New Year according to the Jewish calendar. How to set the table for the Jewish New Year

MOSCOW, October 2 - RIA Novosti. The Jewish communities of Russia and all over the world are celebrating Rosh Hashanah - a new, 5777 year from the creation of the world according to the Jewish calendar.

Rosh Hashanah is one of the brightest and most colorful Jewish holidays. Its name is translated from Hebrew as "head of the year". It symbolizes the "sixth day of creation", when God created the first man - Adam. In the 2016 Gregorian year, it is celebrated on October 3 and 4, but the celebrations traditionally begin at sunset on October 2 the day before.

It is believed that every year the Almighty in Rosh Hashanah creates judgment on humanity, predetermining what should happen to people and nations in the coming year. On this day, each person should carefully analyze their actions, understand what they did wrong, and repent. Rosh Hashanah is not a holiday in the usual sense of the word. The festive table and elegant clothes express not joy, but hope for the mercy of the Almighty. On these two days, it is customary to sleep as little as possible and devote as much time as possible to prayer.

"God gives us life and health every year. Therefore, we need to do something more. I also wish this. We see how the Jewish community flourishes - every year more and more institutions, various programs are opened. Our wish: the Jew found his place within the community to actively participate in various programs, feel comfortable and appreciate what is happening in Russia," Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar told RIA Novosti on the eve of the holiday.

According to him, Russian Jews "have been given a unique chance" to live "comfortably and correctly" among other peoples of the country "in peace, friendship and understanding." The rabbi noted that each new year gives each person more opportunities.

The culmination of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar, a special instrument made from a ram's horn. It is blown in the synagogue during morning prayers on 3 October. In the evening of the same day, the Tashlih prayer will be read, and it is customary to do this near the reservoir in which the fish live. During this prayer, believers symbolically shake out their pockets and ask the Almighty to cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

According to Jewish tradition, ten days from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur (Judgment Day) is the time when God judges the whole world and pronounces a sentence: who will live and who will die. This time is called "Terrible days" or "Days of awe". At this time, the Jews are ordered to analyze their deeds for the previous year and repent of their sins. These days it is customary to greet each other with the wish to be inscribed in the "Book of Life", where the Almighty writes down the names of the righteous who are destined to live next year.

Israel is a special country, and it is not surprising that it lives on two parallel calendars, the Hebrew and the Gregorian. Only holidays are tied to the Jewish calendar, and all other dates are determined by the Gregorian calendar, as in all countries of the world.

The Jewish system of chronology differs from other calendar systems in that it is counted from the very first days of the universe. And, more precisely, from the First Man, the well-known Adam.

Spiritual roots of the holiday

Spiritual roots of the holiday

Yom Kippur symbolizes our willingness to go to the limits of our selfishness in order to fulfill our destiny. All Jews, as one, must first unite among themselves, and then help the whole world to come to complete unity. Everything that happened to the prophet Yona reminds us that we must take care of all mankind. Judgment Day is the beginning of the process of correcting relationships between people. It is a commitment to purpose and a willingness to accept limitations in order to bring the world to the final correction on Purim.

October 16 - 23 Sukkot

Traditions

Sukkot is the Feast of Tabernacles. Before the holiday, at special bazaars, you can buy the necessary materials for building a sukkah. This is a special one with a roof of branches. The family “moves” here for 7 days to eat and pray. It is important to be hospitable. The sukkah is open to everyone. The structure should be such that, raising your eyes to the sky, you can see it through the branches of the sukkah. This is a harvest festival, it is customary to put fruits and dishes from the new harvest on the table. While spending time in the sukkah, Jews remember their journey through the wilderness after leaving Egypt.

