Elul
What is the acronym of Elul?
אני לדודי ודודי לי
How many names does Rosh Hashana have?
4
How many blows, in total, are sounded on Rosh Hashana?
100
On which days of the month is Rosh Hashana?
1st and 2nd of Tishrei
What do we eat on the first night of Rosh Hashana?
What blessing do we recite?
An apple dipped in honey
Boreh Prei HaEtz, and, Yehi Ratzon SheTechadesh Aleinu Shana Tova Umesuka
What is special about the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur?
These are days of Divine Mercy:
When Moshe was on Har Sinai and Hashem forgave the Jewish People for the sin of the Golden Calf
What name represents Hashem judging us for the year
יום הדין
Day of Judgement
What is the minimum amount of sounds you MUST hear on Rosh Hashana?
30
Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, Tekiah, x3
Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah, x3
Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah, x3
What should we increase in doing during the month of Elul?
Torah learning
Tefilla - prayer
Tzedaka - Charity and acts of kindness
Why do we have round Challah's on Rosh Hashana?
Symbolizes the cycle of life
and the crown with which we coronate Hashem every year
What is the parable of מלך בשדה?
How does it relate to Elul?
A king, prior to entering his palace, went to visit and greet the farmers in the field. Although dressed in plain clothes, he is accessible to all.
So too, in Elul, Hashem is extra accessible to all, allowing us to improve ourselves and be inscribed for a sweet new year
What is the meaning of
יום תרועה?
The Day of Blowing
We Blow the שׁוֹפָר on this Day.
When does the Torah command us to blow the Shofar?
Only on Rosh Hashana
What do we wish each other on the first night of Rosh Hashana?
לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם
(לשנה טובה תכתבי ותחתמי)
What do we eat on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashana? Why?
A new fruit, to recite the Shehechiyanu blessing
What extra prayer do we add from the beginning of Elul?
Why?
לדוד ה' אורי
This is a prayer asking for Hashem's Loving Kindness, so we should be inscribed for a sweet new year
Which name represents Hashem remembering all the mitzvoth we did?
יום הזכרון
The Day of Remembering - Hashem takes into account all that we did this past year
On which days of Elul do we NOT blow the Shofar?
Shabbat and the last day before Rosh Hashana
What is done in the afternoon of the 1st day of Rosh Hashana?
Tashlich:
Recite a prayer by water (with fish), to fulfil the verse "...and You shall throw into the depth all their sins..."
Why do we eat the 1) head of a fish and 2) pomegranates on Rosh Hashana
1) Fish head: We should be "a head and not a tail"
2) Pomegranates: Our merits should be many like the seeds of the pomegranate.
What should we wish one-another during the month of Elul
כתיבה וחתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה
What is the common theme of all these names?
When is it an additional minhag of the Sages to blow the Shofar?
During the month of Elul
This is 1 reason why we don't blow on Erev Rosh Hashana; to separate between the two.
Why do we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana?
It's a Mitzvah commanded by Hashem!
It also symbolizes: 1) the Shofar from Akeidas Yitzchak,
2) The renewed acceptance of crowning of Hashem as king,
3)and it's a call for Teshuva
Why do we not eat nuts on Rosh Hashana?
"Nut" in Hebrew is אגוז, which is the numerical value (17) of "חט" which means sin.
We do not want to mention 'sin' on the Day of Judgement.