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Rosh Hashanah
A shofar made from a ram's horn
Official name	Hebrew: ראש השנה
Also called	Jewish New Year
Observed by	Judaism and Jews
Type	Jewish
Significance	Jewish new year according to the Hebrew calendar. Commemorates the alleged Creation of the world. Beginning of the ten "Days of Awe" prior to Yom Kippur. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 150 languages. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (841x585, 96 KB) A small Ashkenazi style shofar made from a ram’s horn. ... A shofar made from the horn of a kudu, in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Hebrew calendar (‎) or Jewish calendar is the calendar used by Jews for religious purposes. ... THIS IS A FACT Creation is a doctrinal position in many religions and philosophical belief systems which maintains that a single God, or a group of or deities is responsible for creating the universe. ... Yom Kippur (Hebrew:יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) is a Jewish holiday, known in English as the Day of Atonement. ...
Begins	First day of Tishrei
Ends	Second day of Tishrei
2007 date	sunset, September 12 – sunset, September 14
2008 date	sunset, September 29 – sunset, October 1
Observances	Praying in synagogue, hearing the shofar. Festive meals with challah. Auspicious foods such as apples dipped in honey, fish heads and pomegranates are often eaten, as well as new fruits on the second night. Refraining from work.
Related to	Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement."

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה, Biblical: ˈɾoʃ haʃ:ɔˈnɔh, Israeli: ˈroʃ haʃaˈna, Yiddish: ˈroʊʃ hɑˈʃɔnə) is literally translated as "head of the year", and idiomatically refers to the Jewish New Year. The term first appears in the Tanakh, in Ezekiel 40:1. There, however, it does not refer specifically to the first day of the year, but to the "beginning" of the year. Tishrei (or Tishri) (IPA: ) (Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ (תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard () Tiberian () ; from Akkadian Beginning, from To begin) is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. ... Tishrei (or Tishri) (IPA: ) (Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ (תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard () Tiberian () ; from Akkadian Beginning, from To begin) is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jewish services (Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah ; plural תפלות, tefillot ; Yinglish: davening) are the prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... A synagogue (from ancient Greek: , transliterated synagogÄ“, assembly; ‎ beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: or Template:Lanh-he beit tefila, house of prayer, shul; Ladino: , esnoga) is a Jewish house of worship. ... A shofar made from the horn of a kudu, in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... Two homemade whole-wheat challos resting under a traditional embroidered Shabbat challah cover Challah, hallah (חלה), Barches (German and western Yiddish), Barkis (Gothenburg), Bergis (Stockholm), khala (Russian), khale (eastern Yiddish), kitke (South African Jewish)[1] is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish braided bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays except Passover, when... This article is about the fruit. ... For other uses, see Honey (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Binomial name L. For the color see: Pomegranate (color) The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5–8 m tall. ... // The 39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat (or 39 melachot, or lamed tet avot melachot), are activities that Orthodox and Conservative Jews believe Jews are prohibited to do on Shabbat. ... Yom Kippur (Hebrew:יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) is a Jewish holiday, known in English as the Day of Atonement. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Rosh Ha Shanah is the name of a treatise in the Talmud. ... The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... Categories: Language stubs | Judaism-related stubs | Canaanite languages | Hebrew language ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. ... For the musical collective, see Tanakh (band). ... Book Of Ezekiel is rapper Freekey Zekeys debut album and debut on Diplomat Records/Asylum. ...

In fact, Judaism has four "new year" observances which mark various legal "years", much like 1 January marks the "New Year" of the Gregorian calendar while other dates mark fiscal or other "new year" events. Rosh Hashanah is the new year for people, animals, and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (shmita) and jubilee (yovel) years. The Hebrew calendar (‎) or Jewish calendar is the calendar used by Jews for religious purposes. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the calendar of religious holidays and periods, see liturgical year. ... The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ... The Shemitah (in Hebrew: שְׁמִטָּה -- [Year of] Remission) or Sabbatical Year, promulgated in the Torah, is a practice of contemporary Orthodox Judaism with Biblical roots. ... The Shemitah (in Hebrew: שְׁמִטָּה -- [Year of] Remission) or Sabbatical Year, promulgated in the Torah, is a practice of contemporary Orthodox Judaism with Biblical roots. ... The Jubilee year (every 50th year) and the Sabbatical year (every seventh year) are Biblical commandments concerning ethical ownership of land. ...

