Rosh Hashanah
Tashlich
"And Thou wilt cast [ve-tashlich] all their sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:19). This verse is recited on Shabbat Shuvah (the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). On Rosh HaShanah there is a tradition of 'casting' bread (representing our sins) into water while reciting a few verses and prayers. The ceremony is called Tashlich. The prophet Ezekiel also uses expresses the idea of "throwing away one's sins": Cast away [Hashlikhu] all of your transgression by which you have offended, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezek. 18: 31)
It makes sense after the long sitting in shul and heavy meals to go for a walk to a stream with a few friends or family. Even with young children, the walk can be a good opportunity to talk about Teshuvah, and what behaviours should be 'thrown away' in the year ahead. Throwing away bread in the month of Tishrei serves as symmetry to the burning of chametz (leaven) in Nissan. Both connect bread to sin, and throwing away or burning is our symbolic way of doing cheshbon hanefesh (soul searching) to improve our actions in the coming year.
A Humorous "Midrash"
This tongue-in-cheek version has made the e-mail rounds and exists in numerous versions. We post this to honour and remember Dick Israel who passed away in 2000.
Taking a few crumbs to Tashlich from whatever old bread is in the house lacks subtlety, nuance and religious sensitivity. Instead:
For ordinary sins -- White Bread
For exotic sins -- French Bread
For particulary dark sins -- Pumpernickel
For complex sins -- Multi-grain
For twisted sins -- Pretzels
For tasteless sins -- Ricecakes
For sins of indecision -- Waffles
For sins commited in haste -- Matzah
For sins commited in less than eighteen minutes -- Shmurah Matzah
For sins of chutzpah -- Fresh Bread
For substance abuse/marijuana -- Stoned Wheat
For substance abuse/heavy drugs -- Poppy Seed
For auto theft -- Caraway
For petty larceny -- Stollen
For arson -- Toast
For timidity -- Milk Toast
For being sulky -- Sourdough
For silliness -- Nut Bread
For not giving full value -- Short Bread
For risking one's life unnecessarily -- Hero Bread
For excessive use of irony -- Rye Bread
For telling bad jokes -- Corn Bread
For hardening our hearts -- Jelly doughnuts
For being money-hungry -- Enriched Bread or Raw Dough
For war-mongering -- Kaiser Rolls
For immodest dressing -- Tarts
For causing injury or damage to others -- Tortes
For promiscuity -- Hot Buns
For promiscuity with gentiles -- Hot Cross Buns
For racism -- Crackers
For sophisticated racism -- Ritz Crackers
For davenning off tune -- Flat Bread
For being holier-than-thou -- Bagels
For unfairly up-braiding others -- Challah
For indecent photography -- Cheese Cake
For trashing the environment -- Dumplings
For the sin of laziness -- Any Very Long Loaf
For being hyper-critical -- Pan Cakes
For political skullduggery -- Bismarcks
For over-eating -- Stuffing Bread or Bulkey Rolls
For gambling -- Fortune Cookies
For abrasiveness -- Grits
For pride -- Puff Pastry
For cheating -- Bread made with Nutrasweet and Olestra
For being snappish -- Ginger Bread
For impetuosity -- Quick Bread
For incompetent child rearing -- Raisin Bread
For negligent slip ups -- Banana Bread
For dropping in without warning -- Popovers
For trying to improve everyone within sight -- Angel Food Cake
For being up-tight and irritable -- High Fiber or Bran Muffins
For sycophancy -- Brownies
-- Original author: Dick Israel z"l
