Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:1-6.
1. In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations. You shall observe it as a day when the horn is sounded. 2. You shall present a burnt offering of pleasing odor to the Lord: one bull of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs, without blemish. 3. The grain offering with them - choice flour with oil mixed in - shall be: three-tenths of a measure for a bull, two-tenths for a ram, 4. and one-tenth for each of the seven-lambs. 5. And there shall be one goat for a purification offering, to make expiation in your behalf. 6. in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon with its grain offering and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, each with its libation as prescribed, gifts of pleasing odor to the Lord.
א. וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם
ב. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם עֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַי־הֹוָ־ה פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם
ג. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאָיִלד. וְעִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים
ה. וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם
ו. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַחֹדֶשׁ וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַי־הֹוָ־ה
Typically, on Rosh Hashannah I would find myself at Maine Township Jewish Congregation (MTJC) with the other members. But this was not the case for this past Rosh Hashannah. MTJC is no longer together, dispersed among many synagogues and merged with another, and I am abroad.
As part of the Jewish Society's committee I volunteered to organize and cook for a Rosh Hashannah event. The food was decided early on in a meeting; scones with apples and honey. The service part, the Rosh Hashannah bit, was difficult to figure out. The Jewish Society here is full of Jews from various backgrounds, various religious beliefs and various practices. This led me all over the place in terms of what to organize. I started imagining a prayer service. Later, I turned to a purely factual service, just difining Rosh Hashannah. Then, after a friends comment, I decided an introduction to Rosh Hashannah and then a moment where I would ask people to share their Rosh Hashannah experiences.
When it came to Wednesday night, I followed the latter plan. In a room full of more than 20 people I began, after a friends sing a long (Muppet's song), to tell people about Rosh Hashannah. I read a the above passage to them and explained the meaning of Rosh Hashannah. Afterward, I asked them to tell about a positive Rosh Hashannah experience. Not too many people shared. The committee then brought out the food and our social began.
After the social there was still time to spare. With permission from the committee and the approval of the attending, there was consensus that we should do Tashlich. As a group we made our way down to a nearby river. On a bridge we gathered and there I explained the service of Tashlich.
The following passage was read from Micah 7: 18-20.
Who is like You, God, who removes iniquity and overlooks transgression of the remainder of His inheritance. He does not remain angry forever because He desires kindness. He will return and he will be merciful to us, and He will conquer our iniquities, and He will cast off our sins into the depths of the seas. Give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, like that you swore to our ancestors from long ago.
For seven minutes we stood in silence as we all thought about our selves, our sins to others, and where we want to be. Pieces of bread fell to the water as gravity, sin, and thought threw them down.
Sources: Chabad.org, judaism.about.org, wikipedia, Etz Chayim
