Afternoon Customs and Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah

In the Afternoon

It is proper not to nap during the day of Rosh Hashanah because the Jerusalem Talmud says that one who sleeps on Rosh Hashanah will have a sleepy mazal that year. One should rather occupy oneself with reciting Tehillim and studying Torah.

• Some say that one may nap after midday. It is certainly better to nap than to waste time.
• The main interpretation of the teaching that “one who sleeps on Rosh Hashanah will have a sleepy mazal that year” is that one who is sleepy and does not pray with strength, his mazal, i.e., his defending angel, will not have the strength to speak in his merit.

Mincha

One should be careful to pray Mincha (the afternoon prayer) with concentration. Elijah, the prophet, was answered when he prayed Mincha. On Rosh Hashanah this prayer is especially significant since Mincha was established by our patriarch Isaac, and on Rosh Hashanah we are trying to evoke the merit of Isaac’s being bound on the akeidah in order to transform G-d’s judgment into mercy.

Tashlich

• In the afternoon (after Mincha but preferably before sunset), it is customary to go to a river or lake in which there are live fish and say Tashlich (pg. 200 in the Machzor).
• There are several reasons for this custom:
• Water represents Divine kindness.
• The water recalls the merit of the Akeidah (binding of Isaac) before which Abraham had to wade through a deep river.
• Fish represent the ever-open eye of G-d.
• We pray that we multiply like fish and that the “evil eye” not affect us just as it does not affect fish.
• Those unable to do Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah may do so during the Ten Days of Repentance or even up until Hoshana Rabah. (Some have the custom of doing Tashlich on the 8th day of Tishrei.)
• Although there was a custom to feed challah to the fish when doing Tashlich, the poskim (Halachic deciders) write that on Yom Tov one should not do so as one may not feed wild animals on Yom Tov. Some defend this custom.
• It is customary to shake one’s Talit Kattan after Tashlich. This has Kabbalistic significance. In addition, this reminds us to clean our spiritual garments (thought, speech, and action) and ensure that they are clean and free of sin.

One may not prepare for the second night (or day) of Yom Tov until after candle-lighting time.