Please note: In the Hard copy of Torah Tidbits there are various Hebrew Texts for Rosh HaShana i.e, Shofar, Customs of Rosh HaShana Night, Kiddush, Eruv Tavshilin, Tashlich that are not shown here. They can also be found in your Machzor and here we give you the explanations of "How and Why"

Also note that there is other Rosh HaShana material in other pages of the website - such as, sedra summary, zmanim, and elsewhere...

Rosh HaShana is THU-FRI 32% of the time - that's a little less than once in three years, on average. Last time was 7 years ago. Next one (after 5765) is due in 3 years.

OU Israel Center Torah Tidbits SHOFAR GUIDE
The first “session” of Shofar blowing, which consists of 30 blasts and constitutes
the fulfillment of the Torah’s mitzva of Shofar, is done after the reading of the
Torah and Haftara (and Drasha) and before the Torahs are returned to the Aron.
It is known as T'KIYOT D'MI'YUSHAV (the "sitting-down" blasts, as opposed to the Shofar blasts during the Amida, although we stand for this set too).
It is the minhag to say T’hilim 47 seven times before Shofar blowing:

The Shofar-blower AND each person listening to the Shofar should have KAVANA during the BRACHOT to fulfill the mitzva of Shofar, both the Torah requirements and those of our Sages. One must be careful to hear the entire BRACHOT without interruption, and to answer AMEN to each.
It is proper not to talk (other than davening and what is necessary for davening and Shofar) from the BRACHOT through the last of the blasts (after the repetition of the Musaf Amida), but especially until the first set of 30 KOLOT are completed. Although there are Machzorim that have passages for the KAHAL to say aftereach trio of sounds, it is widely accepted for the KAHAL to remain silent throughout the set of 30 blasts.

The Mitzva to Hear Shofar
First and foremost, before any of the themes, symbolisms, and reminders mentioned in the paragraphs that follow, is the main reason and kavana for doing ANY mitzva - because G-d commands it. The phrase L'SHEIM MITZVAT SHOFAR should be on our minds from the Brachot of the shofar-blower, from the first blast to the 100th.

The Torah says that the first day of the seventh month shall be a T'RU'A DAY. We are taught by the Oral Law that this means that we are to hear the sound called T'RU'A, which is to be produced by the Shofar. Furthermore, we are to hear the T’RU’A three times, and that each T’RU’A is to be preceded by and followed by a P'SHUTA, a plain, long blast which we call T'KI'A.

We do not know exactly what our Sages meant the T'RU'A to sound like. It is to sound like crying, wailing, sobbing, moaning, sighing, or some combination thereof. To satisfy different opinions, we have two sounds that we call SH'VARIM and T'RU'A, and the combination of the two. Therefore, to satisfy the Torah's requirementof hearing the Shofar on Rosh HaShana, we must hear 3 each of the following combinations:
T'KI'A | SH'VARIM-T'RU'A | T'KI'A
T'KI'A | SH'VARIM | T'KI'A
T'KI'A | T'RU'A | T'KI'A

Let’s refer to this as a Large Set of Blasts (a.k.a. 30 KOLOT). One of each make a Small Set (a.k.a. 10 KOLOT).

Although the requirement of the Torah will be satisfied with 30 KOLOT (sounds or blasts), the Sages instituted the practice of sounding the Shofar during the Amida - linking the Shofar-sounds with each of the 3 main brachot of Musaf - MALCHIYOT (Kingship), ZICHRONOT (Remembrances), and SHOFAROT (Shofars). Some shuls blowduring the repetition of the Amida only; others blow during the silent Amida as well.

And, as is well-known, the custom is to blow additional blasts (10 or 40, as the case may be) after the Amida, to bring the total number of blasts to 100. 100 conveys completeness and fullness. On Rosh HaShana, we don't just blow the Shofar, we are fully saturated with the Shofar sounds. This fulfills the sense of "YOMT'RU'A there shall be for you", more than a lesser number would.

(There is also another reason given for the 100 blasts, having to do with the lament of the mother of Sisra, as recorded in the Book of Sho'f'tim.)
Symbolisms and Kavanot (based on Menorat HaMa'or)

G-D'S KINGSHIP
Rosh HaShana corresponds to the 6th day of creation, the day human beings were created. Since it is the day that G-d's subjects, so to speak, came into existence, it follows that He became King on that very same day. We therefore consider Rosh HaShana to be the Coronation Day of the Supreme King. To herald that event, wesound the royal trumpet - the Shofar. This concept of G-d's Kingship is one of the major themes of Rosh HaShana. One of the three central brachot of the Rosh HaShana Musaf is Malchiyot - Kingship. In that bracha, we quote ten p’sukim from Tanach that deal with this theme. The T'KI'A (the long monotonic, unbroken blast)specifically is associated with this aspect of Rosh HaShana. The T'KI'A is a happy and proud sound. Although other emotions claim our attention, one should be happy and proud on Rosh HaShana as we reaffirm our loyalty to the King of Kings.

