One of the more prominent culinary aspects of Rosh Hashana, the subject of a popular song, is eating an apple dipped in honey accompanied by a prayer for a good and sweet year. A full gamut of simanim, or symbolic foods, is outlined in the Talmud (Kerisus 6a, Horayos 12a) by the amora Abaye[1] spanning a range of agricultural edibles customarily eaten after reciting a specific yehi ratzon mentioning the particular good decree to which that item alludes. Different communities have added other meal customs and prayers - including the apple dipped in honey, not mentioned by the Talmud[2] - or modified the Talmudic foods in light of the availability of particular produce in that place and season.[3]
What is the meaning behind these customs? Do we somehow think we can "eat our way into the Book of Life?" The Maharal (Chiddushei Agaddos Horayos 12a, Be'er Hagolah 2) commenting on the aforementioned Gemara provides a deeper insight as to what we are trying to accomplish based on a theme developed by Ramban (Bereishis 12:6). Explaining Chazal's teaching of "מעשה אבות סימן לבנים", Ramban develops the concept of a po'eil dimyon or a demonstrative act of prophecy. Throughout Tanach, various prophets were commanded to act out their prophecies ranging from demonstrating a pretend siege of a model Beis Hamikdash to throwing stones into a river to eating various symbolic foods to getting hit by others. The purpose of these actions, explains Ramban, was to "seal in the prophecy" into the future historical record such that they would not be subject to change or repeal. This was also the purpose of the Divinely-orchestrated actions of the Avos. They were not just demonstrating future Jewish and world history, they were generating it.[4] Based on this, Maharal explains that we are trying to "seal in" a decree for a good, sweet year filled with avodas Hashem (e.g. "sheyirbu zechuyoseinu k'rimon - may our merits increase like the seeds of a pomegranate" recited over the consumption of that fruit) and physical bounty and peace (e.g. "sheyitamu son'einu - may our enemies cease" and "shenifreh v'nirbeh k'dagim - may we multiply like fish" recited on the tamar (date) and fish respectively).
At first glance, this comparison of Maharal is difficult to understand. The prophets acted out a prophecy already given to them or about to be delivered to them by Hashem. In the case of Rosh Hashana, certainly on the first night,[5] the decree has not yet been decided nor is one guaranteed that the decree will be a good one. How then can we seal in a good decree by consuming the simanim?
Various approaches ranging from the practical to the mystical have been offered in answer to this question. Perhaps we can suggest an approach based on a teaching of Rav Tzadok Hakohein of Lublin. He taught that in addition to believing in Hashem, a person has to, l'havdil, believe in himself, in his own formidable abilities. Without a confidence in his ability to change, lasting teshuva would be impossible, and vidui and future commitments to better himself would be futile and meaningless. But a person can change, having been endowed by his Creator with supernatural abilities rooted in his soul, created b'tzelem Elokim, and being accompanied by Hashem's constant assistance throughout his life. By eating the simanim and reciting the prayers, we inspire confidence within ourselves to make the year into a year of blessing by acting upon our commitments to teshuva. These symbolic acts serve as catalysts to awaken within us the desire and confidence that we can transform ourselves. It is the thoughts of teshuva caused by these actions that causes a Heavenly decree of life and happiness to be issued. As such, these symbolic acts have the power not only to inspire the repentance, but also to "seal in" the good decree generated by this teshuva commitment similar to the effect of a po'eil dimyon.
Similarly, Rav Shlomo Wolbe zt"l once explained - in answer to the commonly asked question as to why actual teshuva does not appear to be a part of the Rosh Hashana prayer service in direct contrast to Yom Kippur where vidui is such a prominent feature of the liturgy - that if someone is to properly repent, they have to have confidence that they have good qualities also. The power of these good qualities can then be marshalled to overcome one's less than stellar qualities in the quest for a more perfect service of G-d. He explained that therefore the day of Rosh Hashana is designated not for direct repentance from past misdeeds but rather to demonstrate the most perfect avodas Hashem we can muster. The days of Rosh Hashana are to be ones in which our prayers are recited with intense concentration, our meals are eaten with less frivolity and more divrei Torah at which the blessings are recited properly and with concentration, a day on which we lessen idle chatter, and, according to common custom, eliminate or lessen daily naps utilizing the extra time for the recital of Tehilim or the study of Torah. On these days we demonstrate to Hashem and ultimately to ourselves what we can be even though we are not necessarily there yet. Rav Wolbe found an allusion to this in the basic unit of blowing the shofar. The straight sound, the initial teki'a indicates man's perfect state before sin tainted him. The broken sound of the teru'a indicates his sinful state necessitating teshuva. The final straight sound triumphantly indicates the possibility of returning to his original perfect state. Similarly, Rosh Hashana parallels the initial teki'a, our more perfect actions on those days indicating our initial and potential perfection. The intense process of teshuva of the intermediate days following Rosh Hashana parallel the teru'a where we sense our broken state and act to correct it. And finally, the climax of Yom Kippur follows - symbolized by the final teki'a - by the end of which hopefully we have at least come one step closer to returning to the initial perfection we possessed and initially demonstrated on Rosh Hashana.
Many have noted Rosh Hashana's significance as the head or beginning and hence, foundation, of the rest the year. On the infrastructure of these days, similar to the foundation of a tall edifice, we literally build the rest of our year. Perhaps we can suggest that the more perfect behavior of Rosh Hashana serves as the most potent po'eil dimyon, much more powerful than the eating of the simanim, to ensure a good year. Just as the Avos, representing the root and foundation of the Jewish people, through their actions, created Jewish history, in a smaller way, we, through our more perfect avoda on the foundational day of Rosh Hashana create our history for that year.
May the more elevated forms of Avodas Hashem we aspire to and enact at the beginning of the New Year both serve as inspiration to us as to what kind of people we can really be and serve as a po'eil dimyon to seal in גזירות טובות לנו ולכל בית ישראל!
[1] Curiously, the Rambam omits this entire custom from his Mishne Torah.
[2] See Tur and Beis Yosef (O.C. 583). As some additional examples, the Rema records the custom not to eat nuts since the Hebrew word for nut, egoz, has the same numerical value as cheit, or sin. GR"A records the custom not to eat grapes. Some base this on the opinion that the Eitz Hadaas, the object of the very first sin, was a grape vine.
[3] For example, the Talmud lists ruvya as an allusion to an increase of merit (l'harbos). In Europe, carrots were typically used instead since in Yiddish the word for carrots is mehren which also means more.
[4] Fascinatingly, Ramban (introduction to Shemos) notes that for this reason the entire first book of the Torah and not just the first section is called Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation) by Chazal since it contains the narratives of the creation of the world and the creation of Jewish history generated by the actions of the Avos and Shevatim.
[5] Customs vary whether the simanim are eaten on the second night.