JTF.ORG Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Daniel on September 08, 2010, 09:54:16 PM
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On the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, there is a ceremony called Tashlich. Jews traditionally go to the ocean or a stream or river to pray and throw bread crumbs into the water. Symbolically, the fish devour their sins.
Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown. Here are suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors:
For ordinary sins White Bread
For erotic sins French Bread
For particularly dark sins Pumpernickel
For complex sins Multi-Grain
For twisted sins Pretzels
For tasteless sins Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision Waffles
For sins committed in haste Matzoh
For sins of chutzpah Fresh Bread
For substance abuse Stoned Wheat
For use of heavy drugs Poppy Seed
For petty larceny Stollen
For committing auto theft Caraway
For timidity/cowardice Milk Toast
For ill-temperedness Sourdough
For silliness, eccentricity Nut Bread
For not giving full value Shortbread
For jingoism, chauvinism Yankee Doodles
For excessive irony Rye Bread
For unnecessary chances Hero Bread
For telling bad jokes/puns Corn Bread
For war-mongering Kaiser Rolls
For dressing immodestly Tarts
For causing injury to others Tortes
For lechery and promiscuity Hot Buns
For promiscuity with gentiles Hot Cross Buns
For racist attitudes Crackers
For sophisticated racism Ritz Crackers
For being holier than thou Bagels
For abrasiveness Grits
For dropping in without notice Popovers
For over-eating Stuffing
For impetuosity Quick Bread
For indecent photography Cheesecake
For raising your voice too often Challah
For pride and egotism Puff Pastry
For sycophancy, ass-kissing Brownies
For being overly smothering Angel Food Cake
For laziness Any long loaf
For trashing the environment Dumplings
For those who require a wide selection of crumbs, we suggest a Tashlich Mix available in three grades (Taslich Lite, Medium, and Industrial Strength) at your favorite Jewish bookstore.
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Re: "Tashlich "
This would seem to have no basis in Torah. :o
I don't recall anything in the Law suggesting this to be a legitimate practice for Jews in seeking atonement. >:(
For those who would say ... "Well...it's just a tradition so we keep doing it!" (the bread baking industry) ... I would have to ask them to specifically point out in the Law of Moses where we are commanded to seek atonement in such a way. :P
Probably borrowed from the Canaanite Baal worshippers a long time ago.
I don't object to throwing fish little bits of bread, especially so when the bread bits are on the end of fishhooks! (the Biblical origins of gefilte fish) ;D
Sounds like that same type of practice where some people buy a chicken and kill it after casting all of their sins upon it, thinking that they've 'scapegoated it' in symbolic atonement.... . (Marshall Durbinism).
Negroes have emulated and combined both of these arcane practices in a cultic ritual whereby they first cover a chicken with little bits of bread, then anoint it with sacred oil, then heat the chicken with fire to remove all of their sins - all the while mumbling a bunch of hoo-doo sounding like "oojama-oojaba-mugabi-mmkomo!". [censored] atonement complete, they then eat the sacred chicken.
Cultural anthropologists have termed this practice "Harlan Sandersism" in honor of the strange white deity whose image reveals the places this practice can be observed.
Seems to be a lot of 'foreign elements' that have crept into Judaism since the Exile and probably long before it.
(for that matter, there seems to be a lot of "foreign elements" that have crept into every religion over the last two thousand years! :'( )
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Book of Michah (Micah) 7:18-20, shown below:
"Who is a G-d like You? You forgive sins and overlook transgressions
For the survivors of Your People;
He does not retain His anger forever, for He loves Kindness;
He will return and show us mercy, and overcome our sins,
And You will cast into the depths of the sea
all their sins;
You will show kindness to Yaakov and mercy to Avraham,
As You did promise to our fathers of old."
http://www.ou.org/chagim/roshhashannah/tashlich.html
^More.
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Re: "And You will cast into the depths of the sea
all their sins; "
Fine...except this is an allegorical allusion to The Holy One absolving sins, not the people themselves tossing bits of bread to goldfish and Great White Sharks.
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Most rice cakes have taste now, they have a good caramel or chocolate coating. I think the best joke in that list was caraway. :::D
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I have been studying to convert and I have a siddur. My sidur (Tehilat H") says nothing about throwing bread to the water. It describes Tashlich as a prayer and shaking one's clothes or Talit symbolizing getting rid of sins.
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Re: "I have been studying to convert and I have a siddur. My sidur (Tehilat H") says nothing about throwing bread to the water. It describes Tashlich as a prayer and shaking one's clothes or Talit symbolizing getting rid of sins. "
I am willing to change my position.
I can accept Jews rounding up Muzzies and tossing them into a sea full of sharks, symbolizing getting rid of Jewish sins.
End result:
Jews absolved.
Sharks happy.
MassuhD happy.
;D
p.s. - and the world a better and brighter place!
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Re: "Tashlich "
This would seem to have no basis in Torah. :o
I don't recall anything in the Law suggesting this
That's because it doesn't.
The Artscroll book says this originated in the Middle Ages.
Rabbi Bar Hayim said it's a pagan ritual that crept into Judaism and must be stopped.
I personally refrained from doing this custom this year.
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My rabbi had us do it without bread. He explained that even though it is customary to use bread. This mitzva is the prayer and not the bread. Many people will throw the bread and not realize what they should be concentrating on. I prefer to use bread, but if people are going to throw it without making the prayer, I see the point.
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Going to shul 4 times in 2 days, plus right back for Shabbat after was enough for me. Maybe next year I sort out some bread crumbs.