Rosh Hashanah
A shofar made from a ram's horn
Official name	Hebrew: ראש השנה‎
Also called	Jewish New Year
Observed by	Judaism and Jews; Samaritans
Type	Jewish; Samaritan
Significance	Jewish civil new year according to the Hebrew calendar. A shofar (שופר is a horn used for Jewish religious purposes Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious Commemorates the Creation of the world as narated in the Bible. Beginning of the ten "Days of Awe" culminating in Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר ˈjɔm kiˈpur also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays Its
Begins	Start of first day of Tishrei
Ends	End of first or second day of Tishrei
2007 date	sunset, September 12 – sunset, September 14
2008 date	sunset, September 29 – sunset, October 1
2009 date	sunset, September 18 – sunset, September 20
Observances	Praying in synagogue, hearing the shofar. Tishrei (or Tishri) (ˈtɪʃri or) ( Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ ( תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard Tišre Tishrei (or Tishri) (ˈtɪʃri or) ( Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ ( תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard Tišre Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of A shofar (שופר is a horn used for Jewish religious purposes Festive meals with challah. Challah ( hallah) ( Hebrew: חלה) also known as khale (eastern Yiddish barches ( German and Auspicious foods such as apples dipped in honey, fish heads and pomegranates are often eaten, as well as new fruits on the second night. The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a Fruit -bearing Deciduous Shrub or small Tree growing to between five and eight metres tall Refraining from work. See also Shabbat See also Shomer Shabbat, Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat The commandment to keep Shabbat as a
Related to	Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר ˈjɔm kiˈpur also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays Its "

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, Biblical: IPA: [ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh], Israeli: [ˈroʃ haʃaˈna], Yiddish: [ˈroʊʃ hɑˈʃɔnə]) is commonly referred as the Jewish New Year (literally translated as "head of the year"). Biblical Hebrew, also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language in which the Hebrew Bible and various Israelite inscriptions Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The New Year is an event that happens when a Culture celebrates the end of one Year and the beginning of the next year The day falls on the first of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishrei (Leviticus 23:24), the first month being Nisan. The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious Tishrei (or Tishri) (ˈtɪʃri or) ( Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ ( תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard Tišre This article is about the Jewish month of Nisan See Nissan Motors for the automobile manufacturer Nowhere in the Torah is the holiday called Rosh Hashanah. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to In Leviticus 23:24 it is referred to as "the day of the blowing of the horns (Shofar)" (Yom Terua). A shofar (שופר is a horn used for Jewish religious purposes In Ezekiel 40:1 the day is referred to as "the beginning of the year" and not the first day of the year. Rabbinic literature and the liturgy itself describe Rosh Hashanah as "the day of judgment" (Yom ha-Din) and "the day of remembrance" (Yom ha-Zikkaron). Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history Some midrashic descriptions depict God as sitting upon a throne, while books containing the deeds of all humanity are opened for review, and each person passing in front of Him for evaluation of his or her deeds. Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title This article is about royal thrones for the order of Angels by the same name see Thrones. All of these names are also referenced in the holiday's extensive liturgy.

This holiday is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), the most solemn days of the Jewish year; the Yamim Noraim are preceded by the month of Elul, during which Jews are supposed to begin a self-examination and repentance, a process that culminates in the ten days of the Yamim Noraim known as Asseret Yemei Teshuva - The Ten Days of Repentance, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with the holiday of Yom Kippur. This article refers to the Jewish holidays For other uses see here. Elul (אֱלוּל Standard Elul Tiberian ʾĔlûl; from Akkadian elūlu) is the twelfth PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר ˈjɔm kiˈpur also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays Its

Judaism has four "new year" observances which mark the start of various legal "years", much like 1 January marks the "New Year" of the Gregorian calendar, while other dates mark fiscal or other "new year" events. The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious It is the new year for people, animals, and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (shmita) and jubilee (yovel) years. The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism Shmita ( Hebrew: שמיטה literally "release" also called the Sabbatical Year, is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the The Jubilee (Hebrew Yovel יובל year is the year at the end of a seven cycles of Sabbatical years (Hebrew Shmita) and according to Biblical

Date

According to the Tanakh Leviticus 23:24 Rosh Hashanah falls on the first of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishrei, and is of one day duration. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious Tishrei (or Tishri) (ˈtɪʃri or) ( Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ ( תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard Tišre Since days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sundown, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah is at sundown at the end of 29 Elul. The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious Elul (אֱלוּל Standard Elul Tiberian ʾĔlûl; from Akkadian elūlu) is the twelfth Rosh Hashanah was celebrated for only one day in the Land of Israel prior to the time of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Yochanan ben Zakai (יוחנן בן זכאי c 30 BCE - 90 CE) was one of the Tannaim, an important Jewish sage in the era of the Second Temple The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE However, ever since his time, normative Jewish law appears to be that Rosh Hashanah is to be celebrated for two days. Normative has specialized meanings in several academic disciplines There is some evidence that Rosh Hashanah was celebrated on a single day in Israel even as late as the thirteenth century CE.