Spiritual roots of the holiday

Sukkot reveals to us the meaning of the seven days of human correction. The spiritual world does not exist on its own, it must be built independently. The building material for the hut is built from waste. These are desires that are not important to our egoism, which we neglect in our life, such as love for our neighbor, warmth and care for each other. On the days of Sukkot, these properties are exalted as a canopy that creates a shadow and hides selfishness. The four symbols of Sukkot mean four desires to receive for oneself, which require correction through their gradual connection together in the correct form. Thus, the blessing "arba minim" is carried out. Moving away from the egoistic desires that have remained in the shadows, the work is directed towards building the desire for bestowal and love. And then the light of the holiday of Sukkot illuminates the "hut" from the inside.

October 23 Hoshana-Raba

Traditions

The Night of Hoshana Rabbah is the 7th day of Sukkot. This day stands out from the rest of the days of this holiday. All night before Hosha Rabbah, it is customary to stay awake and read a collection of prayers and passages from the Torah - Tikun. On this night they study the Book of Dvarim and complete the reading of the Book of Psalms. Usually on Hoshana Rabbah they dress in festive white clothes, like on Yom Kippur, and light the remnants of candles that have not burned out since the Day of Judgment. On this day, before sunset, one should enter the sukkah and eat something there, thereby fulfilling the commandment “live in the sukkah” for the last time.

Spiritual roots of the holiday

On the seventh day, the correction that was made during the seven days of Sukkot is completed. A person checks himself what level of similarity to the Highest he has reached. What strength of resistance to selfishness he acquired. And this is called shadow checking.

October 23 - 24 Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Work prohibited

Traditions

Shemini Atzeret is the day when the annual reading of the 54 weekly chapters of the Torah ends and the reading begins again. This tradition has been observed for the last

2000 years. Simchat Torah is the celebration of the end of the cycle and is translated as the Joy of the Torah. On this day, the Torah Scrolls are taken out, and a procession is held with them to joyful, cheerful songs and dances. It is traditionally prescribed to offer prayers for rain, starting from Shemini Atzeret and throughout the winter months.

Spiritual roots of the holiday

If on Sukkot we reduce our egoistic desire for self-enjoyment, on the 7th day after the beginning of Sukkot we check ourselves on Oshan Rabbah, then on the 8th day the Simchat Torah holiday begins, which translates as the Joy of the Torah. We rejoice in that spiritual helping force that led us through all the stages. For seven days in a hut, a person symbolically goes through corrections and prepares himself for contact with the Creator, which happens on the eighth day. The light of the Torah fills a person with great joy, hence the name of the holiday.

December 24 - January 1, 2017 Hanukkah

Work allowed

Traditions

Hanukkah is a celebration of light, freedom, and wonder. happened a long time ago when a lamp was used to illuminate the Temple, in which the amount of oil should have been enough for only one day, but it burned for 8 whole days. The celebration also lasts 8 days. Every evening candles are lit, lined up in a special Hanukkah candlestick.

Traditionally, donuts with various sweet fillings and potato pancakes are served at the festive table. The holidays of Hanukkah are working days, but children in schools have holidays. Therefore, the holiday is considered children's.

Spiritual roots of the holiday

Hanukkah is translated as "stop". Symbolizes the rejection of selfishness. And you need to make a choice in which direction to move. Hanukkah is a time when spiritual power enters us, illuminates and removes from evil. A desire is awakened to merge with this higher power, with the hope of a miracle and the revival of the Temple.

Congratulations to all the newcomers from the planet Israel, and all the Jews who live in different parts of the World! I wish you all happiness, peace and kindness!

This still life is on my window.

Rosh Hashanah is the day that begins the countdown of the Jewish New Year. This is a holiday for all Jews, which is celebrated by them in honor of the creation of the world and falls on the 1-2 day of the month of Tishri. It is believed that on this day the fate and events of the next year are predetermined. This is the time when the Almighty judges people. In synagogues, the shofar (hollow ram's horn) is blown several times, thus calling for rethinking one's actions, repentance, and kindness of thoughts. This appeal is not only to the ear, but also to the heart of everyone. The word shofar itself comes from the words "correction, improvement." Traditionally, the celebration is associated with congratulations from relatives, good wishes, prayers for well-being, gifts, and rich family feasts. These days it is customary to wear white clothes, symbolizing true spiritual purity.

