Yom Teruah
Rosh Hashanah
A Day of Blowing the Trumpets
"And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work, it is a day of blowing the trumpets for you."
- Rosh Hashanah / Yom Teruah Service -
Watch our service on YouTube and follow along with the guide below.
Rosh Hashanah 2021/5782 Guide
click to download
Yom Teruah takes place on the 7th new moon of the year,
the beginning of the 7th Hebrew (Scriptural) month.
This year,
Yom Teruah begins 10/2/2024
at sundown.
And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
“Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering. You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה.’ ”
(Wayy/Lev. 23:23-25)
Bemidbar/Numbers 29:1-6
(1) ‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work, it is a day of blowing the trumpets for you.
(2) ‘And you shall prepare a burnt offering as a sweet fragrance to יהוה: one young bull, one ram, seven lambs a year old, perfect ones,
(3) and their grain offering: fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,
(4) and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs,
(5) and one male goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you,
(6) besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their right-ruling, as a sweet fragrance, an offering made by fire to יהוה.
"Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Even lift up, you everlasting doors!
And let the Sovereign of esteem come in.
Who is this Sovereign of esteem?
יהוה of hosts, He is the Sovereign of esteem!
Selah. "
(Tehillim/Psalm 24:9-10)
WHAT IS YOM TERUAH?
Yom Teruah is the Day of Blowing (Bem/Num. 29:1). It is also called Zichron Teruah, a remembrance of blowing (Wayy/Lev. 23:24). More commonly, it is known as Rosh Hashanah, the Head (beginning) of the Year.
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At Yom Teruah, the theme of kingship and sovereignty is primary. In Scriptural times, the shofar was sounded at a king’s coronation. Therefore, Yom Teruah centers around the shofar (ram's horn) - blowing the shofar and listening to the shofar.
On this day, we renew the Sovereignty of YAHUAH over our lives. He is Sovereign over all, but we must proclaim Him our Sovereign - Sovereign over our nation and Sovereign over our individual lives. We say to Elohim, “You are MY Sovereign!”
We sound the shofar to announce His Sovereignty over us and over the whole world!
When we announce Him as Sovereign, then we have to submit to His Sovereignty. We have to honestly evaluate ourselves to see if we have truly made Him our Sovereign:
Do I abide by the Sovereign's laws?
Do I fear and honor Him as my Sovereign?
Do I act as if I am my own king?
Asking ourselves these questions bring us to do teshuva. Teshuva is often translated as repentance. We repent by:
(1) acknowledging our sins and shortcomings,
(2) regretting our disobedient actions, and
(3) turning away from our sins.
Teshuva also means return. We return to YAHUAH - to worship Him, serve Him, love Him, and obey Him. No matter where we are spiritually, we can always return to YAH. We can always do teshuva (return to YAHUAH) by taking one step closer to Him - to love Him more, to serve Him better, to obey Him in more things.
When we blow the shofar, we crown YAHUAH as our Sovereign, and we do teshuva. We commit to returning closer to our Sovereign YAHUAH, the Almighty.
More Yom Teruah Articles:
Celebrate the Sovereignty of YAHUAH!
HOW TO OBSERVE
YOM TERUAH
Rest. Yom Teruah is a Sabbath. Therefore, we don't work or do any work-related activities. We rest. *Be sure to plan your day off from work.
Gather. On Yom Teruah, we have a set-apart gathering. Observe Yom Teruah with an assembly or synagogue near you. If there is no assembly, simply gather with other set-apart ones - your friends and family.
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Blow the shofar. It is customary to blow the shofar every day during the sixth month. This not only prepares us to repent and do teshuva, but it also gives us a lot of practice!
On the day of Yom Teruah, sound the shofar. Take the time to learn the different sounds - tekiah, teruah, and shevarim - and sound them on the Day of Blowing. Give YAHUAH a shout (or many shouts) of praise.
>> Listen to our Shofar Service
Read the Scriptures.
Day 1:
Bereshith/Genesis 21:1-34 & Bemidbar/Numbers 29:1-6
Shemuel Alef/1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:10
Day 2:
Bereshith/Genesis 22:1-24 & Bemidbar/Numbers 29:1-6
YirmeYahu/Jeremiah 31:1-19
Additional Readings:
Tehillim/Psalm 47
NechemYAH/Nehemiah 8:1-18
Dibre haYamim Alef / 1 Chronicles 16:15-36
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*If you would like to read the traditional Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah prayers, you can purchase a Rosh Hashanah Machzor (Prayerbook) online, or print an abridged version here.
Make an offering. YAHUAH commands us to bring Him an offering on Yom Teruah (Bem/Num. 29:1-6). Send an offering to the set-apart place, and give Him an offering of praise from your heart and your lips.
Celebrate with a festival meal. Nothing makes people happier than food! Prepare a special dish to share with friends and family to celebrate our Sovereign.
Begin Teshuvah. Yom Teruah begins the ten-day period called Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, which culminate at Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During this period, we seriously focus and deepen our level of teshuva.
Take an honest look at your life and figure out how you can do better. How can you serve YAHUAH better, and how can you love those around you better? Make a commitment to try a little more, and then simply put forth the effort - YAH will help you and strengthen you to do it.
Yom Teruah is simple in observance, but big in significance.
YAHUAH is Sovereign,
and He is MY Sovereign!
