Chief Rabbi Kalman Bar Issues Rosh Hashanah Guidance for Sabbath Observance
Israel's Chief Rabbi, Kalman Bar, has provided practical halachic guidance for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday, which this year begins on the Sabbath. Rosh Hashanah, a time of judgment and decree for the coming year, traditionally features the central observance of blowing the shofar. However, due to the sanctity of the Sabbath, the shofar will not be sounded on the first day of the holiday.
Rabbi Bar addresses the potential anxiety arising from the absence of the shofar's call, citing historical precedents where Rosh Hashanah falling on the Sabbath coincided with both periods of destruction and times of great spiritual significance, such as the atonement for the Golden Calf and the establishment of the Tabernacle. He explains that when the shofar cannot serve as Israel's advocate, the Sabbath itself takes on this role, provided its sanctity is properly observed. Failure to uphold the Sabbath's holiness, he warns, could turn it from an advocate into an accuser.
The guidance emphasizes that in years when the shofar cannot be blown, the focus should shift to honoring and sanctifying the Sabbath, both in private life and public spheres. This observance, Rabbi Bar suggests, will serve as a merit for the community on the Day of Judgment, leading to a good and sweet year.
The digest also outlines specific observances and prayer modifications for Rosh Hashanah falling on the Sabbath. These include refraining from shofar blowing, specific customs for candle lighting, Sabbath eve prayers, and the festive meal with symbolic foods. Prayer services will have altered texts, and certain supplications like 'Avinu Malkeinu' (Our Father, Our King) will be omitted. The article details the laws regarding the shofar itself, its prohibition from being carried on the Sabbath, and the differing opinions on its handling. It also touches upon customs such as reciting Psalms, sleeping patterns, and the timing of the third meal, as well as the observance of Tashlikh, which will be performed on the second day this year to avoid Sabbath prohibitions.
Preparations for the second day of the holiday are also addressed, with strictures against pre-holiday work on the first day. Candle lighting for the second night will occur after nightfall, using a flame preserved from the first day. The prayer service for the second evening will include the customary 'V'ten La'hem' (And You shall grant them) prayer, despite Rosh Hashanah not being a festival in the traditional sense. The order of Kiddush and Havdalah, known as 'Yaknehaz', will be observed, and the blessing of 'Shehecheyanu' will be recited on the shofar blowing on the second day.