Muswell Hill Synagogue - Rosh Hashanah 5771

HIGH HOLIDAYS 5771/2010

The Yamim Noraim timetable can be downloaded here.

ERUV TAVSHILIN - the “mixing of cooked foods”

Yom Tov (a Jewish festive day) is a more vulnerable institution than Shabbat, because there are certain things – such as cooking on a flame that was lit before Yom Tov – which are permitted on Yom Tov but forbidden on Shabbat.

In order to preserve the sanctity of Yom Tov, we are forbidden to prepare things from one day of Yom Tov to the next, or from Yom Tov to Shabbat. But if one will find this difficult, one may use a symbolic device to remind oneself of the importance of Yom Tov, and then prepare on Yom Tov for Shabbat.

The device involves beginning preparation for Shabbat before Yom Tov, such that the preparation on Yom Tov for Shabbat can be considered to be a continuation of preparation which began during the week.

To do this, we take two cooked foods – such as one boiled food and one baked food – on the eve of Yom Tov – and designate them as the beginning of our Shabbat preparation. It is not necessary to have cooked the foods oneself.

Here is the text by which one designates the food as an eruv. One should hold the food while saying the Hebrew:

Baruch atta Adonai Elohenu melech ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitsvotav v’tsivanu al mitsvat eruv. (“Blessed are You, Lord, King of the universe, who has made us holy with His commandments and commanded us about the mitsva of eruv”)

Bahadain eruva y’hai sharai lana l’maifai ul’vashala ul’atmana ul’adlaka sh’raga ulme’bad kol tsarcana, miyoma tava l’shabta, lanu ul’chol Yisra’el hadarim ba’ir hazot.

(“Through this eruv, may we be permitted to bake, cook, insulate, kindle flame and do anything necessary on the Festival for the sake of the Sabbath, for ourselves and for all Jews who live in this city”).

The Sukkah

Males over Barmitzvah should eat regular meals in a Sukkah throughout Sukkot, unless it is raining or otherwise unavoidably uncomfortable. One should be particular to try to do this on the first night of Sukkot. Women can take on this mitzvah if they wish.

Before beginning a meal in a Sukkah, one should make a blessing as follows: Baruch atta adonai elohenu melech ha’olam asher kiddeshanu b’mitsvotav v’tsivanu leysheyv basukkah. This blessing should be recited after the regular blessing for food.

One should sleep in a Sukkah if the weather enables one to do so comfortably. One should eat in a Sukkah on the Yom Tov following Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret) as well, but one should not sleep in the Sukkah.

For details of how to construct a Sukkah and where to put it, please contact the Rabbi.

The Arba Minim

Males over Barmitzvah should also wave the arba minim every day during Sukkot (except for Shabbat). Women can also take on this mitzvah if they wish.

Arba minim means "four species", and refers to a lulav (date palm), an etrog (citron), three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches).

Here is the procedure for waving the arba minim.

Face east. Hold the lulav in your right hand with the spine facing you. Ensure that the three hadassim are on the right and the two aravot are on the left. It is customary for the hadassim to be slightly higher than the aravot.

Hold the etrog in your left hand, right next to the lulav, with the etrog’s green stalk facing upwards. If the etrog has a pittum (a little brown stalk), this should be facing down.

Say the beracha: Baruch atta adonai elohenu melech ha’olam asher kidd’shanu b’mitsvotav v’tsivanu al n’tilat lulav.

If you are performing this mitzvah for the first time this Sukkot, add this beracha: Baruch atta adonai elohenu melech ha’olam shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higi’anu lazman hazeh.

Turn the etrog the other way round, so that the green stalk is now facing down. Wave all four species three times in the following directions: east, south, west, north, up, down.

Left-handed people should hold the lulav in their left hand and the etrog in their right hand.

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