Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah

Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah

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Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets (Yom T'ruah)

Rosh Hashanah and Hebrew New Year

Rosh Hashanah 5784/Hebrew New Year 

September 16-17 (we will not be at the 25900 US Highway 27 location Sabbath September 16th)

The festival of Rosh Hashanah-the name means "Head of the Year"--is observed for two days beginning on Tishrei 1, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind's role in G-d's world.

Rosh Hashanah thus emphasizes the special relationship between G-d and humanity: our dependence upon G-d as our creator and sustainer, and

G-d's dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world. Each year on Rosh Hashanah, "all inhabitants of the world pass before G-d like a flock of sheep," and it is decreed in the heavenly court, "who shall live, and who shall die... who shall be impoverished, and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise. " But this is also the day we proclaim G-d King of the Universe.   

 The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn, which represents the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance" which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.   Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac's place as an offering to G-d; we evoke Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son and plead that the merit of his deed should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity.  Altogether, we listen to 100 shofar blasts over the course of the Rosh Hashanah service.

Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include:

a) Eating a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year, and other special foods symbolic of the new year's blessings.

b) Blessing one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

c) Tashlich, a special prayer said near a body of water (an ocean, river, pond, etc.) in evocation of the verse, "And You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea." As with every major Jewish holiday, after candlelighting and prayers we recite Kiddush and make a blessing on the Challah.

Shabbat Times

Candle Lighting for Fri. March 29, 2024 in Leesburg, FL is: 7:27pm

Shabbat concludes on Sat. March 30, 2024 at: 8:23pm