Meaning
and celebration of the Feast of Rosh Hashana,
השנה
ראש
or
the Feast of Trumpets, a call for repentance and discernment!
5767
Rosh
Hashana,
ראש השנה
means "Head of the year" or "Beginning of the year".
According
to Jewish tradition, it's the anniversary date of Creation, the
day when Adam and Ch'ava worshipped the L-rd and
acknowledged His mightiness.
It
is also the day of divine judgment for the rain and events to
come for the coming year. This is a special time to ask for mercy
and make Tchuva תשובה a
turning back to G-d, repentance.
We
celebrate this feast on the first of the month of Tishrei,
which is the seventh month of the calendar.
This
seventh month is a G-d chosen month for the celebration of three
feasts: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkoth.
The
first of Tishrei is the starting date for the counting
of the sabbatical and Jubilee years, and also for the planting
of trees.
It
is the only feast where the moon is dark, invisible; unlike all
the other feasts when the moon is bright and visible.
Yisra-El ישראל
is
compared to the moon, shining and rejoicing at each feast, but
who humbles herself and disappears in front of the Creator on
the day of His divine Judgment.
It
is the day when the shofar is blown:
In
the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have
a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is
a day of blowing the shofar for you. Numbers 29:1
The
shofar is a call to wake up and to listen to what the L-rd has
to tell us:
Now
if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant,
then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for
all the earth is mine Exodus
19:5
On
the morning of the third day, there was thunder, lightning and
a thick cloud on the mountain. Then a shofar blast sounded so
loudly that all the people in the camp trembled. Mount Sinai was
enveloped in smoke, because ADONAI descended onto it in fire--
its smoke went up like the smoke from a furnace, and the whole
mountain shook violently. As the sound of the shofar grew louder
and louder, Moshe spoke; and God answered him with a voice. Exodus19:16-19
This
feast is a calling for the Jewish people to commemorate the Covenant
concluded at Mount Sinai, and to get ready for the future deliverance
which will occur at the sounding of the shofar of the Mashiach משיח
("
anointed").
It will take but a moment, the blink of an eye,
at the final shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will
be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52
For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling
angels, and with God's shofar; those who died united with the
Messiah will be the first to rise;
1 Thessalonians 4:16
Different
sounds are blown with the shofar:
- Tekia
: a long unwavering blast
- Shevarim: three short blasts
- Teruah : a nine-part staccato-rapid short blasts reminiscent
of sobbing, like a painful sorrow ascending to G-d,
- Tekia
gdola : a long sound which symbolizes the sound of
the shofar which will be blown at the end of the exile when
the Mashiach will bring back His people to his land,
at the messianic times:
On
that day a great shofar will sound. Those lost in the land of
Ashur will come, also those scattered through the land of Egypt;
and they will worship ADONAI on the holy mountain in Yerushalayim.
Isaiah
27:13
He will send out his angels with a great shofar and they will
gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31
The
Weekly Torah portion read on that day is the sacrifice of Yitzchaq
יצחק,
a prophetic image of the image of the Mashiach. The
shofar reminds us of the horn's ram which was offered instead
of Yitzchaq.
The
portion of the Prophets read is the story of Chana and
of Shmuel. Both Yitzchaq and Shmuel were
consecrated to G-d.
For
the Kehila the Messiah's Body, this feast is a call to
listen what the
G-
d of Yisra -El (prince of G. d, fighter for G. d)
wants to tell us about the coming times and how His plan must
be fulfilled through Yisra -El, and through the Gentiles!
After
these things, I looked; and there before me was a door standing
open in heaven; and the voice like a trumpet which I had heard
speaking with me before said, "Come up here, and I will show you
what must happen after these things. Revelation 4:1
It
is a time for listening and repentance. The L-rd calls us to listen
to His heart and to discern the times we are in. The sound of
the shofar for the coming back of the exiled of Tzion will soon
be heard. Let's be ready to have a part in this divine plan. It
is time to wake up and take position as the body of the Mashiach,
to stand with His people in those times of persecution and rising
Anti-Semitism and intercede for the revelation of
Yeshua ישוע
Then
the sacrifice of Yitzchaq will have its full meaning in
the heart of the Jewish people!
Celebration
of the feast
Bake
or buy two 'chalot", special Shabbat bread. There is a
tradition to make one in the form of a crown to remind us of G-d's
monarchy.
Light
two candles such as for Shabbat
Slice
an apple to dip it in honey. Honey plays an important role for
Rosh Hashana. It symbolizes Grace.
The
children can make some arts and crafts: they can decorate a plastic
plate and glue in the center of the plate a plastic glass filled
with honey to dip the apple in.
Make
a lot of sweet desserts to bring sweetness to the coming year.
Lentils
or peas are also cooked, symbolic of the abundance of blessings
(many grains)
You
can also put on the table a fish head to symbolize that we are
the head and not the tail.
Prepare
a nice white table
Prayer:
- Start
with the blessing on the wine, kiddush (sanctified)
, then on the bread, motzi (taken from, bring forth)
"Blessed
are You, Adonai, our G-d, King of the universe Who created the
fruit of the vine "
"Blessed
are You, Adonai, our G-d, King of the universe, who brings forth
the bread from the earth"
- Dip
a slice of apple in the honey and give a piece to each guest
wishing one another a sweet year sanctified in His presence.
- Rejoice
and enjoy the good meal with your guests. Feasts are a godly
opportunity to gather together and have fellowship in His presence.
- Take
a time to pray for Yisra -El.
Chag
Sameach to all and Shana Tova !
לכולכם
ושנה טובה
חג שמח
Happy
feast and Happy New Year!
Print
Version
|
