Rosh Hashanah Prayers - Berlin Tisch - Elul 5779

(23) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (24) Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion of zichron teruah. (25) You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering by fire to the LORD.

Numbers 29:1

In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations. You shall observe it as a day of teruah.

You can smash them [teruem] with an iron mace, shatter them like potter’s ware.

Psalms 89:16

Happy is the people who know the joyful shout; O LORD, they walk in the light of Your presence.

Numbers 10:6

...when you sound short blasts [teruah] a second time, those encamped on the south shall move forward. Thus short blasts shall be blown for setting them in motion.

How do we know that the shofar blasts are three sets of three? Because the word teruah is used three times, teaching that they are three sets of three.

(5) The order of blessings in the Musaf Amidah,[...] according to Rabbi Akiva: one says: “patriarchs”, “powers” and the “sanctification of the name”; and includes the kingship verses with the sanctification of the day and blows the shofar; then says the remembrance-verses and blows; and the shofar-verses and blows. Then one says the Temple service, “thanksgiving” and the priestly blessing.

(6) We do not recite less than ten kingship [verses], ten remembrance [verses], and ten shofar [verses]. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says: if one said three from each set she has fulfilled her obligation. They do not mention kingship, remembrance and shofar verses of punishment. He begins with [verses] from the Torah and concludes with [verses] from the prophets. Rabbi Yose says: if he concludes with [a verse] from the Torah he has fulfilled his obligation.

We do not say hallel on Rosh HaShanah and also not on Yom Kippur. (Rema: Our custom is to say Avinu Malkenu according to its order, but if it falls on Shabbat we do not say it. And we lengthen the piyutim and prayers until noon.)

The Sages taught: An incident occurred involving Rabbi Eliezer, who decreed thirteen fasts upon the congregation, but rain did not fall. At the end of the last fast, the congregation began to exit the synagogue. He said to them: Have you prepared graves for yourselves? All the people burst into tears, and rain fell.

There was another incident involving Rabbi Eliezer, who descended to serve as prayer leader before the ark on a fast day. And he recited twenty-four blessings, but he was not answered. Rabbi Akiva descended before the ark after him and said: Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us. And rain immediately fell.