Have It Sweet Like Honey, Honey!

The Talmud teaches us that everything that happens in the world is for the good and although many times it seems far from good, you should know that ultimately it somehow is for the good. We therefore wish each other, that not just should you have a good year, but also a sweet one. A year that is not just ultimately for the good, but rather one where the good is obvious to all. A year that is deliciously sweet!

Many give each other Tegalach, Honey Cookies or Honey Cake - known as Lekach. In fact the Chassidic custom is to specifically ask someone, usually the Rabbi, but not necessarily for a piece or a Shtickel Lekach. We hope and pray that if there's anything that we must ask or beg anyone for in the coming year, we should fulfill it with that ask.

It is also the custom of eating sweet foods on Rosh Hashanah itself, especially an Apple dipped in Honey with a special prayer that G-d grant us a good and sweet year. The Challah is dipped in Honey. A special dish known as Tzimmes is a European Carrot Concoction cooked in Honey. As well as many other foods we eat with honey. My mother’s z'ls delicious Tzimmes included Chuck Fleish and Marrow Bones and was one of the most delicious dishes ever. Ah, good memories!

Of course by now you surely know that the theme of Honey throughout this season symbolizes the sweet year we all yearn for. But why specifically Honey? Why not Sugar or Splenda?

For starters, Israel was blessed to be a land flowing with Milk and Honey! Eating Honey, wherever we may be, reminds us of our Ancient Homeland and our deep connection to Israel.

Have you ever seen an expiration date on Honey? Honey can last for a really long time! A quick Google search will tell you that honey can last for centuries, but perhaps it can even last longer than that!

Many times there are people that get blessings. They win the lottery or stumble across a treasure. But the blessings unfortunately don't always last and all their money can disappear as fast as it appeared. On Rosh Hashanah we pray that we not only get a blessed year, but that the blessing lasts.

Furthermore, Honey can be used as a Preservative. When Adam and Eve, whose birthdays we celebrate on Rosh Hashanah, were created, they were commanded to work the earth and to guard it. To protect it and all that it contains. To preserve the world and constantly make it a better place.

I wish each and every one of you a Shana Tovah Umetuka! May you and your families be blessed with a Happy And Healthy, Good And Sweet New Year! May you be showered with blessings and may they last for a very long time! May you always be there for others! May you be a preservative for this beautiful world and help bring it to the perfection G-d has intended for it! May this year be your best year ever!

This year we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah beginning Sunday evening, September 25th, 2022 at sundown and concluding Tuesday evening, September 27th, 2022 at nightfall. To learn more about Rosh Hashanah and the many customs associated with it visit: www.ChabadChayil.org/HHolidays. You can also pick up a FREE Holiday Guide at Chabad Chayil's office or call us and we will be happy to mail it to you.

I encourage you to attend your local Chabad or Synagogue to enjoy Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and all the High Holidays to their fullest. Of course you can always join us at The Family Shul for Services or Holiday Dinner, but you would need to RSVP in advance at: (305) 770-1919 Or visit: www.TheFamilyShul.com. The community dinner will of course include: Apples Dipped in Honey, Traditional Round Challah, Gefilte Fish, my mother’s Tzimmes Recipe, Kugel and all the delicious Holiday Foods!

About the author:
Rabbi Kievman is the ambassador of The Rebbe to Highland Lakes, FL. He's founder of CHAP - an Afterschool Program for Jewish Children in Public Schools, Rabbi at The Family Shul and together with his wife directs Chabad Chayil. He can be reached at: (305) 770-1919. Or at: rabbi@ChabadChayil.org.