Simanim | Imamother

TzenaRena

Sun, Sep 18 2005, 7:31 am

Quote:

And you're right, we say the yehi ratzon BEFORE eating (except for the apple- that you say Pri Haetz, take a bite, then say Yehi Ratzon, eat some more- according to my Rav).

not to contradict, after all many of us have different minhagim, and they are all heilig,

just to point out, especially to Chabad readers that

In the English translation of the Chabad Machzor: the Alter Rebbe writes : On the first night of Rosh HaShanah, it is customary to eat at the beginning of the meal a sweet apple (dipped) in honey. One should say the following beracha first: Boruch etc. haetz.

And then [before tasting the fruit] say:

Yehi ratzon.....

This is also what we do when saying Shehechiyanu, which we do the 2nd night. First the brocho , Borei Pri HaEtz, then without hefsek, the brocho of Shehechiyanu, before eating the new fruit.

Actually , in the Chabad Machzor, this is the only Yehi Ratzon that is printed. The other simanim, though we do them, it is not the minhag to say their "yehi ratzon ", although no doubt we have in mind the inyan.

Question I have always had, year to year. In my family and my husband's family our minhag has been not to use the sharp, sour or bitter flavorings, dressings, spices from Rosh HaShana till after Hoshana Rabba. No pickles for three weeks! shock

However, I see that many friends don't use it Rosh HaShana, but after that do! (I don't know that there is a specific Chabad minhag about this.)

How many of us do or don't use it after Rosh HaShana till Hoshana Rabba? And do you have any sources that it is or isn't OK? Also, do you totally leave out all spices, food tastes very bland, or just make sure the predominant flavor is not sharp, sour, bitter?

jewgal84

Sun, Sep 18 2005, 8:50 am

From Sefer Haminhagim (The book of Chabad Lubavitch Customs):

On the first night of RH the apple is eaten at the beg of meal (after eating the challa over which hamotzi is recited) On the 2nd night of RH the new fruit should be eaten (immediately after Kiddush) b4 the washing of the hands. The brief prayer beg yehi ratzon is said after the blessing of the apple and b4 its eaten. One eats promegranate and a ram's head, but no yehi ratzon is said over these.

From the Shulchan Aruch (Alter Rebbe's):

... One should observe the custom of eating leek, beets, dates, squash and fenugreek (a leguminous Asiatic herb, chilbe), and any other foods which name implies increase in the language spoken locally. The people of each country should eat the foods name in their language.

B4 eating fenugreek - one should say: May it be Your will that our merits increase.
B4 eating leek- " " " those who hate us should be cut off
B4 eating beets- " " " our foes be removed
B4 eating dates- " " " those who hate us perish
B4 eating squash- " " " the verdict rendered against us be torn and our merits be read in You presence.

...Some people are accustome to partake of a sweet apple dipped in honey and say "May the renewed year be sweet for us.

... There are those who follow the custom of eating fish, thereby expressing the hope that they, will be frutiful and multiply like fish, the fish should not be cooked in vinegar.

... There are those whose custom is to dip the piece of bread in honey, some people eat pomegrantes and say "May our merits be as numerous as the seeds of the pomegranate.

... It is customary to eat succulent meat, drink honey and other sweet foods as a sign that the year should be one of sweetness and plenty.

... One should take the head of a ram to remember Akeidas Yitzchak, if not available, should take head of another naimlaso as to say "May we be a head and not a tail".

... There are poeple who avoid eating walnuts and hazelnuts bc they generate phlegm and mucus and may disturb one while he is praying.

* * *

I have not yet found any sources of keeping the above minhagim until Hashoana Raba...

As far as refraining from bitter and sharp foods I have not found a specific source that does not allow it.

Rochel Leah

Sun, Sep 18 2005, 11:06 am

Growing up, we always had honey on the table for dipping challah into till hoshana rabbha. becase hoshana rabbah is the time when our fate is sealed.

queen

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 2:39 am

supermom- what does pumpkin represent?

0613- LOL re: pull apart challah!
Queen

sarahd

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 3:01 am

Pumpkin (or any gourd) is קרא in Hebrew, and we say יה"ר שתקרע רוע גזר דיננו ויקראו לפניך זכויותנו. (I hope this is readable to everyone).

sarahd

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 3:05 am

SY - we also refrain from eating nuts, bitter, sour and sharp until after Hoshana Rabba. We also eat round challah dipped in honey till then. (Also farfel and tzimmes at every meal until the family rebels....)

queen

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 3:35 am

thanks sarad.....
we make that y'hi rotzon as well, but I'll have to ask my parents what we have with it.
hard to remember from year to year!

TzenaRena

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 6:42 am

sarahd wrote:

Thanks sarahd. Question: do you avoid all these sharp, spicy, sour , bitter etc. on regular weekdays too? Or just on Shabbos teShuva, erev Yom Kippur, motzoei Yom Kippur, the Yomim Tovim, and Hoshana Rabba...

elisecohen

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 7:10 am

Our minhag is to avoid them completely until after Simchas Torah, whether the day is a yom tov, chol hamoed, or just the days in between holidays.

lucky

Mon, Sep 19 2005, 8:01 am

we also avoid these foods till simchas Torah. but I know many people who r not makpid.

Meema2Kids

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 12:53 pm

For the simanim do you serve them as separate foods or can they be part of another dish? For example, could the carrots be in vegetable soup, and say the yehi ratzon before eating the soup?

jewgal84

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 1:05 pm

(lubavitch minhag doesnt say yehi ratzon on anything other than the apple in honey).

I would assume once the vegetable ie carrot is no longer a whole it may not be counted for those who do say yehi ratzon.

Do we make haetz on applejuice or apple sauce ? (varies of opinion of wheather you see the whole apple)

sarahd

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 1:22 pm

1) The brocha on a slice of carrot is the same as a whole carrot (hoadoma). The brocha on a slice of apple is hoetz, same as a whole apple. As long as you can tell what the fruit/vegetable is, the brocha doesn't change.

2) I don't know what others do, but I never serve whole carrots and we always make the yehi ratzon.

3) The only time that whole/pieces would make a difference, AFAIK, is when it comes to precedence in brochos, I.e. you would preferably make a brocha over a whole apple rather than a slice of orange.

jewgal84

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 1:34 pm

Quote:

I would assume that we're talking about a meal being it's RH, so I don't make a s/p bracha for my vegetable soup... Confused

sarahd

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 2:07 pm

A yehi ratzon is not a brocha. Even if you ate carrots at the beginning of the meal you wouldn't make a hoadoma on them. And if you had whole carrots in your soup you wouldn't make a brocha on them either, in the middle of the seuda.

jewgal84

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 2:18 pm

So then I would say:

Depends on your minhag Wink

(For those who are chabad: The chabad minhag doesnt say any yehi ratzon other than the apple.)

TzenaRena

Thu, Sep 22 2005, 2:37 pm

new question, since it's preferable to make a brocho over whole fruit, should one make the Borei Pri HaETz for the apple and honey on a whole apple? Instead of serving slices to dip in the honey....leave it whole.