However, Orthodox and Conservative Judaism now generally observe Rosh Hashanah for the first two days of Tishrei, even in Israel where most Jewish holidays last only one day. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized Conservative Judaism (also known as Masorti Judaism in Israel and Europe) is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out Tishrei (or Tishri) (ˈtɪʃri or) ( Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ ( תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard Tišre For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The two days of Rosh Hashanah are said to constitute "Yoma Arichtah" (Aramaic: "one long day"). The observance of a second day is a later addition and does not follow from the literal reading of Leviticus 23:24. In Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism, some communities observe only the first day of Rosh Hashanah, while others observe the two days. Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983 Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions Karaite Jews, who do not recognise Jewish oral law, but rely solely on Biblical authority, observe only one day on the first day of Tishrei, since the second day is not mentioned in the Torah. Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and An oral law is a Code of conduct in use in a given Culture, Religion or community application by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to

The Hebrew calendar is so designed that the first day of Rosh Hashanah will not occur on the first, fourth, or sixth days of the Jewish week^[1] (ie Sunday, Wednesday or Friday). The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious

The following table lists the start day, in the Gregorian calendar, of Rosh Hashanah for some years. The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on the evening on the first day listed in the table. For those who observe Rosh Hashanah for one day, the holiday ends at sunset on the next day, and for those who observe it for two days, it ends at sunset of the day after.

Rosh Hashanah occurs 163 days after the first day of Pesach (Passover). Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish In terms of the Gregorian calendar, the earliest date on which Rosh Hashanah can fall is September 5, as happened in 1899 and will happen again in 2013. The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 2013 ( MMXIII) will be a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. After 2089, the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will result in Rosh Hashanah being no earlier than September 6. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Rosh Hashanah can occur on October 5 at the latest, as happened in 1967 and will happen again in 2043. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. 2043 ( MMXLIII) will be a Common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar.

Traditions and customs and food

A shofar in the Yemenite Jewish style. A shofar (שופר is a horn used for Jewish religious purposes Yemenite Jews ( Hebrew: תֵּימָנִים, Standard   Temanim Tiberian   Têmānîm (Photo by Olve Utne (Olve)

Rosh Hashanah is a day of rest (Leviticus 23:24) and the activities prohibited on Shabbat are also prohibited on all Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashanah. A Sabbath or sabbath is generally a weekly day of rest and/or time of Worship that is observed in any of several faiths See also Shabbat See also Shomer Shabbat, Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat The commandment to keep Shabbat as a For the Gregorian dates of Jewish Holidays see Jewish holidays 2000-2050.

Rosh Hashanah is characterized by the blowing of the shofar,^[2] a trumpet made from a ram's horn. A shofar (שופר is a horn used for Jewish religious purposes In fact, the shofar is blown in traditional communities every morning for the entire month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah. Elul (אֱלוּל Standard Elul Tiberian ʾĔlûl; from Akkadian elūlu) is the twelfth The sound of the shofar is intended to awaken the listener from his or her "slumber" and alert them to the coming judgment. ^[3] Orthodox and some Conservative Jewish communities do not blow the shofar on Shabbat. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath ^[4]

In the period leading up to the Yamim Noraim (Hebrew, "days of awe") penitential prayers, called selichot, are recited, and on Rosh Hashanah itself, religious poems, called piyyuttim, are added to the regular services. Selichot ( Hebrew: סליחות are Jewish penitential poems and prayers especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening Special prayer books for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, called the mahzor (plural mahzorim), have developed over the years. The mahzor (alternately machzor, plural mahzorim, Hebrew מחזור maxˈzor and) is the prayer book used by Jews Many poems refer to Psalms 81:4: "Blow the shofar on the [first day of the] month, when the [moon] is covered for our holiday".