Attention! Since the dates in the Jewish calendar change with sunset, all holidays come in the evening on the eve of the day of the holiday.
Rosh Hashanah. Happy Jewish New Year
I congratulate you with all my heart, friends.
May life be filled to the brim with honey,
Yes, so that it flows over the edges!

I wish you happiness, health and good luck,
I wish you many years, luck and love,
Shana tova! Let it not be otherwise
May everything be great ahead!

May life be sweeter than honey
And more fragrant than flowers
May the weather be sunny
And let love bloom in the soul.

Let them write you in the Book of Life,
May faith always live in you
Let your prayers be heard
And forever let the soul sing.

Congratulations! May Rosh Hashanah bring incredible success in life, true luck and love, great happiness and prosperity. May prayers be heard and everything that was dreamed of be sent, may life be accompanied by mercy, kindness of soul and justice, may challah and honey apples be delicious.

_____________________________________________________

So today is New Year's Eve.

May he bring happiness to everyone

let there be a house - a full bowl,

all honey and apples as a reward,

May the New Year be sweet

success to all, luck will come in an instant,

and God bless everyone!

Jewish New Year 2016: what date is this holiday celebrated? Frankly, the question is relevant. Because the Jewish New Year is a holiday of the religious calendar and, like many dates of Christian holidays, there are rolling dates. So, this year the Jewish New Year will be celebrated from October 3rd to 4th. But this information is relevant only for the current year, because everything depends on the position of the heavenly bodies.

Very often in modern literature and even just in articles on the net, one can hear the opinion that Israel is not just a country, but the cradle of three cultures at once. Not only Christians and Muslims coexist here, but also, of course, Jews.

One feature of Israel is that the dates of the holidays, including the New Year, are set depending on the Torah. That is, the state and religious calendar, Jewish, is based on calculations that are carried out every year in accordance with what is written in the Torah. So, the beginning of each month in Israel necessarily coincides with the new moon. This means that the duration of the month is only 29 or 30 days and the onset of the new year, respectively, falls on different dates every year.

About the Jewish New Year

The Jewish New Year 2016: what date and what year is coming in Israel they know for sure, but the Jews of other countries will have to think about this topic. Because, an interesting fact is the presence of four new years in this country, and not one, as is customary with us. Moreover, none of these holidays is certainly celebrated on the first of January.

So, even before the resettlement of the Jewish people, there were four annual cycles during the year. What did they depend on? There were certain dates that are still relevant today. But Rosh Hashanah is considered the main new year.

The first New Year is celebrated this year on April 9th. It begins in the spring for the reason that from that moment on, the countdown of the reign of kings in Israel begins. In fact, Nisan is the Jewish month. If you look into the sacred books of the Jews, you can find information there that all the kings of the country began their reign exactly a month before Nissan. That is, already from the first day, the second year of the king's reign began, as it were. A feature of this new year is the preparation for an important date - the holiday of Jewish Passover.

The second New Year for the Jews falls on September 4 this year, although, as a rule, the event can also be celebrated at the end of August. Depending on how the dates fall. The name of this month is Elul, and the new year is dedicated to an important event. During this period, a tenth of the cattle that was born during the year that is now going is separated.

Important! Note that cattle born last year are not included in this tithe. The animal must be clean, according to Jewish tradition, these are oxen and sheep, goats and deer, buffaloes, fallow deer, bison, antelopes and mountain sheep.

Jewish New Year 2016: what date it starts and ends - this is from October 3 to October 4 in the current year. But this is only the fourth new year, but the third is celebrated on January 25th. What happens during this period is the separation of a tenth of the harvested crop. This part of the harvest must be given as a sacrifice - to the priests, the Levites and the poor, as well as to all people in need. In Israel, according to this tradition, one tree should be planted on the New Year, and there should be at least seven fruits on the table on a holiday.

