Family, Birthdays, and Holidays

For those of you dear readers who are not aware~ my former husband was raised Jewish. He has imparted his religion on to our children. It is a religion rich in tradition and one that I have enjoyed learning about over the last 21 years since knowing him.

Why am I mentioning this?

Coming up quickly is the "High Holy Days"~ Sunset on September 18th begins Rosh Hashanah. This is the Jewish New Year. It is brought in by the blowing of the shofar (a rams horn). The blowing of the shofar is a call to repentance. In Jewish Tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance from that sin. As a side note, Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of Abraham's taking his son Isaac up to the mountain to be the sacrifice to God. Of course we know that God provided a Ram instead and Isaac was released.

Rosh Hashanah is also the first of the 10 days of Repentance and ends with Yom Kippur that starts at sunset on September 27th.

These 10 days are really important in the Jewish Religion. They are days, that although if you are a Christian, not important in the entirety, do have some meaning, importance, and tradition that may interest you. We are not bound, as Christians, to the law of Abraham. However, I do believe there is much that can help us with our walk with God if we pay attention to the traditions of the Jewish Religion.

On Rosh Hashanah the Tashlich prayer is recited. This is the "casting away of sin" prayer. In Jewish tradition, this prayer would be said at a body of water.

Tashlich is traditionally performed on the first day of Rosh HaShanah, but if this day falls on Shabbat then tashlich isn't observed until the second day of Rosh HaShanah. If it is not performed on the first day of Rosh HaShanah it can be done anytime up until the last day of Sukkot, which is thought to be the last day of the New Year's "judgment" period.

In order to perform tashlich take pieces of bread or another food and go to a flowing body of water such as a river, stream, sea or ocean. Lakes or ponds that have fish are also a good place, both because the animals will eat the food and because fish are immune to the evil eye. Some traditions say that fish are also significant because they can be trapped in nets just as we can be trapped in sin.

Recite the following blessing from Micah 7:18-20 and then toss the bits of bread into the water:

Who is like You, God, who removes iniquity and overlooks transgression of the remainder of His inheritance. He does not remain angry forever because He desires kindness. He will return and He will be merciful to us, and He will conquer our iniquities, and He will cast off our sins into the depths of the seas. Give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, like that you swore to our ancestors from long ago.

In some communities people will also pull out their pockets and shake them to make sure any lingering sins are cast off. (http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/whatistashlich.htm)

Anyway~ I was thinking of all this because I will be celebrating this very special holiday with my son this year as his Dad is not going to be here. Along with the traditions I have already talked about, there is also FOOD!

Tzimmes, Honey Cakes, Challa, Geffelte Fish... mmmmmmm

I am working on my menu's for September and that is what brought all this to mind... I must be careful to have kosher meals for my son during this time...