Rosh Hashanah

...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

Yesterday, at 7:06PM EST, Rosh Hashanah began. When Yeshua walked the earth, He would have participated in some type of Rosh Hashanah celebration. If we are His disciples, we should also join the festivities. It is the beginning of the Jewish New Year. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the set apart days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game. There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American holiday: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." In the same way, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to describe this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar.

Work is not permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in the synagogue.
Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of the wish for a sweet new year. It's tastes sweet and is symbolic of the sweetness we hope for in our daily lives especially for the new year. Bread is dipped in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). Jews walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty their pockets into the river, symbolically casting off their sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of God's sovereignty.

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calander is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?

Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).

Now you know the basics of Rosh Hashanah. What are you going to do now?