It
seems to makes perfect sense, especially to me—a person who loves autumn!—to find
the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, during autumn. Rosh Hashana is the New Year
which begins with a ten day period of prayer, self-examination, and desire to
repent and return to God. These ten days end with Yom Kippur (this year it is at
sundown on October 3rd) which is the holiest day for Jews; it is the
day in which requests are made to be written in the Book of Life.
Part
of the Rosh Hashana celebrations will include sounding the shofar and eating
foods that are rich in symbolism as well as flavor! The significance of the
shofar is found throughout Scripture but the specific reason for the sound of
it during Rosh Hashana is found in Leviticus
23:23-25: The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: On the first day of the
seventh month you shall keep a Sabbath rest, with a sacred assembly and with
the trumpet blasts as a reminder; you shall then do no sort of work, and you
shall offer an oblations to the Lord.”
The
foods eaten during Rosh Hashana include round challah (bread) which symbolizes
the circle of life. A real favorite—and one that has special meaning to me—is
eating apples dipped in honey. While this is to symbolize the desire for a
blessed and “sweet” year ahead, it more subtly refers back to a line in the Song of Songs 8:6 (Under the apple tree
I awakened you). The Song of Songs,
written by King Solomon, is often said to be the most beautiful love poem ever
written. At its very center is the love that God has for His people. The reason
that it is called upon through the consumption of apples dipped in honey during
Rosh Hashana is to remind God of that great love. Soften His heart, so to
speak. The Jews hope to stir up God’s great mercy by reminding Him of His love
for them as written about in Solomon’s poetic tome.
The
reason I say it is a favorite of mine is because the Song of Songs figures significantly in my fiction book Miriam. I love exploring and sharing the
Jewish roots of the Catholic faith in my own work; I feel a great indebtedness
to the Jewish people for having preserved the love and worship of the one true
God throughout their history as it has been to our great benefit and salvation
that they have done so. Weaving the Jewish roots of our faith through my
different stories allows me to honor the People of the Book and marvel at how
we are so intimately connected to them.
Please
join me in wishing our Jewish brothers and sisters a “Happy New Year” and
consider enjoying an apple dipped in honey to celebrate with them in spirit!
…and
if you would like to try your hand at making round challah, here is a video
that might help inspire and guide you:
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