What is the Tashlich prayer?

Tashlich (תַּשְׁלִיךְ, literally "you shall cast") is a Rosh Hashanah custom in which Jews go to a body of water after the Mincha (afternoon) prayer and recite verses from the prophet Micah asking God to cast their sins into the depths of the sea. It is a deeply meaningful symbolic act of repentance, combining liturgy, physical gesture, and the natural imagery of flowing water to express the desire for spiritual renewal.

Key Takeaways

Tashlich is performed after Mincha on Rosh Hashanah, preferably at a river or body of water outside the city that contains fish.
The central text is from Micah 7:18–20, beginning with the words "Mi El Kamocha" — "Who is a God like You?"
Participants shake out the corners of their garments as a symbolic gesture of casting away sins.
The fish in the water carry deeper symbolic significance connected to Divine oversight and human vulnerability.
The prayers of Tashlich parallel the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (Shelosh Esreh Midot), making it a powerful moment of invoking God's compassion.

The Practice: What You Do at Tashlich

The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh describes the practice clearly:

"After the Mincha prayer, one goes to the river — and it is preferable that it be outside the city and contain fish. If there is no such river, one goes to another river or to a well, and recites the verses Mi El Kamocha etc., as written in the prayerbooks in the Tashlich order. One shakes out the hems of one's garments — and this is merely a symbolic gesture, to take to heart the casting away of sins and to examine and investigate one's ways from this day forward, so that one's garments shall be white and clean of all sin." [Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 129:21]

The three key elements are:

Going to water (preferably a river with fish, outside the city)
Reciting the prescribed verses, especially from Micah
Shaking out one's garments as a symbolic act

The Core Prayer Text

The central verses of Tashlich come from Micah 7:18–20:

"מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וְעֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִית נַחֲלָתוֹ..." "Who is a God like You, bearing iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He has not maintained His anger forever, for He desires kindness. He will again have compassion on us; He will suppress our iniquities. And You shall cast (וְתַשְׁלִיךְ) into the depths of the sea all their sins." [Machzor Rosh Hashanah Ashkenaz, Tashlich 3]

The word tashlich — "you shall cast" — comes directly from this verse. It is God who does the casting; the ritual enacts our prayer that He do so.

Additional psalms are recited, including portions of Psalm 118 ("From the straits I called to God; He answered me with expansiveness") and other verses of trust and hope.

The Deeper Significance: The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

The Tashlich liturgy is not merely symbolic — it is theologically rich. The Machzor Rosh Hashanah includes a Yehi Ratzon (may it be Your will) prayer explaining that the verses of Mi El Kamocha correspond to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (Shelosh Esreh Midot) from Exodus 34:6–7:

"May it be Your will... that the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy contained in the verses of Mi El Kamocha rise before You as if we had attained all the secrets and combinations of the holy names that emerge from them..." [Machzor Rosh Hashanah Ashkenaz, Tashlich 5]

This connection links Tashlich to the highest level of Divine compassion — the same attributes God taught Moses after the sin of the Golden Calf.

Why Fish? The Symbolism of Water and Fish

The preference for a body of water containing fish is laden with meaning. Several reasons are given (from traditional sources and commentators):

Fish have no eyelids — they are always "watched," reminding us that God's eye is always upon us.
Fish are vulnerable — they can be caught in nets at any moment, reminding us of human mortality and the need for repentance.
Water is a symbol of purification — just as water cleanses physically, God can cleanse spiritually.
Flowing water carries things away — the visual of water flowing outward reinforces the prayer that sins be carried away.

The Parallel in Yom Kippur Liturgy

The same verse from Micah appears in the Yom Kippur Musaf (additional service), within the Eileh Ezkerah (Ten Martyrs) passage:

"As written by the hand of Your prophet: Who is a God like You... and You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins... and all the sins of Your people the House of Israel You shall cast to a place where they shall not be remembered, nor visited, nor shall they ever come to mind." [Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz, Musaf, Ten Martyrs 112]

This shows that Tashlich is not an isolated custom but part of a broader High Holiday theology of Divine forgiveness.

When If Rosh Hashanah Falls on Shabbat?

When the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, Tashlich is postponed to the second day. This is because going to the riverside might involve carrying items in the public domain, which is prohibited on Shabbat, and also because the shaking of garments resembles a prohibited labor.

Summary of Key Sources

| Source | Role | |---|---| | Micah 7:18–20 | The biblical source text of the Tashlich prayer | | Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 129:21 | Halachic description of the practice | | Machzor Rosh Hashanah (Tashlich 3, 5) | The liturgical texts recited | | Machzor Yom Kippur (Musaf, Ma'ariv) | Parallel use of the same Micah verses |

For personal guidance on how to observe Tashlich — including timing, location, and which text to use — consult your local rabbi or posek.