Tishlich is a service we have by the water side. We leave the synagogue together and travel out to the river (where water flows). We bring along a Challah made special for that day and remember the words of Micah 7.19 that says, “He will take us back in love; He will cover our iniquities. You shall cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Just as leavening represents sin during Pasach, so too does it during Rosh Hashanah. In fact in Matthew 16.6, Yeshua warns us about the leavening of the Pharisees and the Sad’ducees. These sins are also reminded to us in Cor. 5.6-8 “Boasting is not good. Do you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened.”
If your region does not allow the tossing of bread for the safety of the wildlife, then use stones. As we walk to the water we pick up stones along the way, just as we would pickup bad habits or sins in our walk in life, and place them in our pockets. This works extremely well because the stones weigh us down as does our sins. And when we think we have all sins removed (or covered), we usually a little left in our pockets after we are done, so we must try a little harder to rid ourselves of all the sin. This includes those nice pretty stones (sins) that we really don’t want to get rid of yet.
Although it is a symbolic act, it does hold a great meaning. In fact, one year our two boys decided to hold onto some stones just because they were “nice”. As we explained to them, if you don’t rid of all that holds you down, then it becomes easier to have more sins grow because “I already have a couple and they really don’t bother anyone else”.
Keep in mind that the main focus of Rosh Hashanah is the services at the synagogue and not the meal at home. Special as that meal is, the service help us focus on the true meaning of the holiday.
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