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The Hebrew Online team wishes you Shana Tova!
May your year be fulfilling and joyous. We wish you a year of new and exciting experiences and lots of wonderful knowledge and learning.
Hebrew Online is proud and happy that you chose to learn Hebrew with us. We hope you will continue to enjoy your Hebrew studies with the best teachers in Israel. Happy Rosh Hashana!
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New from Hebrew Online!
Visit our site www.jewish-greetings.com and send Rosh Hashana greeting cards in Hebrew or in English. There is a lovely variety of greetings to choose from - come and take your pick! Bring a smile to the faces of your friends and relatives!
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Our Biblical Hebrew course starts November 16th. Hurry up and register - don't miss out on a chance to learn the origins of the Hebrew language.
Enroll to the Modern Hebrew course - hone, improve and develop your Hebrew skills. The course starts November 30th. We teach Hebrew 24/7, so all you have to do is decide when is the best time for you!
Give your kids a chance to learn and stay in touch with their origins, by learning Hebrew online with the best Israeli teachers. Enroll your children today to our Hebrew course! The course opens on November 2nd.
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Or call us - USA & Canada: 1-888-640-1319, UK: 0845-869-7519,
Worldwide: 972-3-7554141
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Shana Tova friends,
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Although it is still hot here in Israel, the days become shorter; the evenings are cooler and the flowers that
| symbolize the autumn - the Squill ( |
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, xatsav), are in |
bloom. We feel that the year is almost over and the New Year is about to begin on Rosh Hashana.
The name "Rosh Hashana" was never mentioned in the Torah, but the names: day of remembrance
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, yom hazikaron) or the day of Shofar blowing |
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, Yom Tru'a) refer to this holiday. |
Only later, it became the official Jewish New Year
| Rosh HaShana ( |
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| Rosh ( |
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) means "head" and Rishon ( |
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) means |
first, and hence, Rosh Hashana means the beginning or the head of the year.
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| Rosh Hashanah starts on the first day of Tishrey ( |
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, the first Hebrew Lunar month) |
and lasts two days. As we wish to enter the New Year clean in our body and soul,
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) from anyone whom we might have hurt (purposely or |
| unintentionally). We also ask for the absolution of our vows ( |
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, hatarat |
nedarim) and wish everyone a Happy and Sweet New Year.
Rosh Hashana customs are full of symbols, prayers and blessings. Here are a few:
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| Apple dipped in honey ( |
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, Tapuax bidvash) |
We dip an apple in honey to symbolize our wish for a sweet year.
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| Round Challah ( |
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, xala 'agula) |
| We dip Challah in honey ( |
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, dvash) and wish for a sweet year. |
The xala is not braided as usual but instead baked in a circle - a wish that the coming year will roll around smoothly without unhappiness or sorrow.
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| Head of a fish (or sheep) ( |
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, rosh shel dag) |
we eat from the head of a fish and ask to be like the head (leaders) and not like the tail (followers):
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| Pomegranate ( |
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, rimon) |
As this fruit is so full with seeds (and ripen at this season), we ask that our merits be increased like the seeds of the pomegranate.
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In this Holiday issue of HebrewOnline, we will learn some words related to Rosh Hashana, understand the Rosh Hashana blessings, and learn some names related to this important holiday.
Shana tova 'umetuka
Good and Sweet Year,
The Hebrew Online Team.
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| Rosh Hashana Hebrew Words |
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Transcription: Shofar
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Literal Meaning: Ram's horn
Implication: The shofar is a ram's horn that is blown on Rosh Hashana. Although it sounds somewhat like a trumpet, the shofar has no mouthpiece. The Mitsvah of
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hearing the sound of the shofar in the synagogue each day of Rosh Hashana is very important. However, the Torah doesn't state why we should blow the Shofar, or why
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, a day of Shofar blowing). The Jewish scholar, the Rambam, |
suggested that it is a "wake-up call" to remind us of our Creator, and to take time to think about what we can do to make ourselves into better people.
Click here to listen to the different sounds of the Shofar blowing.
Click here to watch a funny Shofar clip
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Transcription: tashlikh
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Literal Meaning: "casting of"
Implication: On Rosh Hashana day, it is a custom to walk to a body of flowing water, preferably one containing live fish, say a special prayer, and symbolically empty the pockets into the river, casting off our sins.
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| Rosh Hashana Hebrew Blessings |
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| Click here to greet your loved ones with a Happy Rosh Hashana |
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Transcription: Shana tova u'metuka!
Literal Meaning: Good and Happy Year!
Implication: Before Rosh Hashana, people greet each other "shana tova u'metuka". Why do we add the sweetness to the greeting? Isn't having a good year enough? Well, according to the Jewish tradition "hakol letova" - everything turns to be good according to G-d's way. When we add the sweetness to the blessing we mean that it would be good in G-d's way and pleasant to us as well.
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Transcription: Leshana tova tiqatevu vetexatemu!
Literal Meaning: May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!
Implication: On Rosh Hashana the destiny of all mankind is recorded by G-d in "Books." In these "Books," it is written down who will live and who will die, who will have a good life and who will have a bad life, for the next year. Though these "Books" are written on Rosh Hashana, our actions until Yom Kippur (10 days later) may change the verdict. These "Books" are closed and sealed On Yom Kippur.
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See if you can match all the Rosh Hashana-related words in Hebrew to their pictures:
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Name:
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Tova
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Gender:
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Female
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Time of Appearance:
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From The Middle Ages Till The 19th Century
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Meaning:
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As an adjective: the feminine form of
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(tov, "good"). |
As a noun: favor, kindness; welfare, well-being.
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Categories:
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Feelings and Personal Traits
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Name:
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Rimon
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Gender:
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Male
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Time of Appearance:
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The Biblical Era
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Meaning:
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Pomegranate - one of the seven species the land of Israel was blessed with.
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Citation:
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"A land of wheat, and barley, and vines; of fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey." (Deuteronomy: 8:8)
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Categories:
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Botanical Names
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| HebrewOnline Newsletter - Readers' Feedback |
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Shalom everyone,
I really enjoy these newsletters. I have so much fun listening to the music and learning about the culture. I am so happy I signed up for this.
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| - Jasmin, Bahamas |
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Thank you (toda raba) for the ongoing newsletters.
Shana Tova to all at HebrewOnline.
Drishat shalom (I wish I could write that in Hebrew!)
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| - Zena |
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Shalom!
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Toda raba, Ety.
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| - Magi |
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| Hebrew letters and Transcription |
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Transliteration rules used on the newsletters
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