Rosh Hashanah: Its manifestations and rituals

Abstract

This study offers a comprehensive study of the Jewish New Year, known as Rosh Hashanah, in terms of its religious, symbolic, and social dimensions. Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar, celebrated on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishri. It is viewed as a day of judgment and remembrance, on which one's deeds are presented to God and the beginning of the ten days of repentance, culminating in the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

The study focuses on the central rituals associated with this holiday, most notably the blowing of the shofar, a symbolic ritual used for spiritual awakening and a call to repentance. The special structure of prayers that include passages reflecting the awe of divine judgment, such as "Avinu Melkeinu" and "Onitani Tokveh", is also analyzed.

 The study also addresses distinctive popular and social rituals, such as eating symbolic foods (apples with honey, pomegranates, and the head), and the ritual of tashlich, which embodies the idea of ​​getting rid of sins. The study also discusses the psychological and spiritual dimensions of this holiday, as a time for reflection, self-examination, and renewing one's relationship with God and one's fellow human beings. The study concludes that Rosh Hashanah is not merely a celebration of the beginning of a new year, but rather a profound religious occasion that instills in the Jewish conscience the notion of moral responsibility, repentance, and hope for a new beginning. This holiday also reflects the interplay between individual and collective rituals, and between the spiritual and social dimensions of the Jewish religion.