The Torah refers to the day as "The Day of the Blowing of the Shofar" (Yom Terua, Leviticus 23:24), and rabbinic literature and the liturgy itself describe Rosh Hashanah as "The Day of Judgment" (Yom ha-Din) and "The Day of Remembrance" (Yom ha-Zikkaron). Some midrashic descriptions depict God as sitting upon a throne, while books containing the deeds of all humanity are opened for review, and each person passing in front of Him for evaluation of his or her deeds. All of these names are also referenced in the holiday's extensive liturgy. The Torah () is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of G-d (the vocal is never spelled), traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. ... A shofar made from the horn of a kudu, in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ... Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... At the bottom of the hands, the two letters on each hand combine to form יהוה (YHVH), the name of God. ... The thrones for The Queen of Canada, and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Canadian Senate, Ottawa is usually occupied by the Governor General and her spouse at the annual State Opening of Parliament. ...

This holiday is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (Hebrew, "Days of Awe"), the most solemn days of the Jewish year; the Yamim Noraim are preceded by the month of Elul, during which Jews are supposed to begin a self-examination and repentance, a process that culminates in the ten days of the Yamim Noraim known as Asseret Yemei Teshuva - The Ten Days of Repentance, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with the holiday of Yom Kippur. The High Holidays refers to the ten-day period in Judaism which begins with Rosh Hashanah followed by the ten days of repentance, ending with Yom Kippur, the day of repentance. ... The High Holidays refers to the ten-day period in Judaism which begins with Rosh Hashanah followed by the ten days of repentance, ending with Yom Kippur, the day of repentance. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Elul (Hebrew: אֱלוּל, Standard Elul Tiberian  ; from Akkadian ) is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. ... Yom Kippur (Hebrew:יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) is a Jewish holiday, known in English as the Day of Atonement. ...

Date

Rosh Hashanah extends over the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, even in Israel where most Jewish holidays last only one day. Since days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sundown, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah is at sundown the end of the 29th of Elul. The Hebrew calendar (‎) or Jewish calendar is the calendar used by Jews for religious purposes. ... Tishrei (or Tishri) (IPA: ) (Hebrew: תִּשְׁרֵי‎ (תִּשְׁרִי‎) Standard () Tiberian () ; from Akkadian Beginning, from To begin) is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. ... Elul (Hebrew: אֱלוּל, Standard Elul Tiberian  ; from Akkadian ) is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. ...

The second day is a later addition and does not follow from the literal reading of the Biblical commandment, which states that the holiday should be celebrated on the first day. The two days of Rosh Hashanah are considered "Yoma Arichtah" (Aramaic: "one long day"). There is some evidence that Rosh Hashanah was celebrated for only one day in Jerusalem as late as the thirteenth century. In Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism, some communities do indeed observe only the first day of Rosh Hashanah, while others observe two days. Orthodox and Conservative Judaism observe both the first and second days. The Karaite Jews, who do not accept the "oral law" but rely only on Biblical scripture, observe only one day on the first day of Tishrei, since the second day is not mentioned in the Torah. Mitzvah (Hebrew: מצווה, IPA: , commandment; plural, mitzvot; from צוה, tzavah, command) is a word used in Judaism to refer to (a) the commandments, of which there are 613, given in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) or (b) any Jewish law at all. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement, based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan, that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of American Jews and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th-century Germany. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... This article is about Conservative (Masorti) Judaism in the United States. ... Karaite Judaism or Karaism is a Jewish movement characterized by the sole reliance on the Tanakh as scripture, and the rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmud) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... An oral law is a code of conduct in use in a given culture, religion or other regroupement, by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted by oral tradition and effectively respected, or the single rule that is orally transmitted. ... The Torah () is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of G-d (the vocal is never spelled), traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. ...

Rosh Hashanah occurs 163 days after the first day of Pesach (Passover). In the Gregorian calendar at present, Rosh Hashanah can occur September 5 at the earliest, as happened in 1899 and will happen again in 2013. After the year 2089, the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will force Rosh Hashanah to be not earlier than September 6. Rosh Hashanah can occur on October 5 at the latest, as happened in 1967 and will happen again in 2043. The Hebrew calendar is so constituted that the first day of Rosh Hashanah can never occur on the first, fourth, or sixth days of the Jewish week; the popular mnemonic is "lo adu rosh" ("Rosh [Hashanah] is not on adu"), where adu has the numerical value 1-4-6 (corresponding to the numbering of days in the Jewish week, in which Saturday night and Sunday daytime make up the first day). Pasch redirects here. ... For the calendar of religious holidays and periods, see liturgical year. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 2013 (MMXIII) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s - 2040s - 2050s 2060s 2070s 2080s 2090s Years: 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 - 2043 - 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2043 (MMXLIII)[link title January Excepted expiration from the Arizona-Sonora pipline communication. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The following table lists the two days of Jewish Rosh Hashanah for some years. Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on the evening on the first day listed in the table.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Traditions and customs

