Q. Why is it permitted to eat the different fruits and foods on Rosh Hashana and there is no prohibition of following omens when imbuing the Simanim with superstitious powers?
A. Eating the Simanim is an ancient custom but it’s not an obligation like eating matzah and maror at the Seder. The source for the minhag of consuming Simanim in Rosh Hashana is the Talmud in tractate Krisos (6a) and Horios (12a). Abaye says, “Having established that symbolic gestures are significant, on Rosh Hashana one should eat things like gourds, fenugreek, leeks, beets and dates.”
Mefarshim and Poskim explain the permitted reason on doing them and why they are not at all omens or similar.
Maharal (Beer Hagola, Beer Sheni) quotes Ramban (Bereshis 12: 6) saying that when there is a heavenly propitious decree given, we should try to give it an actual physical manifestation, so it takes form and persists. This was also the way of the Neviim. (Melachm 2: 13, Yermiyahu 51).
The Shelah maintains that the reason of the Simanim is to internalize and awaken feelings and consciousness that impart and bring it to life our tefilos and prayers. We use the Simanim as a tool to daven and yearn to Hashem for a good year and to awaken in ourselves feeling of closeness of our Father in Heaven.
Ya'avetz comments that the eating itself, as established by the Yehi Ratzon, creates a new entity of 'Simana Milsa', This is similar to our Sages dictum, that "Dreams follow their interpretation" (Brochos 55b).
Horav Shlomo Kluger (Hagahos Shulchan Aruch) opines that the Simanim are not necessarily venues
for Tefilos and prayers, but rather expressions of our inner thoughts and trust in Hashem and His love for us. (See Ra'abiah 2: 547, Ohr Zarua 2: 257, Kedushas Hayom p. 120)
Important Numbers
