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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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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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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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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Avinu Malkeinu - middle verses said out loud by Chazan
Why do we repeat out loud the verses of Avinu Malkeinu - from Hachzireinu B'Teshuva until Kosveinu B'Sefer Slicha U'Mechila? Why only these verses? Why not others?
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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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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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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 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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Why do we get judged (Rosh Hashana) before Yom Kippur?
AT first glance it would make more sense to be given a chance to do teshuva before being judged, so why is it the other way around?
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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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Shofar from an extinct animal
After paying a trip to the Natural History Museum in London I found myself wondering... would it be allowed (to any extent) to use a shofar of an animal that has kosher simanim but is extinct? There ...
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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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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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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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What should a person think when hearing the shofar?
What should a person think when hearing the shofar during the month of Elul. is there some kind of basic intent one should have in mind?
What about during Rosh Hashana?
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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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What is the history and purpose behind Teki'ah Gedolah?
I am familiar with the origin and reasoning of the "regular" Tekiah blast that surrounds the shevarim, teru'ah and shevarim-teru'ah sounds.
What is the origin of the teki'ah gedolah in terms of its ...
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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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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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what sources discuss dipping challah in both salt and honey or only honey during rosh hashanna?
Many people dip their bread in only honey over rosh hashanna but I was under the impression that one should dip in both salt and honey. What sources discuss either dipping in both salt then honey or ...
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Why do some people say לאל עורך דין during Musaph on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanna?
Art Scroll and a few other Machzorim (Nusach Ashkenaz) have a notation for the piyut לאל עורך דין on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanna. They place in it both Shacharit with a notation saying that some ...
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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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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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Why does Yalkut Yosef recommend women not do "tashlich"?
I read in Yalkut Yossef that women don't need to go to Tashlikh and the Rav Y. Yossef shlit"a concludes with "Shev Veal Tasse Adif" (trans. it's better to do nothing).
Does anyone know the reason ? I ...
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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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Why do we call the "judges" experts?
The hataras nedarim of Erev Rosh Hashanah starts with "Listen now my masters, expert judges" ("שמעו נא רבותי, דיינים מומחים").1 In practice, at least as far as I've seen, these judges are ...
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Why recite the Psalms verses out of order?
The Talmud (RH 32b) lists the three Torah verses suitable for mention in the Kingship section of Rosh Hashana's Musaf as Num 23:21, Deu 33:5 and Exo 15:18. The Tur (OC 591) among others quotes R' Hai ...
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Why don't women go to the mikvah before rosh hashanna and yom kippur?
AFAIK it is common practice for Jewish men to go to the mikvah erev rosh hashanna and erev yom kippur, but not for women to do the same. Why don't women also go? I'm asking about both married and ...
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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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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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How much time is the Tekia of Shofar supposed to take?
When one blows Shofar on Rosh HaShana, how much time is the Tekia supposed to take in order to be Yotzei the Mitzva?
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(Why) is there a custom to have round challah for Rosh HaShanah?
I have noticed that the local kosher bakeries sell round challot (as opposed to their usual braided loaves) in advance of Rosh HaShanah.
Is such a custom noted in any written sources?
If yes, what ...
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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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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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Mother of Sisera and Tekiyot Why the connection
The Mother of Sisera is the source of our custom of blow one Hundred blasts on Rosh Hashanah (The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 584) Why is our custom based on such an evil ...
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Is Melech ever a verb?
In the Artscroll machzor (ashkenaz), in the Chazarat Hashatz for shacharit of Rosh Hashana, the piyut with the refrain "Hashem Melech, Hashem malach, Hashem yimloch le'olam va'ed" has a strange ...
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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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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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How did the triennial Torah reading fulfil the ordninance Ezra?
Ezra declared that the curses in Vayikra be read before Shavuos and those in Devarim before Rosh HaShana (Megillah 31b). How was that accomplished by those in Eretz Yisrael who had a triennial system ...
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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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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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Chazzan wears talis slichos night?
Why does the chazzan for slichot a week before rosh hashana wear a talis? Isn't it clearly night time?
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Who wrote the piyutim of Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur?
I don't know if they are technically called "piyutim", but there is a nusach we say on Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur between "Ata Kadosh" to "Hamelech Hakadosh". Was that decreed by the Anshei Knesses ...
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Where do we first see Elul as a time for repentance?
Today, the month of Elul is seen as being an introduction to the period of the High Holy Days (Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur).
For instance, Tur Orach Chaim 581:
התקינו חז"ל שיהו תוקעין בר"ח אלול ...
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Tehilim 47 - said 7 times before the blowing of the Shofar
What is the source and reason for saying Tehilim 47 - 7 times before the blowing of the Shofar?
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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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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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What happens on Hoshanah Rabbah?
On Rosh Hashanah the judgment is written.
On Yom Kippur it is sealed.
But we really have until Hoshanah Rabbah to repent. The Zohar [Tzav 31b] says that's when the judgment is delivered.
Who is ...
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