Teachings: Rosh Hashannah

Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, and Teshuvah: Must We Always Forgive?

By: 
Rabbi Goldie Milgram

Jews take collective responsibility for the moral targets that get missed in life. At least ten days before Rosh HaShannah prayers called Selihot are added where, having empathy for ourselves as only human, we admit personal and collective ownership of the full range of problematic human behaviors:

ashamnu
We are guilty (spiritually desolate and distant from our higher selves)

bagadnu
We have betrayed (our loved ones, the community, the planet)

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What Is Tashlikh? How Do I Do Tashlich?

By: 
Rabbi Goldie Milgram

Tashlikh is the practice of standing before a body of water and tossing some crumbs in which represent the remaining sticky points within your persona that get in the way of your having/creating a good year. This is a gestalt type of experience, where you let go of clinging behaviors, memories and experiences. Good ritual facilitates desired change. The symbolism is like that of the scapegoat, you put into the crumbs what about yourself most needs to change, drop it into the water that the fish will use it for nutrition and that quality will be less likely to disturb you so greatly again.

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