Monday, March 3, 2014

FEAST OF TRUMPETS – ZIKRON TERUAH




The feast of Trumpets is a special day to Yahweh.  It is a part of the fall festival season and occurs just before the Feast of Tabernacles.  Most of the world hears of this day as being referred to as Rosh Hashanah.  What is this day?  What does it mean and signify?  Does Yahweh expect us to observe it today?  If so, how?  What do the historical sources and commentaries say?


HISTORICAL SOURCES


The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, volume 4, 



pages 3024-3025“In Lev 23:23-25 the first day (new moon) of the seventh month is set apart as a solemn rest, ‘a memorial of blowing of trumpets’ (the Hebrew leaves ‘of trumpets’ to be understood), signalized further by ‘a holy convocation,’ abstinence from work, and the presentation of ‘an offering made by fire’.”

“The significance of the feast lay in the fact that it marked the beginning of the new year according to the older calendar.  Originally the ‘revolution’ of the year was reckoned in the fall (Ex 23:16; 34:22), and the change to the spring never thoroughly displaced the older system.  In fact the spring New Year never succeeded in becoming a specially recognized feast, to Jewish ears ‘New Year’s Day’ invariably signifies an autumnal festival.”

“Rosh Hashanah invariably signifies an autumnal festival.  So the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah, i.10):  ‘There are four periods of commencement of years:  On the 1st day of Nisan is a new year for kings and for festivals; the 1st of Elul is a new year for the tithe of cattle…..The 1st of Tishri is a new year’s [day] for the ordinary or civil year, for the computation of 7th years, and of the jubilees; also for the planting of trees, and for herbs.  On the 1st of Shebat is the new year for trees’.”


“The ritual for the day consequently needs little explanation.  All new moons were heralded by trumpeting (Nu 10:10), and so the custom was of course observed on this feast also.  There is nothing in the language of either Lev 23 or Nu 29 to require a prolongation of the music on this special new moon, but its special distinction was no doubt marked by special trumpeting at all times, and at a later period elaborate rules were laid down for this feature.  The additional sacrifices simply involved an increase of those prescribed for new moons (Nu 28:11-15), without changing their type.”


“Mentions of a special observance of the first of Tishri are found also in Ezk 45:20 (reading, as is necessary, ‘first day of seventh month’ here for ‘seventh day’) and Neh 8:1-12.  In the former passage, the day is kept by offering a bullock as a sin offering and sprinkling its blood in a way that recalls the ritual of the Day of Atonement.  In Neh an assembly of the people was held to hear Ezra read the Law.  The day was kept as a festival on which mourning was forbidden (ver 9).  Apart from these references there is no mention of the feast elsewhere in the Old Testament, and, indeed, there is some reason to think that at one time the tenth, and not the first of Tishri was regarded as the beginning of the year.  For Ezk (40:1) specifically calls this day rosh hashanah, and Lev 25:9 specifies it as the opening of the Jubilee year (contrast the Mishnah passage, above).  Consequently scholars generally are inclined to assign Lev 23:23-25 and Nu 29:1-6 to the latest part of the Pentateuch.  This need not mean that the observance of the first (or tenth) of Tishri was later, but only that the final adoption of the day into Israel’s official calendar, with a fixed ritual for all Israelites, was delayed.  If the original New Year’s Day fell on the tenth of Tishri, its displacement ten days earlier was certainly due to the adoption of the tenth for the Day of Atonement.  An explanation of the date of the latter feast would be gained by this supposition.”
“The instrument to be used in the trumpeting is not specified in the Bible, but Jewish tradition decided in favor of the horn and not the metal trumpet, permitting for synagogue use any kind of horn except a cow’s, but for temple use only a straight (antelope’s) horn and never a crooked (ram’s) horn.”
“Modern Judaism sees in the signals a call to self-examination and repentance, in view of the approaching Day of Atonement.”

