The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts’” (Lev. 23:1-2).

Yom Teruah is known by many different names:

· Teshuvah (repentance)
· Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
· Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast, or Feast of Trumpets)
· Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)
· HaMelech (the Coronation of the Messiah)
· Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance or memorial)
· The time of Jacob's (Ya'akov's) trouble
· The opening of the gates
· Kiddushin/Nesu'in (the wedding ceremony)
· The resurrection of the dead
· The last trump (shofar)
· Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)

While Yom T'ruah, or Rosh Hashanah, is one of the Mo'ed (Appointed Times) of the Lord, that we are to observe, there are many Rabbinical traditions that are not found in Scripture which are included in the celebrations. Exactly how should this Mo'ed be celebrated by those of us who are followers of Y'shua?

RABBINICAL TRADITIONS

Yom T'ruah is celebrated on the first day of Tishri. Tishri is actually the seventh month of the Hebrew civil calendar and there is no Scriptural support for Tishri being the Biblical New Year. In fact, in Exodus 12:2 we read that the Month of Aviv "shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you."

There are special foods that are traditionally eaten for Rosh Hashanah. The apple is dipped into honey for a L'Shana Tova U'Metuka, "a good and sweet year ahead". Challah (sweet egg bread) is typically baked in a round loaf instead of the normal braided loaf which symbolizes the cycle of the year beginning again. Fruit such as grapes and pomegranates are included as well as honey cakes and tzimmes. White is typically worn which symbolizes purity. Another custom is to greet one another (sweet carrot dish) with "L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu!" which means, "May Your name Be Inscribed in the Book of Life"!

Another traditional ceremony observed by some is known as Tashlich (which means "to throw or cast"). This involves going down to a body of water and casting bread crumbs or small rocks into the water and reciting:

Micah 7:19, “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea." Selections from Psalms 118 and 130 are also recited.

As beautiful as this ceremony is, and my husband and I did this last year and it was very meaningful for us, it appears this practice stems from pagan practices. What does Scripture tell us? We read in Leviticus 20:23, “Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them.”

It is good for us to examine all the traditions associated with the Mo'edim and find out what the origins of them are. Certainly some are harmless and your family may want to incorporate them into your family time.

Here are some quotes from Jewish sources that someone sent into CMS last year concerning the ceremony of Tashlich:

Celebrate! The complete Jewish Holidays Handbook by Leslie Koppleman Ross pg. 168: “The custom (tashlikh) developed around the 13th century and became widespread despite the objections of the rabbis who feared superstitious people would believe tashlikh, rather than the concerted effort of teshuvah (repentance), had the power to change their lives…superstitious rites most likely did influence the ceremony. Primitive people believed that the best way to win favor from evil spirits living in the water-ways was to give them gifts. Some peoples, including the Babylonian Jews, sent sin-filled containers out into the water. To make the practice symbolic rather than superstitious, the rabbis gave it ethical meaning.”

The Complete Book of Jewish Observance by Leo Trepp page 108: “The custom originated in antiquity. The Romans had a similar ceremony. Objects representing human wealth, including stalks of grain (bread), were thrown into the floods to propitiate the gods who might resent the wrestling of food from the earth that belonged to them. Petrarch (1307-1374) relates a similar custom that he observed among the people of Cologne on the river Rhine. Among Jews, therefore, the custom may have had its origins in Christian practices in the Rhineland….the custom of throwing bread crumbs into the water was castigated as superstition and prohibited by Rabbi Jacob Moellin (Maharil) of Mainz (1365-1427) at almost the very time that it is mentioned by Petrarch.”

The Jewish Way by Rabbi Irving Greenburg page 199: “The custom of tashlikh grew in medieval times. Many pre-modern rationalists (such as the Vilna Gaon) objected to it on the grounds that it was tinged with superstition.”

1001 Questions and Answers on Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur by Jeffrey Cohen pages 27-271: “The main opponent of tashlikh was the famous Vilna Gaon (1720-1797). He recognized the heathen character of this ceremony even in a disguise of later interpretations; and for this reason, no doubt, he refused to observe it. The Gaon, as well as some modern scholars, viewed the ritual as rooted in the ancient superstitious belief that malevolent spirits, including Satan and the fallen angels have their residence in the depths of the sea. The ancient Babylonians had a belief that EA, goddess of the deep; and the purpose of throwing the crumbs into the water was to propitiate the harmful spirits..”

TEN DAYS OF AWE

From Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur is Ten Days. They are called the "Ten Days of Awe" or "Ten Days of Repentance". Judaism teaches that G-d takes 10 days to make up his mind about our sins, then on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, He makes His final judgment.

These 10 days are a time for self-examination, repentance and reconciliation between those we may have wronged, and with Elohim.

As an interesting side note is that the phrase “ten days” is mentioned ten times in Scripture.

It seems to be a time of testing. Daniel requested that he and his friends be tested for ten days (Daniel 1:12-14). Also in Revelations to the assembly of Smyrna that they would have tribulations for ten days, and then receive the crown of life. (Rev. 2:10)

WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES SAY?

Yom T'ruah actually means a day of “SHOUTING”.

Strongs #8643 Teruah: Clamor, acclamation of joy, the blowing of the shofar from #7321 RUA: To roar, to split the ears with sound, shout, blow and alarm, joy, triumph.

Our Biblical foundation for celebrating Yom T'ruah as a Sabbath rest, along with the blowing of the shofar can be found in Leviticus 23:23-25:

“Again YHWH spoke to Moses, saying "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ' In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing {of trumpets,} a holy convocation.’You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to YHWH.'

and in Numbers 29:1:

“Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets."

