Tashlich
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah after the afternoon prayer, we go to a lake, river or sea (preferably a body of water that has fish), and recite the Tashlich prayers, wherein we symbolically cast our sins into the water and leave our old shortcomings behind us, thus starting the new year with a clean slate.
If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, Tashlich is done on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. If one is unable to perform this ceremony on Rosh Hashanah, one may do so until the last day of Sukkot (this year, October 2, 2026).
Click here to find a Tashlich service near you.
The reasons for the Tashlich custom, its history, and how it's done...
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The Hebrew/English text of the Tashlich prayer, accompanied by kabbalistic meditations, to be printed before Rosh Hashanah.
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On the “custom” of throwing bread into the water on Rosh Hashanah
Contrary to what some believe,
feeding the fish is not part of the Tashlich
ritual.
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The Tashlich ritual has is origins in the very birth of Judaism . . .
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Rosh Hashanah 1956
It was a drenching downpour. Three minutes outdoors was enough to soak you to the bone. But the annual march proceeded as usual. We arrived at the park, however, only to find the gates closed and locked.
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Lectures, information, and even videos for kids about the Tashlich ritual.
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Get up to speed on this Rosh Hashanah afternoon ritual
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Discover why you should not feed the fish at Tashlich.
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Join the Discussion
I went to a beach clean-up Saturday, & tried to throw my last chunk of english muffin into the sea for "tashlich" and the tide kept bringing it back; my friend and I kept trying to throw it back in the water further, but it kept coming back to me! Then I thought of verse 5 (when I look it up now, Psalm 51 has more too):
"3 Be gracious unto me, O G-d, according to Thy mercy; according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgressions.
4 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
5 For I know my transgressions; and ***my sin is ever before me.***
...11 Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
12 Create me a clean heart, O G-d; and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
13 Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
14 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and let a willing spirit uphold me...
19 The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit;
a broken and a contrite heart, O G-d, Thou wilt not despise."
Can you say Tashlich at night?
Tashlich is only done during the daytime.
Can Tashlich be said after Sukkot?
No, Tashlich should not he said after Hoshana Rabbah. See Zohar 31b.
After Hoshana Rabbah, the days of judgement are entirely completed, and tashlich serves no purpose any longer in that regard.
Can Tashlich be said up to Sukkot?
Yes, it can be said until Hoshana Rabba, the last day of Sukkot.
What happens to the fish when we "cast away" our sins? Do they then become full of sin? If the fish we "cast away" to are kosher, does this make them no longer kosher?
We never give the fish our sins...
The fish therefor are perfectly Kosher.
What we are doing is asking G-d to cast our sins in the depth of the seas, not the fish, and not us.
Is it OK if one cannot do Tashlich and must skip it one year?
In a pinch, you can do Tashlich all the way to the last day of Sukkot, and most people can access water within that time-frame. If you are incarcerated or in middle of a desert, trust that G-d can read the meditations of your heart even if you are not able to make it to a pond or river.
To Gila Yes, Tashlich can still be said on Hoshana Rabba.
Up until including today? Tashlich can still be said?
Re: Re: Casting sins
If i am not mistaken that verse is actually a request from Hashem to that he should cast our sins....
Not us casting our sins...
Re: Casting sins The source for this custom is cited by the Ram"a in Shulchan Aruch, and there he quotes the verse from Micha, " And You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins". Clearly, this is an integral aspect of this custom.
Casting Sins?
In the Siddur it says a number of reasons for Tashlich, none of them being 'casting says' which makes me wonder ;)
is there a source for this?
To Rochel Chein To Rochel Chein, thank you for the quick respond it has help a lot blessings to all.
Columbia River We're in Longview, WA and will casting our sins into the Columbia River. Hopefully next year we will be back home in Las Vegas!! Shana Tovah!
To Amy Is there any natural body of water nearby - well, spring, creek? Will you be near one during the weeks following Rosh Hashanah, up until Hoshanah Rabbah (three weeks from the first day of Rosh Hashanah?) If not, Tashlich can be recited by any body of water. With no other option available, it may be allowed to recite Tashlich next to an (empty) sink at home or in the synagogue. (Nitei Gavriel, Hilchot Rosh Hashanah, ch. 69, par. 6 & 7.)
No sea, and no river I live far away from the sea, lake the river is dry, and I don't drive how can I cast my sins with out any of these elements? Can someone help on this thank you.
tashlich I have a stream behind my house that has fish. There hasn't been any rain, but it rained last night and some today on Rosh Hashanah. I went down and saw a good flow.I said my prayer and dropped my bread. Then I realized that it had come to a small dam that it could not pass. So I picked up some pieces with my hand and reached the others with a stick and tossed them into the deeper flowing water. I hope I haven't done anything wrong by picking them up and not leaving them there. ** Shana Tovah!
we are everywhere Well, of course, you may be the first Jew in rural Scotland but there may be others too. Thanks so much for all this information which will be very helpful here in Newfoundland, Canada..just a few minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.
Tashlich in SouthWest Scotland I shall be casting my sins in Wigtown Bay and some of my close Christian friends will be joining me. I doubt very much that Tashlich has ever been performed here and am very much looking forward to bringing it to this part of the world.
Re: what to do Special verses are recited next to a body of water, such as a sea, river, stream, lake or pond, preferably one that has fish (though when no such body of water was available, some rabbis were known to do Tashlich next to a well, even one that dried up, or next to a bucket of water).
If I have not done tashlich yet, may I do it on the first day of Sukkot because I will be staying somewhere that has a spring nearby. I am in Israel and there is no issue of eruv.
Yes you may! Tashlich can be done until Hoshana Rabbah.