CALL TO REPENTANCE
The Shofar is the alarm that (hopefully) wakes people up to the challenge of doing T'shuva and asking G-d for forgiveness. This is one of the major aspects of Shofar (and the main reason for having blown the Shofar throughout Elul). It is the broken sounds of the SH'VARIM and T'RU'A that most fit this aspect of Shofar.Shofar is associated with embarking on the road to Spiritual Return.

AKEIDAT YITZCHAK
Perhaps the most prominent element of Rosh HaShana is the Binding of Isaac. The choice of a ram's horn as Shofar, the Torah readings, the main focus of the Zichronot bracha, and Tashlich, all point to the AKEIDA as a major theme of the day. When we stand in judgment before G-d, we are not isolated individuals but are the spiritual heirs of the Avot and Imahot whose commitment to G-d is exemplified by the Akeida. The Chafetz Chaim points out that most of the promises of blessing in the Torah are conditional upon our good behavior. The notable exception is G-d's promise to Avraham Avinu at the Akeida, which is unconditional. If our sincerity and commitment to G-d and His Mitzvot ever comes into question, we need only realize that we are the descendants of Avraham & Yitzchak and have inherited from them an absolute and complete dedication to G-d's Word, the Torah.

MATAN TORAH
The Torah describes the events of Sinai as being accompanied by the "sound of the Shofar ever increasing". When we hear the Shofar (specifically the T'KI'A), we should be motivated to rededicate ourselves to Torah and mitzvot. In essence, this is the foundation of T'shuva. The Shofar reminds us of our commitment to theTorah; repentance is G-d's gift to us when we fail in that commitment.

The words of the Prophets are likened to the sound of the Shofar. This reminder should inspire greater commitment to faithful observance of Judaism. Our deal with G-d, when we asked not to hear His voice directly, was our promise to listen to the prophets, starting with Moshe and continuing throughout the generations. Thisaspect of Shofar, then, follows the previous item - Matan Torah.

INSTILLS FEAR
"If a Shofar sounds in the city, will not the People tremble?" Think of the sound of a siren - the feelings of apprehension and dread that it filled us with. That's a Shofar - our spiritual siren, helping us to get serious about Torah and T'shuva.

Churban Beit HaMikdash should also be kept in mind while hearing the Shofar. The Prophets mention the Shofar in their description of the Churban. One should think of the "ups and downs" of Jewish history as part of the Rosh HaShana challenge that we all face. Furthermore, the destruction of the Temples resulted from our not keeping faith with G-d. These thoughts then, should also lead us to think of repentance as the way to reverse the devastating effects of the Churban.

Ingathering of the Exiles is described by Yeshayahu as being accompanied by the sound of a Great Shofar. We are witness to the beginning of that process; may we be privileged to see its continuation and culmination. This too is in the realm of the T'KI'A and is one of the promises to keep in mind so that we can put "things in proper perspective".

The Great Judgment Day is associated with the Shofar. One must understand that we stand in judgment before G-d on every Rosh HaShana, but that we we will also do so on a different scale "after 120 years" and "at the end of days".

T'CHIYAT HAMEITIM is also associated with Shofar. Thinking of this gives us a broader perspective on what G-d expects of us and what is in store.
Note that the words SH'MA, LiSHMO'A, NISHMA (as in Na'aseh v'...), etc. do not only refer to physical hearing. They most often imply understanding as well. Our commitment at Sinai was "We will do, and we will understand (what G-d wants of us)". Similarly, the bracha for Shofar - LiSHMO'A KOL SHOFAR implies that understanding is essential to the mitzva.

It is not enough to merely hear the sounds of the Shofar; we must understand them too. Imagine stand- ing at a crosswalk waiting to cross the street. To your right, a truck is standing at the curb. As you are about to enter the road, your hear an insistent beeping sound. It is the warning sound that the truck auto- maticallyemits when it is put into reverse. The truck is slowly rolling towards you, and you are warned by the beeps - Do not step into the road; it would be a dangerous thing to do.
You hear the sounds - but you do not know what they mean! Maybe you think it is a car alarm, or a sound coming from the nearby construction site, or maybe you just aren't thinking at all. You hear the sound, but it doesn't dawn on you that you are being warned of some danger. And you step into the road, just as the truckbacks up.
So too, it is with the sound of the Shofar. Many, many Jews go to shul to hear the Shofar. They hear the sounds, but do they know what the sounds mean? Do we heed the warn- ing of the Shofar? Are we moved to rise to the challenge of T'shuva? Are we inspired to strengthen our commit- ment to Torah and Judaism? Are we goingto work harder to improve ourselves as individuals and as a community, so that we will do our share in hastening the Moshiach? Or will we continue walking into the path of the oncoming truck?

