The Rosh Hashanah Seder, as done in the Elias-Bachrach household, and then adapted by Susan Cosden. This year, may we be filled with as much joy as the seder is filled with bad puns!
Introduction
Origins of the Seder
The Rosh Hashanah seder's origins are found in the Talmud. Abaye, the famous Babylonian Amora, is quoted twice in the Talmud regarding the power of symbolism. In one instance, he says that since symbols have meaning, one should eat squash, beans, leeks, beats, and dates on rosh hashanah. In the second instance, he is quoted as saying that one should look at the symbolic foods, not eat them. While most of the Rishonim agree with the later text, it is the former one that has taken hold as common practice, and so today it is common to each the foods and not merely look at them. The first reported eating of these foods was done by Rabbi Hai Gaon (10th century), who also added the practice of reciting a passage from the TaNaCh relevant to each food. Since then numerous Rishonim and Achronim have incorporated eating these or other symbolic foods into their Rosh HaShanah customs, and the practice has been included by some of the great halachic codifiers - the Tur, the Shulchan Arukh, and the Rema.
The matter of which foods are included in the seder has varied over time and place and continues to evolve today with people adding and subtracting foods as they wish. What follows here is the family tradition I grew up with.
Sources
אמר אביי השתא דאמרת סימנא מילתא היא יהא רגיל איניש למיכל ריש שתא קרא ורוביא כרתי סילקא ותמרי
Abbaye said, "Now that you have said that a sign is a [correct] matter, a man should accustom himself to eating squash, beans, leeks, beets and dates on Rosh HaShanah."
(א) יְהֵא אָדָם רָגִיל לֶאֱכֹל בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה רֻבְּיָא דְּהַיְנוּ תִּלְתָּן, כַּרְתִּי, סִלְקָא, תַּמְרֵי, קָרָא. וּכְשֶׁיֹּאכַל רֻבְּיָא יֹאמַר: יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁיִּרְבּוּ זְכֻיּוֹתֵינוּ; כַּרְתִּי, יִכָּרְתוּ שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ; סִלְקָא, יִסְתַּלְּקוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ; תַּמְרֵי, יִתַּמּוּ שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ; קָרָא, יִקָּרַע גְּזַר דִּינֵנוּ וְיִקָּרְאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ זְכֻיּוֹתֵינוּ.
הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ נוֹהֲגִין לֶאֱכֹל תַּפּוּחַ מָתוֹק בִּדְבַשׁ (טוּר), וְאוֹמְרִים: תִּתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה מְתוּקָה (אַבּוּדַרְהַם), וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין. וְיֵשׁ אוֹכְלִים רִמּוֹנִים וְאוֹמְרִים: נַרְבֶּה זְכֻיּוֹת כְּרִמּוֹן; וְנוֹהֲגִין לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר שָׁמֵן וְכָל מִינֵי מְתִיקָה (מָרְדְּכַי דְּיוֹמָא).
On Rosh HaShanah it is normal for a person to eat Rubiah (beans) which is Tiltan, leeks, beets, dates, and gourd. When eating the beans say 'May it be Thy will to increase our merits'. Leeks 'Cut off our enemies'. Beets, 'Our enemies will retreat'. Dates, 'May our enemies be removed'. Gourd, 'Tear up evil decrees and call forth our merits'.
Rema: And some have the custom of eating a sweet apple in honey (Tur) and say 'renew us for a good year' (Abudraham), and this is our custom. Some eat pomegranates and say 'increase our merits like a pomegranate'. Some are accustomed to eating fatty meat and all kinds of sweet foods (Mordechai).
The Seder
The seder occurs after kiddush. Authorities differ over whether it should be said before or after motzi, however all agree that the individual brachot over the foods are still said because these foods are not part of the meal.
Each food's symbolism is rooted in it's name. Each name sounds like another word which is used in one of the yehi ratzones - short requests we make of God for the new year. While these dual meaning words do not translate to English, they are all emphasized in the text below so that the reader can see and appreciate the reason each item was included.
