The "In" Siman (Symbolic) Foods For Rosh HaShanah 5770

26 of the Sixth Month 5769

The "In" Siman (Symbolic) Foods For Rosh HaShanah 5770 were created by yours truly!

You have all heard the one about having lettuce, raisins, and celery on the table on Rosh HaShanah, right? "Lettuce have a raisin celery." (Let us have a raise in salary.) While at work, another siman food, in English, sort of just came to me.

Qishu'im are those "not-quite-zucchinis" I mention periodically on this blog. More precisely, they are green squash. We should have them on the table this year, and say "May our enemies be squashed." If that's too politically incorrect for you, then you could say, "May my yesher hara be squashed." Or if that is still too intense, then say "May my squash game improve this year." I was so excited about how clever I was, that I just had to go around telling everyone at work. Unfortunately, my brilliance was met with only lukewarm response.


One of my superiors was even more clever, challenging me to think of a proper place for chocolate in the collection of siman foods on the table. I met his challenge. Being a grammar nut finally paid off. I couldn't think of any interesting connection in English. So, I broke apart the word in Hebrew to see what I could find. שוקולד (shoqolad) is the Hebrew used for chocolate. ש I set aside. It could mean "that" or "which." Then is hit me. קלד (Q/L/D) is the root used for typing. להקליד (lehaqlid) means "to type" and מקלדת (miqledeth) is a "keyboard." From this analysis, I came up with שנוקלד בספר החיים (she nuqlad b'sefer hahayim).

"May we be typed into the Book of Life!"

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You can check out the picture of a chocolate keyboard at Geek Alerts.

And don't forget to make sure that the chocolate you put on the same table with a meat meal is pareve (neutral/non-dairy)!