The Simanim on Rosh Hashana and Appreciating Hashem's World 5778

A couple of years ago, I was out shopping in the days before Rosh Hashana when I noticed two yeshiva boys in their suits and whiteshirts with their mom. The mother pulled a set of small bowls off a shelf into her wagon and one boy asked why they would need such small bowls. The mother responded that they would be good for the simanim - the special foods we serve on the night of Rosh Hashana.     The other boy laughed and asked, 'Ma, what do you think? That this is Pesach? Ma, it’s not the Seder! Why such a big deal over some foods that we don't want to eat anyway? Do you really think it matters?'      I couldn't mind my own business. The mother was a bit aggravated. She went one way and the boys went the other way.So I went over to speak with them.   The truth is that their question is very valid. Just imagine for a second getting a speeding ticket in some small town in upstate New York or New Jersey. You arrive at this small town court.The cop who wrote you the ticket is there and the judge asks you how you plead. You try some guilty with explanation excuse and then the judge cuts you short, asks the cop a few questions and tells you if you're done he will decide the verdict.   Try telling it to the Judge     You tell him to wait one more minute. You pull out from your bag a jar of honey and some sliced apple and as you dip the apple into the honey you state aloud, may it be the will of your honor the judge to sweeten my verdict just like this honey sweetens the apple and you eat the apple, relishing each bite in front of the court. Odds are that the judge will either throw you into a cell for a few hours charging you with contempt or ask that you be taken to the local hospital for observation.    Rosh Hashana is supposed to be the day of judgment. And as we learned in school as children, G-d takes out the scale. On one side go our sins and on the other go our merits. If we are worthy, we are judged positively and if not then we're in for some trouble.    How can eating a pomegranate or some blacked eyed peas increase our merits? How can eating a gourd or some dateshelp destroy our enemies? How can an apple in honey sweeten out judgments? How is it possible through these foods to change sins into merits? What's going on here?    Is There Such a Thing as a Good Omen?   Is there such a thing as a good omen? And on Rosh Hashana is it the food or the prayer? And if it's the prayer then why do we need the food? The Talmud tells us about omens. If someone wants to know if they will be judged for life then on the days betweenRosh Hashana and Yom Kippur he should light a candle in a draft free room. If the candles burns then fine, if the candle goes out, he better get some more life insurance quickly.    If he wants to know if he will merit a good parnasa or livelihood, he should take a chicken. He should feed it and if after a while it gains weight than all is good. But if it loses weight, he should get on the phone and call the bankruptcy attorney because tough times are ahead. And there are more.    The Talmud then warns not to try any of these at home. “Perhaps he will not see it and worry and as a result he will experience misfortune”.    A Reason to Be More Confused     Then Abaye goes on to say that what does work is eating pumpkin, fenugreek, leeks, beets and dates. These are good omens. He doesn't mention any yehi ratzons, nor prayers. Eat those foods he suggests. And if you were confused when we started, you should be even more puzzled now. How can we begin to understand what is going on here? The Arizal suggests that the person who lit the candle and sees the candle go out goes into depression. Perhaps the “Satan” blew it out just to mess with your mind. Sadness is a tool of the other side as it disconnects us from Hashem. Recall our forefather Jacob who in mourning for the loss of Joseph for 22 years lost his Ruach HaKodesh – his connection with G-d. Abaye in his brilliance suggests that if depression can disconnect us and damage our Mazal then joy can do the opposite. And these special foods should bring us joy.    In Parashat Ki Tavo we read of 98chilling curses. Why are we subject to curses? The Torah tells us it's becausewe didn't serve Hashem with joy and a good heart. We are commanded again andagain to be happy and to serve Hashem with joy.    These foods which make up thesimanim of Rosh Hashana can be sweet but sometimes sour. If we taste them andappreciate them; If we taste the sweetness and forget the tart; If we arethankful of the world G-d gave us and are happy with Hashem then Hashem ishappy with us. If we are satisfied and happy then there is no place forsadness, anger or jealousy. Satisfaction and joy have the power to change usand change our lives.      TheBenefits of Regarding Hashem as Our Father      If we are happy with Hashem and lookat him as a father then Hashem will look at us as his children. A child whodoes something wrong and comes to his parent admitting his sin, feeling bad notonly for doing something wrong but for embarrassing his parent and truly triesto never do the same wrong again in essence converts the sin into a merit. Thefather cherishes the child and the entire act becomes part of a victory tale.    On Rosh Hashana, Hashem's behaviortowards us mirrors our own behavior. If we are happy with the world andsatisfied; If we share and care; If we look towards G-d as a parent, then helooks at us as a child.     ThePower to Change Our Mazal      Eating those foods, appreciatingthem, being satisfied with them and enjoying them really has the power tochange our Mazal. We really can turn a sin into a merit. They have the power tochange the scale by literally converting the sins on the left side of the scaleinto merits on the right side.    The key lies in our own hands. Thekey lies in our own attitudes. On this Rosh Hashana as you sit with your familyand taste these foods stop and smell the proverbial roses. Go around the tableand ask everyone to focus on what they have to be thankful for. Focus on theglass half full. Commit to being satisfied and fighting jealousy and anger.    Don't forget that what we projectfinds its way back to us. May we project love and unity, satisfaction andappreciation, and may we be blessed with a year of health, happiness, peace andprosperity. Amen!     Tizku LeShanim Rabot      David Bibi