By Shelley Neese
Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern.
First, I have exciting news to share! On October 1st, the first Bible Fiber book launched! It is a 52-week study of the Twelve Minor Prophets, going through each book. This comprehensive companion provides thoughtful commentary for every chapter, making these ancient texts accessible to all readers. Grab your copy of Bible Fiber today! It is available on Amazon as a Paperback and on Kindle!
Second, we are pressing pause on the Ezekiel study during the Jewish High Holidays. But it isn’t to take a break from podcasting! Instead, I want to use this chance to do a miniseries on each of the holidays that we are about to enter. I get questions from my Christian friends all the time about the feasts and festivals. So, Bible Fiber is doing a four-week miniseries that we are calling “High Holidays for the Goyim.” We will cover Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah.
Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on October 2nd and concludes at sundown on October 4th. Tonight, Jewish families around the world will gather for the start of their High Holiday season. Now that we live in Miami, this is the first time my kids have been in a public school that has off for Rosh Hashanah.
I hope Christians will open your hearts about how we can incorporate the themes of each holiday into our own month. And also, how we can love and serve our hurting Jewish neighbors a year out from October 7th.
The Shofar
The biblical name for Rosh Hashanah is the Feast of Trumpets. Its celebration is based in Leviticus. The Lord told Moses, “Say to the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Lev, 23:23-25).
Based on that command to Moses, one of the central features of Rosh Hashanah synagogue services is the sounding of the shofar, a ram’s horn. The person doing the blowing is called the “Ba’al Tekiah” (literally, “Master of the Blast”). They are trained in the proper technique. During the service, the leader blows the shofar 100 times. Each blast is meant to wake up the spiritually sleepy and call the faithful to repentance.
The shofar blasts comprise four main types, each with distinct meanings. The Tekiah is a single, long blast lasting 3-4 seconds, symbolizing a call to attention and God’s sovereignty. Shevarim consists of three medium-length blasts, each about 1 second, representing sighing or weeping. Teruah is a series of nine or more short, staccato blasts in quick succession, lasting about 3 seconds total, serving as an alarm to awaken spiritual consciousness. Lastly, the Tekiah Gedolah is an extra-long blast lasting 9 seconds or more, symbolizing hope and redemption. These blasts, and different combinations of the blast types, collectively emphasize the themes of introspection, repentance, and renewal central to Rosh Hashanah.
For Christians, the shofar calls to mind prophecies found in the book of Revelation that announce Christ’s return. Revelation says, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). In Paul’s letter to Thessalonica, he also mentions a trumpet call in connection with Christ’s return. He wrote, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thes. 4:16).
The Feast
On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish families come together for festive meals rich with meaning. One of the symbolic foods is round challah bread. Its circular shape is a reminder of the cyclical nature of life and God’s eternal love. Unlike the oblong challah used for regular Shabbat, people often stud the Rosh Hashanah challah with raisins for added sweetness.
Apples dipped in honey symbolize the hope for a sweet new year, echoing the Psalmist’s words: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). This simple act becomes a prayer, a physical manifestation of the heart’s deepest hopes for the coming year. Other symbolic foods include the head of a fish or ram, symbolizing the desire to be at the ‘head’ rather than the ‘tail’ of all endeavors in the coming year.
Scripture readings
Although the command to mark the Feast of Trumpets comes from Leviticus, the biblical passage that takes center stage on Rosh Hashanah is the story of the binding of Isaac. At Rosh Hashanah services, the congregation listens to a reading of Genesis 22. The Akedah, as this story is known in Hebrew, recounts how God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son. The Akedah fits the theme of the holiday as it invites worshipers to contemplate the nature of faith and the depths of God’s love.
Days of Awe and Reflection
The ten days after Rosh Hashanah, leading up to Yom Kippur, are called the Days of Awe. This period, culminating in the fast of Yom Kippur is a sacred time for self-examination and renewing one’s commitment to God. It is also a time to reconcile with others and seek forgiveness.
During these days, many Jews practice teshuvah, which means “repentance.” This involves acknowledging one’s sins, feeling genuine remorse, and committing to change. In that way, the High Holidays are a schedule revival, meant to allow the transformative power of God’s forgiveness to take hold in believers’ lives.
As Christians, we are also called to forgive others and seek forgiveness. It reminds us of the words of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Casting Away Sins
One of the most visually striking customs of Rosh Hashanah is the practice of Tashlich. On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Jews are supposed to gather near a body of flowing water. There, they symbolically cast their sins into the water, often by throwing breadcrumbs or emptying their pockets.
This ritual is inspired by the words of the prophet Micah: “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). The heart of the practice is also reflected in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Casting stones into a flowing stream is a visual metaphor for God’s forgiveness and our need to let go of past sins. It’s a reminder that repentance is not just an internal process, but one that should lead to visible change in our lives.
Rosh Hashanah and Creation
This day of blowing shofars, marking the beginning of the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, became associated in later Jewish tradition with the celebration of the Jewish new year.
The Bible never explicitly connects the Feast of Trumpets to the beginning of creation. In fact, the Bible never gives any exact date for the start of creation. In post-biblical Jewish tradition, rabbis connected the first of Tishrei, the Levitical date given for the Feast of the Trumpets, with the world’s birthday.
The theme of creation also ties into the idea of new beginnings that are central to Rosh Hashanah. Just as God created the world, we have the opportunity to create by reshaping our lives, our communities, and our world in alignment with God’s will.
A common Rosh Hashanah greeting is “Shanah Tovah,” which means “Good Year” in Hebrew. Jews will greet one another with this phrase or the longer “Shanah Tovah v’Metukah,” meaning “May it be a good and sweet new year.” Be sure to tell your Jewish friends Shanah Tovah today because the last year has been so heartbreaking and challenging for Jews in Israel and all over the world.
Rosh Hashanah and Judgment
Another significant theme of Rosh Hashanah is divine judgment. In Jewish tradition, it’s believed that on Rosh Hashanah, God reviews the deeds of humanity and inscribes the fate of everyone for the coming year in the Book of Life. This judgment is then sealed on Yom Kippur. While this concept might seem daunting, it’s balanced by the emphasis on God’s mercy and the power of repentance.
Rosh Hashanah and Christian Faith
Rosh Hashanah’s themes of renewal, repentance, and God’s sovereignty remain profoundly relevant in our modern world. The call to pause, reflect, and renew our commitment to God and others is perhaps more necessary than ever.
The holiday’s emphasis on new beginnings can be a powerful antidote to the cynicism and despair that often characterize our times, especially in an election year. It reminds us that no matter what challenges we face—personally or collectively—there is always the possibility of change, growth, and renewal. Rosh Hashanah’s focus on reconciliation and community calls us to mend broken relationships and to offer forgiveness.
Whether we are Jewish or Christian, we share a faith in a God who is merciful and who calls us to lives of purpose and meaning. May the sounds of the shofar awaken all of us to the possibilities of renewal and transformation. May we, like Abraham, be ready to respond to God’s call with faith and obedience. And may we approach the new year with hope, knowing that the God who created the universe is intimately involved in our lives, guiding us towards a future filled with promise.
Next week, we will turn our attention to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Until then, Shanah Tovah!
