Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah

“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of loud sounding(zikhron teru’ah), a holy convocation…” (Leviticus 23:24–25)

Yom Teruah, also known as Rosh Hashanah, marks the beginning of the seventh month and ushers in the most sacred season of the biblical calendar. The Torah describes it as a day of zikhron teru’ah—a memorial of loud blasts or shouts. Interestingly, the text does not explicitly say “trumpets.” The Hebrew word teru’ah simply means a great sound: a trumpet blast, a shofar call, or even a collective shout. In essence, this is a day when sound itself becomes a sacred act—an alarm, a summons, a coronation, a wake-up call for the soul.

Remembering Sinai

Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah is first and foremost a day of remembrance. But what exactly are we remembering?

At Mount Sinai, the people of Israel stood trembling as the mountain quaked, thunder and lightning filled the sky, and the qol shofar grew louder and louder (Exodus 19:16; 20:18–20). The blast of the shofar marked God’s descent to covenant with His people. It was not just a sound—it was a voice from heaven that shook creation itself.

The people responded with one of the most important declarations in all of Scripture:

“Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will obey.” (Exodus 24:7)

The shofar, then, is more than an ancient instrument. It is a call to remembrance for every generation. Each blast echoes Sinai and reminds us of our vow to the King of the universe. On Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah, we are not merely recalling history; we are renewing our covenant, recommitting ourselves to obedience, and affirming that His kingship still rules our lives.

This day becomes a sacred moment of renewing vows—a spiritual wedding anniversary between God and His people. Just as Israel said, “All that is written in the Book of the Covenant we will obey,” so too are we invited to stand again before the King and affirm: We are Yours, and You are our God.

Shofar and Silver Trumpets

The Bible mentions two distinct instruments, each tied to Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah:

• The Shofar (ram’s horn): Heard at Sinai, blown at Jericho, and connected to the ram offered in place of Isaac. It symbolizes mercy, covenant, and God’s power to bring down strongholds.

• The Silver Trumpets (Numbers 10:1–10): Used in the Temple to summon assemblies, announce journeys, or sound alarms for war and worship. They were fashioned from the half-shekel redemption silver (Exodus 30:13–16), reminding Israel that the redeemed belong to God and must answer when He calls.

Together, these blasts point to both deliverance and responsibility: God redeems, and His people respond.

The Many Voices of the Trumpet

Throughout Scripture, trumpet blasts serve different purposes:

• Gathering the people

• Announcing movement

• Sounding alarm for war or judgment

• Celebrating worship and victory

• Proclaiming the coronation of a king

This is why the Rosh Hashanah liturgy highlights three themes, each centered on the sound of the shofar:

1. Malchuyot (Kingship): Proclaiming God as King over all creation.

2. Zichronot (Remembrances): Calling on God to remember His covenant and mercy.

3. Shofarot (Trumpet blasts): Affirming the shofar as a symbol of revelation, coronation, and redemption.

God as King

Though the Torah rarely calls God “King,” the Prophets and Writings are full of royal imagery:

• “The LORD reigns, He is robed in majesty” (Psalm 93:1).

• “The LORD will be King over all the earth; on that day the LORD will be One and His Name One” (Zechariah 14:9).

Many scholars believe Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah echoes an ancient coronation festival—a day when God was remembered and re-enthroned as King at the world’s birthday. The blasts of the shofar, then, are not random noise but royal acclamations declaring: The King is here.

Prophetic Horizon — The King is Present

Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah is not only about looking back to Sinai—it also reminds us of a present reality: the Kingship of God is already established, and His reign is active today. The shofar does not call us to wait for something far away—it awakens us to live under His rule now.

The prophets envisioned a great shofar gathering God’s people (Isaiah 27:13), and the Apostolic Writings echo this with imagery of the “trumpet of God.” Yet these are not merely distant hopes; they are reminders that the King already reigns, and we must live in that reality today.

This also mirrors the message of Yeshua and His apostles. Their voices went out like a trumpet blast to the nations, proclaiming the good news of God’s Kingdom. Their cry was not weak or hidden—it was a loud voice that echoed across the world, awakening hearts, bringing hope, and transforming countless lives. The gospel itself has been the shofar-call of history, shaking nations and summoning people everywhere to turn to the living King.

Just as Israel answered at Sinai, “We will do and we will obey” (Exodus 24:7), we too are called to respond in the present. Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah is not about waiting for some future enthronement—it is about recognizing that the Kingdom has already broken into this world and that our allegiance belongs to the King right now.

When the shofar sounds, it is both memory and proclamation:

• Memory of Sinai, when God called His people into covenant.

• Proclamation that the King reigns and His Kingdom is already spreading across the earth.

• Renewal of our vows to walk faithfully, as those whose lives have already been transformed by the power of His voice.

Traditional Observance

Today, Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah begins the Yamim Nora’im (“Days of Awe”)—ten days of repentance and introspection that culminate in Yom Kippur. Common practices include:

• Hearing the shofar (customarily up to 100 blasts: tekiah, shevarim, teru’ah).

• Resting from ordinary work and joining in holy assembly.

• Teshuvah (return): repairing relationships with God and with people.

• Prayer, fasting, and generosity, aligning life with God’s justice and mercy.

Takeaway

Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah is not just about blowing a horn—it’s about being awakened. It is:

• A memorial of God’s voice at Sinai.

• A coronation of the King of Kings.

• A summons to renew our vows and walk in present obedience.

• A declaration that God reigns here and now, and that the message of His Kingdom continues to resound like a trumpet across the earth.

May the blasts of Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah shake us from spiritual slumber, crown the Holy One in our lives, and anchor us in His Kingship today.

L’shanah tovah! Ketivah v’chatimah tovah—may you be written and sealed for good.