Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 583

Siman 583

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א יְהֵא אָדָם רָגִיל לֶאֱכֹל בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה רֻבְּיָא דְּהַיְנוּ תִּלְתָּן, כַּרְתִּי, סִלְקָא, תַּמְרֵי, קָרָא. וּכְשֶׁיֹּאכַל רֻבְּיָא יֹאמַר: יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁיִּרְבּוּ זְכֻיּוֹתֵינוּ; כַּרְתִּי, יִכָּרְתוּ שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ; סִלְקָא, יִסְתַּלְּקוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ; תַּמְרֵי, יִתַּמּוּ שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ; קָרָא, יִקָּרַע גְּזַר דִּינֵנוּ וְיִקָּרְאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ זְכֻיּוֹתֵינוּ. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ נוֹהֲגִין לֶאֱכֹל תַּפּוּחַ מָתוֹק בִּדְבַשׁ (טוּר), וְאוֹמְרִים: תִּתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה מְתוּקָה (אַבּוּדַרְהַם), וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין. וְיֵשׁ אוֹכְלִים רִמּוֹנִים וְאוֹמְרִים: נַרְבֶּה זְכֻיּוֹת כְּרִמּוֹן; וְנוֹהֲגִין לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר שָׁמֵן וְכָל מִינֵי מְתִיקָה (מָרְדְּכַי דְּיוֹמָא).
1 Customary foods for the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Containing two sections: One should eat beans, leeks, beets, dates, and pumpkin. And as one eats the beans ( rubiya), they say: God, may our merits increase (yirbu)! Eating leeks ( karti), they say: God, may our enemies be wiped out ( yekartu)! Eating dates ( tamari), say: God, may our enemies disappear ( yetamu)! Eating pumpkin ( kra), say: God, may our judgement be ripped up ( yikra') and may our merits be called out ( yikaru) before You! Rema: Some have a custom of eating a sweet apple in honey (Tur), and saying: May a sweet year be renewed on us! (Abudarham) This is what we do. Some eat pomegranates, and say: may our merits be as many as pomegranate seeds! And we are accustomed to eat fatty meat and all sorts of sweets (Mordechai on Yoma).
ב אוֹכְלִים רֹאשׁ כֶּבֶשׂ לוֹמַר: נִהְיֶה לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא לְזָנָב, וְזֵכֶר לְאֵילוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ מְדַקְדְּקִים שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל אֱגוֹזִים, שֶׁאֱגוֹז בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא חֵטְא, וְעוֹד שֶׁהֵן מַרְבִּים כִּיחָה וְנִיעָה וּמְבַטְּלִים הַתְּפִלָּה (מַהֲרִי"ל). וְהוֹלְכִין אֶל הַנָּהָר לוֹמַר פָּסוּק: וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאותָם וְגוֹ' (מִיכָה ז, יט) (מִנְהָגִים). וְגַם נוֹהֲגִים שֶׁלֹּא לִישַׁן בְּיוֹם רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (יְרוּשַׁלְמִי), וּמִנְהָג נָכוֹן הוּא.
2 Eat a head of a lamb saying: Let us be as a head and not a tail. It is also a remembrance of the ram of Isaac. Rema: There are those who are careful not to eat nuts, as the word "egoz" in gematriah [is equal to the value of] chet (sin). They also cause a lot of excess saliva and phloem and cause abrogation of prayers. They also go to a river and say the verse: And Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). There are also those who do not sleep during Rosh Hashana during the day, and this is the correct thing to do.