By Ifigenia Xifré
This past week, on September 29th and 30th, Jews all around the world celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the New Year according to the Jewish calendar. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, “Head of the Year.” This is the first of the High Holy Days, and is celebrated on the first and second days of the month of Tishrei. This holiday commemorates the creation of Adam and Eve (the birthday of mankind) and is therefore a special day to remember the special relationship between God and mankind. This means that, according to tradition, five days earlier was the day of the creation of the universe (on the 25th of the month of Elul).
For Jews, Rosh Hashanah also marks the Day of Judgment, and is therefore a time of reflection over human experience, and penitence. There are ten days –called the ten days of repentance—between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the day when the verdict of God’s judgment is finalized. A very important part of this tradition is making amends for past sins, and seeking forgiveness from people who might have been wronged by one’s actions.
A significant symbol of the holiday is the shofar, a wind instrument often made out of a ram or a goat’s horns. The instrument is such an important symbol of the holiday that another name for Rosh Hashanah is Yom Teruah, or “day of the shofar blast” in Hebrew. The sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is meant to wake up soul and turn its attention to the important task of repentance and reflection. The sounds of the shofar are also associated with the breath of life, which God gave to man on the day when Adam was created. The use of the shofar is rooted on many stories from the Torah, such as the capture of Jericho, when the city walls crumbled at the sound of the trumpet.
Thanks for reading! More in a few weeks!