Sacred Origins of Profound Things, by Charles Panati, 



pages 227-228“Ancient traditions says that on Rosh Hashanah, God opens three books:  one for the wicked, one for the righteous, and one for straddlers in between.  The righteous are immediately inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life; the wicked are inscribed for death.  But judgment on the in-between group is suspended until Yom Kippur, giving them ten days in which to attain merit.  Thus, the typical New Year’s greeting is:  ‘May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year’.”
 
“A distinctive feature of the liturgy for Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the ram’s horn, or shofar, as prescribed in Numbers:  ‘It is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you’ (29:1).  The notes of the horn call the Jewish people to a spiritual awakening associated with the revelation on Mount Sinai.”

“Rosh Hashanah is also known as the Day of Remembrance, for on this day, Jews commemorate the Creation of the world, and just as God is mindful of the good works of his creatures, so on its part the Jewish nation recalls its responsibility as God’s chosen people.”

“Rosh Hashanah is notable as being one of the few Jewish holidays – along with Yom Kippur—whose observance is more public than domestic.  With the exception of festive meals at home on Rosh Hashanah, the main activity takes place in the synagogue, where the service is lengthy and richly elaborate.”

The Torah:  A Modern Commentary, edited by W Gunther Plaut, 



pages 924-925“For the past 2000 years, Jews have called the first day of the seventh month Rosh Hashanah, literally ‘the beginning of the year.’  But that name is not used in the Torah.  Numbers (29:1) calls the occasion ‘the day of teruah.’  Leviticus (23:24) calls it a remembrance [or commemoration] of teruah.”

“The word  ‘teruah’ means ‘a loud noise’; it may be a shout (I Sam 4:5) or it may be a blast of the ram’s horn (shofar).”

Festivals of the Jewish Year, by Theodor H Gaster, 



page 108“In the Bible, the first of Tishri is called simply ‘the Day of Memorial,’ but what this term meant is not known for certain.  A prevalent opinion among scholars is that it refers to a public commemoration of the dead…. On New Year’s Day, man remembers the beginning of the world; God remembers the deeds of His creatures; Israel remembers its special function as His witness, and recalls the successes and failures of its mission.”


JUDAISM



This day was given to all twelve of the tribes of Israel, not just the tribe of Judah.  But most of the things the world, or Christianity, knows about the observance of this day today comes from Judaism.  What are their traditions?  Do they carefully follow what the Torah says?

To Be A Jew, by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, 



page 245“Intensive prayer is the central mood of this day.  Acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over the world and His rulership over mankind are the major themes of the prayers.”

“Ancient tradition has handed down three distinct shofar notes:  a long drawn-out sound (tekiah), a broken, plaintive sound (shevarim), a series of sharp, staccato sounds (teruah).”

Judaism For Dummies, published by Hungry Minds –



Page 224 “While new year’s celebrations in most cultures are boisterous events, Rosh Hashanah is a solemn time – solemn, but not sad.  In fact, there’s great happiness on this day, but this happiness is typically honored in quiet ways because of the focus on judgment.  To reflect this solemnity, Rosh Hashanah is also called Yom Ha-Zikaron (‘The Day of Remembrance’) and Yom Ha-Din (‘The Day of Judgment’).”


Page 225“Perhaps the most important aspect of Rosh Hashanah isn’t the judgment, but the teshuvah, the return, renewal, or repentance that each Jew is called to.  This isn’t just another ‘I promise to do better in the future’ kind of response.  It’s a serious stab at beginning the process of forgiveness and of forgiving others.  This process continues through Yom Kippur.”


Page 226“Tradition teaches that there are three primary ways to repent:  deep prayer, change of conduct, and gifts to charity.  However, as Rabbi Soleveitchik, the founder of Modern Orthodox Judaism, noted, the main path of repentance is confession – telling the truth, whether to yourself, to God, or to another person.  Of course, Judaism has no mechanism for anyone to grant you absolution; sins against another person must be forgiven by that person, and sins against God…well, that’s strictly between you and God.”


“Ultimately, the goal is to let go of the past – through self-judgment, making amends, and so on – to make room for what is coming in the new year.  Rosh Hashanah arrives like a ‘wake-up call’ just before winter, offering a chance to renew and refresh your intentions, your priorities, and your sense of spiritual connectedness.”

