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Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year according to the Hebrew calendar. It is the first of the High Holidays and usually falls sometime in September.
143 Questions
Why do you read Akedat Yitschak on Rosh Hashanah?
Akedat Yitschak, the Binding of Isaac, is read on Rosh Hashanah to highlight themes of faith, sacrifice, and divine mercy. This narrative emphasizes God's promise to Abraham and the significance of His covenant with the Jewish people. Reading it on this solemn day serves as a reminder of the trials faced by our ancestors and the importance of repentance and reflection as we enter the new year. Additionally, it reinforces the connection between Rosh Hashanah and the concepts of judgment and renewal.
Who blows the shofar on Rosh Hashanah?
We blow the shofar because God commanded us to (Numbers 29:1). Symbolically, it is a declaration the God is King, just as people blow trumpets when the king appears. It is also a reminder that the day of shofar-blowing (Rosh Hashanah) is a day of judgment.
When is the Jewish new year Rosh Hashana and what is its significance to Jews?
The Jewish new year is sometime in the fall and it has the same significance to us Jews as new years eve has to Americans. you should be in Israel during Rosh Hashana. It's beautiful. BTW Rosh means head and Shana means years and Ha means the so Rosh Hashana means head of the year
What does rosh hashana remind Jews of?
Hanukkah is a minor holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews against the Syrian-Greeks in the Maccabean War of 165 BCE.
The real miracle of Hanukkah is that the Jews were victorious, against all odds, they beat their enemy and were able to restore the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Greeks. In a larger context, Hanukkah represents victory against religious persecution and assimilation.
Answer:
On Hanukkah the chief celebration is not for the military victory; it's for the miracle of the oil (Talmud, Shabbat 21b). As an augmentation to the celebration of that miracle, we alsothank God during Hanukkah for the Hasmoneans' miraculous military victories (during which they ousted the Seleucids and their lackeys, the Hellenizing Jews, making possible the rededication of the Temple).
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up sacrifices to the idol. One of the leading elder Jewish sages called upon the people to keep observing the Torah anyway; and if necessary, to use force in resisting the decrees. When a Hellenized Jew offered a sacrifice to the Greek idols in a nearby village, the sage killed him as well as the Greek overseer. This brought a violent reaction from the Greeks; and the loyal Jews, led by the Hasmonean family, were forced to retreat from their towns and strike out at the Greeks in an attempt to oust them from the Holy Land and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Torah-Jews were heavily outnumbered by the attacking Greek armies, but God gave them miraculous victories again and again. After three years of struggle, the Greek armies retreated from Jerusalem, and the Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) entered the Holy Temple which the Greeks had defiled, reconsecrated it to God, and began the Temple service once more. Among other things, they wanted to relight the olive oil candelabrum (Exodus ch. 25), but could only find one day's supply of undefiled oil - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought. The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence was still there. The Torah-community was overjoyed, because God's presence meant everything to them.
This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others.)
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil, just as we have no special occasion to mark Abraham's victory (Genesis ch.14), or those of Moses (Numbers ch.21), Joshua, Deborah (Judges ch.4), Gideon (Judges ch.6-7), Jephthah (Judges ch.11), or King David. And though the Hasmonean battles continued for two decades after the retaking of the Temple, the Sages instituted Hanukkah immediately after the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."
What is Rosh Hashanah and what foods are eaten?
Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday when they eat sweet things (not junk food of course), like apples and honey. They eat apples and honey to symbolize a sweet year and to give them joy and happiness.
What are three new years in Jewish calendar?
There are actually four new years in the Jewish calendar:
- First of Nisan - this is the day that all holidays are counted from.
- First of Elul - the first of the months regarding Maasrot (tithing).
- First of Tishrei - Rosh Hashana
- 15th of Shevat - Tu B'Shevat - the new year for trees.
Is school closed on Rosh Hashanah?
In the United States, most schools are not closed on Rosh Hashanah.
Some do, some do not. It all depends on the demographic of the school. If there is a large chunk of students that celebrate the holiday, then school will most likely close on Rosh Hashanah because enough students will miss school that day that it would be more efficient to close for the day.
In Israel, schools do not usually open until after all of the Tishrei holidays, which means that school is closed on Rosh Hashanah.
How do you reply to the greeting of 'Shana Tova'?
Good year in Hebrew!
Shalom...Vusumzi Tshatshu Yiftach
Why is the Jewish new year in September?
There are many Jewish holidays all year round. The Jewish New Year falls in Autumn, in September or October. here is a list of all Jewish holidays:
The Major holidays are:
1 Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year
2 Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement
3 Sukkot - Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)
4 Pesach - Passover
5 Shavuot - Feast of Weeks - Yom HaBikurim
6 Shabbat - The Sabbath
Here is a list of almost all of the major and minor holidays:
1 Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year
2 Aseret Yemei Teshuva - Ten Days of Repentance
3 Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement
4 Sukkot - Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)
5 Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
6 Hanukkah - Festival of Lights
7 Tenth of Tevet
8 Tu Bishvat - New Year of the Trees
9 Purim - Festival of Lots
10 Pesach - Passover
11 Sefirah - Counting of the Omer
12 Lag Ba'omer
13 Shavuot - Feast of Weeks - Yom HaBikurim
14 Seventeenth of Tammuz
15 The Three Weeks and the Nine Days
16 Tisha B'av - Ninth of Av
17 Rosh Chodesh - the New Month
18 Shabbat - The Sabbath
19 Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance day
20 Yom Hazikaron - Memorial Day
21 Yom Ha'atzmaut - Israel Independence Day
22 Yom Yerushalaim - Jerusalem Day
A Buddhist monk believes that enlightenment exists and has dedicated his life for the pursuit of the same.
