Rosh Hashanah - 5779 --Simanim
Rosh Hashanah - 5779
Rabbi Hal Miller
Simanim - What does it mean? Is it a law?
In a large percentage of homes, particularly in the US although many other places
as well, there is a custom to add "simanim" right after the blessings over the wine
and bread. What are these simanim, where does the custom come from, what does
it mean, why do we do it?
The entire concept comes from one sentence in the Gemora, occurring in two places,
Horayos 12a and Kereisos 6a. In a sugya about the laws of anointing kings and
kohanim gedolim, the Gemora interrupts to give examples of some omens, deriving
the subtopic from what it said about it being a positive sign for a good reign of a king if
he is anointed next to a spring. It discusses using a lamp to predict whether one will
live out the year, a rooster to predict whether one will succeed in business, etc. The
sentence is: "Abaye said, now that you have said an omen is a significant thing, one
should be accustomed to eat at the beginning of the year a gourd, fenugreek, leek,
beets, and dates." After this one sentence, in both places, the Gemora goes back to
other topics. There is one difference in the two places. In Kereisos, it says "eat". In
Horayos, it says "see". This difference is explained to mean that eating the simanim
is meant for those who are blind and unable to see it, but that seeing appears to be
the primary intent. What is the purpose of this sentence?
The Sfas Emes explains that this is a reminder to us of the purpose of Rosh Hashanah.
It is the Yom HaDin, the day of judgment. It is the day when we must remember Who
is the King of the world. Our eating (or seeing) the simanim must be accompanied by
a "heartfelt cry". The purpose of each siman is to beg God to ward off evil, enemies,
disasters, catastrophes. Based on the Zohar, he writes, "The simanim are not simply
another venue for placing our personal requests before Hashem. They are not 'hints'
directed to Hashem, rather to us. They are tools for demoting our personal concerns
and reminding us that the purpose of Rosh Hashanah is for us to remember Who is King."
Thus, in this opinion, things that have appeared recently, like "raisin/celery", are inappropriate.
He specifically states that asking for things we want is not correct on this day.
Another source for the custom, with a different take on it, is in the book of Nechemyah.
In [8:10], he said, "Go eat rich foods and drink sweet beverages, and send portions to those
who have nothing prepared, for today is sacred to God." A handful of verses prior to this,
he mentioned that it was the first day of the seventh month, which is Rosh Hashanah. The
emphasis here is on giving to the poor and the sacredness of the day. Many people use
honey as a remembrance of this verse. Some dip challah in the honey, some dip apples,
some do both. The apple is, per Maharil, an allusion to the Pardes, the orchards discussed
in the Zohar. There are those who forbid using honey on challah, calling it a modification of a
mitzvah, the challah itself.
Many have the custom to say some brief prayer upon looking at or eating each siman. Tur
does not mention this at all, but the Mordechai adds it, saying that since they are food items
and on the table, one is likely to eat them so a blessing is in order. Exactly what that blessing
should be is not clear. Certainly the appropriate blessing (ha'adama, ha'eitz, she'ha'kol) is a
given, but additional to that gets confusing. The Sfas Emes above would indicate that this
blessing would be begging God to save us from some specific evil. The Gemora gave us no
hint. Perhaps we could read into Nechemyah that the blessing might be for some form of
pleasantness. Certainly there is an aspect of giving to the poor to take into account.
This is where we turn to the Shulchan Aruch. In 583, the Mechaber says that one should
"accustom himself to eat", and lays out the five items that Abaye listed, then gives us
an entreaty to say for each one:
- When one eats rubia (fenugreek), he should say, May it be Your will that our merits will
multiply.
- When one eats karti (leek or cabbage), he should word the entreaty, May it be Your will
that our enemies will be eradicated.
- When one eats silka (beet leaves), he should word the entreaty, May it be Your will that
our enemies will disappear.
- When one eats tamari (dates), he should word the entreaty, May it be Your will that our
foes will become extinct.
