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Lubavitch on the Palisades
Rosh Hashanah
Newsletter
September 27, 2011 - Elul 28, 5771
Parshat: Haazinu
Shabbat times. begins: 6:22pm & ends: 7:19pm
ROSH HASHANAH
The two-day festival of Rosh Hashanah is observed on the 1st and 2nd days of Tishrei.
In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "Head of the Year," and as its name indicates, it is the beginning of the Jewish
year. The anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, it is the birthday of mankind, highlighting the special relationship
between G-d and humanity.
The primary theme of the day is our acceptance of G-d as our King. The Kabbalists teach that the renewal of G-d's desire
for the world, and thus the continued existence of the universe, is dependent upon this. We accept G-d as our King, and G-d is
aroused, once again, with the desire to continue creating the world for one more year.
The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn. The sounding of the shofar
represents, among other things, the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king.
Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include: A piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year.
We bless one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good
year." We leave our old shortcomings behind us, thus starting the New Year with a clean slate. We go to a lake, river or
to the sea and recite the Tashlich prayers, where we symbolically cast our sins into the water, in evocation of the verse, "And
You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea." We leave our old shortcomings behind us, thus starting the New Year with
a clean slate.
And as with every major Jewish holiday, women and girls light candles on each evening of Rosh Hashanah and recite the
blessings. The following are the Brachot that we make when lighting candles on Rosh Hashanah:
Bo-ruch a-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ho-olom a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-sov ve-tzi-vo-nu le-hadlik ner shel Yom Ha-zi-karon.
Bo-ruch a-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ho-olom she-he-che-ya-nu vikee-yi-ma-nu vi-hi-gee-an-u liz-man ha-zeh.
Wishing you a year filled with good health, happiness, and prosperity.
Shana Tova Umetuka!
Orite and Sonya
ROSH HASHANAH TIMES:
 Wednesday September 28, 2011 – Eve of Rosh Hashanah
Candle Lighting: 6:26pm
 Thursday September 29, 2011 – Eve of Second day Rosh Hashanah
Light Candles after 7:22pm
 Friday, September 30, 2011
Candle lighting: 6:22pm
 Shabbat, October 1, 2011 - Shabbat ends: 7:19pm
ROSH HASHANAH PARABLE
A parable from Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov: A King had an only son, the apple of his eye. The King wanted his son to
master different fields of knowledge and to experience various cultures, so he sent him to a far-off country, supplied with a
generous quantity of silver and gold. Far away from home, the son squandered all the money until he was left completely
destitute. In his distress he resolved to return to his father's house and after much difficulty, he managed to arrive at the gate of
the courtyard to his father's palace.
In the passage of time, he had actually forgotten the language of his native country, and he was unable to identify himself to
the guards. In utter despair he began to cry out in a loud voice, and the King, who recognized the voice of his son, went out to
him and brought him into the house, kissing him and hugging him.
The meaning of the parable: The King is G-d. The prince is the Jewish people, who are called "Children of G-d" (Deuteronomy
14:1). The King sends a soul down to this world in order to fulfill the Torah and mitzvot. However, the soul becomes very
distant and forgets everything to which it was accustomed to above, and in the long exile it forgets even its own "language." So
it utters a simple cry to its Father in Heaven. This is the blowing of the shofar, a cry from deep within, expressing regret for the
past and determination for the future. This cry elicits G-d’s mercies, and He demonstrates His abiding affection for His child
and forgives him.
INTERESTING FACTS
1 Tishrei in Jewish History:
s
Adam and Eve were created - "G-d formed man of
the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul" (ibid., 2:7).
First sin and repentance - On the very day he was
created, man committed the first sin of history,
transgressing the divine commandment not to eat
from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil."
Doves 3rd Mission – On the 1st of Tishrei, on the
307th day of the Great Flood, Noach dispatched a
dove from the ark, for the third time. When the
dove did not return, Noah knew that the Flood's
waters had completely drained from the earth.