A shofar in the Yemenite Jewish style. (Photo by Olve Utne (Olve)

This holiday is characterized by the blowing of the shofar (per Leviticus 23:24), a trumpet made from a ram's horn. In fact, the shofar is blown in traditional communities every morning for the entire month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah. The sound of the shofar is intended to awaken the listener from his or her "slumber" and alert them to the coming judgment (Maimonides, Yad, Laws of Repentance 3:4). Orthodox Judaism and some Conservative Judaic communities will not blow the shofar on Shabbat. (There is an exception. Jewish Law permits the Shofar to be blown in the presence of a rabbinical court called the Sanhedrin, which had not existed since ancient times. A recent group of Orthodox rabbis in Israel claiming to constitute a modern Sanhedrin held, for the first time in many years, an Orthodox shofar-blowing on Shabbat for Rosh Hashana in 2006. ^[1]) ImageMetadata File history File links Jemenittisk_sjofar_av_kuduhorn. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Jemenittisk_sjofar_av_kuduhorn. ... A shofar made from the horn of a kudu, in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... Yemenite Jews (תֵּימָנִי, Standard Hebrew Temani, Tiberian Hebrew Têmānî; plural תֵּימָנִים, Standard Hebrew Temanim, Tiberian Hebrew Têmānîm) are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors... A shofar made from the horn of a kudu, in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Maimonides (March 30, 1135 or 1138–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain, Morocco and Egypt during the Middle Ages. ... The Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazaka is a code of Jewish law by one of the most important Jewish authorities, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides or by the Hebrew abbreviation RaMBaM (usually written Rambam in English). ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... For the tractate in the Mishnah, see Sanhedrin (tractate). ... Within Judaism, the Sanhedrin is seen as the last institution which commanded universal authority among the Jewish people in the long chain of tradition from Moses until the present day. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the period leading up to the Yamim Noraim ("Hebrew, "Days of Awe") penitential prayers, called selichot, are recited, and on Rosh Hashanah itself, religious poems, called piyyuttim, are added to the regular services. Special prayer books for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, called the mahzor (mahzorim pl), have developed over the years. Many poems refer to Psalms 81:3: "Blow the shofar on the [first day of the] month, when the [moon] is covered for our holiday". “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Selichot (Heb. ... A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט, IPA [pijút] and [pijutím]) is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. ... Jewish services (Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah ; plural תפלות, tefillot ; Yinglish: davening) are the prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... The mahzor (machzor in Hebrew, pl. ... Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ...

Rosh Hashanah has a number of additions to the regular service, most notably an extended repetition of the Amidah prayer for both Shacharit and Mussaf. The Shofar is blown during Mussaf at several intervals. Biblical verses are recited at each point. According to the Mishnah, 10 verses (each) are said regarding kingship, remembrance, and the shofar itself, each accompanied by the blowing of the shofar. A variety of piyyutim, medieval penitential prayers, are recited regarding themes of repentance. The Alenu prayer is recited during the repetition of the Mussaf Amidah. The Amidah (Standing), also called the Shemoneh Esrei (The Eighteen), is the central prayer in the Jewish liturgy that observant Jews recite each morning, afternoon, and evening. ... Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ... Mussaf The additional prayers offered on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Jewish Festivals in a traditional Jewish prayer service immediately following the regular morning service. ... The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ... A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט, IPA [pijút] and [pijutím]) is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. ... The Amidah (Standing), also called the Shemoneh Esrei (The Eighteen), is the central prayer in the Jewish liturgy that observant Jews recite each morning, afternoon, and evening. ...

The traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah is "Shana Tova" IPA [ʃaˈ na toˈ va], Hebrew for "A Good Year," or "Shana Tova Umetukah" for "A Good and Sweet Year." Because Jews are being judged by God for the coming year, a longer greeting translates as "May You Be Written and Sealed for a Good Year" (ketiva ve-chatima tovah). Shana Tova is the traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah IPA [ʃaˈ na toˈ va], which in Hebrew means A Good Year. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Shana Tova Umetukah is Hebrew for A Good and Sweet Year. It is a traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah. ... Ketiva ve-chatima tovah is a longer greeting on Rosh Hashanah. ...

