Synagogue field trip to a lake. Tashlich We are all aware of the new custom to recite the Tashlich by a body of water on Rosh Hashana. This is a relatively new custom in that is was likely invented in Germany in the 1400s (which explains why it is only mentioned by the rema the eshkenazic/German addition to the Shulchan aruch). Many rabbis opposed tashlich for several reasons. One reason is that the kabbalists would shake their clothing during the ceremony in order to remove the “kelipa” a kabalistic concept not understood by the general populace. People watching this shaking misunderstood the reason and believed as many do today that we are throwing away our sins into the sea as if it is so easy to simply feed the fish and now we are free of sin. This is one of the problems with the pagan practice of Kaparot with a chicken. We are erroneously teaching people that one can simply sin and then transfer the sins to a poor chicken. Obviously Judaism does not believe in such pagan rituals as is testified by many of our rabbis. This is why so many rabbis including the Shulchan Aruch and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and others have discouraged the chicken kapparot. To me however, the biggest twilight zone moment in tashlich is that it is not Kippur. Yet again, people seem to want to turn Rosh Hashana into Kipur. Just be patient, Kipur is only 10 days away, why move it up and why on a holiday. Rosh Hashana is not, I repeat, not a day of kapara – forgiveness for sins. Kippur=kapara, Rosh Hashana = holiday. Come on everyone say it with me all together now, kipur=kapara, Rosh Hashana = holiday. Good, see now you are getting the hang of it. Say it 3 times and just in case lets make it 30, to be safe 100, hey I know lets say it 101 times for good luck. (If you are reading this in synagogue try not to laugh, everyone is looking at you). In the tashlich prayer, we actually mention a hint to the 13 attributes of mercy. We read a passage from Micah that hints to it. Why dont we actually read the 13 attributes of mercy? Because it is a HOLIDAY!!! It is not allowed to pray for forgiveness on the holiday as is represented by the 13 attributes. That is why we say Yehi Shem and dont say tachanun. When the Tashlich prayer was created, they must have known that so only inserted a hint at what we are not allowed to do. The Spanish Portuguese Jews, Yemenite Jews, and those that follow the Vilna Gaon have stayed strong and never accepted this reform into their customs. But if we are not allowed to do it, and it is not appropriate for the day then why do we do it? Nee nee nee nee nee… -rabbi hasson
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 18:55:36 +0000
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