Some people go all out trying to find every last siman listed in the Machzor. One year my wife told me to purchase black-eyed peas. My local supermarket was sold out of the raw beans, but I found the canned ones. My wife proudly served the black-eyed peas, only to discover that her Machzor didn’t list black-eyed peas as one of the simanim. Not sure what Yehi Ratzon prayer to recite, I offered, “May all our enemies get a black eye,” but it didn’t ring true.
It turns out that the food known as black-eyed peas is one of a number of possible interpretations of “rubia” mentioned in the Gemara. We in fact recited the appropriate Yehi Ratzon, just on a different food.
The following year, I remembered that black-eyed peas had sold out the year before. So I bought my bag of peas early. Even with all my alacrity, it’s still sitting in our pantry untouched. My wife said she actually preferred the convenience of the canned variety, so that is what we ended up using. If you see an anonymous post on the Five Towns Shuls e-mail list for a curb alert for a bag of black-eyed peas, you’ll know who it’s from! [Note: A version of this article was published in these pages seven years ago. I assume we don’t still have the same peas in the pantry.]
An Ominous Controversy
The practice of eating various foods on the night of Rosh Hashanah is not without controversy. A passage in Sanhedrin (65b) would seem to call the practice into question.
The Sages taught:
The “enchanter” mentioned in the verse (Devarim 18:10) is one who relies on superstitious signs, e.g., one who says, “If one’s bread fell from his mouth, that is a bad sign for him.” One embarked on a journey and then his staff fell from his hand, or his son called him from behind, or a raven screeched above him, or a deer blocked his path. He therefore concludes that he should not continue his journey. If a snake approached him to his right, or a fox approached him to his left and he understands these occurrences as a bad omen.
The term “enchanter” is also referring to one who says to a tax collector: “Do not collect from me first, as that is a bad sign for me”; or: “Do not collect from me now because it is morning, and it is a bad sign to begin the day with a loss”; or: “Do not collect from me now because it is Rosh Chodesh, and it is a bad sign to begin the month with a loss”; or: “Do not collect from me now because it is the conclusion of Shabbos and I do not want to begin the week with a loss.”
This passage is codified in Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 179). In fact, in the same siman, the Shulchan Aruch lists eating specific foods the night before a b’ris milah for a good omen as an example of forbidden divination. It would therefore seem that the irrational consumption of foods on Rosh Hashanah night as a good omen runs counter to this halachah. Yet the Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 583) encourages the practice of eating specific foods on the night of Rosh Hashanah as a good omen.
The source for eating specific foods on the night of Rosh Hashanah is based on a passage of Gemara that appears twice in the Talmud. “Abaye says a person should always be accustomed to gaze on Rosh Hashanah at gourd, rubia (possibly black-eyed peas), leek, beets, and dates” (Horiyos 12b).
Note that Abaye doesn’t say that one should eat the listed foods, but merely gaze at them. However, when this same statement is quoted in Krisus, the word “gaze” is replaced with “eat.” Many commentators say that the text of the Gemara in Horiyos is a result of a scribal error and the correct text is employed in the Gemara in Krisus.
Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch has suggested a reason why some Rishonim would prefer that one only gaze at the item and not eat it. If one consumes the item, it may very well be that he is hungry and likes the head of lamb with a side of black-eyed peas. If one merely gazes at the item and doesn’t eat it, it is evident that he is employing the siman.
The Kaf HaChayim concludes that if one cannot eat a particular siman— for personal reasons or for halachic reasons, such as insect infestation— he may merely gaze at the item and cite the appropriate Yehi Ratzon. He writes further that, in truth, someone who is missing a particular siman for any reason may recite the Yehi Ratzon anyway. It is simply a tefillah and can be recited on its own.
However, there is still an unresolved contradiction. The Gemara in Sanhedrin suggests that the use of omens is forbidden biblically. Yet the Gemara in Horiyos and Krisus suggests that one should actually employ omens on the night of Rosh Hashanah.
Saying The ‘Yehi Ratzon’
It is evident that the Meiri holds that the Gemara in Sanhedrin is primary, and that one who thinks that eating a particular food is an omen is practicing a forbidden form of divination. The simple reading of the Gemara implies that it is an issur d’Oraysah.
The Meiri offers an incredible explanation of the purpose of the simanim. On Rosh Hashanah night, it is important for us to do teshuvah, and Chazal wanted us to use every trick in the book to make us cognizant that the night of Rosh Hashanah is not just an ordinary night of yom tov. Therefore, they instructed us to eat those special foods as a way of reminding us to repent. But the practice is fraught with danger, as someone might mistakenly assume that eating the foods actually accomplishes something on its own. Therefore Chazal instituted the practice of saying a short prayer in conjunction with consuming the foods. Hopefully, this prayer to Hashem will help everyone realize that the foods are merely a reminder to do teshuvah and point our hearts in the right place.