During the afternoon of the first day occurs the practice of tashlikh, in which prayers are recited near natural flowing water, and one's sins are symbolically cast into the water. Many also have the custom to throw bread or pebbles into the water, to symbolize the "casting off" of sins. In some communities, if the first day of Rosh Hashanah occurs on Shabbat tashlikh is postponed to the second day. The traditional service for tashlikh is recited individually and includes the prayer "Who is like unto you, O God...And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea", and Biblical passages including Isaiah 11:9 ("They will not injure nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea") and Psalms 118:5-9, 121 and 130, as well as personal prayers. Tashlikh (Hebrew, meaning casting off) is a long-standing practice on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year according to the Hebrew calendar) to go to a large, natural body of flowing water (such as a river, lake, sea or ocean) and throw some bread, or a similar food item, into...

Rosh Hashanah table set with symbolic foods.

Rosh Hashanah meals often include apples and honey, to symbolize a "sweet new year". Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag (custom), such as tongue or other meat from the head (to symbolize the "head" of the year). Other symbolic foods are dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud. Pomegranates are used in many traditions: the use of apples and honey is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted. Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year. On the second night, new fruits are served to warrant inclusion of the shehecheyanu blessing, the saying of which would otherwise be doubtful (as the second day is part of the "long day" mentioned above). Image File history File links Roshhashana. ... Image File history File links Roshhashana. ... This article is about the fruit. ... For other uses, see Honey (disambiguation). ... Minhag (Hebrew: מנהג Custom, pl. ... The term date can refer to: A day according to a calendar; see calendar date. ... Trinomial name Vigna unguiculata unguiculata The black-eyed pea, also called black-eyed bean, blackeye, lobiya, rongi, feijão-frade, Alasandee (Kannada name) or chawli/chawle, is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown for its medium-sized edible bean, which mutates easily giving rise to a number of varieties, the... For other uses, see Leek (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Spinacia oleracea L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Binomial name L. For the color see: Pomegranate (color) The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5–8 m tall. ... Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים Standard Hebrew, AÅ¡kanazi,AÅ¡kanazim, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾAÅ¡kănāzî, ʾAÅ¡kănāzîm, pronounced sing. ... Two homemade whole-wheat challos resting under a traditional embroidered Shabbat challah cover Challah, hallah (חלה), Barches (German and western Yiddish), Barkis (Gothenburg), Bergis (Stockholm), khala (Russian), khale (eastern Yiddish), kitke (South African Jewish)[1] is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish braided bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays except Passover, when...

In the Torah

In the earliest times the Hebrew year began in autumn with the opening of the economic year. There followed in regular succession the seasons of seed-sowing, growth and ripening of the corn (here meaning any grain) under the influence of the former and the latter rains, harvest and ingathering of the fruits. In harmony with this was the order of the great agricultural festivals, according to the oldest legislation, namely, the feast of unleavened bread at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the month of Abib; the feast of harvest, seven weeks later; and the feast of ingathering at the going out or turn of the year (See Exodus 23:14-17; Deuteronomy 16:1-16).

It is likely that the new year was celebrated from ancient times in some special way. The earliest reference to such a custom is, probably, in the account of the vision of Ezekiel (Ezek. xl. 1). This took place at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month (Tishri). On the same day the beginning of the year of jubilee was to be proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets (Lev. xxv. 9). According to the Septuagint rendering of Ezek. xlv. 20, special sacrifices were to be offered on the first day of the seventh month as well as on the first day of the first month. This first day of the seventh month was appointed by the Law to be "a day of blowing of trumpets". There was to be a holy convocation; no servile work was to be done; and special sacrifices were to be offered (Lev. xxiii. 23-25; Num. xxix. 1-6). This day was not expressly called New-Year's Day, but it was evidently so regarded by the Jews at a very early period. Ezekiel (Hebrew: יחזקאל, ) is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible of the Book of Ezekiel. ...

In rabbinic literature

Philo, in his treatise on the festivals, calls New-Year's Day the festival of the sacred moon and feast of the trumpets, and explains the blowing of the trumpets as being a memorial of the giving of the Torah and a reminder of God's benefits to mankind in general ("De Septennario," § 22). Philo (20 BC - 50 AD), known also as Philo of Alexandria and as Philo Judaeus And as Yedidia, was a Hellenized Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. ...

The Mishnah, the core text of Judaism's oral Torah, contains the first known reference to the "Day of Judgment". It says: "Four times in the year the world is judged: On Passover a decree is passed on the produce of the soil; on Shavuot, on the fruits of the trees; on New-Year's Day all men pass before Him ("God"); and on the Feast of Tabernacles a decree is passed on the rain of the year. The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ... Shavuot, also spelled Shavuos (Hebrew: שבועות (Israeli Heb. ...

