Articles in Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah: The Shofar – Humility and Strength
Three Blasts
On the holiday of Rosh Hashanah we sound three variations of Shofar blasts. tekiah, a long blast, shevarim and teruah, variations of short blasts. Each set of blasts begins with a tekiah, followed by a shevarim or teruah, and concludes with a tekiah. The shevarim and teruah are thus …
A Unique Rosh Hashanah
Is it Rosh Hashanah again?
Last Rosh Hashanah was thirteen months ago, but it seems like almost yesterday. There was a time when a year loomed eternal, but as I grow older, and I’m sure you relate to this, the years grow shorter and shorter; they take less and less time …
Rosh Hashanah: Loving Silence
Does He Answer?
Rabbi,” she said, “The Torah states that G-d responds to our prayers and grants the favors we request, yet he has ignored my prayers. (1) I’ve been praying for months and my condition hasn’t improved.”
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Rosh Hashanah: No Man for Himself
The Loss of a Mitzvah
As a consequence of our calendar arrangement, this years holiday season is influenced in a unique manner.
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Rosh Hashanah: A Basic Overview
The Jewish New Year
The Rosh Hashanah holiday falls on the first day of the Jewish year. The Torah describes this holiday in three different ways, a day of Judgment, a day of repentance and a day of the Shofar. While there are many nuances and meanings to this holiday, it …
Rosh Hashanah and January First
Remarkably Different
The Rosh Hashanah celebrations differ greatly from those of the secular new Year. The first of January is a time for parties, Rosh Hashanah is welcomed with sounding the Shofar, somber prayers, and sobering thoughts.
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Rosh Hashanah: The mystery of Good and Evil
L'Shana Tova
On Rosh Hashana, Jews traditionally greet each other with the words L’shana Tova Tikatev Vetichatem, May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. It is interesting to note that we don’t wish for a year of happiness or health, peace or serenity, freedom or fulfillment, pleasure or …
Niztavim: The Art of Repentance
A Simple MeditationRabbi Levik of Bardichev once interviewed a long list of candidates for the position of Shofar blower. (One who sounds the ram’s horn during the service on Rosh Hashana.) The rabbi passed over many illustrious scholars and profound meditators in favor of a fairly unsophisticated young man.
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