Jewish communities worldwide observe the custom of eating symbolic foods on Rosh Hashanah accompanied by special prayers. A complete guide to the traditional simanim and their accompanying blessings.
The Rosh Hashanah Seder of Symbolic Foods
1. Apple dipped in honey
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that You renew for us a good and sweet year, from the beginning of the year until its end.
2. Leek or scallion (karsi/karti)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that our enemies and those who hate us and all who seek our harm be cut off. May Your hand be raised against Your adversaries, and may all Your enemies be cut down.
3. Chard or beet greens (silka)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that our enemies and those who hate You and all who seek our harm depart from us. "Depart from me, all evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. Depart, depart, go out from there, touch nothing impure; go out from its midst, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord."
4. Dates (tamar)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that our enemies and those who hate You and all who seek our harm come to an end. "May sinners cease from the earth, and may the wicked be no more; bless the Lord, O my soul, Hallelujah." "And in Your kindness, destroy my enemies and eliminate all who oppress my soul, for I am Your servant."
5. Gourd or squash (kara)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that You tear up the evil decree against us, and may our merits be proclaimed before You.
6. Black-eyed peas, beans, or sesame seeds (rubia)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that our merits increase.
7. Pomegranate (rimon)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that we be as full of mitzvot as the pomegranate is full of seeds.
8. Fish (dagim)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that we be fruitful and multiply, and that our merits increase.
9. Head of a fish or head of a lamb (rosh)
May it be Your will, Lord our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that we be as the head and not as the tail. [If eating a lamb's head, some add: And may You remember for us the binding and the ram of our father Isaac, peace be upon him.]
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