Rosh Hashanah, which means the Head of the Year, celebrates the beginning of the Jewish New Year. It’s a time for celebration and marks the beginning of the High Holiday season, a time dedicated to personal introspection and reflection on how we can improve ourselves and the world around us. We’ve compiled some blessings you can share during your Rosh Hashanah celebration. You’ll find a description of the blessing, followed by the blessing in Hebrew, transliteration, and translation.
Blessing Over the Candles
Lighting candles is a way to begin many Jewish holidays, the candles mark the transition between the regular week and the sacred time of the holiday.
Transliteration:
Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.
Translation:
Blessed are You, God, Sovereign of all, who sanctifies us with mitzvot and calls upon us to kindle the lights of this Festival day.
Blessing Over the Wine
The blessing over wine refers to Rosh Hashanah as the “day of remembrance” because it is a day for us to remember the year that has passed, to consider and reflect on how we have changed and to consider how we might want to change in the year ahead.
Transliteration:
Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher bachar-banu mikol am, v’rom’manu mikol lashon, v’kid’shanu b’mitzvotav. Vatiten-lanu, Adonai Eloheinu, b’ahavah et Yom HaZikaron hazeh, yom t’ruah, mikra-kodesh, zeicher litziat Mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta, v’otanu kidashta mikol haamim; udvar’cha emet v’kayam laad.
Baruch atah, Adonai, melech al kol haaretz, m’kadeish Yisrael v’Yom HaZikaron.
Translation:
Blessed are you, Eternal God, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are you, Eternal God, You chose us to make known Your aspirations among all the many peoples, making our lives holy. In Your love, Eternal God, You have given us this Day of Remembrance; a day for the shofar’s joyful sound, a day of sacred assembly, a day to be mindful of the exodus from Egypt. A unique place among nations You have chosen for us — and Your word is true; it endures forever.
Blessed are You, Eternal Sovereign over all the earth, who sanctifies Israel and the Day of Remembrance.
Blessing Over the Apples and Honey
There are many foods that different Jewish communities eat on Rosh Hashanah, the most common is apples dipped in honey. The apples mark the specific time of year as apples are in season during the fall. The honey symbolizes the sweetness we hope for in the upcoming year.
Some Jewish communities dip other items in honey, like challah. Other Jewish communities eat different symbolic foods like pomegranates, where the numerous seeds symbolize the hope for numerous blessings in the coming year.
Transliteration:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p’ri ha-eitz.
Translation:
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree.
Blessing Over the Challah
The challah, braided bread, eaten on Rosh Hashanah is traditionally braided in a circle, symbolizing the circle of the year and the eternal cycle of life.
Transliteration:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu melech haolam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz.
Translation:
Blessed are You, Adonai God, Sovereign of all, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Shehecheyanu
The Shehecheyanu is a blessing said the first time something new is done each year. It’s a blessing of thanks for being able to arrive at this special moment in the year and in life.
Transliteration:
Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
Translation:
Blessed are you, Eternal God, for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season.
