Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah, literally meaning “head [of] the year”, It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, and a day of judgment and coronation of G‑d as king. Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year. It begins at sundown on the eve of Tishrei 1 (Sept. 18, 2020) and ends after nightfall on Tishrei 2 (Sept. 20, 2020). Rosh Hashanah observances include candle lighting in the evenings, festive meals with sweet delicacies during the night and day, prayer services that include the sounding of the ram’s horn (shofar) on both mornings, and desisting from creative work.

Shanah Tovah Umetukah

The Hebrew common greeting on Rosh Hashanah is Shanah Tovah, which translated from Hebrew means “[have a] good year”. Often Shanah Tovah Umetukah (Hebrew: שנה טובה ומתוקה‎), meaning “[have a] Good and Sweet Year”, is used.

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah actually means “Head of the Year.” Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the year.

As we read in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, each year on this day “all inhabitants of the world pass before G‑d like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court “who shall live, and who shall die … who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.”

It is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day when we proclaim G‑d King of the Universe.

• The most common name for this holiday is Rosh Hashanah, the name used in the eponymous tractate of Talmud devoted to the holiday.
• The Torah refers to this day as Yom Teruah (Day of Shofar Blowing).
• In our prayers, we often call it Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Hadin (Day of Judgement) since this is the day when G‑d recalls all of His creations and determines their fate for the year ahead. Fate in a sense the blessings People take from God for the whole year in their relationships, families, love and finance.
• On the first day, we read about Isaac’s birth.
• On the second morning, we read about Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac.
• In many communities, there are additional traditional foods eaten, each symbolizing a wish for the coming year. Many eat pomegranates, giving voice to a wish that “our merits be many like the [seeds of the] pomegranate.”

FOOTNOTES
1. Leviticus 23:23,
2. Genesis 21:1–34.
3. I Samuel 1:1–2:10.
4. Genesis 22:1–24.
5. Jeremiah 31:1–19.