The fourth New Year of the current calendar period falls on October 2, this is the beginning, and the holiday ends on October 4. This is the main new year in the Jewish calendar. It is needed in order to count the years from the creation of the world. According to the Jewish religion, this is the day when God decides the fate of people. God can show mercy and mercy, but only if you ask him about it in time and correctly. You need to repent and take the right step, then the mercy and compassion of God cannot be avoided! All this the Jews must do in the fourth New Year.

Traditions of celebrating the main New Year

Jewish New Year 2016: when will it be? It all depends on which of the four new years we are talking about. The last and most important New Year this year falls on October 3-4. But, please note that the dates of the celebration are movable.

Jews have their own preferences for food for each new year, and the holiday of the end of the year from October 3 to 4 is no exception. As for the comparison with our Slavic New Year, everything is not so magnificent here, but there are some peculiarities. People in Israel closely combine this holiday with religion, and it, of course, leaves its mark on the event.

Jews in the New Year are sure to visit sinologists, and they try to spend time in prayers, repentance and humility. After that, it is customary to gather at a large festive table to celebrate the holiday in full swing. On the Jewish New Year holiday, take to visit each other to taste the most delicious dishes there. Many distribute food on the streets, try to give alms, earnestly ask God for forgiveness for possible sins committed.

For Jews, the New Year is the same spiritual holiday as for us Christians, Christmas. So, during this period, God, according to the Jews, arranges judgment on all people. He tries to see the sins, and true believing Jews should ask for forgiveness for the sins already committed and try to pray for them.

Interesting! The Jewish New Year is celebrated for ten days, although in 2016 the main celebrations fall on October 3-4. At this time, you need to constantly pray to God and ask him for forgiveness.

One of the important traditions of this holiday is that you need to go to the reservoir and throw pieces of bread into the water. It is believed that along with one drowned piece, the sin of a person also goes away, God simply writes it off and so you can live a whole year without the burden of sins.

So, the Jewish New Year 2016: what date will it be - this is the night of October 3-4. Although, everything is not as simple as when celebrating our traditional new year. In particular, Jews begin to celebrate the holiday in repentance and in a calm atmosphere only on October 2, and end on the second day, that is, on October 4. The New Year is not a noisy and cheerful holiday, but a time of repentance and humility, although the festive table should be rich and covered, of course, according to all the rules.

A source of information:

• en.wikipedia.org - an article about the Jewish calendar.

More complete information about the Jewish calendar can be found by clicking on the following links:

• mjcc.ru - Hebrew calendar device;
• originweb.info - an article about the Jewish calendar on the scientific and educational portal;
• istok.ru — Hebrew date converter and halachic time calculator.

Calendar of Jewish holidays for 2011 (5771/5772) - 2015 (5775/5776)of the yearwith a description of the essence of each of them and how they are traditionally celebrated.

• Tu Bishvat (New Year of Trees)

Fifteenth day of the month of Shevat. On this day, called the New Year of the Trees, the rainy season usually ends in Israel and nature is reborn. The holiday is celebrated with the planting of trees, and the festive meal consists of fruits and cereals that grow in the Promised Land. These are dates, olives, grapes, pomegranates, etc. When celebrating the New Year of Trees, Jews remember what the Torah says about fruit trees: you can not only cut them down, but break them, because they give fruit to man. Man has much in common with a tree. Just like a tree, a person is supported by his roots. It is the roots, although they are not visible, that give strength to the tree and man. True faith is like roots: it is intimate and never exposed. The crown of the tree is like the life of a person, the fruits of the tree are like children, flesh of flesh. It is natural to liken a tree to a person, but it is natural to liken it to a whole people. Beautiful tree of Jewry. Together with other trees, it forms the garden of mankind. Tu Bishvat is widely celebrated not only by Israelis, but also by American Jews. This holiday is especially popular among supporters of environmental organizations.

