SOUND THE SHOFAR In the twenty-third chapter of the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament, we are informed that God told Moses to instruct the Israelites to remember that on the first day of the seventh month, they were to have a day of rest and a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. They were to do no regular work, but to present an offering made to the Lord by fire. (verses 24-25) This commemoration, which in Hebrew is called Rosh Hashanah, (Head of the Year) is to mark not only the beginning of a New Year in the Hebrew calendar currently 5776, but is considered by some to be the birthday of the world. Also known as the Feast of Trumpets, the holy-day is required of the Jewish community as the traditional start of Ten Days of Awe, a period of introspection and communion with God that leads up to the sacred Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Rosh Hashanah evokes a look backward to the past year s deeds and decisions at the same time that it demands acknowledgement that God will reckon with those deeds and decisions in the upcoming days of the next year that lays ahead. The way in which Jews the world over celebrate the Jewish New Year largely depends upon which branch of Judaism is doing the celebrating. Although ritual animal sacrifice can no longer be practiced by the global Jewish community, the minority, ultra-orthodox contingent of Jews commit themselves to doing no work and to dedicating the time to prayer and
contemplation. The Conservative brand of Judaism tries to strike a balance between the sacred and secular, curtailing certain activities while remaining tangentially involved with the secular world and its responsibilities. The Reformed and Reconstructivist movements tend to observe the rites and rituals more casually, often emphasizing familial and sociocultural aspects rather than strict religious rituals and obligations. Following the Rules The annual dates for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur change every year due to the fact that the Hebrew Calendar is lunar (based on the rotation of the moon). In as much as the Roman Calendar, which is solar (based upon the rotation of the sun), is utilized by most other people groups in the world, the difference requires an adjustment of the number of days in the year according to the rotation of the earth around the moon and sun. Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday that is observed on the first day of a month. The month is the seventh month on the Jewish Calendar called Tishri, and is thought to be the sabbatical month or the time for rest from the normal routine. Although chronologically counted as number seven on the Hebrew calendar, the month of Tishri marks the start of a new year of renewal through repentance and fasting. Remembering that different forms of Judiasm require different practices, the most minimal observance that may be expected from all groups of Jews, would be attendance at a traditional family meal on the first night of Rosh Hashanah. For Jews bound by the lunar calendar that marks sundown as the start of the next day, some may attend synagogue that evening or
perhaps the next day for services that pertain to the start of a new year and a period of serious soul-searching and introspection. Those who practice with more orthodoxy, will usually have at least one more familial gathering on the second night of the Ten Days and some hold a closing ceremony or meal to mark the end of the intense period of soul-searching. Three Blasts on the Trumpet Many Jews attend services at their Temples for the express purpose of hearing the Shofar blown. The Shofar is usually a ram s horn that is blown to announce the start of the period of atonement that culminates with the specific Day of Atonement ten days later, and to announce the start of a new month. According to Alfred Kolatch in The Jewish Book of Why, The shofar is a natural wind instrument, one of the oldest known to the world. In earliest times the shofar was used by Jews as a musical instrument. Its most important uses as described in the Bible were to intimidate the enemy, to declare war, and to call the populace to assembly. This would explain why the holiday has come to be known as The Feast of Trumpets and is actually described as such in the Book of Numbers: On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. As an aroma pleasing to the LORD, prepare a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven
male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are offerings made to the LORD by fire a pleasing aroma (verses 1-6). Although the stipulated animal sacrifices are no longer made by Jews, both because the Temple in Israel has been destroyed, and due to the impracticability of such ritual in the modern age, tradition claims that the Shofar should be made of the horns of any animal except oxen or calves. The rabbis believed that this was so, so that God would not be reminded of the Golden Calf made by the Israelites in the desert as they sinfully waited for Moses to return from Mount Sinai with the Word of God in his possession (Exodus 32). The sound of the Shofar, or trumpet, carried many signals for the Jews. It could be a signal for danger, the announcement of a regal personality, or a call to gather for important community news. As well, in the context of the Ten Days of Awe, the Shofar is a reminder to each individual that he or she is to be summoned before the Throne of God to account for the past year of his or her behavior and thoughts. Some attribute the use of the ram s horn to a representation of the ram that God provided to Abraham in place of Isaac as Abraham made ready to sacrifice his son at the command of the Lord (Genesis 22). Abraham s dedication and devotion to
God serves as a model for us of the faith and trust one needs in reverence to God and His Will for our lives. There are three very distinct sounds produced by the Shofar which have three distinct names: Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah. Tekiah is a straight, long blast and signifies that God is King of all. Shevarim consists of three, wailing blasts and represents the sobbing within our hearts as we recognize our failures and selfishness. Tekiah, ten short blasts in succession, serves as a wake-up call that we are to turn from our hurtful, self-centered ways and to start upon a new path toward righteous living and charity for others (Tzdukah). The sound of the Shofar is not heard again during The Ten Days of Awe until the very last day, The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Substitutionary Sacrifice What is essential to the practice and purpose of Rosh Hashanah, is the connection that these Old Testament rituals and ceremonies have to the atonement of the Messiah (Meshiach), as described in the New Testament, whose stated purpose was the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17 and Luke 24:44). For most Jews, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holiest days of the year. They are holy in that they inherently speak of repentance, forgiveness and redemption. These themes are the essence of human relationship to God. Without repentance there can be no forgiveness and without forgiveness, redemption from sin and rebellion is impossible. This is, in fact, why Jesus Christ came into the world to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). For, as a bonified Jew
Himself, Christ well knew that human beings are incapable of righteousness and sinlessness for sin had entered the world through Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12), and all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Christ also knew that to infringe against any one part of the law was to infringe upon the whole of the law, for it must be kept perfectly. Thus, recognizing human error and frailty, Christ s primary message was, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2). It is this idea of repentance that drives the practice of Rosh Hashanah and, ultimately, Yom Kippur. Jews with honest introspection will come away from their internal review of the previous year s activities and behavior often horrified by their own sinfulness. Usually unable or unwilling to rectify past infractions, individuals have no recourse but to figuratively (and sometimes literally), prostrate themselves before the God of the Universe and beg for forgiveness and mercy, saying along with the Psalmist, David, "O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you" (Psalm 41:4). As a righteous Judge and King, God cannot permit sinners to enter His perfect Kingdom. However, He can permit those who wear the white robes of salvation that have been provided to the truly repentant through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, Who, out of love, took on the sins of the world, and our own, in order to permit God to forgive transgression: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God (John 3:16-21). Acknowledging the Truth Thus, this entire process of turning (teshuvah), from darkness to light and from evil to good, can only be effectuated by internal assent to wickedness, sincere pleas for forgiveness, and ultimate acknowledgement of Jesus as the Savior, Who alone, can provide redemption from sin. Observation of Rosh Hashanah is certainly worthwhile in that it forces us to examine our lives under the critical eye of the Law. Let us pray that God shall elect to save many from perdition, not through any works that can be done (including attendance at rites and rituals or observing certain holy days), nor through perfunctory prayers and petitions (made internally or externally). But rather, through knowlegde of the blessed salvation that is available at the foot of the Cross where Christ s blood cleanses us from the stain of sin and corruption: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Epesians 2:8).
What a glorious gift indeed! Le shanah tova Happy New Year! May you be inscribed in the Book of Life! SJS Original: 9/08 White Plains, NY Edit: 9/16 Glendale, CA