Take some pomegranate seeds.
As numerous as the stars…like the seeds of a pomegranate. Rich, deep red, the color of life-giving blood. Sweet and tart. Crunchy, refreshing. We can eat the pomegranate’s seeds one at a time, savoring each individually, or we can take a handful at once and enjoy the explosion of flavor in our mouths.
One of the seven fruits of Israel, the pomegranate, or rimon in Hebrew, is believed to also have 613 seeds, symbolizing the 613 Mitzvot, or deeds, we are commanded to achieve in our lifetime.
May our good deeds, our mitzvot, be like pomegranate seeds. May they be plentiful. May we savor each, and may we enjoy many. With this blessing, we ask for a year of good deeds.
May it be Your will, Yah, our loving Mother who breathes life into all that lives, that we be filled with mitzvot, and that we be kind to others, and that we do as many good deeds as there are seeds in a pomegranate.
Yehi ratzon milfanecha Adonai Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu, she’nihiyeh m’lei’im mitzvot ka’rimon.
Eat the pomegranate seeds.
Pour the fourth cup of juice
It does not take pandemic to bring challenges into our lives. It does not require civil unrest to have us yearning to bury our heads in the sand, to hide away in a cave, to crawl beneath the blankets. Pandemic and civil unrest merely (merely?) heighten our awareness, and sharpen our need for resilience.
In this fourth cup, may we find in ourselves the ability to lift others up, to bring each other into the light, and, through this, be brought into the light ourselves.
Dating back to Talmudic times, there have been associations between Rosh haShanah and food. From Nehemiah chapter 8:
And Ezra the Kohen brought Torah (the Law) to the congregation, men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
Nehemiah the Tishatha, Ezra the Kohen and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to Adonai your God: you must not mourn or weep,” for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of Torah.
They further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to Adonai. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in Adonai is the source of your strength.
There are many symbolic foods around Rosh haShanah, depending on your custom: apples and honey, beets, gourds, beans, pomegranates, carrots, round challah, wine. In our Kabbalat haShanah Seder—our welcoming of the New Year—we incorporate some of these and some traditional text from the machzor.
Let all who are hungry—for food, for spiritual uplifting, for companionship—come and eat and join us.
Nearly all Jewish holiday begin with lighting candles, and so this one will, too. After we light the candles we wave our hands in three big horizontal circles to symbolically bring the light closer to us, and then cover our eyes while we say the blessing. When the blessing is over take a moment of silent reflection with your eyes covered, and then open your eyes and enjoy the beauty of candlelight, bringing you into the new year.
The following blessing is a feminist blessing that parallels traditional masculine language used by the majority of Jews. In using feminine language for Adonai, we acknowledge the role of women in our ancestral tradition and the centrality of their place in our future.
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁתְנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ וְצִוָּתְנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת
Barucha at yah, eloheinu ruach ha-olam, asher kidishanu bmitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel shabbat v'yom tov.
Blessed are you, sovereign, our G-d, breath of the world, who has commanded us to observe the deed of lighting shabbat and festival candles.
B’ruchah At Yah Shekhinah, Ruach ha‐olam, shehechiyatnu v’kiyimatnu v’higiyatnu lazman hazeh.
You are blessed, Yah, Divine Presence, Life’s Breath of the universe, Who has kept us in life, who has sustained us, and who has enabled us to reach this season.
In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of rest, a memorial proclaimed with the sounding of shofar, a holy convocation.
—Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:24-25.
This is what Torah says about Rosh haShanah. How did it become the New Year? How is the year to begin in the seventh month, instead of the first month of the year?
Why begin the year in the northern hemisphere’s autumn? It was the time of the harvest in many of the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean region. The harvest began the economic cycle. (There is also a spring harvest, and some of these cultures began the year at that time. Ours chose to give primacy to the autumn harvest.)
After our departure from Egypt, the month of our liberation, Nisan, became the first month of the year. Still, the year number continued to change on the first day of Tishrei, in the (northern hemisphere) autumn.
Rosh haShanah has other names: Yom T’ruah (Day of the Horn Sounding), Yom haZikaron (Day of Remembrance), and Yom haDin (Day of Judgement). Each of these reflects an aspect of the day that has accumulated over the years. Rosh haShanah is also the first of the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, the period from Rosh haShanah through Yom Kippur, when the world is said to be judged and when we make a special effort to do teshuvah, to return to the path of righteousness.
During the Yom Tov Kiddush, we referred to the day as Yom T’ruah and as Yom haZikaron—but not as Rosh haShanah!
Pour a second cup of juice.
Rosh Hashanah is known as a day of remembrance where we sit in the balance between past and future.
Together, we raise a glass and make a toast to Remembrance with this quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel:
“The authentic individual is neither an end nor a beginning but a link between ages...we sanctify the present by remembering the past.”
Blessing of Memory
Zichronam livracha, tzedek v’shalom
May the memories of those we have lost be for a blessing of righteousness and peace.
Reflection Questions for Yom HaZikaron - Day of Remembrance
Where did I dedicate my time, energy and resources in the past year?
Who and what do I want to remember from the past year (or from any time in the past) to guide me in the coming year?
B’ruchah At Yah Shekhinah, Ruach ha‐olam boreit p’ri hagafen.
You are praised Yah, Divine Presence, Life’s Breath of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Drink
BLESSING FOR THE SECOND CUP: DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
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Take some pomegranate seeds.
