A sharp Knife on Rosh Hashana

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

There are some great books available explaining everything about the high holidays. Customs, backgrounds, halachot, history and chassidic sayings. Some time ago, I bought a whole collection of those books; either in Mea Shearim or in Bnei Brak.

However, the writings on Rosh Hashana mention an interesting custom. A custom which rather seems to apply more to Chassidim than to national religious Jews. But also a custom which seems to be superstitious in a way or, at least, giving hope to some people.

 Photo: Miriam Woelke

Various Chassidim go out in the morning on Erev Rosh Hashana in order to buy a new sharp knife. They would then carry the knife throughout the Chag in their pocket or give it as a present to friends or relatives. The sources I found say that one of the Zidichover Rebbes as well as the Chozeh of Lublin used to keep this custom. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, on the other hand, said that giving a knife as a present would be too dangerous.

It seems as if the custom is still going on today but what is the reason for the new knife on Rosh Hashana ?

In Sefer Tehillim (Psalms) 145:16 we find the sentence:

"POTEACH ET YADECHA U’MASBIA LE’KOL CHAI RATZON – YOU OPEN YOUR HAND, AND SATISFY THE DESIRE OF EVERY LIVING THING".

When we take the last letter of the first three words

פּותח את ידך

We are getting the word CHATACH. Put together with the CHET TAW CHET SOFIT. CHATACH means CUT.

There are sources saying that there is an angel with the name CHATACH who is in charge of prosperity. 

We all pray for a good, healthy and successful new year where we don't need to starve or lack any financial means. Symbolically speaking, the angel Chatach should grant us a great prosperous new year and this is where the knife comes in. By buying a new knife on Erev Rosh Hashana, we basically ask and hope for a successful new year without lacking anything. 

Further sources, however, state that the sentence in Tehillim 145:16 has a specific meaning in Gematria. 

The word "u'masbe'a" - "and satisfy [the desire of every living being]" - which follows afterwards in the pasuk (Psalms 145:16) has the numerical value of four hundred and twenty-eight which is also the numerical value of "chatach." Thus, the acquiring of a new sharp knife is considered a "segulah" - something spiritually propitious - for parnasah, which we request on Rosh Hashanah for the entire coming year.

Where does the STREIMEL come from ?

Jewish Morning Wake Up Mitzvah

Remark: It is mostly Chassidim having a bowl filled with water next to their bed in order to wash their hands in the morning. However, there are plenty of religious Jews who wake up, say MODEH ANI right after opening their eyes and then go to a sink in order to wash.

According to the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, MODEH ANI may be said without washing one's hands before prayer.

Nittel Nacht

B"H

Tomorrow night, 24th December 2010 (17th Tevet), the Christian world starts celebrating the birth of the false Meshiach J. This particular night when J. was supposed to be born, Chassidim call "NITTEL NACHT - NITTEL NIGHT" and keep the custom of not studying Torah from approx. 7pm until midnight. The time when J. was born. See also the "Schulchan Aruch or the Chatam Sofer on this topic.

Most chassidic groups keep the custom of Nittel Nacht and many of them treat this matter very seriously. For instance, the Lubavitcher (Chabad) where the Chassidim play chess until midnight.

Kabbalistically speaking, the false Meshiach J. and his followers may gain special spiritual powers by our Torah studies - according to the 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe Shalom Dov Baer (Rashab), 1860 - 1920. The Rebbe said that we shouldn't waste our time when we don't study Torah but play chess. 

Nevertheless, not all chassidic group keep the "chess custom"; such as Vishnitz. However, chess is having a positive influence on our intellect similar to Torah study.

Links:

Details about Nittel Nacht and its history "Hirhurim".

Chabadnikim playing chass during Nittel Nacht. 

I spoke to a Chabad Rabbi and was told that the custom from refraining from Torah study even applies to Erev Shabbat. An interesting question, however, would be whether the cause may be an evil J. or rather the anti - Semite who, later on spread Christianity: The Apostle Paul.

The Toldot Aharon Rebbe David Kahn at the Mitzveh Tanz

Simanim Custom in Chabad

B"H

Rosh HaShana is over and now we are all awaiting Yom Kippur. Although people say that the Rosh HaShana prayers may be longer than those on Yom Kippur, there is nothing to eat on the highest Jewish holiday.

Last week I spent the Rosh HaShana celebrations in Safed (northern Israel) at the Chabad hostel ASCENT. You don't have to be Chabad in order to sign up for their programmes. Just the opposite: They prefer you to be secular or with not too much Yiddishkeit (yet).

The programme itself was crowded. Some say "too crowded" but I enjoyed myself. In the evenings we were sent to different families for the festive meals and what struck me was the Chabad custom not to say the blessings over all SIMANIM (such as pomegranate, fishhead, etc.) on the Rosh HaShana evenings. What Chabad does is simply saying the blessing over the apple and then they dip it in honey. When I asked some Chabadnikim where the custom comes from, they don't know.

One programme participant said that he went to a Chabad family where the family said all Simanim blessings but only concentrated on the apple one. The rest of the Simanim was for fun.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi on "Wearing a Kipa"

B"H

The Chabad founder Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745 - 1813) wrote the following interpretation on "Why wearing a Kipa (Yarmulka)" in his interpretation of the "Shulchan Aruch - Code of Jewish Law":

The head is part of the body. The body is usually covered by Jews, and therefore uncovering the head is revealing one's nakedness before G - d.

However, a general custom is that all kinds of Chassidim not only pray while wearing a Kipa, but in addition to that, a Tallit or a hat.

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Source:

"The Encyclopedia of Hasidism"

by Tzvi M. Rabinowicz