The pomegranate has been growing in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years, and has become a symbol of Judaism, Israel, and Rosh Hashanah. In Israel, the pomegranate is the centerpiece on the Rosh Hashanah table.
Below, find key questions and activities to bring the pomegranate to your Rosh Hashanah table and other educational settings this new year and for years to come!
The pomegranate (רִמּוֹן, rimon) is written about in the Bible. It is one of the seven species identified with the Land of Israel, and is also mentioned as a symbol of royalty:
Exodus 28:33-34 – The robe worn by the High Priest was decorated with pomegranates.
1 Kings 7:13-22 – Pomegranates were depicted on the Temple King Solomon built in Jerusalem, and it is also said that King Solomon designed his crown based on the "crown" of the pomegranate.
We often use the expression "planting seeds" in reference to instilling a strong foundation that has the ability to grow. But what's unique to the seeds of the pomegranate?
According to the Midrash, every pomegranate contains 613 seeds – the same as the number of mitzvot in the Torah. So, eating a pomegranate can be a symbolic way of displaying the desire to fulfill the mitzvot.
"...We eat pomegranates as a symbolic gesture in the hope that our merits will increase like the seeds of a pomegranate." (Source)
The synonymous relationship between Israel and the pomegranate can be seen through the many depictions on the streets, in stores, and hanging on walls of Israeli homes. The pomegranate has become a symbol of Israel, and artists depict it in a variety of ways.
Pomegranates grow on trees and as they become heavier, they approach the ground. Some scholars speculate that the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit offered to Eve in the Garden of Eden. When discussing themes related to Rosh Hashanah (cycles, new harvest, rebirth), trees and the fruits they bear fit right in.
