[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — Happy New Year! Welcome to the year 5770.
Most of the world thinks we are entering the last quarter of the year 2009. Yet next week, starting on Friday night, the Jewish people will be observing the year 5770. Rosh Hashana, meaning “head of the year” in Hebrew, is the second holiest day of the year for Jews. It is followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, which is the holiest day of the year.
Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the birth of mankind, of Adam, the first man, according to the Torah.
Jews do not celebrate the new year by going to parties, drinking champagne, shooting off fireworks, playing with noisemakers. The observance of Rosh Hashana is spent praying in synagogue for 2 days and 2 nights, and enjoying festive meals with family and friends.
Unlike the U.S., where the holiday is observed either 1 or 2 days depending on the particular Jewish religious sect, in Israel, Rosh Hashana is observed for 2 days by all, secular, reform, conservative and orthodox.
This is a time of reflection and repentance, when we are judged by Hashem (G-d).
Rules for Repentance
It is a time for asking sincere forgiveness from our friends and foes for any intentional and un-intentional transgressions we may have committed against our fellow man. It is also a time of repentance. Jews ask for forgiveness from Hashem (G-d) for our transgressions related to Him.
According to Jewish law, one must be sincere about repentance. If one asks for forgiveness and the apology is not accepted, then one must make two more serious attempts at asking for forgiveness. If one is still not forgiven after 3 attempts and after showing true regret, then the person who repents is no longer held accountable for the transgression. In fact, it has been said that a person who does not accept a sincere apology is a person who holds a grudge. The transgression is then transferred from the person who repents to the person who holds the grudge.
Therefore, if I have said anything or done anything that has caused any of you distress or pain, or injured you in any way, whether by word or action or deed, or all, I apologize to you. Please forgive me.
In Israel, inviting friends to join family for Rosh Hashana meals is a mitzvah, a good deed. Because Israel is a melting pot for Jews from all over the world, many customs observed here are dependent on family origin and tradition. Some of my friends are native-born Israelis (sabras), but others are like me, coming to Israel from many different countries. I have Jewish friends from Australia, South Africa, India, Scotland, England, Gibraltar, Canada, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Turkey, France, Belgium, Argentina, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Spain, Ethiopia, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Italy, Japan, Ireland, Morocco and of course, the U.S.
Why Certain Foods?
On Rosh Hashana, even the food on the table has significance. Everything is symbolic. For example, Israel is known as the Land of Milk and Honey. The honey is not from bees, but from dates. The markets here sell dates about one month before the holiday. The dates are still attached to their branches and the “honey” seeps from the dates as they are drying on their limbs. They are known as “tamari” in Aramaic. “Yetamu” is from the same root, meaning to be consumed. Therefore, when we eat dates, we ask G-d that our enemies be consumed. Aramaic is the language of the Talmud, a compilation of Jewish law and ethics.
We eat pomegranates and ask of G-d that our merits should be as numerous as the seeds of a pomegranate (supposedly there are 613 seeds, one for each commandment required of Jews). Pomegranates are considered one of the healthiest foods. Although they are sweet, they supposedly regulate the body's blood sugar level.
We dip apples and challah in honey and ask G-d for a sweet new year. The challah bread, traditionally braided on Shabbat, is in a round spiral loaf for Rosh Hashana to symbolize a circle in which life does not end and in which we aspire (the spiral part) for positive changes so that we may climb higher and higher in our spiritual ascent.
We eat carrots, called “gezer” in Hebrew, and ask G-d to tear up any evil decree, “gezera” , against us. Often the carrots are served in round pieces shaped like coins, for we wish that the new year will be prosperous one.
We eat leeks, known as karsi” in Aramaic, meaning to “cut off.” We ask G-d to cut off our enemies. We eat beets, knows as “silka” in Aramaic, meaning to “remove,” because we ask G-d to remove our enemies. We eat gourds like pumpkin or squash because they are called “kara” in Aramaic. “Kara” means to ” tear.” We ask G-d to tear up any negative judgments against us.
We place a fish's head or sheep's head on the table and ask G-d to let us be a leader or “head,” and not a tail.
This is a custom that usually causes children, and some adults, to say “ugh” because the heads are not a very appetizing sight on an otherwise festive table. Some people serve a cow's tongue instead. It looks better, but I would rather see a fish head than think about eating an animal tongue. We eat fish so that we may be as numerous as the fish in the sea.
There are several other customs and symbolic foods for Rosh Hashana. For example, not only is everything sweet on my table, I avoid serving or cooking with nuts because the word for “nut” has the same numerical value as the word for “sin.”
Wishing you and your loved ones a ” Shana Tova U'Metuka U'mar Chatima Tova.” a good and sweet year, and may you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a Favorable Year.
Shana tova.
L'hitraot. Shachar
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel two years ago.
