What is Rosh Hashanah besides the first of the fall Jewish holidays that shows up on some calendars and calls for a day off of public school in certain communities? Why should it be observed by all Jews and possibly believing Gentiles who are grafted in through Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead?

First, to clarify, the purpose of this blog is restore and respect the spiritual rich history behind this holiday, not to get bogged down in the various unique cultural traditional details that one may be familiar with. By all means share in the comment section if you have something to add and correct any misnomers of which I am blissfully unaware.

Here’s one to start with. Last week I was enjoying the company of lovely friends when two who are Jewish looked at me strangely when I referred to High Holy Days as feasts or festivals. Little did they know I was thinking of this book that has taught me much about what I will discuss in this blog. One did agree that if I were to be a good practicing Christian I should first understand the Jewish faith and history.

Rosh Hashanah is referred to “The Head of the Year”, but it’s actually the 7th month of the Biblical Jewish calendar not the first. “ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blast on the shofar.” Leviticus 23:23-24 It is a day of rest with no specified name. So why is it now referred to “New Year?” Perhaps it evolved to this like other traditions.

The new year varies depending on its purpose. The primary and secondary school year starts somewhere in August or September for most in the United States, but the academic medical school year starts July 1st. Neither starts in January. Then we have fiscal calendars for accounting and taxing purposes. There are planting and harvesting seasons so don’t get hung up on this “New Year” reference for agrarian based cultures of which Ancient Israel was one.

At the time of Christ, Tishri or the 7th month was established as the beginning of the fiscal year where Passover in the month of Nissan signifies the beginning of the spiritual year, but even this varies based on the tradition followed.

Don’t get hung up on the name either. There’s no fancy name or title given in scripture. It’s just referred to “Yom T’ruah” meaning the day of blowing. This evolved to the feast of Trumpets for some. So why this instrument and for what purpose?

Various types of horns or trumpet like instruments have been used to rally the masses to signify some form of announcement whether they are war cries or to announce the entrance of the king. What is unique about shofar is that it is to be made by a ram’s horn to remind the people of the ram that the LORD provided in the thicket for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac his only son as recorded in Genesis chapter 22. This ram pointed to Jesus laying down his life as further described in Isaiah 53 that would ultimately occur in Golgatha as described in Matthew 27.

As a musician, I find it fascinating that the person who was to blow the shofar was to be a trained musician since youth who played beautifully on a virtuoso level. One who could play to evoke the deepest emotion within. His music was to awaken the deepest parts of the soul to reflect and remember.

This was to review all that God had done to rescue Israel from the slavery of Egypt which points to the ultimate freedom from sin, through Christ, that the apostle Paul writes about in Romans chapter 6. This freedom would finally equip genuine repentance of sins that kept weighing Israel down of which is another major theme of Rosh Hashanah especially moving into Yom Kippur.

Another theme of the holiday is judgement. That certainly isn’t a popular topic today. People are deluded into thinking that everything is ok as long as you are ok with just about any behavior, lifestyle, or belief, but this isn’t the case. What people do in private spills over into the public and affects others. So let’s look closer at look.

The view that the LORD judges Israel and the Gentiles obviously isn’t very popular, but is based on Deuteronomy 11:13-18. There are three books that get opened on Rosh Hashanah that group people into three general categories: the righteous, the wicked, and the in between.

According to second century Rabbi Meir, the righteous have their name inscribed in the book of life, the wicked in the book of death and the in between are given 10 days until Yom Kippur to repent based on Psalm 69:28 which states, “Erase them from the book of life, let them not be written with the righteous.” and Exodus 32:30-32 “You have committed terrible sin. Now I will go up to ADONAI; maybe I will be able to atone for your sin…Now, if you will just forgive their sin! But if you won’t, then I be you bot me out of your book which you have written.” -The Complete Jewish Study Bible. There are lots of theological disagreements and implications in this which I will not pursue further here with the exception of one.

Humans are easily seduced by power, corrupt it, and love to lord it over their subjects in the name of God and religion. This is why all ancient cultures governments were entwined with gods of various cultures. Ancient Israel was to be different and set apart because this God of One who created all and is sovereign over all was an anathema to all other religions at that time.

The other differentiation is unlike the sacrificial systems of the numerous gods of all nations, YWHY prescribed Himself as One, Omnipotent Sovereign through Moshe or Moses to be only deity that could be satisfied. The promise of redemption and restoration was real. Not only this but the people could have fellowship with God experience His love and one another rather than living in constant fear and bickering. Free will to chose to love and obey was offered instead of demanded through force, conquest, and constant fear of the unknown. All other religions operate on the later.

This transitions into another major theme of Rosh Hashanah: repentance. Repentance is the voluntary means by which to submit to YWHY’s rule, authority, and law. It is how to become a righteous subject of such king.

So in closing, take time to reflect upon the spiritual depths discussed. Do not mistaken YHWY’s patience in judgement as indifference or inability to intervene. He is sovereign over all the earth, it’s rulers, and nations whether they honor him or not. Do not excuse your lack of submission to His rule based on the abuses or neglect of others. Choose this day and choose well.