“Judaism recognizes that you can’t be expected to undertake this kind of major life review in just one day, so tradition calls for a 40-day plan.  Just as the Jewish day always begins at sundown, the year begins at the waning of summer, when winter is approaching (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least).  The cycle begins in the last month of the year, Elul (which has 30 days), and then ends 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, on Yom Kippur.”


Page 227“During the entire month of Elul, traditional congregations add a series of prayers to their services called s’lichot.  The word s’lichot means ‘forgivenesses.’  The s’lichot prayers call out to God asking for forgiveness.”


“On the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah, however, there is a special service – often held at midnight, when it is said that the heavens are especially open to prayers – called the S’lichot service.” 
 
“In many communities, S’lichot has become a time for people to search out their neighbors to ask for or to offer forgiveness, like clearing the air and releasing themselves and others of the heavy betrayals and failures that accrued over the year.”


Page 232“… Rosh Hashanah customs, called Tashlich, calls for the Jews to visit a body of free-flowing water (like a river, lake, or ocean) and empty their pockets and cuffs of crumbs and lint in a symbolic gesture of casting away guilt and letting go of the previous year.  Some Jews just throw bread crumbs into the water, feeding ducks and fish while they’re at it.  Typically people do this after the afternoon service on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, though if that falls on a Shabbat, Tashlich is moved to Sunday.”

“Tashlich (which literally means ‘You will cast’) stems from a biblical passage in the book of Micah (7:18-19):  ‘And  you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea’.”

“While many rabbis over the centuries were uncomfortable with this custom – thinking that it was too magical a ceremony – Tashlich continues, perhaps partly because it’s just so good to get outdoors after so many hours praying and socializing in the synagogue.  Also, water is universally considered spiritually cleansing and transforming.”

In Jewish tradition, Trumpets and Atonement are more or less connected together.

Gates of the Seasons, edited by Peter S Knobel –



Pages 39-40“It is a mitzvah to prepare for the Days of Awe during the preceding month of Elul.  Special penitential prayers called Selichot are added to the daily liturgy.”

 “Since proper preparation includes serious reflection and self-exam, it is important to set aside regular periods of time for contemplation and study.”

“It is customary to visit the graves of relatives during the month of Elul and during the Ten Days of Repentance.  Through such visits, links to preceding generations are reinforced, and by contemplating the virtues of the deceased and their devotion to faith and people, we find strength.”

“It is a mitzvah to express one’s personal repentance (Teshuvah) on Rosh Hoshonoh.  According to the traditional symbolism, God sits in the judgment of the world on Rosh Hoshonoh.  Through repentance (Teshuvah), prayer (Tefilah), and charity (Tzedakah), one begins moving towards reconciliation with God and other human beings.  This process reaches its climax on Yom Kippur.”


Pages 45-46“Jewish tradition teaches that Yom Kippur makes atonement only for those sins which we commit against God, but it does not atone for those sins which we commit against other human beings unless we first attempt to make amends and seek their forgiveness.”

“It is a mitzvah to forgive a person who has wronged you during the past year and who seeks your forgiveness.  Bearing a grudge is destructive to both parties and subverts the purposes of the Ten Days of Repentance.”

The Jewish Holy Days, by Moshe A Braun, 



page 37“As it is written, ‘Inquire of God while He is found; call upon Him when He is close at hand.  Let the wicked abandon their ways and evil men their thought:  let them return to God, who will have pity on them, return to our God, for He will freely forgive’ (Isaiah 55:607).  The Talmud comments that the phrase ‘when He is found’ refers to the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when God makes Himself accessible.”

Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period, Jacob Neusner, Editor in Chief,

page 536 -- "Rosh Hashanah   1.  New Year, celebrated on the first day of Tishrei (month corresponding to September)"

"2.  Mishnah tractate on the celebration of the New Year, the designation of the new month throughout the year, and testimony as to the appearance of the new moon (chaps. 1-3) and the sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) on the New Year (chaps. 3-4)"


Jewish Days, Francine Klagsbrun --

Page 24 -- "Whatever the ultimate reason, by talmudic times, in the centuries before and after the start of the Common Era, Rosh Hashanah was firmly fixed in the seventh month of Tishrei.  But the rabbis gave due respect to both Nisan and Tishrei by explaining that Nisan is the month when our ancestors were redeemed.  Tishre3i is the month when the people of Israel will be redeemed in a time to come."

