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About Yom Teruah
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All about the festival
*Yom
Teruah literally means “day of shouting.” It is the Biblically commanded
feast of trumpets.
*It is on the first day of the seventh Biblical month, called Tishri today
*This is one of two holy days of the Bible, not based on an historical
event or agricultural activity
*Is a day set aside for considering the religious life of an individual
*Is the only Biblical holy day to fall on a New Moon, Rosh Chodesh
Day the Bible declares there is to be shouting and the blowing of the
ram’s horn or “Shofar”
Traditionally has been a deeply compelling and solemn day of repentance,
self examination, and priority setting
Is called “Rosh Hashanah” and is considered the Jewish New Year while
the Bible declares the beginning of months with the month of Aviv
Was not considered the New Year by the Jews until after the Babylonian
captivity
The number of the year according to the Jewish calendar changes on this
day, as it is believed that Adam was created on Yom Teruah.
Lately for believers in Messiah has become a festive time which is prophetic
to the Messiah’s return
Is exactly ten days before Yom Kippurim
Begins the “aseret y’mai teshuvah” which is the ten days of awe, or the
ten days of repentance. These are ten days of soul searching and turning
from sins before the day of Yom Kippur.
Is also called the “Yom Ha-Zikaron,” the day of remembrance, or “Zicharon
Teruah,” ‘remembrance shoutings’
Rabbis teach that the creation of Adam was on this day, the first of Tishri,
by changing the first words of Genesis around to say “aleph b’tishri”
= on the first of Tishri
Jewish tradition says it was on this day that:
Adam was created
The flood waters dried up
Enoch was taken by Yah (Genesis 5:24)
Sarah, Rachel, Samuel all were conceived (1 Samuel 1)
Egyptian slavery of the Hebrews ended
Job contracted leprosy
Start of the sacrifices built on the altar by Ezra (Ezra 3:1)
Prophetic holy day of Messiah’s return and the catching away of the saints
or “natzal” in Hebrew
Yom Teruah is called the “Yom Hadin” – the day of judgment and it is taught
that on this day that this is the day of judgment when Yahweh writes the
names of the righteous in the Book of Life and gives the sinful and all
other people ten days to turn from their wickedness and return to Yahweh.
Also prophetic of the dethroning of hasatan/hillel, assembling of the
tribes on the Mount of Olives, and the dead raised for the first resurrection
Yom Teruah is on the seventh month, the number seven is the number of
completion and a very important number within the Biblical texts
The month of Tishri is symbolic of the tribe of Dan, the tribe of judgment.
Dan and Yom Hadin are both from the same Hebrew root, symbolizing that
this month is the time of divine judgment and forgiveness. The monthly
sign of the zodiac or “mazal,” for Tishri is scales -pointing to this
month being the month of judgment.
Samuele Bacchiocchi was written, “In ancient times, the blowing of the
trumpets was understood to be a call to repent and prepare oneself to
stand trial before Elohim, who would execute His judgement ten days later
on Yom Kippur. The importance of the feast is indicated by the fact that
the Hebrews anticipated its arrival on first day of each month (new moon)
through short blasts of the shofar. These short blasts were an anticipation
of the long alarm blasts to be sounded on the new moon on the seventh
month.”
"We suggest that the year’s end mentioned above refers to Israel’s
feast calendar, which was based on a seven-month-long cycle. Her feasts
began with Passover and ended seven months later with Tabernacles. This
agricult-ural year began with the spring barley harvest during the season
of Passover and ended with the fall fruit harvest of Sukkot. This “calendar”
was based on a seven-month-long, lunar cycle, which refers to the monthly
rotation of the moon around the earth. If this reasoning is accurate,
then it explains why Israel’s lunar-based agricultural year ended at the
conclusion of Sukkot, the last feast of the agricultural year, and that
the “new year” did not begin the next day. Instead, it began the next
spring, in the month of Abib, with the barley harvest. Ancient Israel
was an agriculturally-based nation, their feast celebrations involved
their entire lives and they revolved around the planting seasons. Their
agricultural calendar only included seven lunarbased months, which began
with the first harvest in the month of Abib. However, Israel also functioned
in a world that had (and still does have) a twelve-month-long calendar
year related to the solar cycle of the sun, which is based on the rotation
of the earth around the sun," wrote Batya Wooten.
