Transcript [00:05] [music] [00:08] >> For many people, New Year's Day is about [00:10] resolutions. [00:12] But, the Bible presents a different [00:13] picture. [00:15] Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, [00:17] isn't just the start of another [00:19] calendar. [00:20] It's an invitation to begin again with [00:22] God. [00:24] Hello. This is CJ Burrows with the [00:26] International Fellowship of Christians [00:28] and Jews. Welcome to this season of [00:30] Nourish Your Biblical Roots. [00:33] Holy Days, Holy People. [00:35] Today, we ask, "What is Rosh Hashanah?" [00:40] >> [music and singing] [00:45] >> The Jewish New Year is about to begin, [00:47] and while there will be plenty of [00:48] celebrating and feasting, Rosh Hashanah [00:51] is also a time for reflection and [00:53] repentance. [00:55] On today's podcast, I want to talk to [00:57] you about the Jewish approach to [00:58] repentance, and how it is the key to [01:01] living your best life. [01:04] I'll show you the biblical source for [01:06] the Jewish understanding of repentance, [01:08] and we'll explore how this perspective [01:10] can enhance your own walk with God. The [01:14] Jewish New Year is an opportunity for [01:16] everyone for complete renewal, for [01:20] letting go of the past and walking [01:22] confidently into the future, for [01:24] upgrading your relationship with God and [01:26] rediscovering your true self. On today's [01:29] episode, I'm going to show you how. [01:32] Today, we are going to explore [01:34] scriptures related to the holiday of [01:36] Rosh Hashanah. The verse I want to begin [01:38] with today is the biblical directive to [01:40] observe this holiday. It is the first [01:43] verse in Numbers 29, and I'll read it to [01:46] you now. [01:47] "On the first day of the seventh month, [01:49] hold a sacred assembly and do no regular [01:52] work. It is a day for you to sound the [01:55] trumpets." [01:57] This verse is interesting. It tells us [02:00] that this holiday is a day for you to [02:04] sound the trumpets, which is why it's [02:07] often called the Festival of Trumpets. [02:10] Even today, the most important part of [02:12] the holiday is blowing the shofar, the [02:16] ritual trumpet in the synagogue. [02:19] But the Bible doesn't explain the [02:21] purpose of the trumpet blowing, and we [02:23] have to wonder, what is this holiday [02:26] really about? [02:28] In the Jewish tradition, the Festival of [02:30] Trumpets is most commonly referred to as [02:33] Rosh Hashanah, which means the beginning [02:36] of the year. Because this holiday marks [02:39] the beginning of the Jewish New Year. [02:43] In my home, we've already begun to [02:45] prepare for this joyous holiday by [02:47] baking traditional foods like honey cake [02:50] and other sweet treats. We do this [02:52] because it demonstrates our prayer that [02:54] the coming year be a sweet year. [02:57] Jews eat a lot of symbolic foods on Rosh [03:00] Hashanah that reflect our prayers for [03:02] the new year to be righteous, to be [03:05] successful, and to overcome our enemies. [03:08] And it is such a joy for me to prepare [03:11] these foods with my children and pass on [03:14] our family traditions. [03:16] But aside from this holiday being a [03:18] celebratory time, it also has a very [03:21] serious side. [03:23] It is part of a time known as the High [03:25] Holy Days, which begin on Rosh Hashanah [03:29] and end 10 days later on Yom Kippur, the [03:32] Day of Atonement. In fact, these [03:34] holidays are so important that we've [03:37] been preparing for them spiritually [03:39] for an entire month. [03:41] Today, though, we're going to focus on [03:43] Rosh Hashanah, which according to Jewish [03:45] tradition, falls on the anniversary of [03:48] the creation of the world. Specifically, [03:53] the last day of creation, when God [03:56] created Adam and Eve, Adam and Hava, as [04:00] we say in Hebrew. [04:02] So, on one hand, this day is a [04:04] celebration of mankind, [04:07] but on the other hand, this day marks [04:09] God's judgment of mankind. God looks at [04:13] his creations on Rosh Hashanah and gives [04:16] us