Jewish Holidays

Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the creation of the first man. It's also the day on which God judges the whole world. What is the connection between the two?

The right way one should check the Simanim for Rosh Hashana according to Bedikas Hamazon.

Beyond their taste, eating symbolic foods such as apples, pomegranates, carrots, and beets on Rosh Hashana have a special meaning.

Every Jewish holiday has a representative color. Each Yom Tov also connects to one of the senses. What sense connects to Rosh Hashana?

Before counting the omer, one recites the following berakha: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us concerning the counting of the omer” Both the berakha and the count are optimally recited while standing, but if one recited them while seated, he has nonetheless fulfilled his obligation .

By counting the omer, we draw a line that ascends continuously from Pesaĥ to Shavu’ot. The festival of Pesaĥ represents Israel’s national aspect: the Exodus revealed Israel’s uniqueness, in that God chose us from among all the other nations despite the fact that we were mired in 49 levels of impurity.

Right now, faced with the prospect of having to turn my life and my emotions upside down, I go into a panic that results in total spiritual paralysis. Fear of Elul.

Starting from the night of the omer harvest, there is a mitzva to count 49 days, which are seven weeks. This is known as sefirat ha-omer, counting the omer.

Many Rishonim maintain that the time for reciting Birkat Ha-levana begins on the first day the moon is visible. Several poskim, however, posit that it is preferable to wait until the moon grows somewhat, when it is possible to benefit from its light.