רימון
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שְׁנִהְיֶה מְלֵאִים מִצְווֹת כְּרִימוֹן. כְּפֶ֤לַח הָרִמּוֹן֙ רַקָּתֵ֔ךְ מִבַּ֖עַד לְצַמָּתֵֽךְ. (שיר השירים ו ז)
Pomegranate
May it be Your will, Breath of Life our God and God of our ancestors, that we be as filled with mitzvot as the pomegranate is with seeds. "Your brow behind your veil [Gleams] like a pomegranate split open." (Shir Hashirim 6:7)
תפוח ודבש
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה. מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה. וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לְכוּ אִכְלוּ מַשְׁמַנִּים וּשְׁתוּ מַמְתַקִּים וְשִׁלְחוּ מָנוֹת לְאֵין נָכוֹן לוֹ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ הַיּוֹם לַאֲדֹנֵינוּ וְאַל תֵּעָצֵבוּ כִּי־חֶדְוַת יְהוָה הִיא מָעֻזְּכֶם. (נחמיה ח, י)
Apple and Honey
May it be Your will, Breath of Life our God and God of our ancestors to renew for us a good and sweet year. From the beginning of the year to the end of the year. "Then he said unto them: Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our God; neither be you grieved; for the joy of God is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
תמר
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶיִּתַמּו אֹויבֵנּו וְשֹנְאֵינּו וְכֹל מְבַקְשֵי רָעָתֵנּו. יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם בָּרֲכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָה. (תהילים קד, לה) וּבְחַסְדְּךָ תַּצְמִית אֹיְבָי וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ כָּל־צֹרֲרֵי נַפְשִׁי כִּי אֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ. (תהילים קמג, יב)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ.
Dates
May it be Your will Breath of Life our God and God of our ancestors, that our enemies, haters, and those who seek our harm be removed. "May sinners and the wicked be no more. Bless the Breath of Life." (Psalms 104:35) "And in Your mercy cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that harass my soul; For I am Your servant." (Psalms 143:12)
Blessed are You, Eternal God, Source of blessing, Creator of the fruit of the tree.
קרא
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁתִּקְרַע רוֹעַ גְּזַר דִּינֵנוּ, וְיִקָּרְאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ זְכֻיּוֹתֵנוּ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה.
Pumpkin of Gourd
May it be Your will Breath of Life our God and God of our ancestors, to tear away all evil decrees before us and call out our merits before you.
Blessed are you, Breath of Life our God, Spirit of the universe, who created the fruit of the ground.
כרתי
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶיִּכָרְתּו אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְשׂוֹנְאֶיךָ וְכָל מבָקְשֵי רָעָתֵנּו. תָּרֹ֥ם יָדְךָ֖ עַל־צָרֶ֑יךָ וְכָל אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ. (מיכה ה, ח)
Leek
May it be Your will Breath of Life our God and God of our ancestors, to cut off our enemies and those who hate us and all who seek to do us harm. "Let Your hand be lifted up above Your adversaries, And let all Your enemies be cut off." (Micah 5:8)
סלקא
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁיִּסְתַּלְּקוּ אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְשׂוֹנְאֶיךָ וְכָל מבָקְשֵי רָעָתֵנּו. סוּרוּ מִמֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן כִּי־שָׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל בִּכְיִי. (תהילים ו, ט) סוּרוּ סוּרוּ צְאוּ מִשָּׁם טָמֵא אַל־תִּגָּעוּ צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ הִבָּרוּ נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי יְהוָה. (ישעיהו נב, יא)
Beets
May it be Your will Breath of Life our God and God of our ancestors, that our enemies, those who hate us, and all that seek to harm us will retreat. "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; For God hath heard the voice of my weeping." (Psalms 6:9). "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, Touch no unclean thing; Go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, Ye that bear the vessels of the God." (Yishayahu 52:11)