A mind-boggling aspect of this explanation is that surely Abaye, the great sage and rosh yeshiva, was aware of the awesomeness of Rosh Hashanah. Yet even he was able to gain greater inspiration to do teshuvah by eating specific foods. Not only that, but it was worth instituting a practice that seems very close to forbidden divination just to achieve this greater inspiration! If Abaye needed the consumption of foods for inspiration, how much more so do we need to work on ourselves to realize the awesomeness of the Yemei HaDin.
The Meiri’s explanation is definitely not universally accepted. As many point out, the custom of adding a prayer in conjunction with the consumption of the special foods is not mentioned in the Talmud. If believing that the consumption of foods accomplished anything is sorcery, then certainly the Gemara should have pointed that out. Yet according to the Meiri, the prayer is an integral part of the custom. The Maharal (in Chidushei Aggados, s.v. “U’lcach”) writes, “This [the simanim] is not a small thing. The Ramban wrote that even the Nevi’im used simanim . . . Therefore, the mouths of those that speak falsehood against the old tzaddikim and consider these sorcery should be silenced.”
Positive vs. Negative Omens
The Maharsha in Horiyos offers an alternative answer to the seemingly contradictory passages in Gemara. He points out that all the omens listed in Sanhedrin were negative omens, but the foods encouraged by Abaye were for positive omens. So acting based on negative omens is forbidden, while trying to achieve a positive omen is permissible.
But this explanation seems difficult. Why should there be a difference between a positive and negative omen? A satisfying answer eludes this author. (See “Starting the New Year Right: A Guide to the Simanim on Rosh Hashanah” by Rabbi Moshe T. Schuchman for an explanation.)
The Mishnah Berurah (583:5) says that some people have the custom not to eat sour foods, such as borscht, on Rosh Hashanah. He further writes that some have the custom not to cook fish in vinegar. Further, the Dirshu edition of the Mishnah Berurah mentions the custom of not eating bitter or hot foods. It would seem that according to the Maharsha, these customs should not be followed, as they are giving credence to negative omens. Furthermore, it is evident that the Mishnah Berurah does not follow the opinion of the Meiri, because there is no Yehi Ratzon associated with not eating sour foods. Evidently, those who follow those customs have a different answer to the contradiction between the two passages of Gemara.
Particular Simanim
Heads of fish and lamb. It is a well-known custom to use the head of a fish as a siman. Many people know that a head of lamb can be used as well. However, the Chayei Adam writes that it is actually preferable to use the head of a lamb. One year, my neighbor prepared three heads of lamb, and I was the lucky recipient of one of them. (Of course, I didn’t expect my wife to touch it.) I did have some, and it actually tasted like a good schwarma.
Apple in honey. The Rema mentions the custom to eat an apple dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah. Although not mentioned in the Gemara, it symbolizes that we should have a sweet new year. There are many sweet fruits, so why do we specifically use an apple? It could just be that an apple was very common. However, the Gr’a offers the following insight: The Torah says that when Yaakov came before Yitzchak for a berachah, he smelled like reiach ha’sadeh. One Targum translates that as “chakal tapuchin,” which means an apple orchard. According to the Zohar, Yitzchak gave Yaakov the berachos on Rosh Hashanah. So the apple, in addition to symbolizing something sweet, also recalls the z’chus of Yaakov and the berachos he received.
Rav Dovid Feinstein, shlita, offered an explanation for simanim that sheds some light on the concept. The Gemara says that while a person is healthy, he should daven that he doesn’t become sick in the first place. A prayer for maintaining the status quo needs less merit to be answered than one that asks for a change. Therefore, we start the year in a sweet way with an apple dipped in honey. We ask Hashem to please keep the status quo and make the rest of our year sweet as well.
Other simanim. There is a well-known siman for parnassah that entails using lettuce, half a raisin (or halva and a raisin), and celery. You are supposed to ask Hashem, “Let us have a raise in salary.” This seemed to be a joke until it was publicized that Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, shlita, composed it. If that siman can get a person to daven, perhaps these other simanim that I have heard over the years from my brother can similarly inspire people:
Pear—“She’yihyeh lanu pe’er tachas eifer, May there be for us glory instead of ashes.”
Horned melon—“She’tarum karneinu, May our horn (supremacy) be raised.”
Kiwi—“She’nireh bishu’asecha she’kivinu lah, That we should see your salvation that we hoped for.”
Star fruit—“She’yidroch kochav miYaakov, That a star should issue from Yaakov.” (That is, that Mashiach should come; based on Ramban’s understanding of Bilam’s berachah.)
Cookie dough—“May all our enemies’ plans be half-baked.”
Gala or golden apples—“May we have a gala/golden year.”
Meat and two pieces of sole (look at but don’t eat)—“May we meet our soul mate.”
Black plum—“May we merit to be in the black.”
Cheerios—“May we have a cheery year.”
Peaches—“May we have a peachy year.”
Jawbreaker—“May the mouths of our enemies/accusers be silenced.”
Maggid shiur and Rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. He leads the Daf Yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, and writes “Delving into the Daf” each week for The Jewish Home.