B Biblical references
Leviticus 23:23-25, “Yahweh said to Moshe, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On
the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred
assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present
an offering made to Yahweh by fire.”
Numbers 29:1-6, “On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly
and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. As
an aroma pleasing to Yahweh, prepare a burnt offering of one young bull,
one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the
bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour
mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs,
one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for
you. These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with
their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are offerings
made to Yahweh by fire—a pleasing aroma.”
Psalm 81:3-4, “Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon
is full, on the day of our Feast; this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance
of the Elohim of Jacob.”
Psalm 98:6, “With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy
before Yahweh, the King.”
Tehillim 47:5, “For YHWH Most High is awesome; a great sovereign over
all the earth.”
Psalm 100:4, "Shout (Teruah) for joy to Yahweh, all the earth.”
From Yesha’yahu 11:11-12, “On that day [the Messianic Reign] a Great Shofar
shall be sounded; and they shall come who were lost in the land of Assyria
[Yisrael], and they who dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they shall
worship [YAHWEH] on the Holy Mountain at Jerusalem..Our [YAH] and [YAH]
of our fathers, sound the Great Shofar for our freedom, set up the banner
[Moshiach] to gather our exiles, assemble our scattered ones from among
the nations, and gather our dispersed from the uttermost parts of the
earth.”
Isaiah 27:12-13, “In that day Yahweh will thresh from the flowing Euphrates
to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by
one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing
in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship Yahweh
on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.”
Shemot 19:19, “The sound of the shofar grew louder and louder
Ya’hoshua 6:20, “When the people heard the sound of the shofar…the wall
collapsed”
Zechari’yah 9:14, “And Yahweh will manifest Himself to them [Israel} and
His arrow will flash like lightning;
My Yahweh Elohim will sound the shofar…”
Yesha’yahu 58:1, “Cry with a full throat, without restraint; raise your
voice like a shofar!”
Isaiah 26:19-21, “But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You
who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the
dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people,
enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a
little while until his wrath has passed by. See, Yahweh is coming out
of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The
earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain
no longer.”
1 Sh’muel 2:1-10, “Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart exults in Yahweh,
my pride has been raised through Yahweh; my mouth is opened wide against
my antagonists, for I rejoice in Your salvation. There is none as holy
as Yahweh, for there is none besides You, and there is no Rock like our
Elohim. Do not abound in speaking with arrogance upon arrogance, let not
haughtiness come from your mouth; for Yahweh is the Elohim of thoughts,
and [men’s] deeds are accounted by Him. The bow of the mighty is broken,
while the foundering are girded with strength. The sated ones are hired
out for bread, while the hungry ones cease to be so; while the barren
woman bears seven, the one with many children becomes bereft. Yahweh brings
death and gives life, He lowers to the grave and raises up. Yahweh impoverishes
and makes rich, He humbles and He elevates. He raises the needy from the
dirt, from the trash heaps He lifts the destitute, to seat [them] with
nobles and to endow them with a seat of honor – for Yahweh is the pillars
of the earth, and upon them He set the world. He guards the steps of his
devout ones, but the wicked are stilled in darkness; for not through strength
does man prevail. Yahweh—may those that contend with Him be shattered,
let the heavens thunder against them. May Yahweh judge to the ends of
the earth; may He give power to His king and raise the pride of His anointed
one”
Amos 8:4-5, “Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the
poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may
sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”— skimping
the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying
the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even
the sweepings with the wheat. YHWH has sworn by the Pride of Ya’acov:
“I will never forget anything they have done.”
Numbers 10:5-7, “When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on
the east are to set out. At the sounding of a second blast, the camps
on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting
out. To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same
signal.”
Matthew 24:31, “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call,
and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the
heavens to the other.”
