Rosh Hashana: A memorial proclaimed with a blast of trumpets

“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with a blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.” (Leviticus 23:24)

In many ways, the biblical instructions regarding the Feast of Trumpets are a little mysterious in that there’s so little information given. There doesn’t seem to be much at all to this feast. It’s just one day, the first day of the month of Tishrei, and it seems that all you’re supposed to do is blow a trumpet, offer some sacrifices, and rest. Is that it? What does it mean?

Commonly known today as “Rosh Hashana,” meaning “head of the year,” the Jewish people have adopted this date as the first day of the civil new year. Traditions have developed accordingly, with sweet foods like as apples and honey eaten to symbolize a sweet new year. Rosh Hashana this year begins at sundown on Oct. 2 and continues through sundown the following day. 

Though not in the Bible, Rosh Hashana is seen as the start of the “Ten Days of Awe,” during which the Book of Life is opened and God decides, based on our conduct over the last year, whose name goes in which book in the run-up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. As well as wishing one another “Happy New Year” (“Shana Tova” in Hebrew) the greeting “chatima tova” is exchanged, meaning, “May your name be written in the Book of Life.” The shofar is still blown but the trumpets element has become somewhat sidelined over the generations. 

Ironically, one aspect that’s often forgotten in the biblical mandate is that of memorial. The Bible says that the sound of the shofar is supposed to proclaim a memorial. What are we supposed to be remembering?

Given that the primary time the shofar had featured in Israel’s history at that point was the Sinai event, it would have evoked ancient Israel's visceral return to the mountain, to that seminal meeting with God. There was thunder and lightning, and the sound of the shofar. In Hebrew, the Feast of Trumpets is “Yom HaTeruah” which refers not to the trumpet, but the blast of noise that it makes. We can interpret it as the “day of the trumpet blast.” The sound of the shofar stirs the soul, and proclaims a memorial. It’s a reminder of the Sinai covenant and the giving of the Torah.

As we inch towards the high holidays this year, there are many mixed emotions. Usually a very happy season of balmy weather and family gatherings, of feasting and joy. But this year is different.

For most Israelis, Oct. 7 is not a memory at all but an ongoing reality; for many, it’s still a living hell. The trauma, the loss, is as fresh and as devastating as it was a year ago: the hostages are still in Gaza; the death toll continues to rise; the nation has been changed forever; and everything seems broken. The carefree feelings of last year’s holiday season have become a painful memory that’s hard to access.

As we approach the Fall Feasts this year, with the last day of Sukkot as the climax, we are drawing closer to that day. There will actually be two significant days: Oct. 7 on the Gregorian calendar and Simchat Torah at the end of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, on the biblical calendar. Both will be very poignant days.

When we hear the blast of the shofar, as we are commanded to do, we will be remembering everything that has happened and everyone who was lost. It will be a memorial. The sound of the trumpets is supposed to bring our minds back to that meeting on the mountain, and we need to remember that, too.

The God of Israel is a God of covenant. Israel has not been wiped out, just as He promised. The people of Israel have survived again, and are still here for another year. Am Israel Chai!