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Rosh Hashanah (The Festival of Trumpets)Rosh Hashanah means "the Head of the Year." Traditionally, this is understood to be the birthday of the world or the beginning of creation. It is a time that we dedicate ourselves to personal renewal as we look forward to the future.
But, it's much more than that. To look at Rosh Hashanah as an individula day of celebration is only to see half the story. Rosh Hashanah begins what are known as the ten days of Awe that culminate in the observance of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Putting these two pieces of worship together as a complete story is to say, "God, we know that You have created us for Your glory and we want to be the greatest blessing and pleasure for you that we can be... but we know we can't do it without You." |
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The celebration of Rosh Hashanah involves the blowing of the ram's horn, the shofar with distinct blasts that remind us to return to God in everything we do. It is a festival of homecoming, after having been so distracted by this world in all that goes on: our fears, frustrations and selfishness. It is the story of the Prodigal Son that the Messiah told. It is a celebration.
We eat bread and drink juice. We dip apples in honey to remind us of the sweetness of a pure and good relationship with God. We sing songs and tell stories. We dance. |
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Tashlik
One of the rituals of the celebration is called "Tashlik". It is symbolic of casting away of one's sins "so far as the East is from the West" (Psalm 103:12) and into the "sea of forgetfulness" (Micah 7:19). We take crumbs of bread representing the sins in our lives and cast them into the largest available body of water.
For ordinary sins, use White Bread
For exotic sins, French Bread
For particularly dark sins, Pumpernickel
For complex sins, Multi-grain
For twisted sins, Pretzels
For tasteless sins, Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision, Waffles
For sins committed in haste, Matzah
For sins of chutzpah, Bread that's fresh
For substance abuse, Poppy Seed
For committing arson, Toast
For committing auto theft, Caraway
For being ill tempered, Sourdough
For silliness, Nut Bread
For jingoism,Yankee Doodles
For excessive use of irony, Rye Bread
For telling bad jokes, Corn Bread
For hardening our hearts, Jelly doughnuts
For war-mongering, Kaiser Rolls
For immodest dressing, Tarts
For causing injury or damage to others, Tortes
For promiscuity, Hot Buns
For being holier than thou, Bagels
For unfairly upbraiding another, Challah
For trashing the environment, Dumplings
For sins of laziness, Any Very Long Loaf
For lying, Baked Goods with Nutrasweet and Olestra
For the sins of the righteous, Angel Food Cake
For selling your soul, Devils Food Cake
For lust in your heart, Wonder Bread
For inhaling, Stoned Wheat
For ordinary sins, use White Bread
For exotic sins, French Bread
For particularly dark sins, Pumpernickel
For complex sins, Multi-grain
For twisted sins, Pretzels
For tasteless sins, Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision, Waffles
For sins committed in haste, Matzah
For sins of chutzpah, Bread that's fresh
For substance abuse, Poppy Seed
For committing arson, Toast
For committing auto theft, Caraway
For being ill tempered, Sourdough
For silliness, Nut Bread
For jingoism,Yankee Doodles
For excessive use of irony, Rye Bread
For telling bad jokes, Corn Bread
For hardening our hearts, Jelly doughnuts
For war-mongering, Kaiser Rolls
For immodest dressing, Tarts
For causing injury or damage to others, Tortes
For promiscuity, Hot Buns
For being holier than thou, Bagels
For unfairly upbraiding another, Challah
For trashing the environment, Dumplings
For sins of laziness, Any Very Long Loaf
For lying, Baked Goods with Nutrasweet and Olestra
For the sins of the righteous, Angel Food Cake
For selling your soul, Devils Food Cake
For lust in your heart, Wonder Bread
For inhaling, Stoned Wheat
