Rosh Hashanah
What does “Rosh Hashanah” mean?
Head of the Year
What mitzvah do we do with the shofar on Rosh Hashanah?
We hear/listen to the shofar
What is a siman on Rosh Hashanah?
A special food that represents something we hope or pray for in the new year.
What does teshuvah mean?
Returning to Hashem and correcting our mistakes.
Why is Rosh Hashanah called Yom HaDin?
Because it is a day when Hashem judges our actions.
What is another name for Rosh Hashanah that means “Day of Judgment”?
Yom HaDin
What is a shofar usually made from?
A ram’s horn
What do apples and honey and pomegranates represent?
Apple and honey: A good and sweet new year.
Pomegranate: We ask Hashem to help us do many mitzvot and good deeds in the new year.
What should you do when you realize you did something wrong? (2 parts)
Feel sorry and try to make it right.
How are teshuvah and the shofar connected?
The shofar reminds us to wake up, think about our actions, and do teshuvah.
Why is Rosh Hashanah both a happy and serious day?
We are happy to begin a new year, but we also think seriously about our actions
What does the shofar remind us to do?
Wake up, think about our actions, and improve.
Why do we say a special request when eating a siman?
Because the food reminds us of something we are asking Hashem for.
A student realizes that she hurt her friend’s feelings. What are two things she should do as part of teshuvah?
Apologize to her friend and try to make things right / decide not to repeat the mistake.
Why can’t a person complete teshuvah for hurting someone by only saying sorry to Hashem?
Because they also need to apologize to the person they hurt and try to make things right.
Why do we think about the past year when a new year is beginning?
So we can learn from our mistakes and improve
What is the difference between Tekiah and Teruah?
Tekiah is one long sound; Teruah is many short sounds.
True or False: Eating simanim guarantees that what we ask for will happen. Explain.
False. Simanim express our hopes and prayers, but they do not guarantee what will happen.
A student took something without asking, returned it, and told Hashem he was sorry—but never apologized to the owner. What part of teshuvah is missing?
Apologizing to the person he hurt.
A person hears the shofar, eats all the simanim, and says many tefillot, but refuses to change something they know they are doing wrong. What important part of Rosh Hashanah are they missing?
Teshuvah—actually changing their actions and trying to improve.
Someone says, “Rosh Hashanah is just a celebration of the Jewish New Year.” What important idea are they missing?
(Use 3 key words!)
It is also a time of judgment, teshuvah, and growth.
Why does the shofar remind us of Akeidat Yitzchak?
A ram was brought instead of Yitzchak, and the shofar is made from a ram’s horn.
Name four simanim and what they represent.
Why is feeling sorry not enough for complete teshuvah?
Name the parts of teshuvah
Because teshuvah also includes admitting the mistake, fixing what can be fixed, apologizing if someone was hurt, and trying not to repeat the mistake.
Feel sorry → Admit what you did → Fix the mistake → Decide to do better.
Explain how the shofar, simanim, and teshuvah each teach us something different about Rosh Hashanah.
The shofar wakes us up and reminds us to change; simanim express our hopes and prayers for the new year; teshuvah is how we actually work to correct our mistakes and become better.