Page 29 -- "Three books are opened in the heavens on Rosh Hashanah, legend says.  In the first are recorded the names of thoroughly righteous people; the second lists the thoroughly wicked; and the third holds the names of those who are neither completely righteous nor completely wicked.  The righteous, in the first book, are instantly inscribed for life in the year to come.  The wicked, in the second book, are instantly inscribed for death.  Those not totally righteous or wicked (meaning most of us) have their verdict suspended between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  If they repent of their sins and bad deeds and are found worthy, they will be inscribed in the book of life.  If they are unworthy, their fate will be death."

"The days beginning with Rosh Hashanah on the first of Tishrei until Yom Kippur on the tenth of the month are known in Hebrew as Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, 'Ten Days of Repentance,' and spoken of as 'Days of Awe'."

QUESTIONS


Say what?  Don’t some questions come to mind when you read about these customs?  


Questions such as –
  1. Where does it say in Scripture that Rosh Hashanah is a call to self-examination and repentance? 
  2. Where does it say in Scripture that Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the civil year, and as such, New Year’s Day? 
  3. Where does it say in Scripture that there is to be a public commemoration of the dead?
  4. Where in Scripture does it mention visiting the graves of family during this time?
  5. Where in Scripture do we find “teshuvah”, specified for this time?
  6. Where in Scripture do we find a 40-day plan for repentance?
  7. Where in Scripture are the special prayers (s’lichot) that are to be said?
  8. Where in Scripture does it address the practice of casting bread crumbs on the water?
  9. Where in Scripture do we find the “ten days of awe”?
  10. Where is the Scripture referencing partial fasts on each of the days between Trumpets and Atonement, except for the Sabbath and the day before the high day?
  11. Did you notice in the first historical quote the phrase “at a later period elaborate rules were laid down”?  By whose authority?

That should be enough to get you started.  Get out your Bible and see what you find there.  And see how much of Jewish tradition is not there.

SCRIPTURES


(The Scriptures quoted are from The Interlinear Bible, a literal translation by Jay P. Green, Sr., as general editor and translator, with the transliterated Hebrew names of the Father and Son, Yahweh and Yahshua.)

(Word numbers and definitions are from the Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries in The New  Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, by James Strong, LL.D. S.T.D.)

It is generally considered that New Year’s Day is the first day of the first month of the year.  Logical, isn’t it?  Then how is it that Rosh Hashanah is in the seventh month?  What did Yahweh say?


Exodus 12:2 This month shall be the chief of months for you; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.

He went on to give instructions regarding the Passover, to take place before He led them out of Egypt.

Exodus 13:4 Today you are going out in the month of the Aviv.

Aviv, according to The Brown, Driver and Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, means fresh, young ears of barley.  That does not appear at or near the time of the fall harvest.  That is springtime!  Yahweh’s year does not start in the fall, on the first day of the seventh month.

Leviticus 23:23-25   23 -And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying  24 – Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorable acclamation, a holy gathering.   25 -You shall do no work of service, and you shall bring a fire offering to Yahweh.” (emphasis added)

Besides giving us the date set aside for this, we learn that it is a sabbath.  The word there is Strong’s #7677, shabbaton.  It means that it is a special holiday.  “Memorable” is #2146, zikrone, a memento or a memorial.

If you will notice, in this translation from the Hebrew, the word “trumpets” does not appear in this verse.  It is understood or inferred from the definition of  “acclamation.”  As #8643, it is tehruah, meaning a clamor; an acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; the clangor of trumpets, as an alarm.

The day is also known as a miqra, #4744.  It refers to something called out; a public meeting; an assembly; a rehearsal or reading.  Yahweh expects us to appear there before Him.


Numbers 28:11-15 outlines the offerings that are to be offered by the priests on the first day of every month. 