R' Yaakov Kamenetsky explains that in earlier generations it was considered preferable not to reveal that it was a "day of judgement" so as not to mix any other feeling into "the day of the coronation of G-d". In later generations as people lost touch with the significance of the day it was necessary to reveal that it was also "the day of judgement" so that people would approach the holiday with proper awe and respect. (B'Mechitzot Rabbenu) Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky, Rosh Yeshiva of yeshiva Torah Vodaath in the 1960s. ...

According to rabbinic tradition, the creation of the world completed on Tishri 1.

The observance of the 1st of Tishri as Rosh ha-Shanah is based principally on the mention of "Zikkaron" (= "memorial day"; Lev. xxiii. 24) and the reference of Ezra to the day as one "holy to the Lord" (Neh. viii. 9) seem to point. The passage in Psalms (lxxxi. 5) referring to the solemn feast which is held on New Moon Day, when the shofar is sounded, as a day of "mishpat" (judgment) of "the God of Jacob" is taken to indicate the character of Rosh ha-Shanah.

In Jewish thought, Rosh ha-Shanah is the most important judgment-day, on which all the inhabitants of the world pass for judgment before the Creator, as sheep pass for examination before the shepherd. It is written in the Talmud, in the tractate on Rosh Hashanah that three books of account are opened on Rosh ha-Shanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days till Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous ; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living" (Ps. lxix. 28). Rosh Ha Shanah is the name of a treatise in the Talmud. ...

The zodiac sign of the balance for Tishri is claimed to indicate the scales of judgment, balancing the meritorious against the wicked acts of the person judged. The taking of an annual inventory of accounts on Rosh ha-Shanah is adduced by Rabbi Nahman ben Isaac from the passage in Deut. xi. 12, which says that the care of God is directed from "the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year". The 1st of Tishri was considered as the beginning of Creation.

It is said in the Talmud that on Rosh ha-Shanah the means of sustenance of every person are apportioned for the ensuing year; so also are his destined losses.

Originally, only the 1st day of Tishri was celebrated as New-Year's Day in the Land of Israel, prior to the time of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai. However, ever since his time, Jewish law has Rosh ha-Shanah celebrated for two days. Kingdom of Israel: Early ancient historical Israel — land in pink is the approximate area under direct central royal administration during the United Monarchy. ... Yohanan ben Zakkai was a Jewish sage of the first century of the common era, and a primary contributor to the core text of rabbinic Judaism, the Mishnah. ...

The Zohar, a medieval work of Kabbalah, lays stress on the universal observance of two days, and states that the two passages in Job (i. 6 and ii. 1), "when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord," refer to the first and second days of Rosh ha-Shanah, observed by the Heavenly Court before the Almighty. (Zohar, Pinchas, p. 231a) The Zohar (Hebrew: זהר Splendor, radiance) is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ... This article is about traditional Jewish Kabbalah. ...

See also

• High Holidays
• Jewish holidays
• Hebrew calendar
• Rosh Hashana kibbutz (Breslov)
• Shofar
• Ras as-Sanah

The High Holidays refers to the ten-day period in Judaism which begins with Rosh Hashanah followed by the ten days of repentance, ending with Yom Kippur, the day of repentance. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... The Hebrew calendar (‎) or Jewish calendar is the calendar used by Jews for religious purposes. ... The Rosh Hashana kibbutz (Hebrew: קיבוץ; plural: kibbutzim: קיבוצים, gathering or ingathering) is a large prayer assemblage of Breslover Hasidim held on the Jewish New Year. ... A shofar made from the horn of a kudu, in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... Ras as-Sana (Arabic: رأس السنة ) is the Islamic celebration of the new Hijri year. ...

References

External links

• Chabad.org overview of Rosh Hashanah
• Formula to calculate the dates of Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashanah at Judaism 101
• Rosh Hashanah at ReligionFacts.com
• Complete Rosh Hashanah FAQ (AskMoses.com)
• TorahLab audio and text classes about Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashana in a Nutshell from Chabad.org
• Rosh Hashana Prayers For Sephardic Jews
• Chart of symbolic foods and their corresponding prayers - PDF file
• OURadio's audio on Simanin, symbolic foods for Rosh HaShanah
• Torah.org's Rosh HaShanah - The Custom of Eating Symbolic Foods
• Rosh HaShanah Celebration - Rosh HaShanah Prayer book for B'nei Noah in PDF format.
• Short Audio on Rosh HaShanah from AskNoah.org Free e-mailed classes on the 7 Noahide Laws / Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noah available