Rosh Hashanah has a number of additions to the regular service, most notably an extended repetition of the Amidah prayer for both Shacharit and Mussaf. The Amidah (Hebrew תפילת העמידה, Tefilat HaAmidah "The Standing Prayer " also called the Shmona Esre ( שמנה עשרה Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening The Shofar is blown during Mussaf at several intervals. Biblical verses are recited at each point. According to the Mishnah, 10 verses (each) are said regarding kingship, remembrance, and the shofar itself, each accompanied by the blowing of the shofar. The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism A variety of piyyutim, medieval penitential prayers, are recited regarding themes of repentance. See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated The Alenu prayer is recited during the repetition of the Mussaf Amidah. The Amidah (Hebrew תפילת העמידה, Tefilat HaAmidah "The Standing Prayer " also called the Shmona Esre ( שמנה עשרה

The traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah is "shana tova", (pronounced [ˈʃanaˈtova]) Hebrew for "a good year," or "shana tova umetukah" for "a good and sweet year. Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה literally "head of the year" Biblical: ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh Israeli haʃaˈna Yiddish: hɑˈʃɔnə is a Jewish " Because Jews are being judged by God for the coming year, a longer greeting translates as "may you be written and sealed for a good year" (ketiva ve-chatima tovah).

During the afternoon of the first day occurs the practice of tashlikh, in which prayers are recited near natural flowing water, and one's sins are symbolically cast into the water. Tashlikh ( Hebrew: תשליך, meaning "casting off" is a long-standing Jewish practice performed on the afternoon of Many also have the custom to throw bread or pebbles into the water, to symbolize the "casting off" of sins. In some communities, if the first day of Rosh Hashanah occurs on Shabbat tashlikh is postponed to the second day. The traditional service for tashlikh is recited individually and includes the prayer "Who is like unto you, O God. . . And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea", and Biblical passages including Isaiah 11:9 ("They will not injure nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea") and Psalms 118:5-9, 121 and 130, as well as personal prayers.

Rosh Hashanah table set with symbolic foods.

Rosh Hashanah meals often include apples and honey, to symbolize a "sweet new year". The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag (custom), such as tongue or other meat from the head (to symbolise the "head" of the year). Minhag ( Hebrew: מנהג "custom" pl minhagim) is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. Other symbolic foods are dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud. The black-eyed pea, also called black-eyed bean, blackeye, 眉豆 (Cant The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (L also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs along with the Onion and Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. This article refers to the Dried fruit shell For the alternative country musical group of a similar name see The Gourds. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Pomegranates are used in many traditions: the use of apples and honey is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted. The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a Fruit -bearing Deciduous Shrub or small Tree growing to between five and eight metres tall Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year. Challah ( hallah) ( Hebrew: חלה) also known as khale (eastern Yiddish barches ( German and Gefilte fish and Lekach are commonly served on this holiday. Gefilte fish (געפֿילטע פֿיש German Gefüllter Fisch, English filled fish) are poached fish patties or balls made from a mixture of ground Lekach or Honey cake is Cake, eaten by Ashkenazi Jews in Rosh Hashana. On the second night, new fruits are served to warrant inclusion of the shehecheyanu blessing, the saying of which would otherwise be doubtful (as the second day is part of the "long day" mentioned above).

In the Torah

In the earliest times the Hebrew year began in autumn with the opening of the economic year. There followed in regular succession the seasons of seed-sowing, growth and ripening of the corn (here meaning any grain) under the influence of the former and the latter rains, harvest and ingathering of the fruits. In harmony with this was the order of the great agricultural festivals, according to the oldest legislation, namely, the feast of unleavened bread at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the month of Abib; the feast of harvest, seven weeks later; and the feast of ingathering at the going out or turn of the year (See Exodus 23:14-17; Deuteronomy 16:1-16).

It is likely that the new year was celebrated from ancient times in some special way. The earliest reference to such a custom is, probably, in the account of the vision of Ezekiel (Ezek 40:1). According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx This took place at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month (Tishri). On the same day the beginning of the year of jubilee was to be proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets (Lev 25:9). According to the Septuagint rendering of Ezek 44:20, special sacrifices were to be offered on the first day of the seventh month as well as on the first day of the first month. This first day of the seventh month was appointed by the Law to be "a day of blowing of trumpets". There was to be a holy convocation; no servile work was to be done; and special sacrifices were to be offered (Lev 23:23-25; Num 24:1-6). This day was not expressly called New-Year's Day, but it was evidently so regarded by the Jews at a very early period.

