Rosh Hashanah Prayer Guide: High Holiday Prayers Explained

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is observed for two days (one day in biblical times). It commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance. On this day, God judges all humanity, deciding each person's fate for the coming year. The prayers reflect themes of kingship, remembrance, and the shofar.

The Machzor is the special prayer book used on High Holidays. It contains all the standard prayers plus unique additions for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Machzor includes piyyutim (liturgical poems), special Torah readings, and extended Amidah prayers. If you're new to services, following along in a Machzor with English translation is highly recommended.

The central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah is hearing the shofar (ram's horn). We blow 100 sounds over the course of the service. The three main sounds are: Tekiah (one long blast), Shevarim (three medium blasts), and Teruah (nine short blasts). The shofar serves as a spiritual alarm clock, calling us to repentance. It also recalls the binding of Isaac and proclaims God as King.

Several unique prayers define Rosh Hashanah: 'Unetaneh Tokef' - the powerful prayer describing God's judgment ('Who will live and who will die'). 'Avinu Malkeinu' - 'Our Father, Our King' - a litany of requests for forgiveness and blessing. 'Hayom Harat Olam' - 'Today the world was born.' The Musaf Amidah includes three special sections: Malchuyot (Kingship), Zichronot (Remembrances), and Shofarot (Shofar verses).

Tashlich ('casting') is performed on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah (or second day if the first is Shabbat). We go to a body of water and symbolically cast our sins into it while reciting prayers including 'V'tashlich bimtzulot yam kol chatotam' (You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea). Some shake out their pockets. It's a powerful ritual of releasing the past.

Special foods symbolize hopes for the new year: Apple dipped in honey for a sweet year, round challah representing the cycle of the year, pomegranate for merits as numerous as its seeds, and fish head ('that we be as the head and not the tail'). Before each symbolic food, we recite 'Yehi ratzon' prayers. Greetings include 'Shanah Tovah' and 'L'shanah tovah tikateivu v'tichateimu' (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year).