a sort of annual report card. And [04:20] just as he takes a look at how we [04:22] behaved over the past year, we need to [04:25] reflect on the past year and make [04:27] improvements where necessary as well, to [04:30] be aligned with God. [04:32] Judaism teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, [04:34] God does his initial assessment of [04:37] mankind, and on Yom Kippur, he makes his [04:41] final judgment. Now, of course, our God [04:44] is a loving God. He is merciful and [04:47] forgiving. So, Yom Kippur is therefore [04:51] called a day of atonement because God is [04:54] especially forgiving specifically on [04:58] that day. [04:59] But, it is still our obligation to use [05:02] this time for introspection and [05:05] self-improvement. [05:07] In other words, it's a time for [05:10] repentance, [05:11] for returning to ourselves, to returning [05:15] to our source, to returning to [05:18] everything that we want to be in [05:21] connection with God. [05:23] There is a special name for these 10 [05:25] days that begin with Rosh Hashanah and [05:27] end with Yom Kippur. They are known as, [05:31] in Hebrew, Asseret Yemei Teshuvah, which [05:34] means the 10 days of repentance. [05:37] The purpose of the shofar, the ritual [05:39] trumpet that we blow on Rosh Hashanah, [05:42] is to initiate this time [music] of [05:44] repentance by waking us up from our [05:47] spiritual slumber. [05:49] The days of repentance continue all the [05:52] way from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, [05:56] when we attain forgiveness. [06:04] >> The Bible calls this day Yom [music] [06:06] Teruah, the day of trumpet blasts. Why a [06:10] trumpet? Why begin a new year with a [06:12] horn instead of a song? [06:19] >> Thus, the Jewish New Year, which the [06:21] Bible refers to as the Day of [06:23] Remembrance. It also calls this holiday [06:26] Yom Teruah, the day of the sounding of [06:28] the shofar, in light of the main ritual [06:31] of the holiday. Each day of Rosh [06:33] Hashanah, the congregation hears 100 [06:35] blasts of the shofar. [06:38] The shofar is an ancient instrument full [06:40] of symbolism. First, it symbolizes [06:43] revelation. The shofar was sounded at [06:45] Sinai when God gave Moses the Torah. [06:48] Next, the shofar is a symbol for the [06:50] binding of Isaac, as described in [06:53] Genesis chapter 22. When Abraham trusted [06:56] in God so much that he was willing to [06:59] even sacrifice his only son, Isaac, God [07:02] offered a ram in Isaac's place. And so, [07:05] the ram's horn or shofar became an [07:08] eternal symbol for our unwavering trust [07:10] in God and willingness even to endure [07:13] suffering and sacrifice for him. [07:16] The shofar is also a symbol for [07:18] repentance. In biblical times, the [07:20] shofar called people to assemble, [07:22] signaled when the camp was to move, and [07:25] warned of impending disaster. Today, we [07:28] sound the shofar as we seek spiritual [07:31] regeneration, [music] [07:32] as we alert ourselves to sin and [07:34] remember our need for repentance. [07:37] >> [music] [07:39] >> For Jewish people, the sound of the [07:41] shofar isn't just symbolic. [07:44] It has echoed through centuries of joy [07:47] and through some of history's darkest [07:49] moments. [07:51] Rosh Hashanah, [07:52] occupied Poland, 1944. [07:57] The Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. [08:00] Somehow Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Meisels had [08:03] managed to do the unthinkable. [08:06] He had smuggled a shofar into this place [08:09] of death and despair. [08:12] Creeping quietly from barracks to [08:13] barracks, the rabbi sounded its biblical [08:16] call for anyone whose ears could still [08:19] hear. [08:20] Then word reached him. [08:23] More than a thousand Jewish boys had [08:26] been separated from the rest of the [08:27] camp. [08:29] The boys were destined for the [08:31] crematoria. [08:33] They had heard there was a shofar there [08:35] in the camp. [08:37] They begged the rabbi to come to them. [08:40] He knew the danger, [08:41] but he went anyway. [08:44] Before he