In rabbinic literature

Philo, in his treatise on the festivals, calls Rosh Hashanah the festival of the sacred moon and feast of the trumpets, and explains the blowing of the trumpets as being a memorial of the giving of the Torah and a reminder of God's benefits to mankind in general ("De Septennario," § 22). Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) known also as Philo of Alexandria (gr Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria

The Mishnah, the core text of Judaism's oral Torah, contains the first known reference to the "day of judgment". The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism It says: "Four times in the year the world is judged: On Passover a decree is passed on the produce of the soil; on Shavuot, on the fruits of the trees; on Rosh Hashanah all men pass before Him ("God"); and on the Feast of Tabernacles a decree is passed on the rain of the year. Shavuot (or Shavuos, in Ashkenazi usage Hebrew: שבועות, lit Sukkot ( also known as Succoth, Sukkos, Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles) is a Biblical Pilgrimage

R. Yaakov Kamenetsky explains that in earlier generations it was considered preferable not to reveal that it was a "day of judgment" so as not to mix any other feeling into "the day of the coronation of G-d". Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky ( February 28, 1891 - March 10, 1986) was a prominent Rosh yeshiva, In later generations as people lost touch with the significance of the day it was necessary to reveal that it was also "the day of judgment" so that people would approach the holiday with proper awe and respect. (B'Mechitzot Rabbenu)

According to rabbinic tradition, the creation of the world completed on 1 Tishrei.

The observance of the 1 Tishrei as Rosh Hashanah is based principally on the mention of "zikkaron" (= "memorial day"; Lev 23:24) and the reference of Ezra to the day as one "holy to the Lord" (Neh 8:9) seem to point. The passage in Psalms 81:5 referring to the solemn feast which is held on New Moon Day, when the shofar is sounded, as a day of "mishpat" (judgment) of "the God of Jacob" is taken to indicate the character of Rosh Hashanah .

In Jewish thought, Rosh Hashanah is the most important judgment day, on which all the inhabitants of the world pass for judgment before the Creator, as sheep pass for examination before the shepherd. It is written in the Talmud, in the tractate on Rosh Hashanah that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah , wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה is the name of a text of Jewish law originating in the Mishnah which formed the basis of tractates in both the Babylonian Talmud The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live. " The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days till Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous ; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living" (Psalms 69:29).

The zodiac sign of the balance for Tishrei is claimed to indicate the scales of judgment, balancing the meritorious against the wicked acts of the person judged. The taking of an annual inventory of accounts on Rosh Hashanah is adduced by Rabbi Nahman ben Isaac from the passage in Deut 11:12, which says that the care of God is directed from "the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year". 1 Tishrei was considered as the beginning of Creation.

It is said in the Talmud that on Rosh Hashanah the means of sustenance of every person are apportioned for the ensuing year; so also are his destined losses.

The Zohar, a medieval work of Kabbalah, lays stress on the universal observance of two days, and states that the two passages in Job 1:6 and Job 2:1, "when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord," refer to the first and second days of Rosh Hashanah , observed by the Heavenly Court before the Almighty. For the village in southern Israel see Tzohar The Zohar (זהר lit Splendor or Radiance) is widely considered the most important Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. (Zohar, Pinchas, p. 231a)

See also

• High Holidays
• Jewish holidays
• Hebrew calendar
• Rosh Hashana kibbutz (Breslov)
• Shofar
• Ras as-Sanah

References

External links

• Chabad.org overview of Rosh Hashanah
• Formula to calculate the dates of Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashanah at Judaism 101
• Rosh Hashanah at ReligionFacts.com
• Complete Rosh Hashanah FAQ (AskMoses. com)
• TorahLab audio and text classes about Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashana in a Nutshell from Chabad.org
• Rosh Hashana Prayers For Sephardic Jews
• Chart of symbolic foods and their corresponding prayers - PDF file
• OURadio's audio on Simanin, symbolic foods for Rosh HaShanah
• Torah.org's Rosh HaShanah - The Custom of Eating Symbolic Foods
• Rosh HaShanah Celebration - Rosh HaShanah Prayer book for B'nei Noah in PDF format. B'nei Noah ( Hebrew: בני נוח) or Children of Noah or Noahides is a modern monotheistic movement which observes the Seven Laws of Noah
• Short Audio on Rosh HaShanah from AskNoah.org Free e-mailed classes on the 7 Noahide Laws / Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noah available
• OzTorah - Torah insights on Rosh HaShanah