SACRED ROSH HASHANA
Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year — which starts at sundown tonight — marks a spiritual journey within our family’s twodecade-old traditions. Each year, we invite dear friends, family and guests to join us in the festivities. Together, we delve into the meanings of Rosh Hashana rituals and adapt their wisdom to transform our lives. The Soffer Rosh Hashana Haggadah serves as our guide throughout the celebrations.
Every year, we choose a theme for introspection and inspiration. This year, we chose “courage and willpower,” considering the social challenges of deteriorating mental health, pervasive bullying, hate crimes, the rise in antisemitism, and more. “Courage and willpower” are essential qualities towards healing and resilience.
Like all Jewish celebrations, Rosh Hashana commences with the candle lighting, kiddush (wine blessing) and the breaking of the holy challah. During Rosh Hashana, candle lighting and kiddush are referred to as “Yom HaZikraon” (Day of Remembrance) and “Yom HaTeruah” (Day of the Shofar Sound of Joy). These references evoke historical memory, introspection and teshuvah (repentance), urging a return to the righteous path.
Yom Ha-Teruah symbolizes joy emerging from healing and finding wholeness in our broken world (shevarim). The shofar’s four sounds represent the stages of human experience: tekiah (wake-up call), shevarim (brokenness), teruah ( joy) and teruah gedola (immense joy). It calls upon us to embrace reconciliation and forgiveness, freeing ourselves and others from past burdens and resentments. Through acts of compassion, we kindle our souls with hope and renewed energy.
At the heart of Rosh Hashana are prayers known as Yehi Ratzon, “May it be God’s will,” to seek qualities essential for strengthening well-being and healing, as failing to address our needs or harboring resentment may make us feel stuck and trapped. For example, courage entails embracing responsibility and taking risks. And willpower is determination towards personal and collective betterment.
While there’s no consensus on the sequence for reciting the prayers, my proposed order encompasses prayers that symbolize the gradual progression of taking ownership and personal leadership towards self-improvement, such as:
Apples, delicately dipped in honey, symbolize hope and acceptance, reminding us that sweetness and joy can emerge from life’s challenges, just as honey is extracted from bees.
Dates and beets encourage us to let go of hatred and those who harbor it.
Leeks represent the courage to forgive and offer offenders a path to recovery and healing.
Carrots and gourds encourage us to relinquish destructive behaviors and fostering productive endeavors to increase our merits.
Green beans and blackeyed peas encourage us to strengthen relationships for personal and collective betterment.
Pomegranate seeds remind us to count our blessings and fill our lives with good deeds, spreading gratitude and goodwill.
Finally, the whole fish or fish head challenges us to discern when to lead, when to follow, and how to support others in achieving a
Every year, we choose a theme for inspiration. This year, it’s “courage and willpower.”
balanced, wholesome and purpose-driven life.
As we recite these prayers, we serve salad and soup containing these foods, followed by the fish. Then, we transition into the main course. Then the third part of our Seder centers around the unveiling of the wisdom of the biblical story connected to Rosh Hashana.
The story of the binding of Isaac symbolizes the shofar (ram’s horn), rooted in a Hebrew verb meaning “to better” or “to improve.” It represents seeking constructive solutions amid the complexities of blind obedience and the vulnerabilities of the parent-child relationship. This narrative raises a moral dilemma about God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Thus, it sparks thoughts of the modern-day journey of transforming vulnerabilities and blind obedience into opportunities, to gain trust and confidence, towards achieving inner strength, resilience and perseverance.
The traditions of Rosh Hashana represent a journey of renewing one’s spirit towards wholeness centered on tikkun olam, repair the world for oneself and collective good. May this year bless us with the courage and willpower to discover, develop and dedicate our talents, resources and merits to the betterment of ourselves and our collective good.
is an award-winning author, life and leadership coach, and a parent and child advocate. She lives in Carmel Valley.