raised the ram's horn, [08:47] Rabbi Meisels reminded them of the psalm [08:49] sung on Rosh Hashanah. [08:52] The psalm that speaks of sounding the [08:54] shofar when the moon is hidden from [08:56] sight. [08:57] Even when everything seems swallowed by [08:59] darkness, we proclaim our faith in God. [09:03] And the rabbi reminded the boys of the [09:06] ancient teaching, [09:08] "Even when a sword hangs over us, we [09:10] never stop praying for God's salvation." [09:14] Then the shofar sounded. [09:17] And when its final notes faded into the [09:19] silence of Auschwitz, [09:21] a thousand voices cried out as one. [09:24] "Hear, oh Israel, the Lord our God, the [09:28] Lord is one." [09:30] >> [music] [09:42] >> The shofar has always called God's [09:44] people to remember, not just the past, [09:47] but the God who still calls us today. [09:54] >> The blast of the shofar is the language [09:57] of our soul. [09:59] Each type of these three brilliant [10:01] blasts are different lengths and have a [10:04] Hebrew name, which is meant to reflect [10:06] its true purpose. [10:08] These names give us our first clue as to [10:11] what we should learn from that specific [10:13] shofar blast. [10:16] The first type is called tekiah, which [10:19] means a strike in biblical Hebrew and is [10:22] one long blow of the horn. This type of [10:26] blow is often called the heralding blast [10:30] and it is used for royalty and during a [10:33] coronation. [10:35] For example, a tekiah, the long blast of [10:40] the shofar, would be blown to herald the [10:42] entrance of a king or queen into a [10:44] court. This blast symbolizes a [10:47] recognition of God as our one true king. [10:52] The second type is shevarim. This word [10:56] means broken. It is made up of three [10:58] short blasts and literally sounds like [11:01] crying. It represents our brokenness and [11:04] how we must cry out to the Lord to help [11:07] us fix ourselves. And the last and third [11:10] blast type is called teruah and it is [11:14] nine short blasts blown in rapid [11:17] succession. And this word means [11:20] warning. It's meant to wake us up to [11:24] what we have to accomplish. It's also [11:27] called God's alarm clock for our soul. [11:31] So, what is the deeper meaning of these [11:34] three shofar blasts? I'd like to start [11:37] by listening to the sound of the first [11:40] type, a tekiah. [11:45] I don't know about you, but hearing that [11:47] sound makes my heart beat faster with [11:49] anticipation. [11:51] It's no wonder that this very blast is [11:53] the one that was used to announce a king [11:55] in biblical days. And according to [11:57] Jewish tradition, it will also be used [11:59] to proclaim the final judgement day in [12:02] messianic times. [12:04] By starting with the blast that heralds [12:07] and announces the coronation of a king, [12:10] we are starting off our services by [12:12] declaring to ourselves and everyone [12:15] around us that the Lord is our king. [12:19] Hashem hu hamelach, as we say in Hebrew, [12:23] and we hold no higher king than him. [12:27] Our tradition teaches us that the month [12:29] before Rosh Hashanah, and on the New [12:31] Year day especially, our King of Kings, [12:35] the Lord, figuratively leaves his palace [12:39] and becomes like a king in the field. In [12:43] Hebrew, we call this hamelach bisadeh. [12:47] Hamelach means the king, and bisadeh [12:51] means in the field. In the month before [12:54] Rosh Hashanah, and on the day of Rosh [12:57] Hashanah, the first day of the New Year, [13:00] hamelach bisadeh, the king is in the [13:04] field. [13:05] But, what does this exactly mean? [13:08] How hard would it be to see a king in [13:11] his palace? [13:13] Let's think about this. Imagine we lived [13:15] during the times when royalty ruled our [13:17] country. How would we be able to ask the [13:20] king for help? The first step might be [13:23] uh sending maybe a delegation to the [13:26] palace with a present. [13:28] Next, you would need to make a trip to [13:30] get to his palace. [13:32] When you arrive at the palace, you would [13:34] probably first meet with a secretary