ASHREI HA'AM YO'D'EI T'RU'A... Happy (or fortunate) is the Nation who KNOWS the T'RU'A... Notice that the verse does not say "...who HEARS the Shofar"; it says "...who KNOWS the Shofar-sound", who understands its meanings.

We must hear the Shofar, must understand its meanings, must let its sounds and meanings penetrate to our minds, hearts, and souls. The Shofar must bring about a "shipur" (a spiritual improvement). Then we may consider ourselves truly fortunate and happy to be the Nation that knows the T'RU'A.

Rosh HaShana, as mentioned earlier, is the birthday of the first human being. It marks the beginning of all human beings. It was on that day 5765 years ago that G-d breathed into Adam HaRishon NISHMAT CHAYIM, the breath of Life. Each year on Rosh HaShana, we breathe that breath of Life back to G-d, so to speak, through the Shofar, as a statement that we do not take G-d's greatest gift to us for granted. With different mitzvot we acknowledge and thank G-d for taking us out of Mitzrayim, for giving us the Torah, for giving us Eretz Yisrael... for creating the World. With the sounding of the Shofar and the breath that flows from within us through the Shofar, upward to Heaven, we acknowledge and thank G-d for Life itself. - Based on part of a shiur at our recent Shabbaton by Rabbi Eytan Feiner, who based his remarks on the the teachings of Rabbi Moshe Shapiro and the Sheim miShmuel

Most authorities express a doubt as to whether SHECHEHYANU is warranted on the second night of RH (especially since we view the two days of RH as one long day). Hence, they recommend that you have a new fruit or garment ready for the second night, and when you say SHECHEHYANU at candle lighting or Kiddush, you can have the fruit or garment in mind, thus resolving the SAFEK (doubt). Even if you don’t have a new fruit or garment, you still say SHECHEHYANU on the candles or at Kiddush. The Vilna Gaon held that it is unnecessary to “cover” the SHECHEHYANU; it is fully legitimate for the second night of RH, on its own.

Tashlich (First day of Rosh HaShana, 1 Tishrei 5765, Thursday, September 16, '04
What it isn't & what it is
Tashlich is NOT a hocus-pocus magical method for ridding oneself of sins. It just isn't that simple. One must do sincere T'shuva, pray to HaShem, say Vidui, and if interpersonal sins are involved (which they inevitably are), one must appease those he/she has wronged and receive their forgiveness before T'shuva can succeed. One cannot go to the waterside, say some p’sukim, throw some crumbs into the water (a practice which poskim frown upon, by the way), and walk away with a clean slate - without some hard, real repentance. In fact, there have been rabbanim in previous generations who have banned Tashlich in their communities so that peopleshould not slacken off from the major challenges of the Yamim Nora'im - T'shuva and Prayer.

There are other authorities who did not mention the custom of Tashlich in their writings at all, since it does not appear in the Talmud or other early sources. For example, the Vilna Gaon's practice was/is not to do Tashlich.

Yet Tashlich is a wide-spread minhag in most Jewish communities around the world.

If it is difficult to go to Tashlich on Rosh HaShana, or for some reason one wasn't able to say it, it may be said during Aseret Y'mei T'shuva, or afterwards until (and including) Hoshana Rabba.

The lead passage of Tashlich gives us the origin of its name, and probably the main origin of the custom itself. The second pasuk (Micha 7:19) speaks of G-d, in His mercy, "casting our sins into the depths of the sea." This is our T'shuva goal - to repent so sincerely, that G-d will erase our sins completely.

Kings of Israel were anointed by the riverside. Water is the symbol of life, of Torah, and of continuity. On Rosh HaShana, when we celebrate the coronation of the King of Kings, we go to the river (or other body of water) as a reminder of this theme of the day.

The Midrash tells us that the Satan received G-d's permission to try to dissuade Avraham Avinu from going to Har HaMoriah to sacrifice Yitzchak. He placed a river in Avraham's way, but Avraham was so determined to carry out G-d's command, that he walked right into the water. Nothing would stop Avraham. The river became a symbol of dedication to G-d. On Rosh HaShana, the anniversary of the Akeida, we go to the riverside and "remind" G-d (so to speak), and ourselves, of the dedication of our forefather Avraham, and to rededicate ourselves to Torah and mitzvot with that high level of dedication.

There is a kabbalistic analogy drawn between the opening, main p'sukim of Tashlich, and the Thirteen Divine Attributes. This idea adds to the significance of the Tashlich recitation, because of the power of invoking the Yud-Gimmel Midot. They are an essential element in the Slichot and T'shuva process, and are integrallybound to the Biblical events of the Elul - Rosh HaShana - Yom Kippur period.