He is also the carrier for the Buddha's teachings and can be an inspiration to those who are on the path to enlightenment.
He also guides the common folk on the teachings of the Buddha and meditation.
In the Bible (O.T.) Rosh Hashanah is called the "feast of Trumpets". God gave instructions to the Jewish people as they wandered in the wilderness before going into the Promised Land. The feast of trumpets consecrated the seventh month (Sept/Oct) as a sabbatical month. Can be found in Leviticus 23:23-25
Rosh Hashanah in 2010 falls on September 9 and 10. As with all Jewish holidays, the festival begins on the previous evening. In other words, the eve of Rosh Hashanah falls on September 8, 2010.
A Tallit has tassels on each of its four corners. These tassels are supposed to have some white and some sky-blue (Techelet) threads. We have lost the tradition have to produce these sky-blue threads. To remind us that they are supposed to be there, the Tallit has stripes on it.
Does Rosh Hashanah end one day before Yom Kippur?
No. Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the
"10 Days of Awe". It's a period of reflection.
How do you pronounce Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh has a long O so it sounds like "roach". All the "A"s in Hashanah are short - so if you say "ah ha" - that's the right vowel sound. So: Roash Hah-shah-nah is a clue to pronunciation.
Why is the Jewish year different?
Within a month, the days are always numbered from 1 to 29 or 30 in the Jewish
calendar, while in the Civil calendar they are numbered 1 to 30, 31, 28, or 29.
Other differences:
-- The dates on western Civil calendars are written in the 10-digit decimal
system of notation that you're accustomed to seeing everywhere. On the
Jewish calendar, the dates MAY BE written in the system of numeration
that uses characters of the Hebrew alphabet without place values.
-- The months of the western Civil/business calendar, and those of the Jewish
calendar usually begin on different days, and there is a difference in the length
of months and of years. The reason is that the Jewish calendar synchronizes its
months with the visual phases of the moon, just as the Chinese and Muslim
calendars do, whereas the Western calendar departed from that system some
time ago.
Answer:
In addition to what is stated above:
1) The Jewish calendar is unlike the Muslim one in that it adjusts (by leap-month)
to synchronize with the solar year as well as the lunar one.
2) The most obvious difference between the Jewish and Western calendars is that
the Jewish years are numbered from the traditional year of Creation.
What did the men do on the eve of rosh hashana?
Some Orthodox men go to mikvah.
Fruits are purchased for Rosh Hashanah.
Some people choose to fast.
What is the Torah portion for Rosh Hashanna?
The Torah reading for Shacharis (morning) on Yom Kippur is the beginning of the
parsha 'Acharei Mos' (Leviticus, Ch. 16), which describes the service in the
Tabernacle, and later in the Holy Temple, performed by the Kohanim (Priests) on
Yom Kippur.
The Torah reading for Mincha (afternoon) on Yom Kippur is a section taken from the
end of the same parsha (Leviticus, Ch. 18), which deals with moral standards, and
in particular, with an enumeration of forbidden relationships and marriages.
What parasha is rosh hashana in?
The Torah briefly mentions Rosh Hashanah in Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29, where the blowing of the Shofar is mentioned. Most of the information of Rosh Hashanah, its customs and laws and its significance, we know from the Oral Law (the Talmud). It is from the Oral Law, for example, that we learn that the world is judged on Rosh Hashanah.
No single person is known to have created Rosh Hashanah.
In the earliest times the Hebrew year began in autumn with the opening of the economic year. There followed in regular succession the seasons of seed-sowing, growth and ripening of the corn (here meaning any grain) under the influence of the former and the latter rains, harvest and ingathering of the fruits.
In harmony with this was the order of the great agricultural festivals, according to the oldest legislation, namely, the feast of unleavened bread at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the month of Aviv; the feast of harvest, seven weeks later; and the feast of ingathering at the going out or turn of the year. "Aviv" literally means "Spring". (See Exodus 23:14-17; Deuteronomy 16:1-16).
It is likely that the new year was celebrated from ancient times in some special way. The earliest reference to such a custom is, probably, in the account of the vision of Ezekiel (Ezek 40:1). This took place at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month (Tishri). On the same day the beginning of the year of jubilee was to be proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets (Lev 25:9). According to the Septuagint rendering of Ezek 44:20, special sacrifices were to be offered on the first day of the seventh month as well as on the first day of the first month. This first day of the seventh month was appointed by the Law to be "a day of blowing of trumpets".
There was to be a holy convocation; no servile work was to be done; and special sacrifices were to be offered (Lev 23:23-25; Num 29:1-6). This day was not expressly called New-Year's Day, but it was evidently so regarded by the Jews at a very early period.
What does one give at Rosh hashanah?
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), symbolically heralding God's kingship. 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
