By RABBI JOSEPH H. PROUSER<\/p>\n
<\/noscript><\/a>It is customary on Rosh Hashanah, or later during the Ten Days of Repentance, to perform the ceremony of \u201cTashlich.\u201d We go to a body of water and symbolically cast off our past sins and failings by throwing bread (or pocket lint!) into the water. We recite Micah 7:19 \u2013 \u201cGod will have compassion upon us\u2026 and You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.\u201d The flowing water reminds us to seek a refreshing, new direction in the new year: one of depth, movement, and life.<\/p>\nTashlich also evokes Ecclesiastes<\/em> (Kohelet<\/em>) 11:1 \u2013 Shlach lachmecha<\/em> \u2013 \u201cCast your bread upon the water, and you shall find it after many days.\u201d Or, more colloquially, \u201cWhat goes around comes around!\u201d At Tashlich, we do not merely divest ourselves of that which is unseemly in our past. We determine to cast our bread\u2026 We recognize that what we will get out of our relationships \u2013 and our religious tradition \u2013 in the year ahead will be commensurate with what we invest of ourselves.<\/p>\nPerhaps the first century Roman poet Ovid, whose work was no doubt known to many of the Sages of Israel, was familiar with this Scriptural wisdom. He taught in a similar spirit: \u201cIf you want to be loved, be lovable.\u201d Shlach lachmecha<\/em>!<\/p>\n(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/a>
Tashlich also evokes Ecclesiastes<\/em> (Kohelet<\/em>) 11:1 \u2013 Shlach lachmecha<\/em> \u2013 \u201cCast your bread upon the water, and you shall find it after many days.\u201d Or, more colloquially, \u201cWhat goes around comes around!\u201d At Tashlich, we do not merely divest ourselves of that which is unseemly in our past. We determine to cast our bread\u2026 We recognize that what we will get out of our relationships \u2013 and our religious tradition \u2013 in the year ahead will be commensurate with what we invest of ourselves.<\/p>\nPerhaps the first century Roman poet Ovid, whose work was no doubt known to many of the Sages of Israel, was familiar with this Scriptural wisdom. He taught in a similar spirit: \u201cIf you want to be loved, be lovable.\u201d Shlach lachmecha<\/em>!<\/p>\n(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/a>
Perhaps the first century Roman poet Ovid, whose work was no doubt known to many of the Sages of Israel, was familiar with this Scriptural wisdom. He taught in a similar spirit: \u201cIf you want to be loved, be lovable.\u201d Shlach lachmecha<\/em>!<\/p>\n(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/a>
(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/noscript><\/a>
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