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Rosh Hashanah Seder -- traditions and additions
Download pdf of a full Rosh Hashanah seder with additions related to climate change and Shmitah year. Here are the elements of the seder, including two additions related to Shmitah and one for refugees. Note that each "siman" or sign introduces a hope we have for the year, and is based either on a physical feature (the sweetness of honey or the many seeds in a pomegranate), or on a pun (for example, "remove/leave" is the root S-L-K, and beets are "Salka" or "Selek"). The pdf includes all the following in liturgical order.
It is great to make up your own puns, in English or Hebrew or any language, using whatever fruits and vegetables or other ingredients you have on hand.
Download PDF
First, here is an addition for the Rosh Hashanah after the Shmitah year:
שׁוּמָּר
Fennel (Shumar)
May it be Your will, YHVH,
our God and God of our ancestors
to cancel our debts and sins
and to grant us the determination
to release from our hands any debt owed
by any person to their neighbor.
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
לִשְׁמוֹט חוֹבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָתֵת לָנוּ
רָצוֹן לְהַשְׁמִיט מִיָדֵינוּ חָבוּת
כָּל אֶחָד אֶל רֵעֵהוּ
Y’hi ratson mil’fanekha, YHVH Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, lishmot chovoteinu v’lateit lanu ratson l’hashmit miyadeinu chavut kol echad el re’ehu
Second, here is an addition for the climate crisis that is also appropriate for Shmitah:
תֶּרֶד
Spinach (Tered)
May it be Your will, YHVH our God and God of our ancestors,
that we awaken from our deep slumber (tardeimah),
to listen to the Earth,
and the species in danger of extinction,
and may this give us strength to take action and to fix our future!
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
שֶׁנִּתְעוֹרֵר מִן הַתָּרְדֵמָה שֶׁלָנוּ
לְהַַקְשִׁיב אֶל הָאָרֶץ
וּלְכָל הַבְּרִיוֹת בְּסַכָּנָת הַכְחָדָה
לְגָרוֹת בָּנוּ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת
וּלְתַקֵן גוֹרָלֵינוּ
Y’hi ratson mil’fanekha shenit’orer min hatardeimah shelanu l’hakshiv el ha’anakah v’hash’varim v’hatza’ar ha’olim min ha’arets,
umikol minei hab’riyot b’sakanat hakh’chadah,
v'el kol hap’litim,
v’gam l’hargish k’eiv l'vaveinu mip’rishuteinu min ha’adamah
l'garot banu koach hama'aseh, ul'takein goraleinu.
Third, an addition for refugees:
שְׁזִיב
Plum (Sh’ziv)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
לַתֵת לָנוּ כֹּחֵ לְהָכִין שֵׁיזָבָא בַּעָד פְּלִיטֵי אַקְלִים וְרָעָב וּמִלְחָמָה
May it be Your will, our God and God of our ancestors,
to give us strength to prepare safe harbor (em>sheizava)
for climate refugees and refugees from famine and war
Traditional:
תַּפּוּחַ וּדְבַשׁ
Apple and Honey (Tapuach ud'vash)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
שֶׁתִּתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה׃
(כי היא הנקרא שבת ביסוד) מֵרֵאשֻׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית הַשָּׁנָה׃
May it be your will, our God and God of our ancestors,
to renew for us a year sweet as honey,
from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
קְרָא
Squash such as Pumpkin, Zucchini (Kara or K'ra)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
שֶׁתִּקְרַע רוֹעַ גְּזַר דִּינֵנוּ וְיִקָּרְאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ זָכִיּוֹתֵינוּ׃
May it be your will, our God and God of our ancestors,
to tear up (tikra`) the evil decrees against us and proclaim (yikr'u) our merits.
רוּבִיָא
Beans, Black-eyed peas (Rubiya)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
שֶׁיִרְבּוּ זָכִיּוֹתֵינוּ וּתְלַבְּבֵנוּ׃
May it be your will,
our God and God of our ancestors,
that our righteousness will multiply (yirbu) and that you will love us.
סַלְקָא
Beets (Salka)- this one is both traditional and Renewal and references the pandemic
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
שֶׁיִּסְתַּלְּקוּ כָּל נֶגַע וּמַגֵּפָה מִגּוּפֵינוּ
וְאֵיבָה וְשִׂנְאָה מֵעָלֵינוּ וּמִלְּבָבֵינוּ
וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ מִסְּבִיבֵנוּ
May it be your will,
our God and God of our ancestors,
that plague and epidemic be removed (yistalku) from our bodies,
that enmity and hatred be not directed toward us and also removed (yistalku) from our hearts
along with all around us who seek our harm.
רִמוֹן
Pomegranate (Rimon)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמוֹתֵנוּ
שֶׁנִּהְיֶה מְלֵאִים מִצְוֺת כְּרִמּוֹן
May it be your will,
our God and God of our ancestors,
that we be full of mitsvot (commandments/righteous deeds) like a pomegranate.
The rest of Neohasid’s High Holiday content can be accessed here.
More Shmitah resources can be found here.
Shanah m’tukah um’takenet,
Rabbi David Seidenberg
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