L’shanah tovah! Or… For a good year! It’s a shortened version of the full saying (here in the masculine) L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem! Which translates to, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” Note… the response is “Gam lekha!” or “Same to you.”
And with that we kick off the Days of Awe with Rosh Hashanah – literally the head of the year. Yes, I am fully aware that it is October but it is also the 1st of Tishri, which on the Jewish calendar is our January – the first month of the year. Before you get all “Whoa! You get to celebrate two New Year’s?!” let me explain why it’s nowhere near the same thing. Nor is it even really a party. In fact, for many of my Jewish friends and me this is the most stressful holiday of the year.
Rosh Hashanah is the “day of judgment.” The Talmud states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah, where the fates of the righteous, the wicked, and those that fall somewhere in between are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, meaning that they are “sealed” to live another year and the wicked are in turn written in into the book of death and basically doomed. Those of us who fall into the suspicious category are allowed ten days, until Yom Kippur, to reflect and repent or not, if we so choose.
The actual requirements of Rosh Hashanah itself are really not that difficult at all. They are comprised of two minhags and one mitzvah:
Hatarat Nedarim – The Annulment of Vows
The morning of Erev Rosh Hashanah in some Jewish communities (not all) there is a ceremony called Hatarat Nedarim which means the annulment of vows. This custom is carried out to repeal specific vows that you have taken upon yourself so that you can start the Days of Awe free from these burdens. The deal is though that you don’t get a free pass. You are required to stand up and face a panel of “judges”, explain why you cannot fulfill a vow that you’ve taken on and request that it be annulled and different types of vows have different processes for release.
Shofar – Call to Repentance
A shofar is a horn from a ram that is blown on Rosh Hashanah to awaken the listeners from their “slumbers” and alert them to the coming judgment. Hearing the shofar is a mitzvah but not a requirement for women and children. Unfortunately hearing a recording, listening live on the radio or internet doesn’t fulfill the requirement as it is an electronic reproduction (even if it is indeed a live recording).
Tashlikh – Casting Off of Sins
This practice is a minhag, a custom, and not a requirement. I believe as a symbolic gesture for this particular holiday it’s a particularly good one. Traditionally you travel to a body of flowing water and “cast off” what is in your pockets showing that you are letting go of your sins, resentments, unfulfilled expectations and basically anything else that you are carrying with you that is a negative. By doing this you give yourself a fresh start to approach The Days’ of Awe in the best frame of mind.
The process of repentance is called Teshivuah. During teshivuah all Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. There are many ways you can go about repenting. My personal favorite, and I find the best way of lessening the stress and emotional toll that all of this introspection can take, is to really be kind to you. For the 10 full days, I release myself for all other obligations and focus on my health from a whole body perspective. I consciously eat better, typically kicking off with a Rosh Hashanah cleanse. I meditate and make sure that I get exercise every day. I spend plenty of time on my own thinking and journaling about my relationships and interactions to determine where I can do better. I’ve recently added a new piece to the process – 10Q – and am really pleased so far. Every day you get a new question that prompts you to think of the past year in the context of the holiday. Having something that frames all of this naval gazing into pretty concise statements is very easy and painless.
Regardless of what you specifically practice, this day starts a serious process of examining your life and repenting for any and all wrongs you’ve committed during the previous year. Rosh Hashanah is at its core all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.
Vibrant Thing 