Purim- a holiday in memory of the miraculous salvation of the Jews from the cruel plan of Haman, adviser to the Persian king Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes). The Persian king, having chosen the beautiful Esther (Esther) - the niece of the Jew Mordechai, made her queen. When Mordechai learned that Haman, the king's adviser, planned to exterminate the Jews of Persia, he ordered Esther to force the king to cancel the decree. Esther arranged a feast in honor of the king. The touched king promised to fulfill any will of Esther. She told the king about the plan of his adviser, and Haman was hanged. And the king issued a decree allowing the Jews to rebuff anyone who encroached on their lives and property. Purim falls on Adar 14, and in Jerusalem and other ancient cities it is celebrated a day later. At the morning service in the synagogue on this day, the scroll of Esther is read, and in the evening carnival processions and comic performances - purimshpils - are arranged on the streets and squares. One of the most important Purim traditions is Mishloach Manot, when gifts are sent to friends. On Purim, it is prescribed to give charity to everyone: "Whoever extends his hand for alms on Purim, he must give." Purim is a holiday of unrestrained fun and carnival. You can do things on Purim that you can't on other days. This is the only day of the year when a Jew is not only allowed, but even ordered to drink excessively. This prescription seems rather strange: after all, the attitude towards drunkenness has always been traditionally negative in the Jewish world. Meanwhile, on this day, one must drink in such a way, "so as not to distinguish the blessing of Mordechai from the curse of Haman." And in order not to distinguish a blessing from a curse, Haman from Mordechai, you need to try hard, and you really need to drink a lot for this.

• Passover (Pesach)

The greatest event in Jewish history was the Exodus from Egypt. Jews everywhere celebrate it with Passover in the month of Nisan. These days, Jews gather at the Easter table and hold a seder (seder) - an Easter ceremony, remember a history full of hardships, suffering, because it is said that "in every generation a person should feel as if he came out of Egypt", then is to relive, to think about and feel the transition to a state of freedom. On this day, no Jew should feel forgotten and abandoned. Passover must be observed with dignity by everyone. The tradition prescribes to help those in need with money and food. Every Jewish family must give or receive help.

• Day of Remembrance

Day of Remembrance- a national day of mourning for the 14,000 Jews who fell in the wars of Israel and gave their lives for its existence. It is celebrated on the 4th of Iyar.

• Israel Independence Day

May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar) at 16:00 David Ben-Gurion at a meeting in the Tel Aviv Museum read out the Declaration of Independence of the new state, officially called Medinat Israel (the State of Israel). Since then, the 5th of Iyar has been celebrated as the birthday of the Jewish state - a home for all Jews, wherever they are. In Israel, the holiday is celebrated with ceremonial receptions and a military parade.

• Shavuot

Shavuot- the feast of the Giving of the Torah (celebrated on the 6th of Sivan). The great event on Mount Sinai, when God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments, is celebrated by the Jews during the holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost). Every person who has reached the religious age repeats for himself the acceptance of the Covenant. On Shavuot, the book of Ruth (Ruth) is read, in which, along with the biography of Elimelech's family, there are episodes of the harvest, which speaks of the agricultural signs of this holiday, in addition to socio-historical ones. The beginning of the holiday coincides with the period of harvesting barley and collecting the first fruits. At this time synagogues are decorated with flowers.

• 9 Ava

Many tragic events happened on this day. Among other troubles, the First and Second Temples were destroyed on this day. That is why the 9th of Av is celebrated with fasting and mourning. According to tradition, the story that took place in the first year of the wanderings of the Jews in the desert after the conclusion of an alliance with the Almighty on Mount Sinai is considered the root of the misfortunes of this day. sent scouts to the Promised Land. Returning, they told about what they saw: about the country flowing with milk and honey, about the beautiful fruits of this land. However, the messengers were not happy - they were depressed. They felt insignificant and powerless compared to the people who settled the promised land. The people did not dare to enter the country intended for them by the Almighty. It was just on the night of the ninth of Av.