It is also a Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) celebration.

Yom T'ruah is to be observed as a sabbath, a day of rest. We are to do no 'ordinary work'. It is a day for remembering. (Lev 23:23)

SHOFARS

The main feature of the day is the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) as we are instructed to do in Scripture.

The prophet's message was often accompanied with the blast of a shofar. Therefore, the shofar calls us to acknowledge our sin and to make teshuvah (repentance and turning away from sin).

Trumpets remind us of the Torah being given on Mt. Sinai and calls us to remember the treasures given to us in the Torah.

Regarding the trumpet blasts themselves, there will be a total of 100, divided into four different types according to Hebraic Tradition. The first is a single, long blast called tekiah. This is a plain, smooth, continuous note symbolizing joy and contentment. The second type of horn sound is the shevarim, consisting of three short blasts or broken notes. The truah is the third method, characterized by extremely short blasts comprised of nine staccato notes. This quick succession of trills expresses trepidation and sorrow. While these three types of blasts are repeated, the fourth type is a single, sustained note that concludes the blowing of the trumpets. This one is the tekiah gedola, meaning “the great tekiah”, “the great blast”, or “the last trump”.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SHOFARS

1. The Torah was given to Israel with the sound of the shofar. Exodus 19:19, “When the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.”

2. Israel conquered in the battle of Jericho with the blast of the shofars. Joshua 6:20, “So the people shouted, and {priests} blew the shofars; and when the people heard the sound of the shofar, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.”

3. Israel will be advised of the advent of the Messiah with the sound of the shofar. Zechariah 9:14-16, “ Then YHWH will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And YHWH your Elohim will blow the shofar, And will march in the storm winds of the south.

4. The shofar will be blown at the time of the ingathering of the exiles of Israel to their place. Isaiah 27:13, “ It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship YHWH in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.”

5. The shofar was blown to signal the assembly of the Israelites during war. Judges 3:27, “ It came about when he had arrived, that he blew the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them.”

6. The watchman who stood upon Jerusalem’s walls blew the shofar. Ezekiel 33:3-6, “When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.”

7. The shofar was blown at the start of the Jubilee year. Leviticus 25:9, “'You shall then sound a ram's horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.

8. The blowing of the shofar is a signal for the call to repentance. Isaiah 58:1, “"Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a shofar, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins .”

9. The blowing of the shofar ushers in the day of YHWH. Joel 2:1, “Blow a shofar in Zion, And sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of YHWH is coming; surely it is near.”

10. Jochanon (John) was taken up to Heaven by the sound of the shofar. Revelation 4:1, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things."

11. Seven trumpets are sounded when there is judgment on the earth. Revelation chapters 8 & 9.

12. The shofar was used for the coronation of kings. 1 Kings 1:34 & 39, “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon !'… Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon !"

13. The sound of the shofar is sounded to gather Israel and resurrect the dead. 1 Thes. 4:16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

In summary, the shofars are used for assembling people, a call to warfare, a warning, judgment, jubilee, repentance, the coming of Messiah, coronation of kings and awakening the dead.

Psalms that are traditionally used for Yom Teruah, or that mention trumpets are:

Psalm 47 “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! 2 For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. 4 He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah. God has gone up with a shout, The Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. 9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted."

Psalm 81, “To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. F77 A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. 2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute. 3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day. 4 For this is a statute for Israel, A law of the God of Jacob. 5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony, When He went throughout the land of Egypt, Where I heard a language I did not understand. 6 "I removed his shoulder from the burden; His hands were freed from the baskets. 7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8 "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! 9 There shall be no foreign god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. 10 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 "But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. 12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels. 13 "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. 16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you."

Psalm 98 1 A Psalm. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2 YHWH has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout joyfully to YHWH, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. 5 Sing to YHWH with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, 6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before YHWH, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before YHWH, 9 For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.

Psalm 150 1 Praise YHWH! Praise Elohim in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise YHWH. Praise YHWH!

Day of Remembrance

Leviticus 23:24 calls the day “a memorial” or in some versions “a reminder”. Remembrance is a major theme of Yom T'ruah. There are two elements of remembrance. Elohim remembers us and we must remember HaShem.

HaShem remembers us. (Genesis 8:1, 19:29, 30:22, Exodus 2:24-25, 6:5, Numbers 10:9, Psalm 112:6, Malachi 3:16-18.

We remember HaShem. (Exodus 13:3, Deuteronomy 8:18, Numbers 15:37:41)

According to Jewish tradition, all the following happened on Tishri 1:

*Adam and Eve created

*The flood waters dried up

*Enoch was taken by Elohim

*Sarah, Rachel and Hannah conceived

*Joseph freed from prison by Pharaoh

*Forced labor of Hebrews in Egypt ended

*Job contracted leprosy

*Start of sacrifices on the altar built by Ezra

We who are called by Y’shua are, “A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to Elohim, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

RECIPES:

Honey Cake Was submitted on CMS by Allie O. I've adapted it slightly. It is yummy!

1 1/4 c. freshly ground, organic whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp Real salt (found in Health Food stores)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c barley flour (I use Kamut flour)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c olive oil
1 organic, free range egg
1 c organic, unsweetened applesauce
1/2 to 2/3 c organic raw honey

* Mix all the dry ingredients. In a separate container, mix the wet ingredients. Combine the two.

* Pour into a greased 8" or 9" cake pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 min. Serve warm with an extra dollop of applesauce & sprinkle of cinnamon or topped w/some fresh raw whipped cream.

More to Come!

"Chag Sahmeach Yom T'ruah!" (Happy Festival of the Day of the Awakening Blast!)

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