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Erev
Rosh Hashanah
The
day before Rosh Hashanah is known as Erev Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew
("Rosh Hashanah eve"). It falls on the 29th day of the
Hebrew month of Elul, the day before the 1st of Tishrei. Some communities
have the customs to perform Hatarat nedarim - a nullification of
vows - after the morning prayer services during the morning of Erev
Rosh Hashanah. The mood becomes festive but serious in anticipation
of the new year and the synagogue services. Many Orthodox men have
the custom to immerse in a mikveh in honor of the coming day.
Day
of Rosh Hashanah
On
Rosh Hashanah itself, religious poems, called piyyuttim, are added
to the regular services. Special prayer books for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur, called the mahzor (plural mahzorim), have developed
over the years. Many poems refer to Psalms 81:4: "Blow the
shofar on the [first day of the] month, when the [moon] is covered
for our holiday".
Rosh
Hashanah has a number of additions to the regular service, most
notably an extended repetition of the Amidah prayer for both Shacharit
and Mussaf. The Shofar is blown during Mussaf at several intervals.
(In many synagogues, even little children come and hear the Shofar
being blown.) Biblical verses are recited at each point. According
to the Mishnah, 10 verses (each) are said regarding kingship, remembrance,
and the shofar itself, each accompanied by the blowing of the shofar.
A variety of piyyutim, medieval penitential prayers, are recited
regarding themes of repentance. The Alenu prayer is recited during
the repetition of the Mussaf Amidah.
There
are three different sounds that the Shofar makes:
*
Tekiah (one long sound)
* Shevarim (3 broken sounds)
* Teruah (9 short sounds)
In
addition to the three sounds there are two variations:
*
Tekiah Gedolah (a very long sound, used at the end of the Ashkenazi
rite prayer services)
* Shevarim Teruah (3 broken sounds followed by 9 short sounds)
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