Elul / Rosh Hashanah
As mentioned in # 38, here are the various “Yehi Ratzon”s to be said upon eating the various foods. (All transliterations of Ashkenazi Hebrew.) All of the Yehi Ratzons start out the same way:
“Yehi Ratzon Mil’fa’necha, Ad-noi El-heinu Vei’l-hai Avosainu…”
(The “-” represents the letter “o,” which was purposely left out so as not to write out the name of G-d.)
“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers…”
Listed below are the the various foods and the endings which are appropriate to them:
For fenugreek (or carrots – as the Yiddish word for carrots – Mehren – can also mean “to increase,” this Yehi Ratzon is appropriate as well):
“…She’yir’bu ze’chuyo’sainu.”
“…that our merits increase.”
For leek or cabbage:
“…She’yikar’su son’ainu.”
“…that our enemies be decimated.”
For beets:
“…She’yistalku oy’vainu.”
“…that our adversaries be removed.”
For dates:
“…She’yitamu son’ainu.”
“…that our enemies be consumed.”
For gourd:
“…She’yikora g’zar de’nainu v’yikaru l’fanecha zechu’yosainu.”
“…that the decree of our sentance be torn up and may our merits be proclaimed before you.”
For the apple in the honey:
“…she’tichadesh aleinu shana tova u’m’tuka.”
“…that you renew us for a good and sweet year.”
Besides these Yehi Ratzons which are mentioned in #38, here are three others. The connection between the Yehi Ratzon and the food is rather self-evident.
For pomegranate:
“…she’nirbeh ze’chu’yos k’rimon”
“…that our merits increase like (the seeds of) a pomegranate.”
For fish:
“…She’nif’reh v’nir’beh ki’dagim.”
“…that we be fruitful and multiply like fish.”
For the head of a fish or sheep:
“…She’ni’hiyeh l’rosh v’lo l’zanav.”
“…that we be as the head and not as the tail.”
All of these Yehi Ratzons are said on the first night of Rosh HaShana, after Kiddush has been made, and after the blessing over the Chalos (bread) has been made and the bread has been eaten. (There are those who have the custom to eat these foods and recite the Yehi Ratzon on the second night as well.) After the bread had been eaten, one should dip the apple in honey, make the blessing that one would normally make on fruit, and then take a bite of the apple. Before one has eaten the whole apple, one should recite the Yehi Ratzon. After the apple, one can then have all, none, or some of the other foods. There is no order as to which food should be eaten first. ***For more information about the Halachos (laws) regarding these foods, please consult your local Rabbi.***