Rosh Hashanah—A Return to Who You Were Meant to Be

How many of us think about repentance as we celebrate and usher in a New Year on January 1?

When Jews usher in the Jewish New Year on Rosh Hashanah, the main focus is on repentance, or teshuvah, which means to “return” to God and to who we really are. The sound of the shofar, the ritual trumpet, signals this time to reflect on the past twelve months, fix any behavior that isn’t helpful, and return to God who is waiting with open arms.

In this special Rosh Hashanah episode, host Yael Eckstein shares the Jewish perspective on the meaning of repentance, its significance for both Christians and Jews, and how it has the power to nourish our souls and transform us into the people we are meant to be!

For more information on today’s episode visit mybiblicalroots.org.

Episode Notes:

In today’s special episode for Rosh Hashanah, Yael focuses on a Bible verse that’s significant to the Jewish New Year. Numbers 29:1 says: “On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.”

Scripture calls Rosh Hashanah “a day for you to sound the trumpets,” which is why it’s often referred to as “The Festival of Trumpets.” Even today, the most important part of the holiday is blowing the shofar, the ritual and biblical trumpet, in the synagogue.

But aside from it being a celebratory time, this holiday also has a serious side. It is part of a time known as the High Holy Days, which begin on Rosh Hashanah and end ten days later on Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement. Yael explains that repentance is a key aspect of the High Holy Days, and Rosh Hashanah kicks off this time of repentance, of returning to God.

This special time, rooted in the Bible, can be meaningful for Christians, too, and will certainly nourish your soul. By understanding the real process of repentance, which the Jewish people go through every year, we can make lasting change in our lives that brings us closer to God.

Learn more about the High Holy Days by visiting our Learning Center.