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Whether you're new to Rosh Hashanah or a seasoned observer, this video is a comprehensive guide to understanding and celebrating this special day.
Do holidays get any BIGGER than celebrating the actual CREATION OF THE WORLD? Uh, yeah, I didn’t think so!
This is JEW KNOW IT and today we’re talking about Rosh Hashanah.
Simply put - Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year.
No, that doesn’t mean you’re poppin’ bottles and hitting the clubs like you might on New Year’s Eve, but it does mean you’re trying to shed the old and embrace the new.
The day itself is important because it celebrates God creating the first people ever, ADAM & EVE. Maybe you’ve heard of them?
So, the same way God CREATED Adam & Eve, you have a once-a-year opportunity during Rosh Hashanah to RECREATE yourself.
This means that who you were last year doesn't have to be who you’ll be next year. You get a chance to change and improve, and Rosh Hashanah has a system to help you do that, and it’s a little more effective than jotting your goals in the Notes app.
Part of that system is known as the “Book of Life.”
OK, so while the “Book of Life” does have the word “book” in its title, it’s not something you can exactly stream as an audiobook or download on Kindle.
On Rosh Hashanah, you ask to be written into the Book of Life.
Think of the Book of Life as a sort of “cosmic list” that inscribes who will live this coming year.
But it's not just about life and death - it's also about asking to be granted a year filled with meaning, happiness, success, health and positive experiences. You know, the good life!
But this meaningful year isn’t just going to happen on its own, you need to work for it!
And working for anything requires tenacity and fuel, and some of that fuel, of course, comes from food.
OK, so there’s no “accidental” food on Rosh Hashanah. Everything you eat, big and small, means something and helps you achieve the goals of Rosh Hashanah.
You eat a round challah on Rosh Hashanah because its shape symbolizes fullness and completion.
It also sort of looks like a crown, symbolizing “God as our King.” Just don’t, like, put the challah on your head, OK?
After the “Hamotzi” – that’s the bread blessing - you dip the bread in honey, symbolizing our prayer for a sweet new year.
You then dip an APPLE in honey, also symbolizing a prayer for a sweet new year, because why not do it twice?
There are a few more foods Jews eat during Rosh Hashanah, such as leeks, cabbage, beets and dates, all of which symbolize our enemies being DESTROYED.
Very GAME OF THRONES, right?
Hear that blast? That's the SHOFAR, which if you didn’t know, is a ram’s horn.
There are three unique sounds that the Shofar belts out: teruah, shevarim and tekiah, and they all mean something different:
TEKIA is a loooong blast that's a bit like a trumpet solo that says, "Remember the shofar blast you heard when the Torah was given to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai? Yeah, that was awesome.”
Then there's SHEVARIM, which is three medium-sized blasts that are meant to sound like someone shedding tears and the Shofar saying, "Hey, it's cool to be vulnerable and to look within yourself. Change is on its way.”
And finally, there’s TERUAH. This one is a whole bunch of short and POWERFUL blasts that’s like a wake-up call to your soul. It says "Hey, put down your phone and pay attention! You've got a chance to become a better version of yourself."
And you should know that the Shofar isn’t just about making noise. It’s actually a sneaky agent of change, delivering a powerful message without using words, like that old friend who just gets us without needing to say a thing.
Rosh Hashanah is like that moment in a video game when you hit the RESET button, ready to level up your inner self and unlock new achievements in the coming year.
But, like, how can YOU really rock Rosh Hashanah and make it count? Well, it all begins with a bit of self-examination, taking a chill moment to reflect and plan. Ask yourself:
What kind of story do you want to create in the next chapter of your life?
What's on your achievement list for the coming year?
Are you aiming for top grades, a new job, or maybe just learning to cook something other than eggs and pasta?
What's holding you back from unleashing your inner superhero? Stress? Procrastination? That snooze button you've become besties with? Pinpoint those obstacles and get ready to crush them.
Think of that thing you're totally amped about. You know, that project or skill you've been wanting to tackle FOREVER.
This is your year, now get after it!
This has been JEW KNOW IT, a series where we tackle questions big and small about Judaism… even the ones you’re too afraid to ask.
