The Ten Days of Awe – Celebrating Rosh-Hashanah
The Ten Days of Awe – Celebrating Rosh-Hashanah.
“The Lord Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Tell the people of Israel, In the seventh month the first of the month is to be for you a complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar…” (Leviticus 23:23).
The Spiritual New Year for Jewish Believers. The first two days of the ‘Ten Days of Awe’ is Rosh-Hashanah, a term which is not actually found in the Bible and means ‘Head of the Year.’ The Biblical title for this holy day is Yom-Teruah, the Day of Sounding, or Feast of Trumpets. Rosh-Hashanah is a meaningful and pivotal celebration during the High Holy Days, and is full of significance for Jews and Christians alike. Let’s unpack Rosh-Hashanah by mentioning a number of its fascinating aspects:
(1.) Going In Hot. The entire month before Rosh-Hashanah is to be spent in prayer, self-examination and the earnest attempts to prepare spiritually for the Ten Days of Awe. The believer is not meant to just jump into Rosh-Hashanah cold, but all warmed up to begin exercising the Faith.
(2.) The Biblical New Year. The Biblical new year in the Jewish calendar is actually in the spring with Passover, not in the fall with Rosh-Hashanah. The Lord commanded this to Moses in Exodus 12 in the midst of all His instructions regarding the lamb’s blood on the doorposts: “You are to begin your calendar with this month, it will be the first month of the year for you… This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to the Lord Yahweh, from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual ordinance.” It was only in the early 2nd century that rabbinic authorities determined Rosh-Hashanah to be the official new year celebration.
(3.) The Blasting of the Shofar. Moses reminded the Israelites of this holy day again in Numbers 29:1, “… You are to have a holy convocation in the seventh month; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar.” The ram’s horn was a distinguishing feature of Rosh-Hashanah as the blaring of the shofar began the holy day, and ended it, and was heard at least 100 times during those two days according to many rabbis. That is why Rosh-Hashanah is also known as “The Day of Awakening,” in which the shofar was the spiritual siren, the wake-up call to inspire the hearts of the faithful to gather together for the spiritual renewal of the High Holy Days. The shofar is the musical instrument most mentioned in Scripture, and another article in this blog series is dedicated to the importance of the shofar.
(4.) Another Seder. Rosh-Hashanah usually begins with a festive meal that has elements of both the Passover seder and the Sabbath meal. There are only two sacred seder meals in the Jewish tradition, Passover and Rosh-Hashanah, and the latter meal includes the traditional lighting of the candles and the prayers over the wine. There is also the dipping of the challah bread in honey as prayers are being said about asking God for a “sweet and happy year ahead.” The challah bread, often made with raisins inside, is to be baked in the shape of crowns, not only to coronate once again the Lord God as King of the Universe, but also as a reminder of the crown of righteousness that comes to those who obey Him. The blessing after the Rosh-Hashanah seder is especially beautiful: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, Master of the Universe, who nourishes the whole world in goodness with grace, kindness and compassion. Blessed are You, Lord, who nourishes all. Amen.” This blessing is then completed with maybe the most important line in Scripture… “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever!”
(5.) The Kingship of Creator God. Rosh-Hashanah is the traditional celebration of God’s creation of the universe. It is believed that on the sixth day He created man and woman on Rosh-Hashanah, and so the Ten Days of Awe starts right off with a bang, singing (in spirit) Happy Birthday to the world and coronating God as the King of all creation. The Kingship of the Lord is a major theme of Rosh-Hashanah and is highlighted in many of the prayers and Bible readings during these two days.
(6.) The Birth of Isaac. The services on the first day of Rosh-Hashanah center on Genesis 21 and the stupendous miracle of the patriarch Isaac’s birth. It is believed that he was born on Rosh-Hashanah after the Lord “remembered” Sarah and blessed her with a child. This story is intended to remind all Jewish believers that when His people pray to God, He will keep His promises and bring their deepest desires to mind. And just as Sarah received fresh hope and a new beginning, so will believers receive God’s blessing of spiritual renewal during these High Holy Days. A secondary reading during the service is from I Samuel and the story of Hannah’s miracle pregnancy and her birthing of the great prophet Samuel. Once again, God answers prayers and keeps His promises. This is another Biblical story that encourages believers as they enter into another year of faith in Him and His divine ability to hear our prayers.
