Jewish Holiday
Jewish Holy Days paper
REL 341
Introduction
There are many religious Holy Days in Jewish culture. One of the holy days that stands out the most and will be described further in this paper is Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah, or in literal translation- “head of the year”, is the first of the high holidays which is celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur (Bamberger, B. J. 2010).
History and celebration of Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah is observed in the early fall, during the first two days of Tishrei- otherwise known as the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. In Israel, Rosh Hashanah is the only holy day that is kept for two days, due to its importance and two days turn into one long day of 48 hours. Even in the earliest days, the celebration of Rosh Hashanah always took place in the fall, along with the opening of the economic year. After Rosh Hashanah, the agriculture season would begin, during this time many different agricultural festivals and other celebrations would happen. Rosh Hashanah is first mentioned in the sacred book of Tora, which refers to this day as the “day of judgment.” According to Tora, on this day, God opens three different books of life which decide people’s fate- the fate of sinners, the righteous and the fate of those in intermediate class. During this time all Jewish people from around the world examine their deeds and ask for forgiveness for any sins that they have committed in the past year (Bamberger, B. J. 2010).
Religious traditions of Rosh Hashanah The day of Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important holy days in Judaism and many religious celebrations and traditions take place on this day. On this day, people are supposed to rest and pray. The day of Rosh Hashanah is also associated with the day of Shofar Blowing. It is one of the most important traditions of this holy day. The ritual of Shofar blowing takes place inside a temple, which is symbolized by a trumpet, made from a ram’s horn or
REL 341
Introduction
There are many religious Holy Days in Jewish culture. One of the holy days that stands out the most and will be described further in this paper is Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah, or in literal translation- “head of the year”, is the first of the high holidays which is celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur (Bamberger, B. J. 2010).
History and celebration of Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah is observed in the early fall, during the first two days of Tishrei- otherwise known as the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. In Israel, Rosh Hashanah is the only holy day that is kept for two days, due to its importance and two days turn into one long day of 48 hours. Even in the earliest days, the celebration of Rosh Hashanah always took place in the fall, along with the opening of the economic year. After Rosh Hashanah, the agriculture season would begin, during this time many different agricultural festivals and other celebrations would happen. Rosh Hashanah is first mentioned in the sacred book of Tora, which refers to this day as the “day of judgment.” According to Tora, on this day, God opens three different books of life which decide people’s fate- the fate of sinners, the righteous and the fate of those in intermediate class. During this time all Jewish people from around the world examine their deeds and ask for forgiveness for any sins that they have committed in the past year (Bamberger, B. J. 2010).
Religious traditions of Rosh Hashanah The day of Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important holy days in Judaism and many religious celebrations and traditions take place on this day. On this day, people are supposed to rest and pray. The day of Rosh Hashanah is also associated with the day of Shofar Blowing. It is one of the most important traditions of this holy day. The ritual of Shofar blowing takes place inside a temple, which is symbolized by a trumpet, made from a ram’s horn or
References: Bamberger, B. J. (2010). Rosh Hashanah. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from Grolier Online http://gme.grolier.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/article?assetid=0250600-0 Johnson, D. (na). Rosh hashanah is the jewish new year. Retrieved from http://www.factmonster.com/spot/rosh-hashanah.html Holy days on the net- Rosh hashahan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://go-passport.grolier.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/page?tn=/gii.html&bl=off&url=http://www.holidays.net/highholydays