The ritual of Tashlich on Rosh Hashana has always struck me as both mysterious and symbolic. As a child growing up in an observant, chassidic home, I would walk with my family to the water’s edge of the Chicago River, recite the prescribed prayers, and watch as people shook out their garments as though ridding themselves of their sins. We were taught that the fish in the water, immune to the “evil eye,” could somehow take on these sins without consequence, leaving us unburdened as we entered the new year.

At the time, it felt like a curious ceremony, sacred certainly, but distant. More performative than transformative.

This year, however, the ritual unfolded differently for me. As I dressed in black to go out, I was struck by the thought that perhaps Tashlich can signify something deeper than casting crumbs........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)