- When one eats kara (squash), he should word the entreaty, May it be Your will that our
judgment will be torn up and our merit will be read before You.
- When one eats the head of a lamb, he should word the entreaty, May it be Your will that
we will become a head and not a tail.
The Rama adds:
- apple in honey, and the entreaty, May it be Your will that a sweet year will set in for us.
- pomegranate, and the entreaty, May it be Your will that we will multiply merit like the
pomegranate.
He also mentions, "It is the practice to eat fat meat and all kinds of delicacies," and
that the custom is not to eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah.
So now we have a list of what the simanim are, from Abaye, and a list of what to say on
each one, from Shulchan Aruch. How do the Mechaber and Rama come along and add
to what the Gemora told us? Further, there are many other practices out there added in
various places, such as carrots (for an increase in the family), fish (for peru u'revu, but
fish is in fact prohibited in other places), dairy foods (Beis Yosef forbids meat on Rosh
Hashanah and says that Nechemyah's verse requires dairy, but the Vilna Gaon
disagrees), etc. Are we allowed to add our own?
This depends on what the simanim are. If they are a laws or mitzvot, we know from many
places that we may not add to, subtract from, nor change it. If it is a minhag avoteinu,
a longstanding custom from our fathers, we can not change it without good reason, and
probably not at all. If it is merely a modern custom without significant basis, then we can.
Without question, this is not a mitzvah d'oraisa. There is no Torah commandment to
eat, see, speak over, whatever, the simanim. All sources say that it is a custom. All
sources list the custom differently, thus it is really many customs from many places
and many families. Some conflict, such as dairy foods, fish and nuts. Some seem to vary
based on geographical factors, such as the kinds of produce that will grow in a certain
area. More recently, some people have begun adding all sorts of other foods to the list
of simanim, making up short entreaties to go along. What is allowed here? Further,
the practice seems to have become one of joviality, of asking for things that clearly
go beyond what the Sfas Emes and others have told us. In asking for these things,
the purpose of the simanim seems to be lost, the purpose of Rosh Hashanah seems
to be lost, and worse we begin to approach the Torah prohibitions on divination.
The issue of violation of astrology and divination is dealt with by many commentators,
although their explanations tend to be along the lines of don't worry about it, Abaye's
list is not included. It is pretty well accepted that, even if we do not really know why,
if we stick to the Shulchan Aruch, we are probably safe. That does not cover the
various expansions that some local customs have added, but perhaps it really is not
an issue anyway and we just do not understand soothsaying well enough to respond.
Rabbeinu Bechaye tells us that the simanim are to show us that we rely exclusively
on God, thus anything not showing this would not be appropriate to add.
Rav Yaakov Emden asks why we only use good foods to signify good things, and
why we can't use bad-tasting things to signify what we want to happen to our enemies.
He explains that a Jew's real power is in his mouth--speech, mainly through prayer.
If we use it appropriately, asking for God's saving help, then we will be saved. If we
ask for negative things, we will have negative impact on us, even though we asked for it
to apply to someone else.
Magen Avraham and others note that since this is only a custom, there is no need to
restrict our entreaties over simanim to Hebrew. He allows any language to be used,
both for the entreaty itself, and for the name of the siman we choose, thus carrots
have become a popular addition due to the Yiddish name also meaning an increase
in the family, akin to peru u'revu. If the name of a food in English connotes a purpose
which is consistent with Rosh Hashanah, then one can use that as well.
When implementing this custom, we must keep in mind what its purpose is, meaning
furthering the grave purposes of the Yom HaDin. Anything that does not further that
purpose is not fitting to be part of the simanim. It may be fine in other contexts, but
not here.
As it is said in Hebrew, sof-sof, meaning in the end, these are just local customs, not
laws. They are widespread through the Western world, but not exclusively there, nor are
they held by all, nor are they practiced the same from place to place or family to family.
As with other customs, one should maintain their family practice and be careful not to
expand or change it. My family does not have these customs at all.