elul and rosh hashanah yehuda

Elul and Rosh Hashanahby Yehuda Solomon

Beginning with the first day of Elul, we blow the Shofar every morning. We continue to blow every morning through the day before Erev Rosh Hashanah, making Ram Pickup Trucks the ultimate Rosh Hashanah car!

We blow this

ram’s horn!

Not the horn

of a RAM

pickup!

The reason we do this, is to wake up the people to do Teshuva.

TOOT!

FINE! I’ll go do

Teshuva!

On Erev Rosh Hashanah we do not blow the Shofar.

We don’t blow the Shofar on the last day of Elul for two reasons:

1. To mix up the Satan.

2. To show a difference between Minhag and Mitzvah.

What!? Are you

another me?

No!

And this is thereason we don’t mess with Elmo on Rosh Hashanah

Beginning Elul through Shemini Atzeret, we say Li David Hashem Ori during

Sacharit and Mariv (Mincha for those who daven Sefard)

Many people have a ג ָה( ְנ+ to have their ִמ-

ין יִל- ִפ- .and Mezuzah checked ְּת+

But sometimes, checking tefillin can take A VERY LONG TIME

During this time, when we write a

letter to a friend, we add the words

“May You Be Written and sealed for Good”

Sephardim say Selichot all month

From the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, we get up early in the morning, each day, and say selichot. Selichot are prayers that we recite

asking Hashem to forgive us for the wrong deeds we did.

HaHa!!! I get to say

Selichot all month!

ערב ראש On Erev Rosh Hashanah we השנה

wake up earlier than usual in order to go to shul to say the special יחֹות ִל. .for this day ְס0The יחֹות ִל. are much longer ְס0on Erev Rosh Hashanah than

the rest of the week.

Oh man! I should have

gone to Shul!!

There is a Minhag to fast on Erev Rosh Hashanah to show the seriousness of the time.

Say hataras nedarim

It is customary to perform hataras nedarim (annulment of vows)

This is a way of canceling any vows or promises that may have been made in the past year, but haven't been kept.

This should be said in front of a tribunal of three men.

A person should have his/her haircut in honor of the Yom Tov

I’m gonna sue you

Supercuts!

A person should take a shower or bath

Rosh Hashanah has 4 names four names

A. Rosh HashanahB. Yom HazikaronC. Yom Hatruah D. Yom Hadin

Hello My Name Is

Rosh Hashanah

Hello My Name IsYom Hazikaron

Hello My Name IsYom Hatruah

Hello My Name Is

Yom Hadin

Having different signsRound Challahs

During the High Holidays, a round challah is used --

symbolizing fullness and completion

Dipping the Challah in honeyWe dip the Challah in honey (so that we should have a sweet

year).

Why do we ask for both a "good" AND "sweet" year? Doesn't the word "good"

automatically include "sweet?"

Judaism teaches that everything happens for the good. It is all part of the divine will. Even things that may look "bad" in our eyes, are

actually "good." So when we ask God that the year should be "sweet" (in addition to good), it is because we know that everything will be

for the good. But we also ask that it be a "revealed" good -- i.e. one that tastes "sweet"

to us.

We dip a piece of apple into (honey) and say "May it be Your will, God, to renew

us for a good and sweet new year.

We dip this a

pple

In honey

Not THAT apple!

Let’s see what happens when

we dip an apple PHONE in

honey.

And that’s what happens when you dip your

apple Phone in honey.

Why do we choose apples above other sweet fruits? 

Isaac blessed Jacob with the words: "The fragrance of my son is like the

fragrance of a field which Hashem has blessed…" (Bereishis 27:27). The

Talmud identifies this "field" as an apple orchard. (Ta'anis 29b, Biyur

Hagra)

Also, apples are not special fruits. They are found all over and are not expensive. We are using them as a sign of a sweet

New Year to say we are grateful to Hashem for whatever he gives us . Even

simple and ordinary things.

On a pomegranate we say:May it be Your will, Lord our God and

God of our forbears, that our merits increase like the seeds of

a pomegranate

By the way the Ari Zal says that one Shall Not eat purple grapes on Rosh Hashanah.

There is also a custom to eat the head of a ram, sheep, cow, or fish to symbolize the wish that we

may also be at the head and not the tail.

On carrots we say:May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers...that

our merits increase.

The meal may also include a dish containing carrots-since the Yiddish word for carrots, can also be translated ,מערין

to “multiply”. We ask Hashem to help us increase our mitzvot and good deeds and to multiply our people.

On the second night of Rosh Hashanah it is customary to wear a new garment or to have a new

fruit on the table when saying the shehechiyanu blessing. Thus, the shehechiyanu blessing applies not only to the holiday, but to the new garment or

new fruit as well.

(This is done in order to

accommodate the minority of

halachic authorities who

rule that no shehechiyanu

blessing be said on the second night of Rosh

Hashanah.) (Taz 600:2)

There is an old Minhag to go a flowing body of water after Mincha of the first day (best with fish) and say certain Teffilot. We are

symbolically throwing away our Aveirot.

Of course, it is foolish to think you can rid sins by

shaking out your pockets.

Rather, the Jewish approach is deep introspection and

commitment to change

Indeed, the whole idea of "Tashlich" is partly to commemorate the Midrash that says when Avraham went to the Akeida (binding of Isaac), he had to cross through water up to his neck

Both the body of water and the fish are symbolic. In The Gemara, Torah is

represented as water. Just as fish can't live

without water, so too a Jew can't live without

Torah!

Also, the fact that fish's eyes never

close serve to remind us that, so

too, God's eyes (so to speak) never

close; He knows of our every move

Dedicated To:

1.Mom2.Dad3.Batsheva4.Michael5.Emily Garroway

Shana Tova From

Yehuda Solomon!