As numerous as the stars…like the seeds of a pomegranate. Rich, deep red, the color of life-giving blood. Sweet and tart. Crunchy, refreshing. We can eat the pomegranate’s seeds one at a time, savoring each individually, or we can take a handful at once and enjoy the explosion of flavor in our mouths.
One of the seven fruits of Israel, the pomegranate, or rimon in Hebrew, is believed to also have 613 seeds, symbolizing the 613 Mitzvot, or deeds, we are commanded to achieve in our lifetime.
May our good deeds, our mitzvot, be like pomegranate seeds. May they be plentiful. May we savor each, and may we enjoy many. With this blessing, we ask for a year of good deeds.
May it be Your will, Yah, our loving Mother who breathes life into all that lives, that we be filled with mitzvot, and that we be kind to others, and that we do as many good deeds as there are seeds in a pomegranate.
Yehi ratzon milfanecha Adonai Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu, she’nihiyeh m’lei’im mitzvot ka’rimon.
Eat the pomegranate seeds.
Pour the fourth cup of juice
It does not take pandemic to bring challenges into our lives. It does not require civil unrest to have us yearning to bury our heads in the sand, to hide away in a cave, to crawl beneath the blankets. Pandemic and civil unrest merely (merely?) heighten our awareness, and sharpen our need for resilience.
In this fourth cup, may we find in ourselves the ability to lift others up, to bring each other into the light, and, through this, be brought into the light ourselves.
Dating back to Talmudic times, there have been associations between Rosh haShanah and food. From Nehemiah chapter 8:
And Ezra the Kohen brought Torah (the Law) to the congregation, men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
Nehemiah the Tishatha, Ezra the Kohen and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to Adonai your God: you must not mourn or weep,” for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of Torah.
They further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to Adonai. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in Adonai is the source of your strength.
There are many symbolic foods around Rosh haShanah, depending on your custom: apples and honey, beets, gourds, beans, pomegranates, carrots, round challah, wine. In our Kabbalat haShanah Seder—our welcoming of the New Year—we incorporate some of these and some traditional text from the machzor.
Let all who are hungry—for food, for spiritual uplifting, for companionship—come and eat and join us.
Nearly all Jewish holiday begin with lighting candles, and so this one will, too. After we light the candles we wave our hands in three big horizontal circles to symbolically bring the light closer to us, and then cover our eyes while we say the blessing. When the blessing is over take a moment of silent reflection with your eyes covered, and then open your eyes and enjoy the beauty of candlelight, bringing you into the new year.
The following blessing is a feminist blessing that parallels traditional masculine language used by the majority of Jews. In using feminine language for Adonai, we acknowledge the role of women in our ancestral tradition and the centrality of their place in our future.
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁתְנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ וְצִוָּתְנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת
Barucha at yah, eloheinu ruach ha-olam, asher kidishanu bmitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel shabbat v'yom tov.
Blessed are you, sovereign, our G-d, breath of the world, who has commanded us to observe the deed of lighting shabbat and festival candles.
B’ruchah At Yah Shekhinah, Ruach ha‐olam, shehechiyatnu v’kiyimatnu v’higiyatnu lazman hazeh.
You are blessed, Yah, Divine Presence, Life’s Breath of the universe, Who has kept us in life, who has sustained us, and who has enabled us to reach this season.
In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of rest, a memorial proclaimed with the sounding of shofar, a holy convocation.
—Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:24-25.
This is what Torah says about Rosh haShanah. How did it become the New Year? How is the year to begin in the seventh month, instead of the first month of the year?
Why begin the year in the northern hemisphere’s autumn? It was the time of the harvest in many of the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean region. The harvest began the economic cycle. (There is also a spring harvest, and some of these cultures began the year at that time. Ours chose to give primacy to the autumn harvest.)
After our departure from Egypt, the month of our liberation, Nisan, became the first month of the year. Still, the year number continued to change on the first day of Tishrei, in the (northern hemisphere) autumn.
Rosh haShanah has other names: Yom T’ruah (Day of the Horn Sounding), Yom haZikaron (Day of Remembrance), and Yom haDin (Day of Judgement). Each of these reflects an aspect of the day that has accumulated over the years. Rosh haShanah is also the first of the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, the period from Rosh haShanah through Yom Kippur, when the world is said to be judged and when we make a special effort to do teshuvah, to return to the path of righteousness.
During the Yom Tov Kiddush, we referred to the day as Yom T’ruah and as Yom haZikaron—but not as Rosh haShanah!
Pour a second cup of juice.
Rosh Hashanah is known as a day of remembrance where we sit in the balance between past and future.
Together, we raise a glass and make a toast to Remembrance with this quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel:
“The authentic individual is neither an end nor a beginning but a link between ages...we sanctify the present by remembering the past.”
Blessing of Memory
Zichronam livracha, tzedek v’shalom
May the memories of those we have lost be for a blessing of righteousness and peace.
Reflection Questions for Yom HaZikaron - Day of Remembrance
Where did I dedicate my time, energy and resources in the past year?
Who and what do I want to remember from the past year (or from any time in the past) to guide me in the coming year?
B’ruchah At Yah Shekhinah, Ruach ha‐olam boreit p’ri hagafen.
You are praised Yah, Divine Presence, Life’s Breath of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Drink
BLESSING FOR THE SECOND CUP: DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Preview
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