May the [Jewish] New Year and its blessings start תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, falls on the Hebrew calendar dates of 1 and 2 Tishrei. The coinciding secular dates for this year, 2011, are September 28 (at sundown) through 30 (at sundown). I first published this post on September 12, 2007.

In Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda open-air shuk (market),
jars of honey — a symbol of the hope for a sweet year

Dear Tamar,

May the New Year and its blessings start (תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ Tachel shana u-birkote-ah)*.

The word Shana in Hebrew comes from the word li-shnot (to repeat) but it also sounds like le-shanot (to change). I think that's the main thing every Rosh Hashanah: it's our chance either to repeat our mistakes or to make a change — to keep the good things or to let them go. I hope your New Year will be filled with good choices.

Shana Tova 5768,
Shimon

* From אָחוֹת קְטַנָּה Akhot Ktana (Little Sister). Click the link to listen to the piyyut (Jewish liturgical poem) by Abraham Hazzan of Gerona (called Girondi), Spain, 13th century. Each verse ends with a one-line chorus: (Let the year end with all its curses!) תִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ Tikhleh shanah ve-killeloteha! The last line of the piyut concludes: (Let the new year begin with all its blessings!) תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ Tahel shanah u-virkhoteha!

Related posts

• "Have you a sweet year"
• Shanah Tovah! Country on a String 
• L'Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year 5768: On this day, the world was conceived. 
• L'Shanah Tovah, Have a Happy New Year 5767: Clean the slate and move on.