High Holidays

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Main articles: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

The High Holidays refers to the period in the Jewish year, which begins on Rosh Chodesh Ellul and includes Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year"), the Aseret Yemei Teshuva (the "ten days of repentance"), and ends with Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"). The English term "High Holidays" is not an accurate translation; the actual name for this period is the Yamim Noraim. (Hebrew: "Days of Awe").

Days Preceding Rosh Hashanah

The month preceding Rosh Hashanah, Ellul, is designated as a month of introspection and repentance. In preparation for the New Year, special prayers are recited. Psalm 27 is added at the end of morning and evening prayers, and the shofar is blown at the end of morning services on weekdays (except for the eve of Rosh Hashanah itself). Among Sephardic communities, Selichot are recited at dawn on weekdays. Also, many complete the entire Book of Psalms twice during the month. It is customary to increase the giving of charity and to ask forgiveness from friends.

At midnight on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah, Ashkenazic Jews begin reciting selichot. On the following days, however, they generally recite the selichot before the regular morning prayers. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, extra prayers are recited and many fast until noon.

Rosh Hashanah

(see main article Rosh Hashanah for more details) Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה ro’sh hash-shānāh, beginning of the year) is the Jewish New Year. The Mishnah, the core work of the Jewish oral law, sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical and jubilee years.

Rabbinic literature describes this day as a day of judgement. God is sometimes referred to as the "Ancient of Days." Some descriptions depict God as sitting upon a throne, while books containing the deeds of all humanity are opened before Him.

Prayer services are longer than on a regular Shabbat or festival, and include (on weekdays) the blowing of the shofar. On the afternoon of the first (or the second if the first was Saturday) day, a ritual called tashlich is performed, in which sins are "cast" into a river.

The Ten Days of Repentance

The "ten days of repentance" include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the days in between, during which time Jews should meditate on the subject of the holidays.

Yom Kippur (יום כפור yom kippūr, "Day of Atonement") is the Jewish festival of the Day of Atonement. The Hebrew Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim (Hebrew, "Day of the Atonements").

In the Hebrew calendar, Erev Yom Kippur ("Yom Kippur eve") begins at nightfall on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (which falls in September/October), and continues into the next day until nightfall.

See also

• Jewish holidays

External Links

• [The Feasts of Adonai] A book detailing the history and celebration of Bilbical festivals.

 

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