The text for Tashlich varies from machzor to machzor. In this 4-pager, you will find a bit more text than some, and less than others. It is appropriate to supplement the regular Tashlich texts with your own prayers. On Rosh HaShana, when we spend a significant amount of time in shul davening, we don't say "enough is enough". After a festive lunch, we go out of our homes to pray between prayers. But we don't go to the Beit Knesset. Instead, we go to a body of water, into nature, where G-d's Presence should also be strongly felt, and we revel in His majesty and recommit ourselves to His service.

Tashlich starts on the last page (which becomes the front page as soon as you turn this sheet over). It might sound funny, but "use Tashlich wisely". Make it a meaningful part of your Rosh HaShana, and let some of the ideas presented here enrich the experience.
Wishing you and yours a K'TIVAH V'CHATIMA TOVA

EIRUV TAVSHILIN
When Yom Tov is Friday or Thursday-Friday, we make an Eiruv Tavshilin (ET) on Erev Yom Tov, which begins the preparations for Shabbat, so that we will be able to continue cooking for Shabbat on Friday. Without the ET, cooking (and other things) is allowed on Yom Tov, only for the day itself.

Rosh HaShana 5765 Is THU-FRI. Making an ET on Wednesday, Erev Rosh HaShana will permit cooking, baking, and lighting candles on Friday (Yom Tov) for Shabbat.

Sometime before Yom Tov, one takes a Challah or Matza and a cooked food (hard boiled egg, piece of gefilte fish, piece of chicken, etc.) which will be eaten on Shabbat (many eat the ET at Seuda Shlishit, but it only must last until Shabbat to be effective).

With baked and cooked items in hand, one recites the bracha...and then makes the Eiruv declaration, which is in Aramaic - because it must be understood and Aramaic was the vernacular of the time. It follows from this that one should make the declaration in whatever language he understands. It is still traditional to say it in Aramaic, but you should feel free to follow the Aramaicwith Hebrew and/or English, as follows...

With this EIRUV it becomes permitted for us to bake, cook, to “hide” food (refers to packing food into an oven in such a way that not only will heat be maintained, but increased as well), to light candles, and do all other needs from Yom Tov to (for) Shabbat - for us and all Jews who live in this city.

After the bracha and declaration (it is also a good idea to explain the basics of Eiruv to the members of your household, if not at the time of making the Eiruv, then at least at the dinner table), one places the Eiruv items in a secure place so that they will not accidentally be eaten before cooking for Shabbat is completed.

Customs for the night of Rosh HaShana vary from community to community and from family to family. This page is provided as a set of suggestions for those who do not have a fixed custom in their home. Nothing mentioned here is the final word on anything. If you question anything, check with your Rav.

After KIDDUSH, wash for HaMotzi and eat from the LECHEM MISHNA. Some use honey on the challa rather than salt Some use salt for the HaMotzi and then take another piece with honey. After challa with honey, say:

It is appropriate to respond to Y’HI RATZON statements with AMEIN; it is bracha-like.

Since the fruits and vegetables to be eaten as part of the SEDER LEIL ROSH HASHANA are not “normal” components of a meal, they are not covered by the HaMotzi, and need their own brachot.

Among the fruits of trees, one should say the bracha on the fruit with the highest priority, as follows: [1] Olive, [2] Date, [3] Grape, [4] Fig, [5] Pomegranate, [6] your favorite among fruits not of SHIV’AT HAMINIM, [7] a whole fruit, rather than cut up, [8] larger piece. This list does not imply that all these fruits[1]-[5] are part of your Leil Rosh HaShana Minhag; the full list of priorities is provided to cover any situation.

Among vegetables, make the bracha on what you like best.

Between HaEitz and HaAdama, HaEitz will usually be said first, unless you have a HaAdama that you like better than any of the fruits, in which case, HaAdama will precede HaEitz (even over 7-Minim).

If one or more fruits require a SH'HECY'EYANU, they will be covered by the SH'HECY'EYANU of Kiddush, if they are on the table during Kiddush. Otherwise, one additional SH'HECY'EYANU should be said (even if there are more than one fruit that “need” it).
When all brachot are taken care of, many eat a slice of (sweet) apple dipped in honey. The Y’HI RATZON above can be repeated for the Apple & Honey.
From this point on, whatever of the items listed to the left that you have - eat (or even just have them on the table) and say the appropriate Y’HI RATZON.
For RUBIYA (black-eyed peas):
For KARTI (leek):
For SILKA (beets or mangold):
For DATES:
For KARA (type of squash); some say this for carrots or tzimmes
For POMEGRANATE:
If one eats FISH on Leil Rosh HaShana, say the following:
Some place the HEAD of a ram or fish on the table and say:
If one eats the meat of a sheep (preferably a ram), he says:

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