Questions tagged [rosh-hashanah-new-year]
Rosy Hashanah is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the first and second days of the month Tishrei. Also known as the Day of Judgement.
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Is the Book of Life ever really sealed?
In davening and in greetings, we always refer to the "sealing" of the Book of Life.
כתיבה וחתימה טובה1 we say; בראש השנה יכתבון וביום צום כיפורים יחתמון2 we pray.
Wikipedia says:
The High ...
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What is the point of praying if your fate is already decided on Rosh Hashana?
It says in Mesechta Rosh Hashana
"On the New Year, [first of Tishrei] all who have entered the earth
pass before Him, one by one, like young sheep, as it says: “He that
fashioned the heart of ...
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When was the last time the "Leap Year" postponement rule was used to delay the date of Rosh Hashannah?
This site explains that there are 4 rules that would cause Rosh Hashannah to be postponed 1 or 2 days after the date of Molad Tishrei. You can view all 4 rules on the web site, but rule 4 states:
4)...
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Why the difference in minhagim about wearing a kittel on Yom Kippur only, or also on Rosh Hashanah
My families minhag is to wear a kittel just on Yom Kippur (so I do). But in shul I see a number of folk with the minhag to wear it also on Rosh Hashanah.
I know it is related to Yom Hadin, and ...
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Rosh Hashanah and Zecher Liyitziyas Mitzrayim
Rosh Hashanah is to my knowledge the Jewish New Year and the coronation of Hashem as our king amongst some of the reason for the Holiday yet we say in the Kiddush it is a remembrance for leaving Egypt....
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Blowing a Shofar at night
Is there anything wrong with blowing a Shofar at night:
on Rosh HaShanah for the Mitzvah (or just because one missed it and wants to hear it, eg., the person was ill)
on Rosh HaShanah for practice ...
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Saying "Shehecheyanu" on Mitzvot on the second day of Yom Tov
The two days of Rosh Hashanah are considered as one day (Yoma Arichta), so why do we say Shehecheyanu when we blow the Shofar on the second day? Moreover even if we somehow view it as two days, why ...
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Why a formulaic greeting on ליל ראש השנה?
On Rosh Hashana night, it is customary to greet one another with "לשנה טובה תכתב (ותחתם)" (Rama 582:9, MB). People (in my experience) and machzorim (Rosh Hashana prayer books) treat this as ...
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Why isn't Rosh Hashana on Elul 30 and Tishrei 1
When Rosh Chodesh is two days, it's on the 30th of the old month and the first of the new month. Rosh Hashana falls on the beginning of the new month of Tishrei. Why then is Rosh Hashana on Tishrei ...
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Yemenite shofar not from sheep
I've heard that Yemenite Jews follow the Rambam for halacha generally, and Wikipedia concurs.
The Rambam writes that one must use a sheep's horn as the shofar on Rosh Hashana. Shulchan Aruch is less ...
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Why don't we say Hallel on Rosh Hashanah?
For most months, on the first day (Rosh Hodesh) we say the Hallel service between Shacharit and Mussaf. For the first day of Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah), however, we do not say Hallel. Why is it not ...
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Rosh Hashana can't currently land on a Friday, but the first one did
The current fixed calendar works in such a way so that the first day of Rosh Hashana can never fall out on a Friday, but this is the very day on which the first Rosh Hashana fell! What gives?
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Useshuva Usefillah Utzedakah maavirin es roah hagezeira, where is this from?
Does anyone know the history of how "Useshuvah Usefillah Utzedakah maavirin es roah hagezeirah" was put into our Tefillah and/or who wrote it? (It's in the chazaras hashatz for musaf on Rosh Hashana ...
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Why use bee honey on Rosh Hashana?
The honey in "land of milk and honey" is date honey (I believe), and yet most people use bee honey on Rosh Hashana. Does it matter what kind of honey you use at all?
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The Medrash and Gemara about Hoshana Rabbah
I read on shirat devorah the following:
1) The Midrash tells us that G‑d told Abraham: “If atonement is not granted to your children on Rosh Hashanah, I will grant it on Yom Kippur; if they do not ...
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Why don't we use plural "TOVOT" in New Years greeting for ketivah ve-hatimah TOVOT?
