Rosh Hashanah 5787
Rosh Hashanah — Day One: Shabbos
Day 1 — Pesicha
Opening the Ark for Krias HaTorah opens the Gateway to Heaven and lets its holiness shine forth on the congregation. This honor is also a segulah for new beginnings, for an easy, healthy, and swift birth, and for any new venture or personal contribution a person is hoping to bring into the world. And just as the Torah scroll is taken out and soon returned, this is also a segulah for one's investments and ventures put out into the world, that they should return full circle, with increase and blessing.
Current bid
$118
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 1 — Kohen / First Aliyah
"And Hashem had remembered Sarah…" The news of Isaac's birth brought laughter and joy to the world, in gratitude to Hashem. Isaac's very name means laughter, and he embodies not just joy but the strength that joy brings. Sarah herself could not imagine, at her age, that this blessing was possible, so this honor is also associated with blessings beyond what we can imagine, opening our minds to be surprised by the ways Hashem can bless us, even when we think we cannot be blessed. And since this Aliyah is that of the Kohen, whose blessings must flow through love, this honor carries the merit that all the blessings we receive from Hashem come through the channel of love, and be experienced as love.
Current bid
$72
Winner
Kalman B.
Day 1 — Levi / Second Aliyah
"For your descendants will be called through Isaac." Sarah, overwhelmed with joy, declares, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children," astonished once again by a blessing beyond anything she could have expected. Abraham makes a great feast to celebrate Isaac's weaning. This honor carries that same thread from the Aliyah before it, blessings beyond our imagination, and adds to it the merit of truly celebrating and appreciating the blessings in our life, pausing to feel their joy rather than letting them pass by unnoticed.
Starting bid
$28
Closed
Day 1 — Shlishi / Third Aliyah
Hashem promises that Ishmael, too, will become a nation, for he is Abraham's seed. Ishmael is sent from the household along with Hagar, yet the promise of nationhood remains his, not because of anything he has earned, but purely because of his lineage to Abraham. This honor carries the blessing of an unconditional inheritance as children of Abraham, one we carry regardless of how deserving or undeserving we may feel based on our own actions. Unlike the descendants of Ishmael, who were irresponsible, we will merit to build on that inheritance responsibly.
Current bid
$75
Winner
Anonymous
Day 1 — Revi’i / Fourth Aliyah
"There, where he is": Ishmael, dying of thirst, cries out, and an angel opens Hagar's eyes to a well of water, saving his life. Tradition, brought in the Shulchan Aruch, holds this among the most preeminent Aliyot of the day, teaching that Hashem judges a person not by their past, nor by what they may yet become, but by who they sincerely are in that moment, "ba'asher hu sham." If Hashem could judge Ishmael this way, whose descendants would one day bring great difficulty to the Jewish people, we trust He will judge us the same, by our sincere and innocent moments, and accept our teshuvah, securing a sweet and successful new year.
Current bid
$72
Winner
Anne H.
Day 1 — Chamishi / Fifth Aliyah
Avimelech, king of the Philistines, approaches Abraham to make a treaty of mutual trust between them. On a deeper level, Avimelech represents the animal soul within each of us, that which is self-serving, and Abraham the Godly soul. This honor is associated with the blessing of peace and trust, not only between ourselves and others, but between these two parts within us, that they work together in harmony rather than conflict, like a rider and horse, so that we feel whole and peaceful rather than pulled in two directions.
Current bid
$88
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 1 — Shishi / Sixth Aliyah
Abraham sets aside seven ewe-lambs as witness that he dug the well in dispute with Avimelech's servants, and only then is the treaty at Be'er Sheva sealed. Abraham does not stay silent about the wrong done to him, even while making peace with Avimelech. This honor carries the merit that some peace requires compromise, but true peace can also be made without compromising on what is rightfully ours, standing firm even as we pursue harmony with others.
Current bid
$60
Winner
Anonymous
Day 1 — Shevi’i / Seventh Aliyah
Abraham plants a tree, the eishel, at Be'er Sheva to provide hospitality for wayfarers, and calls out there in the Name of Hashem. This honor is associated with the merit of hospitality, and drawing others closer to Hashem, as Abraham did with his great wealth. This honor grants the merit to be more hospitable, whether with greater resources, a more open heart, or a home large enough to host more.
