Why do Jews dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashana?

Answer 1

The observance of Rosh Hashanah, which is the first day of the year, is mandated in the Torah (Leviticus ch. 23). Rosh Hashanah is the first two days of the month of Tishrei, and is the Jewish New Year. Our traditions state that at that time the world is judged for the coming year (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 16a); and during services we read the Torah and say prayers which ask for a good year and which declare God's kingship over the world. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown (Leviticus 23:24; Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 33b-34a), symbolically heralding God's kingship, and calling to mind the covenant of Isaac (see Genesis ch.22). Festive meals are held in the home, and traditional foods (such as the well-known apple dipped in honey) are eaten to symbolize a sweet year (See Talmud, Keritut 6a).

Answer 2

Rosh Hashanah ("the head of the year") is the Jewish New Year and is celebrated for that reason even by non-religious Jews just as the secular New Year is celebrated amongst non-Jews.

However, it also has a more religious significance than the New Year that falls on the 1st of January as it marks the first of the Yamin Noraim, the Days of Awe. Also known as the Asseret Yemai Teshuva ("ten days of repentance"), the Days of Awe are an opportunity for Jews to consider their actions over the previous year, especially those in which they didn't act in quite as moral or ethical a manner as God, Torah and Jewish law would expect.

It is said that, at the start of the year, God writes down everything that every Jew has done during the previous year but He does not yet decide what their fate shall be. Therefore, if they have acted in immoral or unethical ways, a Jew can confess to what he or she has done (between him or herself and God alone, if it's embarrassing) and take steps to put right their misdeeds. If they know in their heart that they have been honest and sincere in their attempts at atonement, they can consider themselves absolved with God when the Days of Awe culminate at Yom Kippur.

Answer 2

The honey is to have a sweet year, the apples just go with the honey (they're in the season, everyone can get their hands on apples). It's as simple as that.

Another View

The aforementioned response regarding the apple is not quite accurate where it says that apples just go with the honey. During Rosh Hashanah, sweet foods are to be eaten. A sweet apple (not a green, tart tasting apple) is dipped into sweet honey in the hope that a sweet year will be granted (as written in the previous response). Why specifically an apple? In "Song of Songs 8:5", Solomon writes, referring to the love between G-d and the Jewish people, "Beneath the apple tree I aroused your love." Also, in Genesis 27:27, when Jacob disguised himself as Esau in order to "trick" Isaac into giving him the blessings of the first-born, Isaac, who was blind, commented on a sweet smell: "...the smell of a field which G-d has blessed", emanating from Jacob, which Isaac thought was the smell of Esau, and then blessed Jacob. Commentators state that that was the smell of an apple field, and the smell of that apple field is also the smell of the Garden of Eden. Therefore, an apple is eaten because the smell is associated with the blessings of Isaac, as well as with the Garden of Eden. Further, when one cuts an apple in half horizontally, ten little holes and a shape, something like a five-pointed star, can be seen. In Hebrew numerology, the ten and the five together are the numerical value that spell out G-d's name in Hebrew.

Answer 3

According to tradition, it is customary to eat a fruit that has not been eaten before this New Year. Dates, pomegranates, and figs all ripen in the "fall", the time of Rosh Hashanah. There are two different figs crops, the "early figs" ripen in June and have a different name in the scriptures. The "fall" fig has a name "Te'enah" and starts to ripen in August.

Therefore, the "new fruit" that isn't seen in the spring and summer is the Te'enah so it would be one of the Seven Species that would be blessed and eaten at this particular holiday.

Answer 4

The observance of Rosh Hashanah is mandated in the Torah (Leviticus ch. 23).

Rosh Hashanah is the first two days of the month of Tishrei, and is the Jewish New Year. Our traditions state that at that time the world is judged for the coming year (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 16a). The shofar (ram's horn) is blown (Leviticus 23:24; Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 33b-34a), symbolically heralding God's kingship, and festive meals are held in the home.

See also the Related Links.

Link: The shofar

Link: Rosh Hashanah foods

Link: The Jewish holidays