 
Numbers 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first of the month you shall have a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service.  It shall be a day of blowing the trumpets to you. (emphasis added)

Notice this verse is translated as “blowing the trumpets”.  That is  the same word as above, #8643 The five verses following this one detail the additional sacrifices that are to be offered on this special day.



Numbers 10:10 And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed times, and in your new moons, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, and they shall be to you for a memorial before your El; I am Yahweh your Elohim. (emphasis added)


Psalms 81:3-4   3-Blow the trumpet in the new moon at the full moon on our feast day4-For this was a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the Elohim of Jacob. (emphasis added) 


This scripture in Psalms 81:3-4 has caused a lot of confusion.  The translation used here says “at the full moon” for #3677.  But that is an incorrect translation.  The Hebrew word is keceh that they define as fullness or the full moon.  But the root for that word is #3680, kacah.  The definition for the root is to plump or to fill up the hollows; to cover, conceal or hide, like something hidden in a pocket.  It is not referring to a full moon, but to the moon at the time of conjunction.  At that time, the moon is between the earth and the sun – it is hidden!  It cannot be seen!  That is the only way it can be if this verse is referring to the Feast of Trumpets – the feast day which is connected with the trumpet.


The Jewish Holy Days, by Moshe A Braun, 



page 22“ ‘Blow the shofar at the moon’s renewal, at (ba’keseh) the time appointed for our festival’ (Psalms 81:4 JPS).  The word ba’keseh also means concealed.  All the other holidays are celebrated when the moon is visible.  Only one is celebrated when the moon is concealed.  That day is Rosh Hashanah, which is celebrated on the first of the month of Tishrei, when the moon is still not visible.”



Nehemiah 8:1-12   1-And all the people gathered as one man into the plaza that was before the water gate, and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel.   2-And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.   3-And he read in it before the plaza that was before the water gate, from the morning until noon, before the men and the women, and those who could understand, and the ears of all the people listened to the book of the law.  4-And Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Masseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand were Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5-And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  6-And Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great Elohim, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands; and they bowed and worshiped to Yahweh with their noses to the ground.  7-And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people were in their place. 8-And they read aloud clearly in the book of the law of Ezra, and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. 9-And Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, this day is holy to Yahweh your Elohim; do not mourn or weep; for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10-Then he said to them, go eat the fat, and drink of the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our master; and do not be sorry, for the joy of Yahweh is your stronghold.  11-And the Levites were silencing all the people, saying, be quiet, for today is holy, and do not be grieved.  12-And all the people went to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words which were made known to them.

Could these verses be the source of the Jewish tradition of solemnity and repentance on this day?  But Nehemiah and Ezra told them not to mourn or weep or be sorry.  They were told (verse 12) to make great rejoicing., 

FEAST OF TRUMPETS TODAY

             
So what do we understand for today?  What we see from these scriptures are:
  1. The Feast of Trumpets  is an appointment with Yahweh.
  2. It is holy, or set-apart time – belonging to Yahweh.
  3. There is to be an assembly of the people, although there is no outline of exactly what we are to do.  Maybe read from the Law, as they did?  And have someone expound on what is being read?
  4. It is a time to rejoice and praise Yahweh. 
  5. It is a time to share food and drink and rejoicing 
  6. It is a time to remember and recall the sound of a trumpet and a shout and what it once meant. 
  7. It is a time to hear a trumpet and a shout.

CONCLUSION



This the day as we understand it now.  Over the years, through different organizations, we have been given the meaning of this day and what it is to picture.  But over the last two or three years, we have been continuing to learn and are not quite so sure of those symbolisms today.  We need to be careful to keep our minds open for new, deeper understanding and remember the warnings of Scripture.
At one time we believed that the Feast of Trumpets would be the day of the last trump and that the Messiah would return on that date.  But that seems to fly in the face of what Yahshua said –

Mark 13:32-33   32-But concerning that day and the hour, no one knows, not the angels, those in heaven, nor the Son, except the Father.  33-Be careful; be wakeful, and pray.  For you do not know when the time is. 

Rev 09-01-10

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