Rosh Hashanah

1 and 2 Tishrei

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Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world, specifically the sixth day when humanity was created by God. On this day, God gave Adam the task of perfecting the world. Therefore, Rosh Hashanah is a time for introspection about the purpose of creation and, in light of this, making resolutions to give our lives more meaning.

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The Shofar

On Rosh Hashanah, we hear the sounding of the shofar, the ancient and powerful ram's horn. The shofar blasts feel like a cry from the depths of our souls. The shofar carries many meanings. It signifies that on this day, we proclaim God as the King of the universe. Its penetrating sound awakens us to repentance and to turn to God. The shofar reminds us of the sound of the shofar at Mount Sinai when we received the Ten Commandments from God.

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Eruv Tavshilin

On a festival (Yom Tov), one is allowed to use pre-existing fire for cooking, but only for that specific festival day and not for the following day. However, if a festival falls on Thursday and Friday or on Friday and Shabbat, a problem arises: how do we prepare for the Shabbat meal? The solution is to begin the preparations for Shabbat before the festival begins. We take bread and a cooked dish, recite a blessing, and declare that we are now permitted to prepare for Shabbat during the festival. This is because it is no longer a new start but a continuation. This procedure is called Eruv Tavshilin, which means "mixing of cooked dishes." See Siddur Dasberg, page 158 for more details.