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Guide for the Jewish High Holidays: the Month of Tishre

Tishre, the seventh month in the Jewish calendar is the month of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succoth. It is the month filled with events and occasion. Thus the month of Tishre holds special significance in the life of almost every Jewish soul. Find out more about this special month and how this special month is celebrated. Also find out to how many holidays the Jews are entitled to throughout this month. Also browse to know more about the traditions and customs observed of the occasion. There’s lot more to explore! Just go through and enlighten yourself with every details of Rosh Hashanah. Also be sure to share this page to your loved so that they can as well learn about every small aspects of this Jewish festival.

Guide for Jewish High Holidays

Tishre, the seventh month in the Jewish calendar is the month in which Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succoth fall. Thus Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Jewish month of Tishre, and is the first day of the year. The first month of the year is Nissan, the month in which Passover comes.

Blowing Shofar

Thus the month of Tishre is filled with list of holidays, unlike the rest of the months as per the Jewish calendar.

As per traditions the S'lichot services for Askenazim is supposed to begin on the Saturday night, August 31th. Thus the first service should be scheduled to begin after midnight. However if any problem seem to arise, the S'lichot service may be started on the Sunday morning i.e. September 1st.Thus it can rightly be said as per the Jewish tradition, that this year G-d will start creating the world on August 31th, Saturday.

Thus Rosh Hashanah which considered as the Day of Judgment, is the holiday that celebrates the occasion of Jewish New Year. Falls on the first and second days of the month of Tishre, Rosh Hashanah is just not confined to the Jews, but nearly the whole world observes it. It is said all souls pass before Him and His heavenly court so as to be judged for their actions and deeds of the previous year and thus to receive a verdict for the coming year. Though the major holidays are celebrated in Israel just for a day, but the holidays of Rosh Hashanah extends over a span of two days.

This year Rosh Hashanah (2013) which is on Thursday September 5th and Friday 6th September will soon begin once the sun of September (Wednesday) 4th sets. The observance of Rosh Hashanah will begin thereafter once everyone sits down for their festive meal, thus returning from the synagogue.

Eruv Tavshelin: Since this year Rosh Hashanah falls just before the Shabbat, so required arrangements should be beforehand as the cooking on the Yom Tov prohibited for the Shabbat. However since the Shabbat before the Yom Tov begins, thus by the virtue of this beginning, all are permitted to continue cooking even on Friday, the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Now to make an "eruv tavshilin", take a boiled egg or any other form of cooked food such as a piece of meat or fish, and compile it with a loaf of bread that one has to eat on the occasion of Shabbat and thus make the blessing which is, "...who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us concerning the precept of Eruv." This blessing can be found in most High Holiday prayer books. Once done with the blessing, one should recite the following line, "By virtue of this Eruv it is permitted to us to bake, cook, warm the food, light the candles and do all work that is necessary on the holiday for the Shabbat." However it should be kept in mind this whole curriculum should be observed before the festival and once the festival is on.

Honey Cake: It is almost customary for many sections of people to have Honey Cake on the day before Rosh Hashanah and as well during the festival. Some even have it before the Yom Kippur. The honey cake is thus accompanied by a request to G-d that may the coming year be blessed sweetness and prosperity.

Tashlich: Tashlich which is a common form of prayer is found in the holiday prayer book. The prayer is generally said near a natural water body where there shoal of fish. However for those it is difficult to walk such a great distance, it can be done in the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However many people go for the 'tashlich' ceremony on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

Fast of Gedaliah: The third day of Tishre is the day of fast. This day is observed in order to commemorate the assassination of Gedaliah ben Achikom which took place in the year 3339, after the creation (421 BCE). He was the leader of the Jews that remained in the Land of Israel after the destruction of the First Temple. He was such a pious man that he did not want to believe the report that informed him about a close friend would have assassinated him. Thus his death brought new calamities to the remaining Jews in Israel and in the process culminated with the eventual expulsion of the Jewish presence in the Land of Israel.

This year, 2013, which is the third day of Tishre, falls on the Shabbat and thus the fast is pushed off until the next day, i.e. Sunday the 8th of September.

Shabbat Shuva: On the occasion of Shabbat which falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a special Haftorah is read out in the synagogue. The Hafatorah is a portion from the prophets that is read out after each reading of the Torah. Thus on this Shabbat the Haftorah from Hosea 14 is read beginning with the words "Shuvah Israel” which means "Return, Oh Israel to G-d…" Moreover from the beginning of the Haftorah, the Shabbat gets its distinctive name of "Shabbat Shuva". Thus it is almost a customary affair for every Jew to engage themselves in extra Torah study and in more intensive and sincere prayer.

Thus ten days between Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur which is also known the Ten Days of Repentance is considered as the auspicious time to when one can for repent for sins committed. It is thus that special time of the year when one can for one’s soul and thus seek repentance.

Sedar Plate

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