The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.’”
Leviticus 23:23-25
Shana Tova! Happy New Year! Today is Rosh Hashanah – the head of the Jewish year, marking the beginning of the year 5772.
One of the traditions that became attached to this day was the eating of apples with honey, wishing for a sweet year. Each Wednesday evening we have cookie night, so last night we had apples with cookies that contained honey (close enough and very yummy).
Calling this day the beginning of a new year does not appear in the Bible, but it is called the Feast of Trumpets (see above). On this day the trumpets are to be sounded. It is a wakeup call, marking the beginning of the fall festivals. The tenth day of the month (next Saturday) is Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. The days in between are called the Ten Days of Awe. They are days for introspection, to confess sins before the Lord, and make things right with others. It is a time to repent, which in the Biblical mindset is not merely a change of mind, but a change of action – literally turning around.
May you be blessed this new year. May you turn your heart to the Lord.
