תקפג דברים שנוהגים לאכול בראש השנה ובו [ח]' סעיפים

Foods Customarily Eaten on Rosh Hashanah

1. A person should be accustomed to eat on Rosh Hashanah: leeks, spinach (that is, Swiss chard), dates, gourd, and black-eyed peas (that is, fenugreek).

And similarly, anything that in other languages is called by a name that implies increase, all the people of each country should eat according to their language.

And when eating black-eyed peas or similar foods, one should say: "May it be Your will that our merits increase."

And when eating leeks, one should say: "May it be Your will that our enemies be cut off."

And when eating spinach, one should say: "May it be Your will that our adversaries be removed."

And when eating dates, one should say: "May it be Your will that our enemies come to an end."

And when eating gourd, one should say: "May it be Your will that the decree of our judgment be torn up, and that our merits be proclaimed before You."

And there are those who have the custom to eat a sweet apple dipped in honey, and they say: "May a sweet year be renewed for us."

One should recite the blessing over the apple, and not over the honey, since the honey is secondary to the apple.

2. There are those who eat fish, as a sign to be fruitful and multiply like fish.

And one should not cook with vinegar.

3. For all types of foods that require a blessing when eaten during the meal, such as apples and dates, one should say the request after beginning to eat, because it is forbidden to interrupt between the blessing and the eating.

4. There are those who have the custom to dip the piece of bread for hamotzi in honey.

And some eat pomegranates and say: "May our merits increase like the pomegranate."

And it is customary to eat fatty meat and to drink honey and all kinds of sweet foods, so that this year will be sweet and rich.

And so it is written in Ezra (Nechemiah 8:10): "Eat rich foods and drink sweet beverages."

5. One should eat a ram's head, as a remembrance of the ram of Yitzchok. And if there is no ram's head, one should eat a sheep's head. And if there is no sheep's head, one should eat another head, to say: "May we be as a head and not as a tail."

6. There are those who are careful not to eat nuts and hazelnuts (meaning small nuts), because they increase phlegm and saliva, and disturb prayer.

7. It is customary to go to a river that has live fish, as a sign that the evil eye should not have power over us, and that we should be fruitful and multiply like fish.

And there, one says the verse: "He will again have mercy on us… and You will cast…"

And it is preferable that this be outside the city.

And one should go on the first day of Rosh Hashanah after mincha, before sunset, and say the verse: "Who is a G‑d like You…"

8. It is customary not to sleep during the day on Rosh Hashanah, so that one's fortune should not sleep.

And one who sits idle is considered as if he is sleeping.

And there are those who have the custom to sleep after midday.