Lost in the Rosh Hashanah Service? 15 Terms You Need to Know

You open the machzor, flip through the pages trying to find your place, and hear words like Tashrat, Malchuyot, and tekiyot d’meumad all around you. If it seems like everyone else knows exactly what’s happening and you’re the only one who doesn’t, don’t worry. We put together this quick glossary to help you make sense of some of the most common terms you’ll hear on Rosh Hashanah.

1. Machzor

The special prayer book used for Jewish holidays. Unlike the siddur, which accompanies us on weekdays and Shabbat, the machzor contains the prayers, piyyutim, and additions unique to each holiday.

Before heading to synagogue, make sure your machzor is for Rosh Hashanah and follows the prayer tradition used by your minyan.

2. Shaliach Tzibbur

The shaliach tzibbur (or shatz, for short) leads the prayer service and prays on behalf of the congregation. This role is not simply about being a chazzan with a beautiful voice. The shaliach tzibbur serves as the congregation’s representative, asking Hashem for mercy on its behalf.

3. Chazarat HaShatz

After the congregation finishes the silent Amidah, the shaliach tzibbur repeats it aloud. On Rosh Hashanah, many piyyutim and special additions are incorporated into the repetition.

4. Musaf

Musaf is an additional prayer recited on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and holidays, corresponding to the additional offering that was brought in the Beit Hamikdash.

On Rosh Hashanah, Musaf includes the day’s three special themes: Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot.

5. Piyyut

A piyyut is a sacred poem composed for use in prayer. Some piyyutim are recited by the chazzan, some by the entire congregation, and others in alternating parts between the chazzan and congregation.

The selection and order of piyyutim vary among different communities and prayer traditions.

6. HaMelech

During Shacharit on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the shaliach tzibbur chants the words “HaMelech yoshev al kisei ram venisa” at the end of Nishmat Kol Chai in a distinctive, stirring melody.

The word HaMelech, “the King,” emphasizes one of the central themes of the day: recognizing Hashem’s kingship.

7. Unetaneh Tokef

One of the most famous and moving piyyutim of the High Holiday prayers, Unetaneh Tokef describes the Day of Judgment, the fragility of human life, and the power of repentance, prayer, and charity.

The familiar lines “Who will live and who will die” and “On Rosh Hashanah they will be inscribed, and on Yom Kippur they will be sealed” come from this prayer.

8. Avinu Malkeinu

Avinu Malkeinu is a prayer recited during the Ten Days of Repentance, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as on public fast days. Each line begins with the words Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, our King,” followed by a request.

The prayer is recited after Chazarat HaShatz during Shacharit and Minchah, with the Aron Kodesh open. When Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, Sephardic Jews recite the prayer, while Ashkenazic Jews do not.

On Yom Kippur, Avinu Malkeinu is recited during nearly every service: Maariv, Shacharit, Minchah, and Neilah.

9. Malchuyot

Malchuyot is the first of the three special sections of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf. It includes verses about Hashem’s kingship and expresses our acceptance of Him as King of the world.

10. Zichronot

Zichronot is the second of the three special sections of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf. It includes verses about Hashem remembering people’s deeds and His covenant with them, emphasizing that every action is known and remembered before Him.

11. Shofarot

Shofarot is the third of the three special sections of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf. It contains verses that mention the shofar, connecting the revelation at Mount Sinai, the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, and the great shofar of the future redemption.

The three sections, Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot, already appear in the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 4:5–6) as a central part of the Rosh Hashanah prayer.

12. Tekiah

A tekiah is a long, continuous blast of the shofar. The person who blows the shofar is called the baal tokea, and before the blasts, a gabbai or designated caller usually announces which sound should be blown.

A tekiah is one steady sound rather than a series of shorter sounds.

If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, the shofar is not blown that day. The blasts are heard on the second day.

13. Shevarim

Shevarim consists of three short, medium-length sounds that resemble sighs. Shevarim expresses a broken heart and an awakening toward repentance.

The sounds are shorter than a tekiah but longer than the brief sounds of a teruah.

14. Teruah

A teruah is a rapid series of very short sounds.

The reason both shevarim and teruah are blown is connected to an ancient uncertainty over exactly what the teruah commanded by the Torah should sound like: sighs, short sobs, or a combination of both. Therefore, all of these possibilities are included in the shofar blasts.

The sequences are explained in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, 590).

15. Tashrat, Tashat, and Tarat

These terms are acronyms representing different sequences of shofar blasts:

Tashrat: tekiah, shevarim, teruah, tekiah.

Tashat: tekiah, shevarim, tekiah.

Tarat: tekiah, teruah, tekiah.

The first sequence of blasts is heard before Musaf and is known as tekiyot d’meyushav. Additional blasts are heard during Musaf or during the Chazarat HaShatz that follows and are known as tekiyot d’meumad.

In practice, many communities stand for the first blasts as well, so the names do not necessarily describe what you will actually see around you (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 592).

A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

Once you know the key terms, the Rosh Hashanah service becomes much easier to follow. Keep this glossary handy, and instead of worrying about what comes next, you can focus on the meaning of the prayers and the significance of the day.