Foods For Rosh HaShanah
"During the ten days between the New Year and the day of
Atonement, we all examine our inner selves. Examine our weaknesses,
our intolerence, laziness, insincerity, pride, and lack of loving
acts. This period of reflexion is intense and is a fundamental part
of the philosophical aspect of Jewsih thought. I repeat Doreen's wish
to you all ........... "May you all be inscribed in the Book of Life
for everything your Soul needs for the coming New Year."
During the entire last month of the Jewish year (we still use a lunar
calendar) is devoted to deep introspection in preparation for the
prayers we will say during the first two days of the first month of
the new year - Rosh HaShanah. The Shofar is also sounded. The
strange sound of the Shofar sounds like a primordial wail - the
crying of creation to be purified and perfected.
During the month prior to Rosh HaShanah special early-morning prayers
are said asking for forgiveness. The repitition of those prayers,
called Slikhot ("forgivenesses" or "forgivings", the plural redoubles
the intensity many times), is meditative and infuses the entire
consciousness with the need to think and rethink our deeds during the
past year.
The culmination of those moral/spiritual preparations will be the
prayers we say on the two days of Rosh HaShanah. But even that is
not the end of the self and community cleansing process. That will
come 10 days after Rosh HaShanah on Yom HaKippurim.
Don't think that Rosh HaShanah is all solemn and sad. It is not.
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov has said that God's Spirit only rests on
people when they are in a state of joy. We prepare many sweet things
to eat on Rosh HaShanah, in hopes that the coming year will be sweet
and in order to uplift the spirit.
All cultures have "symbolic foods" for the various experiences of the
natural life cycle and for special times specific to our cultures.
We should explore that. What do you think about that? Let's not take
it for granted that we associate tastes with emotions and subjective
experiences (ex: sweet food with sweet experiences). Let's examine
that. It's a very interesting, particularly Human and spiritual
phenomenon.
Doreen
posted by Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat @ 8:26 AM
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