or [13:37] a minister. You would probably have to [13:39] get them a present, too. You might have [13:42] to repeat this process several times [13:45] till you could even think about meeting [13:46] with the king. [13:48] And then, if you please the court [13:50] officials, only then would they let you [13:52] go to court. [13:54] At court, there would be protocols as to [13:56] when and how a petition could be [13:58] presented. Can you think of doing all [14:01] those steps every time you needed help? [14:05] And now, instead of doing all those [14:08] steps to talk to the king, imagine that [14:11] the king came to your town. Imagine that [14:14] he's traveling in your countryside. [14:18] He's between cities and takes a break by [14:21] the side of the road in a field. He sees [14:24] a peasant approaching him. The king's [14:26] guard looks over the peasant and turns [14:29] to the king. The only thing standing [14:31] between that peasant and his king is [14:33] whether or not the king nods to the [14:36] guard to let the peasant through. [14:39] Well, [14:40] imagine that this was us. [14:43] Us and God. [14:45] In the months leading up to Rosh [14:46] Hashanah, God is like this king in the [14:49] field. We crown him as our king, and he [14:53] is so accessible to us. [14:57] How great is his glory that we can reach [14:59] him in the figurative field right behind [15:03] our house, instead of all those steps [15:05] needed to see him at his palace. [15:08] He wants us to work on ourselves so much [15:11] that he makes the job easier by making [15:14] himself more accessible to us. [15:19] All we have to do is go out into the [15:21] field. Go out into prayer. Go out with a [15:25] heart that's searching for him, awakened [15:28] by the shofar. [15:31] Now, this isn't to say that during the [15:32] rest of the year we cannot reach out to [15:34] God. Of course we can. But it's during [15:38] this time of intense introspection [15:41] and reflection in anticipation for Rosh [15:44] Hashanah [15:46] that the tekiah reminds us how much [15:48] easier it is for us to talk to him [15:51] during this period when we're searching. [15:55] So, we have just joyfully heralded the [15:58] Lord as our king. And after we recognize [16:01] him as such through the first blast of [16:03] the shofar, we need to take ourselves to [16:05] the next level, which leads us to the [16:08] second type of blast. [16:11] This sound is called shevarim, which [16:14] means broken. And the sound is indeed a [16:17] broken sound made up of three blasts. [16:21] It's not straight and royal like the [16:23] first. It's meant to sound like someone [16:26] weeping. Let's listen to the sound of [16:29] shevarim. [16:34] We started off joyously proclaiming the [16:37] Lord as our king. And now here we are [16:39] crying out to the Lord just like my [16:41] daughter cried out to me. [16:43] Talk about emotional whiplash, jumping [16:46] from joy to crying the next second. But [16:49] this is the truth. This is part of life. [16:53] Both emotions are part of preparing for [16:56] the new year. [16:58] Just as we read in Psalms, serve the [17:00] Lord with fear and celebrate his rule [17:04] with trembling. But how can we do both? [17:08] How can we both tremble and celebrate at [17:10] the same time? [17:12] The truth is that we can't truly cry out [17:16] to a Lord that we don't happily [17:18] recognize as our God and as our king of [17:20] kings. [17:22] Children ask for things from people [17:23] taking care of them because they know [17:26] that their caretakers will fulfill their [17:28] needs. They don't just go to a stranger [17:30] crying out for help. [17:32] This trembling and crying couldn't have [17:35] happened without us first recognizing he [17:39] who is above us, who takes care of us, [17:42] who loves us, avinu shebashamayim, our [17:45] father in heaven. [17:47] Our tradition also teaches us that our [17:50] crying isn't meant to make us sad. It's [17:54] actually meant to draw us closer to God [17:56] by recognizing that he is the one who is [17:58] there to help us. It is he who has come [18:01] down to the fields extending