Why don't we use plural "TOVOT" in New Years greeting for ketivah ve-hatimah (writing and sealing) tovot?
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How do we calculate 100 shofar blasts?
We are obligated to hear 100 shofar blasts on Rosh Hashona [source?] - how are those blasts calculated? Do we actually hear 100 or are there extra?
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The tamid as well as the tamid in Rosh Hashana Musaf?
In the musaf amida of Rosh Hashana, at least in Nusach Ashkenaz, the list of the day's offerings concludes with the following two lines.
ומנחתם ונסכיהם כמדבר שלשה עשרנים לפר ושני עשרנים לאיל ועשרון ...
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Rainbow on Rosh Hashana
The bracha on a rainbow is the subject of a disagreement on Brachos 59a. The Gemara brings זוכר הברית unattributed, Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Beroka says נאמן בבריתו וקים במאמרו, ...
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What is the real first month of the Jewish year?
The Torah passage explaining Rosh Hashana says:
"In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a rest-day, a day of remembrance, horn-blowing, and holy assembly. [...] The tenth ...
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What are the 4 New Years?
The Mishna in tractate Rosh Hashana (1, 1) says that there are four New Years. I know that there's the standard one for the holidays, one for kings, one for rain. What's the fourth? When are they and ...
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How should non-Jews observe Rosh HaShanah?
The second mishnah in Rosh HaShanah says that "all the people of the world" are judged on Rosh HaShanah. How should non-Jews observe the Day of Judgment?
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Taschlich Bread crumbs on Yom Tov
What is, and more over is there a source for throwing of bread during Tashlich (other then the Kids song that says to throw our Aveiros away)? The reason for the the question is because on Rosh ...
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Uman for Rosh Hashanah?
Why do people leave Eretz Yisroel to go to Uman for Rosh Hashanah? (It seems to me like leaving America for July Fourth.) In general what is the reason people go: is it Just a festival in the ...
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What is the reason behind blowing the shofar from the side of one's mouth?
I've been told that the custom is to blow the shofar from the sides of one mouth, rather than like blowing a trumpet. What is the source for this custom and the reasoning behind it?
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How is Rosh Hashanah a remembrance of leaving Mitzraim?
On all Yamim Tovim, we (this is the Ashkenazic formulation) say the following formulation in the middle Bracha of Shemoneh Esrei:
ותתן לנו ה׳ אלקינו באהבה את יום ... הזה ... מקרא קדש זכר ליציאת מצרים
...
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Why specifically an apple on Rosh HaShanah?
There is a custom of eating an apple dipped in honey on first night of Rosh HaShanah (among the other foods) as a sign that we should have a sweet year. Why is this done specifically with an apple and ...
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Can the full set of 100 shofar blasts be performed by more than 1 person?
One person made the bracha and blew some blasts. Then, for some reason, he is physically unable to blow the rest. Can someone else complete the job?
Does it matter if the switch happens in the middle ...
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Who added on the words לאלתר לחיים טובים ולשלום to the greeting לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם?
Orach Chaim 582:9 - The Rama brings in the name of the Tur that on Rosh Hashana one should bless his friend & family לשנה טובה תכתב. Be'er Hataiv says that one should say לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם.
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Shochen Ad, HaKail, HaMelech - why?
Why does the Shaliach Tzibbur start Shacharis on Shabbos from Shochein Ad, on Yom Tov from HaKeil, and on Rosh HaShana/Yom Kippur from HaMelech?
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What to think about during each shofar sound
There are all kinds of meanings traditionally associated with the shofar blowing, as well as with each of its individual sounds. During the Rosh Hashana service, we have many sets of repetitions of ...
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What is the origin of the shofar sounds?
There are 4 major shofar sounds, or notes, sounded on Rosh Hashana:
Tekiah: A long, continuous blast.
Shevarim: Three short "broken" blasts.
Teruah: A rapid series of nine or more very short blasts.
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Why was there a huge concern to assure that Hoshanna Rabbah is not on Shabbat?
This page lists 4 rules that may cause the first day of Rosh Hashannah to be postponed from being on the date of the molad Tishrei. One of the rules is:
If molad Tishri occurs on Sunday, Wednesday, ...