Current bid
$72
Winner
Anonymous
Day 1 — Hagbah
By raising the Torah, one becomes a partner with everyone honored before, elevating their merit and reaping its reward as well. This is among the most ancient and highest honors of the day. There is also a beautiful thought that by raising the Torah up to honor it with reverence and respect, we initiate a reciprocity from Above, that Hashem should revere and honor the things we cherish and have contributed to the world, our children foremost among them, along with our work, our teachings, and all we bring into being. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$180
Winner
Anonymous
Day 1 — Gelilah
By raising the Torah, one becomes a partner with everyone honored before, elevating their merit and reaping its reward as well. This is among the most ancient and highest honors of the day. There is also a beautiful thought that by raising the Torah up to honor it with reverence and respect, we initiate a reciprocity from Above, that Hashem should revere and honor the things we cherish and have contributed to the world, our children foremost among them, along with our work, our teachings, and all we bring into being. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$28
Winner
Layla R.
Day 1 — Maftir
The Haftorah tells the story of Chana, who came to Shiloh on Rosh Hashanah itself, brokenhearted and childless, and cried out to Hashem in tears, "va'tivkeh v'lo tocheil," she wept and could not eat. Our sages teach that the gates of tears are never locked, even when other gates may be. It was specifically on Rosh Hashanah that her prayer pierced the Heavenly Gates and was answered with a son, the prophet Samuel. The Lubavitcher Rebbe would recite this Haftorah in tears, sobbing through every word, for he understood how deeply this was a story about all of us. This honor carries the merit of sincere, heartfelt prayer itself, and the blessing that such prayer, like Chana's, pierces the Heavenly Gates and is answered.
Current bid
$180
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 1 — Hagbah, 2nd Torah
By raising the Torah, one becomes a partner with everyone honored before, elevating their merit and reaping its reward as well. This is among the most ancient and highest honors of the day. There is also a beautiful thought that by raising the Torah up to honor it with reverence and respect, we initiate a reciprocity from Above, that Hashem should revere and honor the things we cherish and have contributed to the world, our children foremost among them, along with our work, our teachings, and all we bring into being. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$90
Winner
Yitzchok A.
Day 1 — Gelilah, 2nd Torah
By raising the Torah, one becomes a partner with everyone honored before, elevating their merit and reaping its reward as well. This is among the most ancient and highest honors of the day. There is also a beautiful thought that by raising the Torah up to honor it with reverence and respect, we initiate a reciprocity from Above, that Hashem should revere and honor the things we cherish and have contributed to the world, our children foremost among them, along with our work, our teachings, and all we bring into being. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$36
Winner
Zissi K.
Rosh Hashanah — Day Two: Sunday
Day 2 — Pesicha
Opening the Ark for Krias HaTorah opens the Gateway to Heaven and lets its holiness shine forth on the congregation. This honor is also a segulah for new beginnings, for an easy, healthy, and swift birth, and for any new venture or personal contribution a person is hoping to bring into the world. And just as the Torah scroll is taken out and soon returned, this is also a segulah for one's investments and ventures put out into the world, that they should return full circle, with increase and blessing.
Current bid
$84
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 2 — Kohen / First Aliyah
This portion is the Akeidah, the Binding of Yitzchak, read specifically so that Hashem should remember Avraham and Yitzchak's faith and self-sacrifice, and in their merit judge us with goodness this year. This honor carries the merit of that same devotion: that our own sacrifices for what matters most be met with Hashem's mercy in turn. And since this Aliyah is that of the Kohen, whose blessings must flow through love, this honor also carries the merit that all the blessings we receive come through the channel of love.
Current bid
$54
Winner
Kalman B.
Day 2 — Levi / Second Aliyah
"And they went together." Though Isaac had come to realize he was to be offered, father and son still walked forward with common purpose and joy in fulfilling Hashem's word. This honor is associated with bringing parents and children together in shared service to Hashem.
