Rosh Hashanah is a holy day for the Jews of Israel. The word “raysh” means “rebirth” in Hebrew. In fact, according to tradition, Adam and Eve were the first people on earth. They were the first people to sin (which was their original sin) by eating the forbidden fruit in the forbidden apple tree. Because of their sin, their bodies remained inactive for many years, until the day of their creation in the Garden of Eden.
When Is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah 2023 begins on Monday, September 6, 2023 and ends on the evening of Wednesday, September 8, 2023. The exact date of Rosh Hashanah varies every year, since it is based on the Hebrew Calendar, where it begins on the first day of the seventh month. Rosh Hashanah is almost always in September or October.
Because Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of their giving up of the old and going with God’s promise of a new creation, it begins on the first day of Tishrei – which is the Jewish new year. This is a sabbath, so all the family members, including children and spouses, must fast for seven days. Afterward, they can eat and enjoy their food as long as it is not during the sabbath, and it is customary to cleanse the home from Shavuot until the mess ends on the twenty-first day of Rosh Hashanah. In some communities, Rosh Hashanah festivities continue through the night, while others start early and finish late.
History and Significance of Rosh Hashanah
The traditional celebrations begin with the lighting of the shukush (torch) at sundown. People then start fasting from morning, and for two days following, they eat unleavened bread, avoiding any dairy products or anything with yeast, until the Mina (the second day of Tishrei) appears. When it does, all household members must bring a grain offering to be eaten at the home – this is known as the teletrack. On the day of Rosh Hashanah, the community celebrates two days. The first day, they remember their history and the hardships they had gone through to become a nation. The second day, they pray for the survival of Israel and again distribute leavened bread.
During these two important days of the Jewish New Year, many important feasts are held, including the Shavuot dinner and the feasts after Shavuot. The foods served in these feasts are usually entirely vegetarian, and have a very traditional and ceremonial feel. Typical foods include whole grains like barley, matzoh, and wheat. The most popular form of meat used for Jewish feasts and parties is pork, though fish and poultry may also be prepared and served. Sometimes people use fish and chicken as alternatives.
There are various traditions that surround the religious festivities of Rosh Hashanah. One tradition says that on the day of Rosh Hashanah, a child named Binyamin should go to the synagogue and lay down money for all the children of Israel to have for a year. This money was known as the makhaira, and it was given to the parents as a blessing for their children. Another tradition told the story of Binyamin and his two sisters who came to the land of Israel at the time of Binyamin’s death. His sister married Menachem, the father of Abraham, and the other married Dinah, the mother of Abraham.
On Rosh Hashanah, as well as all the rest of the Jewish holidays, children start studying the Hebrew language. This begins a practice called tefillic learning, in which students study the meanings and the complexities of the Hebrew language. Since mishna has a completely different meaning from the English language, and since the meanings of words change according to which country they belong to (for instance, the word “ruach,” according to the Hebrew calendar, means “repentance”), children are taught how to say their prayers in their native language, as opposed to trying to translate it into English in a foreign land. If you wish to learn more about learning and translating holy texts through the Hebrew calendar, feel free to contact us.
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