Getting Ready for Rosh Hashannah, What Can we Make with These?

Ahhhh... pomegranates

 

 

Almonds...

Apples...

I may not feel ready for Rosh Hashannah, but the local trees are.  These pictures were all taken in Shiloh where I live.

Jewish Holidays are all on various harvest seasons, when the new fruits are ripening.  In Biblical times, the Kohen, Priestly Tribe was supported by agricultural tithes delivered in time for the Chaggim,  Festivals/Holidays by pilgrims to the Mishkan, Tabernacle in  Shiloh and later the Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

For decades we had the custom of waiting to eat pomegranates until the second night of Rosh Hashannah to say the Shehechiyanu blessing on it as a new fruit.  Maybe we'll do that again, since we're home alone the first night, but I don't know if our second night's hosts serve them.  Since I'm in the year of mourning for my mother, I can't say Shehechiyanu on new clothes, which was an easy way to be "covered." 

There's a problem with second day Rosh Hashanah in that it's halachikly, according to Jewish Law, like a new day/holiday, not considered a continuation of the first day.  Our local rabbi insists that you can't start heating up food for the meal until after candle lighting, so when we eat that meal at home it's our fish night, which doesn't require long heating which meat or poultry requires.

Chag Sameach and Shannah Tovah to All