Rosh Ha-Shanah
t w o  o b j e c t s

The festivals ordained in the Torah are divided into High Holy Days and Pilgrim Festivals. The High Holy Days are also known as the Days of Awe or the Ten Days of Repentance. The High Holy Days begin on the first of Tishri (the New Year); this beginning is symbolized by the blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn). Its strident sound awakens the congregation from moral lassitude and is a reminder of the covenant made between man and God on Mount Sinai. The shofar is first mentioned in Exodus 19:16 and was used to proclaim the Jubilee Year (that came to an end with the fall of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.) and then to proclaim “freedom throughout the land” (Leviticus 25:9-10). The shofar must be the horn of a kosher animal, traditionally of a ram in remembrance  of the sacrifice of Isaac (akedah). It may not be a cow’s horn because of the incident of the Golden Calf. The shofar may not be painted although it may be gilded or carved with artistic designs so long as the mouthpiece remains natural. It is traditionally sounded a number of times on Rosh Ha-Shanah and at the closing of Yom Kippur. Other artifacts associated with Rosh Ha-Shanah include the special greeting card sent to friends inscribed with “May you be inscribed [in the book of life] for the good year.” A honey pot is one of the dishes set on the Rosh Ha-Shanah table, as it is customary to dip a piece of bread or apple into honey as a symbol of hope for a sweet year.