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| Vintage photo of Tashlich from Brooklyn Bridge |
Back in the day, on one of
the first two days of Rosh HaShanah, Jews traditionally walked together to a
stream, pond, lake, river, or even an ocean. The idea was to find a body of
flowing water, preferably filled with swimming fish, so that we Jews could
throw away our sins. That’s the meaning of the Hebrew word, tashlich – to cast off or throw away.
The Tashlich ceremony
itself, which includes psalms, readings and the actual tossing of bread crumbs
to symbolize our last year’s sins, originated in the 1200’s. It quickly caught
on in Jewish communities around the world, to the chagrin of many rabbis who
were afraid that tashlich
superstitions would become more important than the more solemn themes of Rosh
HaShanah, such as forgiveness and teshuvah
(return).
Prophet Micah’s words provide the tashlich theme; “God will take us back in love and cover up our iniquities. God will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea.”
On the Kobernick campus in Sarasota, Florida, where I serve several hundred Jewish seniors, we’ve created our own version of the ancient Tashlich service. Although we begin with readings and psalms, ( Psalms 18 and 130 are traditionally appropriate), we offer suggestions as to the specific sins that need tossing out. For example, we read a list of transgressions that include:
So what happens at a
Tashlich ceremony? When the group arrives at the flowing stream, they gather
close to the water. Then, after psalms, readings, prayers and poetry, we
Jews empty our pockets of their crumbs – crumbs that become tangible
symbols of the sinful things we’ve done in the past 12 months.
Prophet Micah’s words
provide the tashlich theme; “God will take us back in love and cover up our
iniquities. God will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea.”
On the Kobernick campus in
Sarasota, Florida, where I serve several hundred Jewish seniors, we’ve created
our own version of the ancient Tashlich service. Although we begin with
readings and psalms, ( Psalms 18 and 130 are traditionally appropriate), we
offer suggestions as to the specific sins that need tossing out. For example,
we read a list of trangressions that include:
I gossiped about someone.
I neglected to say thank you
for a kindness.
I isolated.
I let negative thinking
dominate me.
I didn’t reach out to a
friend.
These sins and many others
are written on small slips of paper and as they are read, residents decide
which sins apply to them. Volunteers distribute the appropriate sin to the
resident who requests it, including the all-purpose general sin, “I did
something wrong but I don’t want to say.”
In her book, Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holidays
Handbook, author Lesli Koppelman Ross notes that many historians believe
that ancient superstitions influenced the popularity of Tashlich, probably
because “primitive people believed that the best way to win favor from evil
spirits (who) lived in waterways, was to give them gifts.”
Koppelman goes on to say
that there were communities, “including the Babylonian Jews, who sent
‘sin-filled’ containers out into the water.” She writes that the Talmud
records an ancient practice where Jewish families wove baskets for each child
in the family. The baskets, filled with beans or peas representative of last
year’s sins, were held above the head, swung around and then tossed into the
water.
It was Prophet Ezekiel who
received God’s guidance near a body of water and throughout Jewish history our
heroes and sages have felt God’s presence beside lakes and streams, rivers and
wells. Whether it’s history or folklore, in recent years tashlich has become a popular Rosh HaShanah ritual as well as a
special time for families to gather, “toss” and nosh. Our Kobernick, Anchin and
Benderson residents have had that same opportunity as our very special tashlich ceremony goes a long way to
bring hope and a fresh start to the new year. Shanah Tovah!
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