Society

Hasidim in Uman prayed and shook off sins during Rosh Hashanah celebrations (video)

EXCLUSIVE

Hasidim in Uman performed the Tashlich ritual, a symbolic throwing of sins into the water. This year, more than 33,000 Hasidim who came to Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah took part in this traditional rite. Iryna Rybnytska, executive director of the Historical and Cultural Centre of Uman charity foundation, told this in an exclusive commentary to "Komersant Ukrainian" .

In the evening, pilgrims gathered on the banks of the ponds where fish are found, said special prayers and symbolically got rid of their sins.

“Tashlich is an important part of the Rosh Hashanah celebration, as it is believed that during this ritual a person cleanses himself of the negative of the past year and prepares for a new beginning. Traditionally, during the ritual, Hasidim ask the Almighty for forgiveness and pray that their sins will never be remembered again,” said Iryna Rybnytska, executive director of the Uman Historical and Cultural Centre charity foundation.

She explained that Tashlich symbolises the process of spiritual purification, and it is performed on Rosh Hashanah. If there is no river nearby, the Hasidim perform the ritual near any body of water or even a well.

“Water alludes to life and spiritual purity. When a person repents, they are spiritually elevated and purified, and their sins are washed away by water. There is a custom to shake off the edges of one’s clothes when reciting the tashlich prayer. This is a hint that our sins do not reflect our inner being, but are external to us. We have committed them only after succumbing to harmful influences from the outside, and therefore we can ‘shake’ them off,” Rybnytska explained.

This time, the Tashlich ceremony was held near two small ponds nearby, where thousands of pilgrims offered their prayers and performed the ritual.

Iryna Rybnytska said that the Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage in Uman went off without major violations or incidents, as this year’s pilgrimage was organised at a high level thanks to law enforcement agencies, local authorities and several foundations that organised the pilgrimage.

Most pilgrims return home to Israel, the United States, the EU and other countries immediately after the end of Shabbat on 5 October.

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