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Us'shuva us'fila utz'daka maavirin.... so what?
Why is so much emphasis given to the line "us'shuva us'fila utz'daka maavirin..." in the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur prayers? It seems to be the most emphasized line of all, with people shouting it and ...
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Can a convert (ger tzedek) serve on a beis din to annul a non-convert's vows?
If I understand correctly, there are certain cases where a convert can't serve on a beis din judging a native-born Jew. Yet when we break into groups of three for hataras nedarim (annulment of vows), ...
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What's the difference between שמחה and חדוה?
The Gra was quoted to me (I think from the Aderes Eliyah, but I'm not sure) as saying that during the shofar blowing on Rosh HaShanna a person should be in a state of simcha and chedva.
I would like ...
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How do you prepare a ram's head for Rosh Hashana night
One of the Simanim brought to eat on Rosh Hashana is a Ram's head. It isn't very popular, I assume due to availability, but one year they had them (well, a lamb's head) in the local store, but I was ...
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Why by "Ut'shuva, Utefila UItzedaka" does it say "Zom, Kol, Mamon"?
On top of the words ut'shuvah utefila utzedakah1 in most machzorim it also says Zom, Kol, Mamon2.
Why zom on teshuvah if the Rambam's formula for teshuva (Hl. Teshuva 2) no mention of fasting; why ...
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What exactly is the judgement of Rosh Hashanah?
In the Rosh Hashanah Musaf, it is implied that all human beings and countries are judged on this day whether they will have peace or war, life or death, and in the Unesaneh Tokef prayer, this is ...
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Rosh Hashanah as a Day of Friendliness
Are there any texts or commentators which discuss the idea of Rosh Hashanah being a day of friendliness?
The Artscroll/Stone on Bamidbar 23:22 follows Rashi's understanding (Bamidbar 23:21) of "utru'...
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Why are there piyyutim for the beginning of first day Rosh Hashanah musaf, but not for the second day (in Nusach Ashkenaz)?
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah at musaf, Ashkenazim recite piyyutim as part of the first three berachot of the amidah, composed by R. Elazar HaKalir. On the second day, no such piyyutim are recited ...
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Earliest source for dipping apple in honey on Rosh Hashana
What is the earliest source for the custom of dipping an apple in honey on Rosh Hashana?
(It is found in the Tur (Siman 683), the Abudraham (quoted by the Rama there) - believed to be a student of ...
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Drinking on Rosh HaShanah
Rosh HaShanah has two opposite aspects, one of judgment, and one of Yom Tov. We spend the day(s) in prayer and literally plead for our lives. Yet we eat festive meals and drink wine for Kiddush.
Is ...
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The dagesh in "elo-ha" means what?
I'm not so clear on the use of the dagesh as a point of definition -- I understand some fo the pronunciation issues but not all of them either so I would appreciate any help here.
I recall learning ...
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Torah prohibition of Shofar on Shabbos Rosh Hashanah?
The Torah says Rosh Hashanah is a יום תרועה, a day of shofar blasts, and זכרון תרועה, a remembrance of shofar blasts. This seems like a contradiction.
The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 29b) suggests that the ...
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I am looking for an algorithm to calculate Molad Tishrei for any given year
I am using MS Excel together with VBA (Visual Basic for applications) to write macros to calculate Molad Tishrei.
I have located information in various web sites that explain how to calculate Molad ...
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A new knife for Rosh Hashanah?
There is a custom to buy a knife for Rosh Hashanah: the qualifier is that the knife not be serrated. What is the source for this custom and what is the significance of the knife not having edges?
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Has Elul Been Made Full Since the Time of Ezra?
In the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah (19b) it says:
והאמר רבי חיננא בר כהנא א"ר מימות עזרא ואילך לא מצינו אלול מעובר
לא מצינו דלא איצטריך הא איצטריך מעברינן ליה
Didn’t Rabbi Chinnana bar Kahana say ...
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Signifigance of the foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah?
What is the Significance of the foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah,now i know the gemara brings them down but why did the Gemara choose these particular ones also the apple in honey whats the significance ...
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