his hand to [18:04] us and helping us fulfill our needs. [18:07] It's kind of like when my mom from [18:10] America comes to visit me. When I see [18:13] her get off that airplane after not [18:15] seeing her sometimes for months, [18:18] I break down crying. She came to visit [18:21] me. She came to help me. She came to see [18:25] me. [18:26] And it's just like my daughter when she [18:28] was a baby who cried for me to provide [18:31] for her with the things that she needed. [18:34] This is the same thing. Like my daughter [18:37] cries out for me. Like I cry out for my [18:41] mom. All of us are crying out to God to [18:44] give us what we need, to fix our broken [18:47] parts. Because with God's help, nothing [18:51] is irrevocably broken. [18:54] This is the time to ask ourselves what [18:56] we need God to help us with. [18:59] Sometimes during the year, we don't look [19:02] at those things. We don't ask those [19:04] questions. We do the best with what we [19:06] have. [19:07] Now is the time for introspection, [19:10] which means yes, I'm doing the best with [19:13] what I have. But what could I ask God [19:16] for to help me do things better, to feel [19:19] more complete, to feel more full? [19:22] These questions require us to look at [19:24] our actions of the past year. [19:29] When I hear the cry of the shofar, I ask [19:32] myself, [19:33] "Did I do my part this past year? [19:36] Have I helped as many people as I could [19:39] have? How can I go forth in this coming [19:42] year and do better in the world? Do [19:44] better in my life? Do better for my [19:47] family? Do better for everything that I [19:50] care about?" [19:52] And then, I turn my heart up to God and [19:55] I ask him for the help to do even more. [20:00] I can only ask this of him because I've [20:02] recognized that he is above me and that [20:05] I can't do it alone and that I need his [20:08] help to fix parts of myself. [20:11] Whether it's having more patience, [20:14] having less anger, being kinder, [20:17] talking nicely, calling family members, [20:21] or reaching a hand out to the elderly [20:23] that we try to close our eyes to. [20:26] All of these are things that God can [20:28] help us with. [20:30] So, with the first two types of the [20:33] shofar blast, we have number one, [20:36] heralded God as our king. Number two, [20:39] cried out for him to help us. [20:42] And now we're on to number three. [20:44] Now we will take the last step in the [20:47] lessons that the shofar is teaching us [20:50] with the last type of blast, the [20:52] rapid-fire sound of the teruah. [20:56] Let us listen to the teruah blast of the [20:58] shofar before we dive into its meaning. [21:06] The nine forceful blasts of what is [21:08] sometimes called God's alarm clock would [21:11] certainly wake up even the most deeply [21:13] asleep. And that's the exact point of [21:16] this shofar blast, the teruah. [21:20] We declared God as our king, then we [21:22] asked for his help, and now we must wake [21:25] up from the slumber that we have been in [21:27] and make the most of the time and help [21:30] that we are given. [21:32] In the Song of Songs we read, [21:34] "I slept, but my heart was awake. [21:38] Listen, my beloved is knocking. Open to [21:42] me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my [21:44] flawless one. My head is drenched with [21:48] dew, my hair with the dampness of the [21:51] night." [21:52] How beautiful is Shir Hashirim, the Song [21:56] of Songs. [21:57] This is a great description of how we [22:00] need to be woken up by the shofar. [22:03] In the morning our alarm clock is going [22:06] off, but our pillow is still so soft and [22:08] our blanket so comfortable. It's natural [22:11] to want to snuggle in and not get up. We [22:13] might say to ourselves, "Just 15 more [22:16] minutes." [22:18] But no. [22:20] Every moment we have is precious. We [22:24] can't waste even those 15 minutes. God [22:28] has woken us up. He is here to help us, [22:30] and we must overcome that desire to stay [22:33] in bed, to stay in our ways, to stay in [22:37] what's comfortable. [22:39] Instead, we must face the day