RoshHashanah

HaSHEM spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to the Bnei Yisrael, saying, In
the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn
rest to you, a memorial of blowing of shofars, a kadosh convocation.
You shall do no servile work; and you shall offer an korban made by
fire to HaSHEM. (Vayikara)Leviticus 23:23-25

The beginning of the year, commonly referred to as New Year, a festival occurring on the first
two days of the Hebrew month of Tishri. It ushers in the most solemn period of the Jewish year,
the ten days of penitence, and culminates in Yom Kippur on the 10th day of the month. The 1st
of Tishri is designated in the Bible as Zichron Teruah, a memorial of the sounding of the shofar
ram's horn and Yom Teruah, a day of sounding the shofar. According to the rabbis, Rosh Hashanah
commemorates the creation of the universe, and on this day the Almighty sits in judgment of His
creatures. The observance of Rosh Hashanah is marked by prayer and repentance.

The period between Rosh Hashana (Yom Teruah) and Yom Kippur are called the Ten Days of
Teshuva (Repentance). This call to repentance is already issued during the month of Elul
preceding Rosh Hashanah when each morning, at the end of the Shacharit, the shofar is sounded
to prepare the people for the coming holy days.

During Teshuva, traditional Jews engage in intense introspection for the purpose of
self-improvement and become more scrupulous concerning mitzvot. Unlike Messianic Judaism,
there is no guarantee of salvation of positive judgement of the individual by the Almighty in
traditional Judaism. Rather, the sense is that by being careful to observe the mitzvah and
examine oneself the scales of judgement will possibly be "tipped" in your favor.

On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah it is tradition to walk to a river or spring
(preferably one that has fish in it) and recite special prayers called penitential prayers. After you
say the prayers you throw the bread crumbs into the water.

Some people keep a piece of the Afikoman from Passover for this purpose and thus link the
holidays together. Tossing the bread crumbs on the water is symbolic of casting away our sins
and starting a new year with a clean slate. If the first day of Rosh Hashanah is on Shabbat then
Tashlich is traditionally done on the second day.00

The customs of the Shofar at Rosh Hashanah

1. The Shofar: The Torah commands us to sound the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. A
person should hear 100 blasts from the shofar on each day of Rosh Hashanah. The
shofar is made from an animal horn, preferably from a ram. There are three sounds
made with the shofar:

Tekiah - one long blast.
Shevarim - three shorter blasts.
Teruah - a series of quick blasts.

There are many meanings for why we blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah.

The sound of the shofar serves as a "wake-up" call to arouse our souls to repentance.

The sound of the shofar was present when we received the Torah. Thus when we
hear the shofar we are reminded to strengthen our commitment to the Torah.

The sound of the shofar (which is usually made from the horn of a ram) reminds us of
when Abraham tied down his son Yitzchak (Issac) to sacrifice him to G-d, as G-d had
told him, and G-d stopped him at the last second and gave him a ram to sacrifice
instead.

We will hear the sound of the Shofar when Messiah Yeshua returns!