Starting bid
$36
Closed
Day 2 — Shlishi / Third Aliyah
At the height of the Akeidah, Avraham told Yitzchak, "Hashem Yireh," Hashem will see to it, promising that whatever was truly needed would be provided at the exact moment it was needed. Moments later, the ram appeared. Avraham named the site for that promise, and Hashem later combined it with Shem's name for the place, "Shalem," to form Yerushalayim: "He will see peace." This honor carries the merit of that same promise: that our true needs, health, parnassah, peace of mind, are provided exactly when we need them, and that our lives be filled with the peace of Yerushalayim.
Current bid
$280
Winner
Shmuel C.
Day 2 — Revi’i / Fourth Aliyah
Because Avraham did not withhold his son, Hashem swears, for the very first time in the Torah, "I will surely bless you and greatly increase your descendants, as the stars of the heavens and the sand on the seashore." Because it came as an oath, this blessing cannot be revoked; it stands secure regardless of how deserving we feel in any given moment. This honor carries the merit of that same sworn blessing: abundant increase: in children and in sustenance, guaranteed and secure.
Current bid
$120
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 2 — Chamishi / Fifth Aliyah
Our Sages teach (Megillah 13b) that Hashem always prepares the cure before the wound: the solution to a difficulty is already in place before we even feel it. This very portion is a direct example: fresh from the Akeidah, Avraham began to worry that Yitzchak needed a wife, and at that very moment, word came that Rivkah had already been born, the one destined for him, before Avraham had even voiced the concern. This honor carries the merit of that same providence, and is especially a segulah for finding one's shidduch: that the right match, like the right answer to any difficulty, is already being prepared, often before we even know to look for it.
Current bid
$118
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 2 — Maftir
When the Patriarchs and Moshe each pleaded on behalf of the Jewish people in exile, none were answered. Only Rachel's tears moved Hashem to promise redemption, because Rachel, watching her sister Leah about to be shamed under the chuppah, quietly gave up her own moment of joy and revealed her secret signs so Leah could take her place as Yaakov's wife. Hashem answers her directly: "Restrain your voice from weeping... there is reward for your labor... your children shall return to their border." This honor carries the merit of that same quiet selflessness: that our own sacrifices for others, especially the ones no one sees or thanks us for, truly move the heavens, bringing swift reward, and hastening the final redemption.
Current bid
$360
Winner
Dovid V.
Day 2 — Hagbah
By raising the Torah, one elevates every Aliyah that came before it and receives their reward as well. The Shulchan Aruch rules that this honor should be given to the most distinguished member of the congregation; this is the most ancient and highest honor purchased on Rosh Hashanah. The one who raises this Torah also merits holding it during the Blowing of the Shofar, becoming a partner with the Ba'al Tokei'ah in drawing down these mystical elevations from Above. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$180
Winner
Anonymous
Day 2 — Gelilah
By raising the Torah, one elevates every Aliyah that came before it and receives their reward as well. The Shulchan Aruch rules that this honor should be given to the most distinguished member of the congregation; this is the most ancient and highest honor purchased on Rosh Hashanah. The one who raises this Torah also merits holding it during the Blowing of the Shofar, becoming a partner with the Ba'al Tokei'ah in drawing down these mystical elevations from Above. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$72
Winner
Shmuel C.
Day 2 — Hagbah, 2nd Torah
By raising the Torah, one elevates every Aliyah that came before it and receives their reward as well. The Shulchan Aruch rules that this honor should be given to the most distinguished member of the congregation; this is the most ancient and highest honor purchased on Rosh Hashanah. The one who raises this Torah also merits holding it during the Blowing of the Shofar, becoming a partner with the Ba'al Tokei'ah in drawing down these mystical elevations from Above. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$180
Winner
Yisroel Z.
Day 2 — Gelilah, 2nd Torah
By raising the Torah, one elevates every Aliyah that came before it and receives their reward as well. The Shulchan Aruch rules that this honor should be given to the most distinguished member of the congregation; this is the most ancient and highest honor purchased on Rosh Hashanah. The one who raises this Torah also merits holding it during the Blowing of the Shofar, becoming a partner with the Ba'al Tokei'ah in drawing down these mystical elevations from Above. And in also wrapping this same Torah closed again, HaKol holeich achar ha'chitum, "everything follows the seal," this honor gathers in and secures the benefit of everything that came before, sealing all of that merit as one's own.
Current bid
$90
Winner
Leibel M.