• (literally "head of the year")

The holiday is celebrated in honor of the creation of the world and falls on the first day of the month of Tishrei. These days, Jewish tradition teaches, God reflects on the frailty of human life, who should live and who should die. Prayer services these days should influence the decision of God. Sincere faith that God wishes everyone good and well-being turns this day into a holiday. The Rosh Hashanah holiday symbolizes the beginning of the new year and the end of the outgoing year. At this time, the Jews are ordered to analyze their actions for the entire previous year and prepare for the beginning year. Thinking about the future, the Jews are asking for peace, harmony, health. The sound (of the ram's horn) calls: “Wake up those who are slumbering, who are wasting their allotted years senselessly. Examine your souls and do good to your deeds.” Any person wants the beginning of the year to be good for him, “sweet”. That is why on this day many dishes are served on the table, symbolizing the wish for a “full”, happy year. Depending on local traditions, these dishes may vary, but almost everywhere Jewish families serve:

• (Judgment Day)

Yom Kippur- the day of judgment, when God, analyzing the actions of people, decides their fate (Tishrei 10). In prayers, a person asks God for forgiveness for all his sins in deeds and thoughts. But on Yom Kippur, sins are forgiven only against the Almighty. Sins against people "Yom Kippur does not expiate until you please your neighbor." Therefore, Jewish tradition prescribes to begin repentance long before the holiday. The last meal before the holiday consists of a light lunch with chicken broth. On the Day of Judgment, one does not eat or drink from sunset until the evening of the next day. The service on Yom Kippur lasts from morning to night with short breaks. The Talmud considers Yom Kippur a happy day, as after it people experience true spiritual cleansing. Immediately after the end of Yom Kippur, it is customary to prepare for the holiday of Sukkot.

• (Feast of Tabernacles)

The Torah says: "Live in huts for seven days ... so that your generations will know that I settled the children of Israel in huts when I brought them out of the land of Egypt." And today in the cities of Israel they build impromptu huts (sukkahs), kindle bonfires. The Torah says: “And take for yourself on the first day the fruit of an etrog (citrus tree), palm branches, shoots of myrtle and willows of the river and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” On the seventh day of the feast, the synagogue is circled seven times. During the festive tour of the synagogue, everyone carries their own set of “arbaa minim” (four types of plants). During prayer in the synagogue, blessings are said over the etrog, lulav (palm branch). Words of gratitude to the Lord God are heard for strength, health, the opportunity to work on their land, creating material conditions for prosperity. But the material should not overshadow the spiritual. To emphasize the futility of accumulating wealth, the Torah tells a Jew to move to a sukkah - a hut, just when it gets cold and it starts to rain. Sukkot lasts seven days (Tishrei 15-21). Shemini Aceres, which is directly adjacent to Sukkot, adds another day to the holiday. In Shemini Aceres, they begin to pray for rain in the Land of Israel.

Hanukkah- a feast of candles that are lit in honor of the miracle that occurred during the consecration of the Temple after the victory of Judas Maccabee over the troops of the Seleucid king Antiochus in 164 BC. The oil needed to light the temple lamp - the Menorah - was defiled by enemies. The Jews found only one jar of pure olive oil, which should have been enough for a day, but the lamp burned for 8 days. In memory of this happy event Hanukkah is celebrated for 8 days starting on the 25th day of the month of Kislev. On the first day of the holiday, one candle is lit, on the second two, and so on, until eight candles are lit on the last evening. A candlestick (hanukkiah) is placed on the windowsill as a sign of fidelity to Judaism. Jewish wisdom says, "A little light is enough to dispel much darkness."

Sources and additional information:

• odra.ru - calendar of Jewish holidays 2010-2012;