PREPARING FOR ROSH HASHANAH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL PREPARATION There are both physical and spiritual preparations to greet the New Year. On the physical side, it is customary to buy a new outfit for the holiday and to eat festive meals with family and friends. Many people wear a special
white article of clothing in honor of the “clean slate” of the new year (i.e. kippah, scarf, etc.) Many men get their tallitot (prayer shawls) cleaned at this time. Some men also have the custom of wearing a kittel, a special white robe, on Yom Kippur. Wearing white shows our hope and confidence
that our sins will be ‘whitened’ back to innocence again. During the month before Rosh Hashanah, we sound the Shofar daily and recite a special Psalm. The week before we add a series of special prayers, called Selichot as we deepen our preparations.
ON THE SPIRITUAL SIDE, PREPARATIONS FIT INTO 3 CATEGORIES:
TESHUVA (REPENTANCE)
TEFILLA (PRAYER)
TZEDAKA (CHARITY)
We think back over the errors, transgressions and rebellions we committed this year and repent for them. Formal repentance involves articulating our sins (making a list can be helpful), regretting them and affirming that we will not repeat them. For sins that had an impact upon other people, asking their forgiveness is required first.
Even if you do not ordinarily pray regularly during the year, this is a time when it is worthwhile to spend more time praying to God, whether in synagogue or even in private.
Giving tzedaka at this time of year is an act of redemption.
These three kinds of actions are said to “nullify the harshness of the decree,”, or to be the most effective ways of asking God for a good year to come. □
Selichot (penitential prayers) and Shofar Selichot are recited once each day (usually late at night or early in the morning) on the days before Rosh Hashanah and every weekday until Yom Kippur. (This year, they will be recited starting on Saturday night, Septmber 12.) They involve the invocation of God’s 13 attributes of mercy. See https://www.sefaria.org/Selichot_Nusach_Ashkenaz_Lita for the text of these prayers. During the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, the shofar is blown each morning to remind us that the holiday is approaching. Erev Rosh Hashanah, it is not blown, in order to separate between these customary blasts and the required shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah.
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