L’Shanah Tovah U’Metukah!

L’shana tovah u’metukah (pronounced l’shah-NAH toe-VAH ooh-meh-too-KAH) is a greeting for the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah). It  means “For a good and sweet year.”

Rosh Hashanah (pronounced (Roshe Hah-SHAH-nah) will start from sundown on Friday September 18 to nightfall on Sunday September 20. The words translated literally mean the ‘head of the year’ or ‘first of the year.’ Rabbinic Judaism believes it is a memorial of the date God created Adam and Eve (the sixth day of creation). Some though, alternatively see it as the memorial of the creation of the world (the first day of creation). 

This festival marks the start of the High Holy Days also known as the ‘Days of Awe’ (a ten day period). It is a time of congregational and personal reflection on our relationship and repentance to God. 

In Scriptures it is known as Yom Teruah literally “day of shouting or blasting” or the Feast of Trumpets. ⁽¹⁾There are five passages in the Scriptures that speak of this feast, Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 29:1-6, Psalm 81:3-4, Ezra 3:1-6 & Nehemiah 8:1-12. Today, the biblical understanding of this Feast has been replaced with rabbinic practices and ideas. As a result it is rarely referred to or understood as the Feast of Trumpets by modern Jewish people.⁽²⁾Trumpets are certainly not forgotten during the modern practice of this festival. In the synagogue the main observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar (the ram’s horn) during this festival. The shofar is blown many times during the service (Jewish Law requires at least 30 times, it is usual to do much more than this). There are many reasons given for this practice, a key one being this day is the first of the Ten Days of Repentance (another Rabbinic invention) and it is meant be an alarm sound, to wake us from our spiritual slumber.

Mishnah

Although Rosh Hashanah is often called the Jewish New Year, the Mishnah ⁽³⁾It is also the first major work of rabbinic literature produced around 200 CE. tells us, in Rosh Hashshanah 1:1 – “There are four new years:

1. the first day of Nisan is the new year for kings and festivals;
2. the first day of Elul is the new year for tithing cattle. R. Eleazar and R. Simeon say, “It is on the first day of Tishre.”
3. The first day of Tishre is the new year for the reckoning of years, for Sabbatical years, and for Jubilees, for planting [trees] and for vegetables;
4. the first day of Shebat is the new year for trees, in accord with the opinion of the House of Shammai. The House of Hillel say, ‘On the fifteenth day of that month [is the new year for trees].’ ”

Therefore, this feast has become known as the beginning of the Jewish civil year. Judaism has two calendars, a religious and civil new year.⁽⁴⁾As opposed to Torah that only has only one New Year, see  Exodus 12:2). This feast has become known as the beginning of the Jewish civil year.

Tradition

While it is true that the modern traditions of Rosh Hashanah have been set by humans, like (for example) Christmas, there is no reason we cannot celebrate these remembering the as they are rich in Biblical themes that are part of the traditions. 

Messianics maybe should reconsider just keeping these innovative traditions and seek biblical alternatives. We could consider focusing at this time on the Feast of Trumpets rather than one of many new years of Talmud.

The themes of renewal and repentance may be better found in the biblical celebrations of the new moon each month. Interesting, one way to talk about the New Moon is Rosh Ḥodesh, “head of the month.”

More on this in a future article!