Congregation Shaarei Tefillah Rosh Hashanah Schedule for 5766
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do not park On the Street in our Shul neighborhood during Rosh Hashanah. Thank you for helping us maintain good neighborly relations.

1. The flowers adorning our Sanctuary this Rosh Hashanah are sponsored by Amy, Lester, Eli Cohen & Emily & Dan Jaffe in honor or our friends at Shaarei Tefillah!
The flowers adorning our Kiddush room minyan are sponsored by Richard, Eli, and Dina Cohn in honor of Orna's birthday; and by the Gruen family in honor of their parents and grandparents, Rhoda and George Gruen.

2. Monday Morning, October 3, Erev Rosh Hashanah, we will recite Selichot and daven Shacharit beginning at 5:40 AM. After minyan, we will form Batei Din (lay courts) to administer Hatarat Nedarim, annulment of unfulfilled vows.

3. Erev Rosh Hashanah: Mikva Immersion for Men. "Lifnei Hashem Titharu - Purify Yourself Before Hashem." There is a custom for men to go to the Mikvah before Rosh Hashanah (Ramo Sh"A O"H 581:4). The Daughters of Israel Mikvah, at 101 Washington St., Brighton, will host men's hours, Monday, October 3, 2005, 7 AM - 1 PM. $10 per person suggested donation. Soap and shampoo provided. To save time, I advise showering at home first. Please bring your own towel. After 1 PM, please use the men's mikvah at Beth Pinchas, 1710 Beacon St., Brookline.

4. Monday evening, candle lighting is at 6:06 PM The Berachot to be recited are "le-hadlik ner shel Yom Tov" and "Shehechiyanu." It is a proper custom to give Tzedakah before candle lighting on Shabbat and Yom Tov, and also to see the moment of candle lighting as a moment of transcendence and an opportunity to compose personal prayers to Hashem.

5. We will daven Minchah at 6:05 PM. Maariv will follow immediately. On Rosh Hashanah, we are given the opportunity to pray, as if, again, for the first time, and thus we must come to Shul with a spirit of reverence and trepidation. We should all expend extra effort to focus on our tefillot and improve our kavanah, resolve to limit talking during davening, and to respond "Amen" at the proper times. When we daven, we are presenting ourselves to Hashem, our father, judge and king.

6. Upon returning home, if applicable, remember to bless your children each individually and add your own personal prayer for each of them for the New Year.


7. We recite the special Kiddush for Rosh Hashanah. At the Yom Tov night meal it is our custom to use symbolic foods which serve as either an ideational symbol (apples and honey for sweetness, we also dip our Challah into honey after Hamotzi) or as a linguistic symbol (carrots which in Yiddish is Mehren which also means multiplying abundance, olives for all of us). The proper protocol for the most common symbol, apples and honey, is to say the berakhah "...boreh pri ha'etz," then take a bite, and then say the "yehi ratzon." Alternatively, one may say the "yehi ratzon," then say the berakhah and then take a bit. Either way, there should be no verbal interruption between the berakhah and the act of eating. Ultimately, though, the blessings we wish for our homes are the blessings we each must strive to bring to our homes. Each of us must work hard to make our homes sanctuaries of expressed love and support, and not, God-forbid, dwellings of frustration and anger. A New Year presents us with a new opportunity to strengthen and fortify the Shalom Bayit of our own Bayit Ne'eman beYisrael.

8. On Rosh Hashanah morning, our minyanim will begin at 8:00 AM. Rabbi Samuels will daven with the upstairs minyan and speak upstairs on the first day. Steve Schwartz will speak in the Kiddush Room Minyan and soon-to-be-Rabbi Michael Schultz will speak at the Beit Midrash Minyan. On the second day of RH, Rabbi Samuels will daven Shacharit with the Beit Midrash Minyan and speak before Shofar blowing in the Kiddush Room. Prof. Lester Segal will speak in the upstairs minyan in the Prof. Marvin Fox z"l Sanctuary, and Rabbi Dov Bard will speak in the Beit Midrash Minyan.

9. All of our Shelikhei Tzibbur wear a Kittel on Rosh Hashanah when they lead the community in prayer or Torah reading. Some men have the custom to wear a Kittel for their personal tefillah, even if they are not assuming the role of Shaliach Tzibbur. The question arises concerning someone who is a mourner (during the 12 months of mourning for a parent). Does such a person wear a Kittel or not? There are various customs. The rationale behind the question is as follows. The Kittel serves as one of two possible symbols: 1. a symbol of purity and joy 2. a symbol of trepidation as it resembles tachrichin (burial shrouds). If reason #1 is the impetus, then as avel does not wear a Kittel. If reason # 2, then a mourner wearing a Kittel is appropriate. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l (Igrot Moshe, vol 8, Y"D, 61:7) recommends for the avel not to wear a Kittel. He thinks that reason #2 is culturally inoperative today, and thus since the Kittel is a symbol of purity and joy, it is not worn by an avel, neither on the Yamim Noraim nor on Pesach.

10. At Musaf on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we all have the obligation to hear the blasts of the Shofar. Ideally, there should be no talking or interruption between the blessing on hearing the Shofar and the 100 blast of the Shofar from the beginning of Musaf until the end of the concluding Kaddish. For parents who must talk to their children, there should be no talking or interruption at least between the blessing and the hearing of the first 30 blasts, which precede the private Musaf Amida. The Rambam writes that the purpose of the Shofar blasts is to serve as a wake up call to us. Only we can change ourselves. Each of us must believe that we each have the power to change the world for good and go-to-it.

