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Essay on The Customs of Rosh Hashanah

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The Customs of Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah falls on the first of Tishri, a Jewish month which falls in September. It is regarded as a high holy day, on which all normal activity ceases. Even those Jews who are not particularly observant will make an effort to attend the synagogue. It is known as Yomim Norain, or day of awe. It is a day on which one should show humility to God and acknowledge that whatever our intentions may be we will descend into sin. On this day one should become particularly aware of sin, as it is a day for reflection. It is not intended to be a negative activity, but to induce positive behavior, as it is very brave to face up to weaknesses and mistakes . Rosh…show more content…
Often, fish is served, wit the symbolism that fish swim in shoals, and good deeds should be as plentiful as the fish in a shoal. Nuts are never served, as letters in Hebrew have numerical value, and the word nut has the same numerical value as the word sin. The next morning it is customary for the whole family to go to the synagogue, which will be decorated in white. In particular, the Parochet, which hangs in front of the ark - every fabric is decked out in white, a symbol of purity, to inspire a purer life. The rabbi will also be wearing white, to symbolize a burial shroud, called a Kittel, reminding one of mortality. The service proceeds with normal prayers, such as the Shinaar, the prevalent theme being that God is the King. The shofar is sounded throughout, with three distinctive notes - Tekiah, which is firm, Shebharim, which is a broken sound, and Teruah, which is a tremor. The readings that take place are focused on motherhood, particularly on the conception of Isaac. The last action of the festival takes place in the afternoon. It is called Tashlich, meaning casting, casting away. Something should be symbolically cast away into some water, casting away sin. b) Explain how Yom Kippur might affect the life of a Jew Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. This is taken to mean that humans should be at one with God, but sin gets in
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