Berachot Rosh Hashanah

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	Berachot Rosh Hashanah -

	Rosh Hashanah Home Ceremony


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The home ceremony for Rosh Hashanah takes place at sundown, just before the start of Tishri 1. The main event of this holiday consists of a special festive meal, similar to a Friday evening Shabbat meal. The Rosh Hashanah celebration begins with the lighting of candles (hadlakat nerot), symbolizing the transition from profane to sacred time, and the recitation of the blessing thanking God for enabling us to reach this season (the Shehecheyanu). Other customs such as eating apples dipped in honey are enjoyed.

Here’s what you’ll need for a Rosh HaShanah simchah:


	A festive kosher dinner A least two candles Wine (or grape juice) in a Kiddush cup Fresh apples and honey Round challah loaves A shofar (to be blown at the end of the meal) A pomegranate (for the second night)


	Rosh Hashanah Candle-Lighting Blessing

Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as Yom Hazikkaron, the Day of Remembrance, since in Leviticus 23:24 it is referred to as “a memorial” (zikkaron) day.

As Yom Hazikkaron, Rosh Hashanah recalls the story of Isaac's near-sacrifice (said by Jewish tradition to have occurred on Tishri 1) when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son as an offering (this is known as the Akedah). Abraham obeyed God's command, built an altar, and prepared to sacrifice Isaac, but at the very last minute was stopped by the Angel of the LORD. The Angel pointed out a ram caught by its horns in a nearby bush and told Abraham to sacrifice it in place of Isaac. Here again is a clear picture of the sacrifice of the Son of God by the Father performed on behalf of those who trust in Him.

Since Rosh Hashanah is about teshuvah, or returning to God through repentance, the Akedah is retold to remind us that submission to God is the way to demonstrate a repentant attitude before the LORD.

On Erev Rosh Hashanah, just before sundown, the following blessing is recited while kindling the holiday candles:


	Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav, lehadlik ner shel yom ha-zikkaron.


	Note: If Rosh Hashanah occurs on Shabbat, the ending reads: “shel Shabbat ve-Yom Ha-Zikkaron.”


	The Shehecheyanu Blessing


	The Shehecheyanu blessing is said to thank God for enabling us to reach this season:






		Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-hecheyanu ve-ki-ye-manu ve-higianu lazman ha-zeh.


	Kiddush and HaMotzi


	After this, the holiday is sanctified by reciting kiddush (the blessing over wine) for Rosh Hashanah and, before eating the holiday meal, by reciting the haMotzi (the blessing over bread).


		Since Rosh Hashanah celebrates the cyclical passage of time and the recurring progression of holidays of the New Year, it is customary to recite the haMotzi blessing over round loaves of challah (symbolizing the revolving seasons or the Crown of God). Often these are sweetened with raisons for the holiday. To wish that the coming year will be an especially sweet one, the pieces of challah are drizzling with honey just before eating them.

	Apples Dipped in Honey

It is also customary to eat apples dipped in honey during this meal. Why? It is a tradition to eat a newly ripened fruit for the first time during that fruit’s harvest season, and since Rosh Hashanah falls around the beginning of apple season, the apple has become the "first fruit." This provides the opportunity to recite the blessings both over the fruit of the tree (bore pri ha'etz) as well as another Shehecheyanu. Before eating the apple dipped in honey, we ask God "to renew this year for us with sweetness and happiness."


	Grace after the meal


	After the meal, one recites the birkat hamazon, the "grace after meals," including special additions marking the festival of Rosh Hashanah. It is traditional at this time to greet one another with Le’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu! (“May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year!”) and to respond with gam lekha (same to you):






	Listening to the Shofar

	If you have a shofar, you may want to fulfill the mitzvah of listening to its sound by blowing it at this time. The one who blows the shofar recites the blessing:





			Barukh attah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, asher kidishanu be'mitzvotav ve'tzivanu lishmo’a kol shofar.

	"Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, Master of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar."

	The Second Day of Rosh HaShanah

Since Rosh Hashanah is a two-day festival, all of these ceremonies are repeated on the second evening as well, except that there is a tradition to use a different newly ripened fruit of the season, such as a pomegranate. This fruit is a popular since it is mentioned as native to the land of Israel and because there is a legend that there are 613 seeds in each fruit (corresponding to the number of commandments in the Torah). Most do not dip the pomegranate in honey, however, since its seeds are already sweet enough by themselves.


	Eating a pomegranate reminds us of the sweetness of the Torah.


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		Hebrew for Christians Copyright © John J. Parsons All rights reserved.