For parents of small children who by necessity need to be with their children and would also like to train them in the traditions of the holiday, there will be a one hour Rosh Hashanah parent-led program for children in kindergarten, first and 2nd grades in the youth room on both days of Rosh Hashanah. We will have story time, davening, songs, shofar blowing and a holiday snack. Each child must be accompanied by a parent. Parents should try their best to only speak of Rosh Hashanah matters and not engage in other conversation during the Musaf period, between Shofar blasts.

** If any one misses Shofar blowing or knows of anyone who is home-bound and would like to have someone come and blow shofar for them, please contact Rabbi Samuels.

11. For Kiddush on the first day lunch, we recite "Vayidaber," "Tiku be-chodesh shofar be-keseh le-yom chageinu," and "Borei Peri HaGafen."

12. On Tuesday afternoon, our community Tashlich will take place at Bullough Pond, beginning at 5:00 PM. While Tashlich is, in and of itself, a private and personal rite, much of Klal Yisrael has always seen Tashlich as an opportunity for a community gathering. Following hurricance Katrina and its attendant somber moment in our country's history, it is especially important to affirm the benevolent power of community and living life with dignity, honor, and in friendship. In this spirit, the Tischler, Rockoff and Appelbaum families will once again graciously host a Tashlich Community-Get-Together on the lawn of the Tischler's home at 44 Bullough Pond. All are invited. If one does not for any reason say Tashlich at a body of flowing water on Rosh Hashanah, one may do so for the remainder of the 10 days of repentance.

13. Tuesday afternoon we will daven Minchah at 6:05 PM, after which Rabbi Samuels will deliver a shiur. Maariv will be at 6:50 PM.

14. Candle Lighting on Wednesday night is at "Tzeit Hakochavim/Stars-out," which is at 7:06 PM. Preparations for the second day of Yom Tov should commence only after candle lighting. The berakhot to be recited upon lighting are: "Lehadlik ner shel Yom Tov" and "Shehechiyanu." The Rabbis understood both days of Rosh Hashanah as constituting one long day - yoma arichta. Thus, even in Israel two days of Rosh Hashanah are observed. Since "Shehechiyanu" is recited again on the second night, even though, according to this reasoning, the "Shehechiyanu" of the first night should have sufficed, it is therefore our custom to have a new fruit on the table or to wear a new garment for the second night.

15. On the morning of the second day, our minyanim will once again begin at 8:00 AM.

16. Once again, at Musaf on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we all have the obligation to hear the blasts of the Shofar. Ideally, there should be no talking or interruption between the blessing on hearing the Shofar and the 100 blast of the Shofar from the beginning of musaf until the end of the concluding Kaddish. For parents who must talk to their children, there should be no talking or interruption at least between the blessing and the hearing of the first 30 blasts, which precede the private Musaf Amida.

Once again, for parents of small children who by necessity need to be with their children and would also like to train them in the traditions of the holiday, there will be a one hour Rosh Hashanah parent-led program for children in kindergarten, first and 2nd grades in the youth room on both days of Rosh Hashanah. We will have story time, davening, songs, shofar blowing and a holiday snack. Each child must be accompanied by a parent. Parents should try their best to only speak of Rosh Hashanah matters and not engage in other conversation during the Musaf period, between Shofar blasts.

** If any one misses Shofar blowing or knows of anyone who is home-bound and would like to have someone come and blow shofar for them, please contact Rabbi Samuels.

17. On Wednesday afternoon, Minchah will be at 6:05 PM, followed by a shiur by Avi Rockoff entitled: “I am someone else, not the person who committed those acts”: Teshuva as self-transformation.” Maariv and Havdalah will follow at 7:05 PM.

18. Thursday, October 6, is Tzom Gedalyah. The fast begins at 5:36 AM and concludes at 6:47 PM. We will recite Selichot and daven Shacharit at 5:50 AM and daven Minchah/Maariv at 5:50 PM.

19. Minchah and Candle Lighting on Friday afternoon will be at 6:00 PM.

20. Shabbat, October 8 is Shabbat Shuva and Rabbi Samuels will deliver his Shabbat Shuva derashah in the afternoon. The topic is: “Joy Upon Arrival: Shehechiyanu, Rosh Hashanah, and an Attitude of Gratitude.” There will be a brief D’var Torah in the morning by soon-to-be-Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz, our Rabbinic Intern. Minchah will be at 5:30 PM, followed by Rabbi Samuels’s shiur. Please remember to eat Seudah Shelishit earlier. Maariv will be at 7:00 PM. A regular Motzaei Shabbat Havdalah is recited.

21. During the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the ten days of repentance, it is customary establish an ideal pattern of living and live an ethically and religiously scrupulous life. It is also an appropriate custom to read works of mussar (religious self-improvement). Many study a chapter of the 10 chapters of Maimonides Laws of Teshuva each day of the 10 days of Repentance.

Shanah Tova ve-Ketiva va-Chatima Tova -- le-Alter Chaim Tovim U-LESHALOM!!

May this new year bring to you and your families, to the people of Israel, and the people of America, a year of health and happiness, safety and security, and a year of Peace.

Rabbi Benjamin J. Samuels