|
Rosh
Hashanah meals and symbolic foods
Silver
honey dish used on Rosh Hashanah
Rosh
Hashanah meals usually include apples and honey, to symbolize a
sweet new year. Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may
be served, depending on local minhag ("custom"), such
as cooked tongue or other meat from the head of an animal or fish
(to symbolize the "head" of the year).
Foods
consumed with the Yehi Ratzons vary depending on the community.
Some of the symbolic foods eaten are dates, black-eyed beans, leek,
spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud. Pomegranates
are used in many traditions. The use of apples and honey is a late
medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally
accepted. Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize
the cycle of the year. Gefilte fish and Lekach are commonly served
by Ashkenazic Jews on this holiday. On the second night, new fruits
are served to warrant inclusion of the shehecheyanu blessing, the
saying of which would otherwise be doubtful (as the second day is
part of the "long day" mentioned above).
Other
symbolic foods are eaten in a special Rosha Hashana Seder, particularly
in the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities. Symbolic foods are eaten
in a ceremony called the Yehi Rasones or Yehi Ratzones [14]
[15]
[16].
Yehi
Ratzon means "May it be Your will", and is the name of
the ceremony because it is traditional to eat foods symbolic of
a good year and to recite a short prayer beginning with the Hebrew
words "Yehi Ratson" ("May it be Your will")
over each one, with the name of the food in Hebrew or Aramaic often
presenting a play on words or pun in Hebrew or Aramaic. The foods
eaten at this time have thus become known as "yehi ratsones".
Typical foods, often served on a large platter called a Yehi Ratson
platter, eaten by modern Sephardic Jews include apples dipped in
honey, or baked or sometimes in the form of a compote called mansanada;
dates; pomegranates, or black eyed peas; pumpkin in the form of
savory pumpkin-filled pastries called rodanchas; leeks in the form
of fritters called keftedes de prasa; beets usually baked and peeled;
and the head of a fish: usually a fish course with a whole fish,
head intact. It is also common to symbolize a year filled with blessings
by eating foods with stuffing on Rosh Hashana such as a stuffed,
roast bird or a variety of stuffed vegetables called legumbres yaprakes.
[17]
Next
--> In
rabbinic literature |