Rosh Hashanah Theology

Rosh Hashanah takes place in the Jewish month of Tishri, (September and October on the Gregorian calendar) and is a celebration of the alleged anniversary of Creation. On this day, God opens the book of life and judges all who lie within for the coming year. However, he does not close the books until ten days later, on Yom Kippur, and so during this ten day period he is open to persuasion about how to judge someone. These ten days are called shabbat shuvah and are the time in which a Jew must justify their existence to God. Anyone who fails to do so will die within the next year. There are many ways in which a person can do this: through prayer, through casting pieces of bread (symbolizing sins) into a moving stream, and through the sounding of the shofar, an instrument made from an animal’s horn, preferably a ram. The shofar is blown a hundred times both evenings of Rosh Hashanah, as commanded in the Torah. These practices, coupled with sincere repentance for sins, should be enough to get God to put you on the nice list for the coming year, provided you actually carry through with your efforts to become a better person.

Rosh Hashana Foods and Nutrition

Traditional Rosh Hashana treats are simple to make yet beautiful in meaning. Apples dipped in honey are the most well-known component of the meal, as well as honey cake and challah (leavened egg bread) dipped in honey. The honey, apples, and cakes symbolize the desire to have a sweet year to come. Honey was a symbol of wealth in ancient times to the people of Israel, which may be why its consumption on the New Year is such a widely practiced and anticipated event. Honey is also one of nature’s most delicious sources of antioxidants, so by using it in their holy days, the Israelites were actually promoting good health, unlike most holiday snack foods of today which only promote weight gain.

Another traditional Rosh Hashanah food chock full of history and good health is the pomegranate. One of the oldest fruits known to man, the pomegranate and its many admirable qualities have been immortalized by literary greats like Chaucer and Shakespeare. But long before either of these famous pencil-pushers brought the pomegranate into the public eye, the people of Israel were being called to notice it by the greatest author of all time—God. In the Old Testament, the pomegranate (or rimmon) is mentioned 13 times, one of the most notable in Deuteronomy 8:8, where it is listed among the things promised to the Jews in the land of Cannan. The fruit is one that is obviously important to God, and so, it has become important to the Jewish people. (Lucky for them, as recent studies have shown that the fruit could be linked to the prevention of cancer, infections, and heart disease.)

The third most commonly consumed food on Rosh Hashanah is fish, to symbolize the desire for abundance and fertility in the year to come. Fish would have been common to the ancient Israelites with the Sea of Galilee so close, and its inclusion in their holiday repasts shows just what a staple of their diets it was. Fish are one of the most rich sources of protein in nature, supplying the body with the full host of amino acids as well as vitamins A and D, iron, calcium, and polyunsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol and help the liver and kidneys function properly.

Are You Ready?

Rosh Hashanah is the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar, which is why it spans two days—this year it began at sundown on Wednesday, and extends until sunup on Friday. Today around the world, Jews will gather. They will eat healthy, delicious foods and celebrate over 3500 years as God’s Chosen not with champagne and revelry as most cultures celebrate the New Year, but with repentance for sins and a humble request for one year more. At this time of quiet contemplation, Jews take the opportunity to remind themselves of how much value there is in life…and to remind God as well.

***Anyone looking for easy Rosh Hashanah recipes can find versions of them at these websites:

Honey Cake

Challah

Fish with Pomegranate Sauce

Sources:

http://www.jewish.new-year.co.uk/history.htm

http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/faculty/pbird/keepingfit/ARTICLE/HONEY.HTM

http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/pomupdate.html