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Deepen your understanding of some of the most central prayers of Rosh Hashanah and reflect on their meaning in our lives today.
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HaYom Harat Olam / On this Day, the World Came into BeingRosh Hashanah is understood by this prayer to be the birthday of the world. This prayer connects Rosh Hashanah to the creation of the world and asks for fair and compassionate judgement.
Remember Us? / Zochreinu Le-Chayim"Zochreinu Le-Chayim" - Remember us for life - is one of a number of additions, which are included in the daily Amidah (silent) prayer, beginning on Rosh HaShanah. In this striking prayer, we seek to remind God that God desires life and ought to write us in the Book of Life.
The Cry Heard Around the World/ShofarotThe shofar is the one consistent sound resounded throughout Jewish history to herald both the greatest news, as well as the most tragic. The Shofarot section of the Mussaf Amidah describes the many emotional encounters we've had with this special ram's horn.
A Different Kind of Memorial Day/ZikhronotMemory is a recurring theme in the Rosh HaShanah liturgy, which is why one of its four names is Yom HaZikaron, or Day of Remembrance. The Zikhronot section of the Mussaf Amidah makes a claim that God remembers us.
Repentance, Prayer, and Giving/Unetaneh TokefIf you thought three actions might reverse your fate, what would they be? Based on the Talmud, Unetaneh Tokef presents a seemingly simply recipe to avert the evil decree against someone.
Who By Fire, Who by Plague? Judaism's Haunting Prayer/Unetaneh TokefWith so much uncertainty in the world, there is one thing we can say with 100% certainty: our eventual death. Unetaneh Tokef reminds us of the scary, but very real fact of our mortality and vulnerability.
The Day God Became King/Malkhuyot - Rosh HashanahIn the Malkhuyot (kingships) set of prayers, we actively coronate God - we give God a crown and appoint God as the king. What does it mean to "crown God as king over us?"
How Do You Measure A Year?/Unetaneh TokefAn in-depth look at the Unateneh Tokef prayer.
What Type of Seat Does God Sit In? / HaMelech YoshevThe leader loudly chants, "The King," in a distinct, ancient melody, as if announcing the arrival of a government official. In this prayer, God sits upon an "exalted and uplifted throne," but God is said to sit upon other types of thrones as well.
Sefaria Education•1054 Views•Aug 11 2020•Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayers,Throne,Rosh Hashanah,King,Hamelech,Machzor
Renew Us For A Good Year / Avinu MalkeinuThis powerful prayer relates to God as both a parent and a monarch. Compare the roles and consider what the good year that we are asking for would look like.
Sefaria Education•1411 Views•Aug 11 2020•Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayers,Machzor,Rosh Hashanah,Yom Kippur
