Tizku Leshanim Rabbot * (Mercoledi Musicale)

From a 13th century Jewish Prayer Book.

*May you merit many years

Though there are many greetings for the New Year as observed by my Jewish friends I have always preferred the Sephardi greeting that is the title of this post.  Perhaps because I think the response is a particularly fitting one:

Ne'imot VeTovot  - pleasant and good ones

I was hard pressed to find any traditional music for Rosh Hasanah as most of what appears on YouTube is a little more oriented to a younger crowd so decided to go with one of the versicles set by Salomone Rossi the Hebrew, the great Jewish composer of the Renaissance.   Surely any psalm as exultant as this is appropriate for the beginning of the year 5775?

Baruch haba b'sheim Adonai

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD; we bless you out of the house of the Lord.
The LORD is God, and hath given us light; order the festival procession with boughs, even unto the horns of the altar. 
Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto Thee; Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee.
O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good; his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 118: 26-29

JPS - 1917

And as the first evening prayer of the new year ends I wish all of my friends who are commemorating this feast tonight:  Le'Shanah Tovah Tikoseiv Veseichoseim (Le'Alter LeChaim Tovim U'Leshalom).


September 24 - 1852: The first airship powered by (a steam) engine, created by Henri Giffard, travels 17 miles (27 km) from Paris to Trappes.

Tizku leshanim rabbot*

Ne'imot ve-tovot**

To all my friends, not just those celebrating this feast day: may your year be filled with the tartness of apples and the sweetness of honey; may your blessings be as numerous as the seeds of the pomegranate and the fish of the sea; may your happiness be as intoxicating as a flagon of good wine; may your laughter be as joyful as a sounding trumpet; and may there always be a candle to ban the darkness from your life.


The traditional Sephardic greeting for Rosh Hashanah:

*May you merit many years!

and the response:

**Pleasant and good one!

16 September - 1966: The Metropolitan Opera House opens at Lincoln Center in New York City with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's opera, Antony and Cleopatra.

L'shana tova - שנה טובה