Matthew 5:22-26, “I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother
shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You
good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever
says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore
if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that
your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before
the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and
present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law
while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand
you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown
into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until
you have paid up the last cent”
Luke 21:27-28, “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a
cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place,
stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-53, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all
sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself
with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, “We believe that Yahshua died and rose again
and so we believe that Elohim will bring with Yahshua those who have fallen
asleep in him. According to the Yahweh’s own word, we tell you that we
who are still alive, who are left till the coming of Yahweh, will certainly
not precede those who have fallen asleep. For Yahweh himself will come
down from heaven, with a loud command (Teruah), with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah
will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Yahweh in the air.
And so we will be with Yahweh forever. Therefore encourage each other
with these words.”
Revelation 2:13, “I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches
will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay
each of you according to your deeds.”
Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and
I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”
C Celebration information
Yom
Teruah is a day of shouting and Shofar blowing, Psalm 100:1.
“Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Teruah, or the reason for Yom Teruah.
Much of what we know is tradition. (Read Wayiqra 23: 24-25, Bamidbar 29:1-6)
Its called Yom Hazcharon but scripture doesn’t say what Yisra’el is to
be remembering, or supposed to remember. It gives us rituals to follow,
but no reason for the ritual is explained, as is the reason for days like
Passover. That’s where the Ruach Hakodesh must teach us the true meaning
of the day! As Yisrael, we believe the world was created on Yom Teruah,
so for us it is a time to remember CREATION and for YHWH to renew, or
RECREATE His covenant with us, as he has done throughout our history,”
wrote Rabbi Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky
Though the silver trumpets are usually blown on the New Moons, the Shofar
is specifically to be blown on Yom Teruah
White is usually worn during this day and other high holy days. White
symbolizes purity. The Torah scrolls in the synagogues are even covered
in white clothes and a special garment called a ‘kittel’ is worn over
the clothes. A kittel is a smocklike garment that is usually white. A
kittel resembles a burial shroud reminding people of man’s mortality and
the seriousness of the day.
“It is about time we droped the anglicized, Christian-sounding names for
Rosh Ha-Shannah and Yom Kippur, high holy-days or high holidays, and reverted
to their Jewish Name, “yamim noraim” – awesome days or days of awe. These
are days of anxiety, trepidation, humility, soul-searching. These are
connotations we want,” says the book The Jewish Holidays.
There is a Jewish practice of Tashlikh ("casting off") when
people go to a creek or river and throw things into the water. This is
a pagan custom and should not be followed by Yisra’elites wishing to follow
YHWH. For more on this read an article on this subject at www.bnaiavraham.net.
This is the only feast day celebrated in the Diaspora for two days. There
is uncertainity involved in the time when the New Moon would be sighted
in Eretz Yisra’el. It was also hard to communicate the sighting of the
New Moon, so to allow everyone the opportunity to celebrate this special
day then it was made into a two-day feast. Interestgly, if this is the
day when Yahshua will return then perhaps “no man knows the day, nor the
hour” because it is a two-day feast! No one knows if it will be the first
or the second day of Yom Teruah! This is why Yom Teruah is also called
Yom Hakesh- the hidden day.
Because this holy day is on a New Moon, and because New Moons are predicted
to be seen in Israel over the period of at least two days, Yom Teruah
actually lasts two days. It is either the first or the second day when
the New Moon is viewed over the land of Israel so Yom Teruah lasts over
both of these days. The Rabbis teach that these two days are actually
equal to one long day, called the “yoma arikhta.”
There is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holy
days
It is customary to eat sweet fruits including apples and honey and toast
to a “good year.”
Tradition teaches that the Shofar is blown 100 times on Yom Teruah in
three different and distinct sounds. (1) The tekiah, symbolic of moaning,
is one long mellow note. (2) The shevarim, symbolic of wailing, is three
medium blasts. (3) Tepuach, symbolic of sharp sobbing, eight quick blasts
followed by one last long blast. There is also a fourth sound of the shofar,
usually made at the end of the Yom Teruah service. This is the Tekiah
gedulah, symbolic of the cry of Yahweh, it is one great final and long
note.
The traditional Yom Teruah service includes prayers in the siddur, lighting
the festival candles, oneg, and repentance.
During this festival the “Vulcan” hand sign, as seen in Star Trek movies,
is used by the Rabbi who prays with both hands extended in the “v” shape
and asks for the blessings of heaven to rain down upon all Hebrews who
turn from their sins and return to Yahweh.