Binding of Isaac and Sarah’s Passing - Abraham's
supreme test of faith -- his binding of Isaac in
preparation to sacrifice him as per G-d's command
-- occurred on the 1st of Tishrei of the year 2084
from creation (1677 BCE), and is recalled each
Rosh Hashanah with the sounding of the shofar
(ram's horn -- a ram was sacrificed in Isaac's stead
when an angel revealed that the command to
sacrifice Isaac was but a divine test); On the day of
Isaac's binding, his mother, Sarah, passed away at
age 127, and was subsequently buried in the
Machpelah Cave in Hebron.
PARSHA REVIEW –
PARSHAT HAAZINU
The greater part of the Torah reading of Haazinu
("Listen In") consists of a 70-line "song" delivered by
Moses to the people of Israel on the last day of his
earthly life.
Calling heaven and earth as witnesses, Moses exhorts
the people to "Remember the days of old / Consider
the years of many generations / Ask your father, and
he will recount it to you / Your elders, and they will tell
you" how G-d "found them in a desert land," made
them a people, chose them as His own, and
bequeathed them a bountiful land. The Song also
warns against the pitfalls of plenty -- "Yeshurun grew
fat and kicked / You have grown fat, thick and rotund /
He forsook G-d who made him / And spurned the Rock
of his salvation" -- and the terrible calamities that
would result, which Moses describes as G-d "hiding
His face." Yet in the end, he promises, G-d will avenge
the blood of His servants and be reconciled with His
people and land.
The Parshah concludes with G-d's instruction to
Moses to ascend the summit of Mount Nebo, from
which he will behold the Promised Land before dying
on the mountain. "For you shall see the land opposite
you; but you shall not go there, into the land which I
give to the children of Israel."
ROSH HASHANAH OVERVIEW
A key component of Rosh Hashanah preparation is to ask for forgiveness from anyone one may
have wronged during the previous year. To whatever extent possible, we want to begin the year
with a clean slate – and without anyone harboring a grudge against us. One should also be quick to
forgive those who have wronged him.
The morning before Rosh Hashanah, we perform "Hatarat Nedarim" – annulling all vows. In Torah
terms, saying something as simple as "I refuse to eat any more candy" can be considered a legal
vow. Therefore, before Rosh Hashanah, we annul any vows, whether they were made intentionally
or not. This is done by standing in front of three adult males (or 10 if available), and asking to be
released from the vows that were made. The full text can be found in a Siddur or Rosh Hashanah
Machzor.
Symbolic Foods
On Rosh Hashanah, we eat foods that symbolize good things we hope for in the coming year. We
contemplate what these foods symbolize, and connect with the Source of all good things.
The symbolic foods are based on a word game which connects the name of a certain food, to a
particular hope we have for the New Year. Here is a list from the Talmud of symbolic foods customarily
eaten on Rosh Hashanah. (The food and its related meaning are in bold.)
After eating leek or cabbage, say:
"May it be Your will, God, that our
enemies be cut off."
After eating beets, say:
"May it be Your will, God, that
our adversaries be removed."
After eating dates, say:
"May it be Your will, God, that
our enemies be finished."
After eating gourd, say:
"May it be Your will, God, that the decree of our
sentence should be torn apart, and may
our merits be proclaimed before You."
After eating pomegranate, say:
"May it be Your will, God, that our
merits increase as the seeds of a
pomegranate."
Tashlich
The "Tashlich" prayer is said on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah by a pool of water that preferably has fish in it. These
prayers are symbolic of the casting away of our mistakes. Of course, it is foolish to think you can rid sins by shaking out your
pockets. Rather, the Jewish approach is deep introspection and commitment to change. Indeed, the whole idea of "Tashlich" is
partly to commemorate the Midrash that says when Abraham went to the Akeida (binding of Isaac), he had to cross through
water up to his neck
Both the body of water and the fish are symbolic. In Talmudic literature Torah is represented as
water. Just as fish can't live without water, so too a Jew can't live without Torah! Also, the fact that
fish's eyes never close serve to remind us that, so too, God's eyes (so to speak) never close;
He knows of our every move.
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