The Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and the first and second days of Tishrei are celebrated, which is the name given to the first month of the modern Hebrew calendar, and the seventh month according to the Bible, being according to this order the first month Nisan, commemorating the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt.
What is Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year and when is it celebrated?
We know the Jewish New Year as Rosh Hashanah. This year it will be celebrated with the arrival of the first star of the Sunday September 25 to Tuesday September 27, 2022. This time is presented for the Jews as a time of meditation and reflection, taking stock of all the acts they have carried out during the year, making rectification through prayers of repentance.
The most important moment of this celebration occurs with the blowing of the Shofar, which represents the cry of the entire Jewish people to God, recognizing him as Eternal King and as Creator.
In 2022, the Jewish community celebrates the hebrew year 5780.
Origin of Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is also known as yom hadin, that is, Judgment Day, and refers to the moment of creation of the world and of Adam and Eve as the first man and first woman. For this reason, prayers are also held to celebrate the creation of the human being and for the peace of the universe.
The 1st of Tishrei It is the first day of a new year and with it begins a time of 10 days that the Jews use to reflect and return to their most spiritual side. During these days God asks to get rid of everything that does not correspond in the life of each one in order to rectify and live according to divine law. This 10-day period ends with the Day of Atonement known as Yom Kippur or Yom Kippur.
Celebration of Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year
As we said above, the blowing of the Shofar It is the center of celebration of Rosh Hashaná. The Shofar is a primitive instrument made from a ram’s horn and refers to the ram that Abraham sacrificed, instead of sacrificing his son Issac, whom he intended to use for the sacrifice at first. This instrument is played during the morning prayer and everything refers to repentance, this time represented in the repentance of Abraham. Hence the sound emitted by the Shofar is similar to the sound of crying. For the Jews, this is the cry of God, who cries because man has strayed from his path.
The sounds that are emitted with the Shofar with Tekiá, which corresponds to a fixed and long sound, then the Shevarim or Teruá, which means breaking, and then the Tekiá again. These are the sounds that are used because they are the same ones that sounded when the Jewish people wanted to warn the camp in the desert that they were continuing their journey.
The first Tekiá represents the convocation in a place, the Teruá means “dismount” and the last Tekiá speaks of the new place that will be reached on a spiritual level.
During the Rosh Hashanah festival, all kinds of foods with apple and honey are eaten, representing the wish for a sweet year, as well as other special foods to celebrate the new year.
How to wish a happy new year to the Jews? they say “Shana Tova» and the meaning is similar to having a prosperous year. The other person should respond with “Leshanah tova tikatev vetejatem” which means “may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”
As in the rest of the Jewish festivities, after lighting the candles, pray and recite the Kiddush and the food is blessed before take the challahwhich is the typical braided bread on these dates.