and our [22:42] year with the determination to put into [22:45] action the steps that we need to fulfill [22:48] our purpose and to make ourselves the [22:51] most perfect versions of ourselves [22:55] every year, getting a little better, a [22:58] little deeper, a little closer to God. [23:01] We take it step by step, but if we're [23:04] not taking that step to wake up, we're [23:07] staying asleep. [23:10] God is our beloved in the Song of Songs, [23:13] and he is knocking on our door to wake [23:16] us up. We must run to open that door. [23:20] In Psalms 89:16, we read, [23:24] Ashrei ha am yedei tru'ah, which means [23:29] "Happy are the people that know the [23:32] sound of the tru'ah." [23:35] Happy are the people that know the sound [23:38] of the tru'ah. [23:40] Remember, tru'ah is the sound that we're [23:44] talking about now, that alarm clock [23:48] sound that the shofar makes. [23:50] Not everyone is happy to be woken up, [23:52] but surely we are happy to know our [23:55] purpose and to be determined to work [23:58] towards it. [24:00] Those who let themselves hear the sound [24:02] of God's alarm clock will awaken to a [24:05] more God-centered life. [24:07] It may be more demanding than sleeping [24:10] through our days, but ultimately it [24:12] leads to a more meaningful and richer [24:14] life, which brings us and others joy [24:17] through our service to God. [24:19] I think about it like this. When I'm [24:21] driving in my car, I have a decision. I [24:24] can listen to a Bible class, or I can [24:27] listen to the radio. [24:29] Which one is the choice that someone [24:31] who's been woken up by the alarm clock, [24:35] by the tru'ah, which choice is the one [24:38] that that person will make? [24:41] The blasts of the shofar have reminded [24:44] us for generations, exactly at this time [24:48] now, around the high holidays, that God [24:52] is our king. Hashem hu ha melech. [24:57] He will help if we ask him for help. And [25:00] now, it is up to us to do what we can do [25:04] with that help and use this year to [25:07] awaken our hearts, to turn it to God, [25:11] and to serve the Lord to achieve our [25:15] purpose. [25:27] >> Hearing the shofar is just the [25:29] beginning. [25:30] The question is, what do we do after we [25:33] hear its call? [25:43] >> High Holy Days are called the 10 Days [25:45] [music] of Repentance or the Days of [25:48] Awe. They begin with the Jewish New [25:50] Year, Rosh Hashanah, and climax with Yom [25:53] Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The [25:56] dominant theme during this time is [25:58] teshuvah, meaning repentance or [26:00] literally returning to one's self. [26:03] Through repentance, we wash our slates [26:06] clean and begin life anew. We are, in a [26:09] very real way, being born again. [26:12] According to Jewish belief, at this time [26:14] of year, God sits in judgment of every [26:16] person in the world, determining who [26:19] shall live and who shall die in the [26:21] coming year. [26:22] On Rosh Hashanah, tradition tells us, [26:24] God inscribes everyone's fate in one of [26:27] three books, one for those who were [26:30] righteous, one for those who were [26:32] wicked, and one for those whose good and [26:34] bad deeds balance. During the 10 Days of [26:37] Awe, we can influence God's decision by [26:40] repenting, praying, and doing acts of [26:43] charity. We believe that God actually [26:45] seeks us out and confronts us, hoping [26:48] that we'll repent and stop sinning, much [26:51] like he did with Adam, Cain, and Jonah. [26:54] Best of all, God responds a thousandfold [26:57] to [music] our slightest turn toward [26:59] him. [27:08] >> In the words of the priestly blessing [27:10] from Numbers chapter 6, [27:23] May the Lord bless you and keep you. May [27:26] the Lord make his face shine unto you [27:28] and be gracious to you. May the Lord [27:31] turn his face towards you and give you [27:34] peace. [27:39] May it be a sweet and healthy new year. [27:43] >> [singing] [27:48] [music] [27:50] [singing] [27:57] [singing and music] [28:12] >> May God's blessings of shalom, peace, be [28:14] with you all.
