Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah)

Rosh Hashanah (Rosh Ha-SHA-nah) is the first of the three great feast days celebrated in the Fall and marks the beginning of the “High Holy Days.” However, the name “Rosh Hashanah” is never actually used in the Bible to commemorate this holiday. The Bible and Torah both refer to this feast as “Yom Teruah” (the day of the sounding of the shofar). Today, few people remember the biblical name of Yom Teruah, and instead, it is more widely known as “Rosh Hashanah” or “Feast of Trumpets.”

The Lord’s Commandment

According to the scriptures in Leviticus 23:24 (NKJV): “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” This is further emphasized in Numbers 29:1 (NKJV): “And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets.”

Yom Teruah

Yom Teruah is commonly translated as “blowing of trumpet.” Teruah literally means to make a loud noise. This word is used to describe the sound made by the trumpet but can also represent the noise made by a large gathering of people shouting in unison. Interestingly, Yom Teruah is the only commanded feast day that the Lord does not give a specific reason for its celebration, only that it is to be observed as a holy day. There are many speculations about what the observance of this day represents, but scripture only tells us it is a “memorial of blowing of trumpets.” It’s true purpose and meaning are a mystery only known to God.

The Appearance of the New Moon

Every other Feast date was determined by the counting of days between the Feasts, but Yom Teruah was unique. This is the only Feast determined by observing the appearance of the New Moon in the month of Tishri. Watchmen were traditionally set on the wall to watch for the moon to become visible, blowing their trumpets at the first sign of its sighting, signifying the start of this feast day. Because the possibility of atmospheric conditions or human error could make it difficult to identify the appearance of the New Moon, it was often referred to as the day and hour unknown or hidden.

Rosh Hashanah

The name “Rosh Hashanah” means “head of the year” or “first of the year.” The present Jewish calendar consists of two basic types of years, the religious and the civil year. Rosh Hashanah is observed in Tishri, the month that begins the Jewish civil new year and the date on which the year number advances in Jewish culture. However, scripture ascribes this feast day to the seventh month because the Bible is based on the religious calendar. As noted in the traditions:

  • Nissan: The month designated as the first month by the Lord as the Hebrew New Year and is considered the beginning of the new religious year.
  • Tishri: The month that begins the Jewish civil new year and marks the Feast of Trumpets in the seventh month of the religious calendar.

The 10 Days of Repentance

Rosh Hashanah is also the beginning of the 10 Days of Repentance (also known as the 10 Days of Awe), ending on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Jewish tradition asserts that God writes every person’s words, deeds, and thoughts in the Books of Life or Death, which He opens and examines on this day (Rosh Hashanah). If their good deeds outnumber the sinful ones for the year, that person’s name will be inscribed in the Book of Life for another year on Yom Kippur. For this reason, Rosh Hashana is also known as the “Day of Judgement” or Yom Hadin. For the Jewish people, it is a time of introspection, personal growth, and spiritual rebirth. Many use this time to make amends with loved ones and heal broken relationships.

The Trumpet and the Shofar

Rosh Hashanah is centered around the sounding of the shofar (a hollowed-out ram’s horn). On both mornings during the Rosh Hashanah synagogue services, the shofar is blown 100 times. The first 30 blasts are blown following the Torah reading during morning services, and as many as 70 are blown during and after the service. Regarding the timing of these events, the traditional Jewish calendar is based on a lunisolar calendar, with 354 days. While Jewish holidays are observed on the same date every year according to the Jewish calendar, these dates vary on the Gregorian calendar. The celebration of this date falls somewhere between the second week of September through the End of October.