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 23, 2024).

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28 Comments

Michelle Smith Long Beach September 19, 2023

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." Reply

Anonymous Los Angeles October 7, 2019

Can you say Tashlich at night? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org November 17, 2019

in response to Anonymous:

Tashlich is only done during the daytime. Reply

Anonymous October 11, 2017

Can Tashlich be said after Sukkot? Reply

Mendel Adelman October 15, 2017

in response to Anonymous:

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. Reply

Anonymous Manchester September 29, 2017

Can Tashlich be said up to Sukkot? Reply

Chana Benjaminson September 29, 2017

in response to Anonymous:

Yes, it can be said until Hoshana Rabba, the last day of Sukkot. Reply

Sarit Las Vegas, NV September 24, 2017

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? Reply

Eli 11213 September 25, 2017

in response to Sarit:

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. Reply

Jesse Corey September 19, 2017

Is it OK if one cannot do Tashlich and must skip it one year? Reply

Gershon KS September 25, 2017

in response to Jesse Corey:

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. Reply

Chabad.org Staff October 25, 2016

To Gila Yes, Tashlich can still be said on Hoshana Rabba. Reply

Gila Monsey October 23, 2016

Up until including today? Tashlich can still be said? Reply

Eli 11213 November 20, 2014

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... Reply

Shaul Wolf Chabad.org November 11, 2014

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. Reply

Eli 11213 October 26, 2014

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? Reply

Amy G September 4, 2013

To Rochel Chein To Rochel Chein, thank you for the quick respond it has help a lot blessings to all. Reply

Kat WA September 3, 2013

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! Reply

Rochel Chein for chabad.org September 3, 2013

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.) Reply

Amy G. September 2, 2013

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. Reply

Grace in GA winder, GA September 17, 2012

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! Reply

Anonymous St. John's, Newfoundland September 12, 2012

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. Reply

Hope Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire August 30, 2012

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. Reply

D Toronto October 4, 2011

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). Reply

Gerson September 7, 2010

RE: What to do? Will you be able to get to water before the last day of Sukkot? If so, do tashlich then... Reply