrew word, egoz, is
I the same as that of sin, het.

I

I

271 W. Maple

Downtown Birmingham
2580212

Mon.-Sat. 10 - 6 ,

Thurs.10 - 9

It's All In The Mix

I

1

I

•Fresb &

silk gowers

•Gift items/Gift Baskets

• Carosaaffams/Candes
• Orgral Art From
Lo Artists
• Corporate Accounts

APPLEGATE SHOPPING CENTER

29839 Northwestern Highway
at Inkster

248-350-8440

9/18
1998

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I You Say Tomahto, I Say
Tomato ...
I Chances are you have been wish-

ing your friends, family and
Come Blow Your Horn!
acquaintances the same greeting all
On Rosh Hashanah we hear the
these years, "May you be inscribed
clear, unmistakable sounds of the
for a good year (in the Book of
ram's horn — but did you know it
Life)."
didn't have to be exactly that?
This is fine, providing everyone
Certainly hearing the shofar itself
I you know has ancestors from east-
is a mitzvah, or commandment
ern or central Europe. This tradition-
(Leviticus 23:24, Numbers 29:1.)
: al Rosh Hashanah blessing has for
Though the Torah tells us we must
many years been said among
hear the sounds of the shofar, it
!I Ashkenazim. But Sephardim have a
I doesn't tell us specifically why —
I different version, "May you be
I inscribed for a good year; may you I though many have offered possibili-
ties. Many scholars say it is like the
be worthy of abundant years."
sound of a trumpet heralding the
king — in this case, God the king.
Why Two Is Better Than One
(During prayers on -Rosh
Although Rosh Hashanah lasts 48'
Hashanah, we even say 10
I hours, in fact the ancient rabbis
said it is just one day. Why? Many I prayers that specifically describe
I years ago, the rabbis declared the I God as "the king.")
Interestingly, however, the Mish-
day was a yoma arichta, Aramaic
nah says that the horn of a goat or
I for "extended day."
I
antelope
also may be used. Later,
So
even
in
Israel,
Rosh
Hashanah
I
the tradition of using solely a horn
I is observed for two days. But here's
of a ram arose to harken back to
1 where the similarity ends. Go to
I Israel and you.'ll have just one seder 1 the ram which God substituted for
Isaac, when Abraham was pre-
I for Pesach, while here in the Dias-
pared to sacrifice his son (and
: pbra we have two, and it has noth-
this episode is one of
ing to do with extended days. In
the Torah portions we
this case, it's a matter of sfeka di-
I
read
on Rosh
or
doubt
about
the
day.
yoma,
I Hashanah).
Before the Jewish calendar was
' ,4110;
•
fixed (in 358 CE), the Sanhedrin in

I

I

1

Jerusalem announced the beginning
of each new month based on astro-
nomical observations. The news
was then sent by messenger to the
rest of the world. While within the
land of Israel one could rely on
timeliness of the couriers' announce-
ments, Jews in the diaspora had
their doubts, so just to be on the
safe side these communities began
observing two days of the holiday.

A Holiday By Any Other
N ame ...
Its most popular name is, of course,
Rosh Hashanah, or "head of the
year." But this day also is called
Yom HaDin (Day of Judgement),
Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remem-
brance) and Yom Teru'ah (Day Of
I the Shofar Blast).

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