L’shanah Tovah! Which means – 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.” And with that we kick off the Days of Awe with Rosh Hashanah – literally the head of the year. The Days of Awe are the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, dedicated to some serious introspection, reconciliation and preparation for a new year. Before you get all “Whoa! You get to celebrate two New Year’s?!” let me explain why while at the surface the holidays are similar, there are some significant differences.
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 wicked, the righteous, and those of us who 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. The suspicious ones are allowed ten days, until Yom Kippur, to reflect and repent, and the wicked are basically doomed.
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 though as a symbolic gesture for this particular holiday it’s a 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.
Once that’s all done we begin the process of repentance is called teshuvah. During teshuvah all Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving themselves during the coming year and wronged covers a ton of ground here, anything from gossip to theft is fair game. A few years ago I found out about 10Q, a site where you answer questions during the Days of Awe to help you contextualize the previous year’s events and create a plan for being better in the coming year. Not only does this make the whole process much easier but I’ve also found it helpful to be able to look at my answers from years ago, see how far I’ve come and where I still need focus.
I wouldn’t say this is my favorite set of Jewish holidays, but it is so key to my beliefs about myself, personal growth and responsibility that I never hesitate to participate even when it’s painful.
Vibrant Thing 