The Celebrations of Our Lives

9:34:59 AM EDT
Feeling Happy

Rosh Hashanah Evening Home Ritual

Please note that this page contain the name of God. If you print it out, please treat it with appropriate respect. If you do not have experience reading transliteration please see the Guide to Transliteration.

• Candle Lighting
• Evening Kiddush
• Shehecheyanu
• Blessing for Apples and Honey

Lighting Candles
On the first night, candles should be lit no later than 18 minutes before sundown. On the second night, candles should be lit immediately after nightfall, kindled by an existing flame. For the candle lighting time in your area, consult the list provided by the Orthodox Union or any Jewish calendar. The words in [brackets] should be read only on the sabbath.
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us
l'had'lik neir shel [shabbat v'shel] yom tov (Amein) to light the candles of [Shabbat and of] the holiday (Amen)

Evening Kiddush for Rosh Hashanah

Kiddush is recited while holding a cup of wine or other liquid, no less than 3.3 ounces. If wine or grape juice is not used, you should substitute shehakol nih'yeh bid'varo (by whose will all things come to be) for borei p'ri hagafen (who creates the fruit of the vine). On Friday nights (Shabbat), insert the first paragraph of Shabbat kiddush here, that is, from Vay'hiy erev to asher bara Elohiym la'asot. On all other nights, skip words in [brackets].

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

(if using wine or grape juice) borei p'ri hagafen (Amein) Who creates the fruit of the vine (Amen)

(if using other liquids) shehakol nih'yeh bid'varo (Amein) Who made all things exist through His word (Amen)

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

asher bachar banu mikol am v'rom'manu mikol lashon who has chosen us from among all people, and exalted us above every tongue

v'kid'shanu b'mitz'votav vatiten lanu Adonai Eloheinu, b'ahavah and sanctified us with His commandments,and you gave us, Lord our God, with love

et yom [hashabat hazeh v'et yom] with love this day of [Sabbath and this day of]

hazikaron hazeh yom [zikh'ron] t'ru'ah remembrance, a day of [remembrance of] shofar blowing [with love]

[b'ahavah] mik'ra kodesh zeikher litzi'at mitz'rayim [with love] a holy convocation, a memorial of the exodus from Egypt

ki vanu vachar'ta v'otanu kidash'ta mikol ha'amim Indeed, You have chosen us and made us holy from all peoples

ud'var'kha emet v'kayam la'ad and Your word is true and established for ever.

Barukh atah Adonai melekh al kol ha'aretz Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King over all the world,

m'kadeish [hashabat v]yisra'eil v'yom hazikaron. (Amein) Who sanctifies [the sabbath] and Israel and the Day of Remembrance. (Amen)

Shehecheyanu

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh. (Amein) who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season (Amen)

Apples and Honey

During Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat apples dipped in honey, to symbolize our hopes for a "sweet" new year.  The apple is dipped in honey, the blessing for eating tree fruits is recited, the apple is tasted, and then the apples and honey prayer is recited.

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe

borei p'ri ha'eitz (Amein). who creates the fruit of the tree. (Amen)

Take a bite from the apple dipped in honey, then continue with the following:

y'hi ratzon mil'fanekha Adonai eloheinu vei'lohei avoteinu May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors

sh't'chadeish aleinu shanah tovah um'tukah. that you renew for us a good and sweet year.

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5:42:13 PM EDT
Feeling Happy

Rosh Hashanah Level: Basic

...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. More on this concept at Days of Awe.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting offour sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat.

Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's sovereignty.

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." More on that concept at Days of Awe.

You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?

Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).

See Extra Day of Jewish Holidays for an explanation of why this holiday is celebrated for two days instead of the one specified in the Bible.

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2:44:24 PM EDT

The Wedding Guest :

Oh how we longed for this day!

I thank The Holy One Who Made this day posibble

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11:42:25 AM EDT
Feeling Cheerful

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4:49:55 PM EDT
Feeling Blissful

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.


- Sholom Aleichem

 

It has been  a wonderful week.

Yes, it has been hard having Mark gone during this most special week. But my beloved and friends made it special.

From Debbie's Dutch Chocolate cake, to Indigo and Cldye cards, Betty and Koda's flowers, the special messages left, and the gifts Mark has spend almost daily, it has been easlier to deal with.

Today, I recieved a coco-coloured Teddy Bear and red rose with lilies. I have taken pictures and will post each of them soon. I also plan to add the pictures to my scrapebook to remember this special time.

G-d has wonderful ways of showing us He loves us. And this week, He used so many people to let me know I would not be alone this week.

The title of this journal is Love From Iraq.

And how true those words are.

I thank G-d for the gift of my life and pray that I live my life in a way that honours Him.

My birthday flowers from Mark.

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9:21:44 AM EDT
Feeling Happy

Last night I heard a statement on TV just before I went to bed that has changed my life.

It was a show about a group of actors, each week learning a play they would perform, but their day to day lifes are life. It's like a Believer's version of Friends.

Anyway, one of the actors mention his upcoming birthday and that he loved  birthdays.  Everyone joked him about his birthday because of the parites, gifts, cake, etc.

He said that is true, but the real reason is because G-d chosen That Day for him to be born. "It was out of His great love for me, that G-d's will that me would be enter this world."

I was yawning from the pain pill, so I didn't watch the whole program, nor did I catch the name of the program. But the words changed my life.

 I remember something I learned many years ago. I wans't a planned child, but a surprise. My own father didn't want me. But I was not a surprise to G-d. Some of us were born because of the will of Man (husband and wife) but others by the will of G-d.

Though I was an Ooop! baby, it was still G-d's good pleasure that I would be born and have a place in this world. I wasn't G-d's Plan B or second best.

He chose June 23 for me to enter this world. And I thank Him for the Gift of my life and shall to continue to live a life that honours Him.

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12:11:44 PM EDT Planning a Jewish Wedding :

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12:07:42 PM EDT
Feeling Happy

On 26th June, it will be three years since my beloved and I were married. The tradition will be alittle different this year; for Mark is in Iraq.

But we will find a way to make the day special anyway

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9:12:34 PM EDT
Feeling Hopeful

We don't have children yet.

But I hope and Pray, that it be the Holy One's will that Father's Day will be one day Mark will enjoy.

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8:23:38 AM EDT
Feeling Excited

 

Feeling much better these days, I have started cleaning the house for Shavout. Since there is no work during this time, I have to pickup the apartment now and get my dairy products for the Holy Days.

One Moroccan Tradition is CousCous Salad. It celebrates the Harvest. If it hadn't been for the car accident and Mark was home, we would have a Shavout Seder. This includes one Moroccan Tradition is CousCous Salad. It celebrates the Harvest. It is a liken a Pasta Salad, but one uses CousCous. We also serve a Greek Salad including kippers and Feta Cheese and of course, cheese cake. And of course, being a time of Romance, I recieve Red Roses.

 But this year, it will will just a nice quiet time between The L-rd and I and hopefully, Mark will call. Tonight, I will stay up, reading the Book of Ruth, remembering how G-d welcomes and embraces the stranger, welcoming them into His Heart and Convenat.

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