"Our Messiah was born on Sukkot (Tabernacles), became our Sacrificial
Lamb on Passover, was raised from the dead on the Day of First Fruits,
then poured out His Spirit on Shavuot (Pentecost). Many believe He will
return to rule and reign as Judge of the whole earth on Yom HaKippurim,
Day of the Coverings (Atonement), and that He will forever-more Tabernacle
here on Earth with His people Israel. But what about Yom Teruah? How is
it to be fulfilled? Could it be that it foretells the Father’s reunited
people declaring Yeshua’s imminent return?" wrote Batya Wooten.
For the Jews this has been a serious somber day, yet for Messianics it
is both serious and celebratory.
The dates for Yom Teruah are:
Jewish Year 5765: sunset September 15, 2004 - nightfall September 17,
2004
Jewish Year 5766: sunset October 3, 2005 - nightfall October 5, 2005
Jewish Year 5767: sunset September 22, 2006 - nightfall September 24,
2006
Jewish Year 5768: sunset September 12, 2007 - nightfall September 14,
2007
The Shabbat between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur is known as Shabbat Shuvah
– the Shabbat of Turning – after, the haftarah portion, which begins Shuvah
Yisra’el – “Return O Yisra’el to YHWH your Elohim,” Hoshea 14:2. Rabbis
traditionally give lengthy sermons on repentance and sin on this Shabbat.
An older tradition is to make Challah in the shape of ladders on Yom Teruah,
symoblzing that for our actions between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur that
we will either be raised high or brought low.
The mark for the end of the month of Elul is the saying of “sehilot’ prayers
of repentance. IT is customary to say these prayers the week before Yom
Teruah.
The greetings given during Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur is “shanah tovah”
(a good year,) “le-shanah tovah u-metukah tikateinu” (may you be inscribed
and sealed for a good life.)
Traditional songs for this feast are “Melech Ozair” and “Avinu Malkeynu.”
This is the fourth annual Shabbat festival on which there is to be no
work done by the Israelite.
“Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav used the following parable to explain teshuvah,
the central idea of Rosh Hashanah-Yom Teruah: A king sent his son abroad
to study the sciences of the world. After mastering all the sciences,
the son returned home. The father, eager to test his son’s wisdom, asked
him to transport a large rock to the top of a mountain. Straining every
muscle, the son arduously rolled the rock to the summit. Thereupon he
proudly reported to his father that after laboring with all his might,
he had managed to roll the rock to the peak. In response, the father shook
his head and said, “For this I had to send you to the great universities?
If you had broken up the rock into small pieces, you would have been able
to carry it up effortlessly!” It is the same with us. Yahweh wants us
to lift up our hearts to Him, which are as rigid and heavy as a flinty
rock. The only way we can do it is by shattering our hearts of stone and
smashing them into small pieces through teshuvah-repentance. And once
that heart of stone is broken and becomes a heart of flesh, then Yeshua
can write the Torah of life in us,” wrote Rabbi Mordechai Silver.
Avraham sacrificed a ram after Yahweh spared Yitz’chak. Tradition teaches
that Yahweh blew one of the ram’s horns at Sinai and will blow the other
horn to announce the coming of the Messiah. Could this be the horn blown
in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18
The suggested readings for the home or synagogue are: Leviticus 23:1-2,
4 23-25 & 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10 & 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Traditionally, the candles are lit at sundown and the she-heh-chi-yanu
blessing is spoken:
The traditional blessing over the festival or Yom Tov candles is:
“Barukh atah Yahweh Eloheynu melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvohtav,
v’tizie-vanu l’haleek ner shel yom tov.”
“Blessed are You Yahweh our Elohim, ruler of the universe, who has sanctified
us by your commandments and permitted us to kindle the festival, holy
day light.”
The traditional blessing of “she-heh-chi-yanu” spoken at most holy days
is
“Baruch atah Yahweh Yahweh Eloheynu melech ha olam
she-heh-chi-yanu v’key’manu v’hee-gee-anu laz’man ha-zeh”
“Blessed are you, Yahweh our Elohhim, ruler of the Universe, who keeps
us alive, who supports the unfolding of our uniqueness, and who has enabled
us to reach this season.”
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