By International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
At sundown Sunday, Sept. 29 through October 9, Jews around the world will observe the High Holy Days, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and ending ten days later with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is the most most holy time of the year on the Jewish calendar. During this ten-day period, known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or Days of Repentance, Jews engage in intense introspection, examining their lives and seeking forgiveness from God and each other for the coming year.
Judaism teaches that an individual’s fate is “written” as God judges the world on Rosh Hashanah and “sealed” ten days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Hebrew calendar. Jews know they are judged by their actions during the course of the whole year, but just as one would be that much more careful while sitting in a courtroom in front of the presiding judge, they know that now is their last chance to make good before the King of Kings, the Judge of Judges–God Himself—before His judgment is made.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Exploring the Jewish High Holy Days]
According to Jewish tradition, during this time God opens up three books: one for those who were righteous during the year, one for those who were wicked, and one for those whose good and bad deeds balance. Everyone’s fate is inscribed in one of those three books. During the Days of Awe, a person can alter his or her destiny by repenting, praying, and doing acts of charity. On Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition teaches that God closes all three books and seals humankind’s fate for the coming year.
During this time, people typically greet each other with the words “le-shanah tovah tikatevu v’taychataymu,” which means “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”
Learn more about the High Holy Day, the most holy time on the Jewish calendar, with a complimentary copy of IFCJ’s High Holy Days Devotional Guide.
Please enjoy the following devotion on one of the spiritual lessons from this biblically mandated holy observance from the timeless teachings of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, who had devoted his life to helping Christians understand the Jewish roots of their faith.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Bridge Builder: An Interview with Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein]
The Head of the Year
“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.’” — Leviticus 23:24
New Year’s Eve is generally a time for celebration. As we sweep out the old and welcome in the New Year, most people celebrate with festive parties. Some people will have a few drinks, others will dance, and everyone will relish the good times as we temporarily escape reality and our everyday lives. However, Judaism’s approach to the New Year is exactly the opposite. Instead of taking a step back from our reality, we zoom in on it. We don’t get lost in the festivities; instead, it’s through the celebration of Rosh Hashanah that we find ourselves.
Rosh Hashanah is loosely translated as The Jewish New Year, but that’s not what those words literally mean. Rosh is Hebrew for the word head, while Hashanah is Hebrew for the year. So, Rosh Hashanah literally means The Head of the Year. This isn’t just a difference in semantics; it has an entirely different meaning. Just as the head determines where and how the rest of our body will go, so too, does the beginning of the year determine how the rest of our year will proceed. This is a sobering thought, pregnant with possibilities—which is why the Jewish New Year is a time to be more in tune with our reality than ever.
An 18th-century rabbi named Shneur Zalman was once asked: “How are we to understand that God, the All-Knowing, said to Adam: ‘Where are you?’ after he sinned by eating the forbidden fruit.” The Rabbi replied, “Do you believe that the Scriptures are eternal and that every era, every generation, and every man is included in them?” “I believe this,” the man answered. “Well then,” said Rabbi Shneur Zalman, “in every era, God asks every person, ‘Where are you in your life? So many years and days of those allotted to you have passed, and how far have you gotten in your life?’”
According to Jewish tradition, on the first Rosh Hashanah of the world, Adam was created, sinned, and judged. It was on that day that God asked, “Where are you?” and it is on this day, every year, that God asks us the same question—and we need to provide an answer. We need to take a good look at where we have been and where we plan on going. We need to answer for the wrong turns we may have made and get back on track to where we want to be.
God already knows where we are–physically and spiritually. On Rosh Hashanah, we are the ones who need to take notice where we are, and most importantly, determine where we are headed.
Bio: Rabbi Eckstein, who had devoted his life to building bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews as the founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), passed away earlier this year. His daughter, Yael Eckstein, has been named President and CEO of The Fellowship and is now carrying on her father’s vision and work into the future. The Fellowship now raises over $125 million dollars annually, making it the largest Christian-supported humanitarian nonprofit working in Israel today.
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