(7.) The Binding of Isaac. The services on the second day of Rosh-Hashanah focus on Genesis 22 and the crucial scene of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. This is the first time in Scripture in which the reader finds the word “love,” and it is significantly used to describe the love of a father for his son. It is traditionally accepted that in this historic episode God told Abraham to blow the ram’s horn, the shofar, on Rosh-Hahanah to remind the people of the substitution sacrifice that God Himself provided in the place of Isaac. This monumental moment is discussed in detail in another article in this blog series. The secondary reading on this day of Rosh-Hashanah is from Jeremiah 31:1-19, which promises complete restoration and renewal in the new era after the days of mourning. Jeremiah assures the believers that in the new year, whatever grief is experienced will be graciously turned to joy.
(8.) Resurrection. It is in the rabbinic tradition to celebrate the general resurrection during Rosh-Hashanah, when all the dead will be raised to new life in the coming messianic era. Zechariah 9:14 is always read and discussed during this holy day… “The Lord will appear over them, and His arrow will flash like lightning. The Lord God will blow the shofar and go out to the whirlwind of the south.” Messianic Christians can easily point right to 1 Corinthian 15:51-52 in the same way… “Look, I will tell you a mystery, a secret – not all of us will die! But we will all be changed! 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.” God’s shofar ushering in the new era is also highlighted in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17… “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a rousing shout, 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; then we who are still left alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Or better yet, the Messiah Jesus Himself promised the divine shofar in Matthew 24:30-31… “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. 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.”
(9,) The Tashlikh Experience. Tashlikh (tash-leek) is the Hebrew word for ‘cast away’, and this is one of the most memorable experiences of all the Ten Days of Awe. At some point during Rosh-Hashanah, a wonderful family ceremony is observed that celebrates God’s mercy, that He not only forgives but also He forgets. The ceremony takes place wherever there is ‘living water’, such as a lake, river or stream, and involves throwing bread crumbs into the water to symbolize what each person has done wrong. Each family member watches carefully as each bread crumb sinks to the bottom out of sight and out of mind. And then the entire family recites the prophet Micah when he triumphantly pronounces in Micah 7:18-19… “Who is a God like you, pardoning sins and overlooking the rebellious crimes of His precious people! He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in showing mercy. He will again have compassion on us, He will trample our sins underfoot. He will cast away (‘tashlikh’) all our sins into the very bottom of the sea.” This family ceremony is so powerful and full of significance for every person in the household that there is another article in this blog series going into detail about the whole experience.
(10.) Special Prayers for Rosh-Hashanah:
… Avinu Malkeinu: “Our Father, our King, we have no King but You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us.” These beginning words of the prayer that began in the 2nd century has since expanded to as many as 44 lines, all of them powerful and beautiful. The expanded version focuses on God’s approachable, compassionate, even parental mercy, and His ultimate sovereign authority and awe. The prayer asks earnestly for relief from misery, hardship and forgiveness of sin.
… Unetanneh Tokef. This poignant poem is recited many time during Rosh-Hahanah, and it was apparently composed between the 6th-7th centuries. It has a total of about 32 lines and begins with these memorable words… “We lend power to this holiness of this day. For it is tremendous and awe-filled. For Your Kingship will be exalted, Your throne will be established in lovingkindness, and You will sit on that throne in truth.” An amazing musician who was a Jewish seeker by the name of Leonard Cohen wrote this song which quotes many of the lines from the middle portion of the prayer as he creatively adds his thoughts. Enjoy.
Here is a video with the lyrics:
LEONARD COHEN – WHO BY FIRE ( LIVE 1994) with lyrics
Here is an unforgettable concert performance of that prayer by Lenard Cohen and his spectacular musicians with him:
Leonard Cohen – Who By Fire (Official Live in London 2008)