Dear readers!
Tonight in Israel we celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah, which was originally a biblical Memorial Day and day of blowing the shofar.
“On the first day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly, and you must not do any regular work. This will be a day for you to sound the trumpets As a pleasing aroma to the LORD, you are to present a burnt offering…” (Numbers 29:1-2)
Only later was it decided that the first day of the seventh month would become the start of the year, because in our region at that time the harvest cycle comes to an end. So the Jewish New Year begins with reflection, repentance and recommitment to God. A kind of preparation for the biblical Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, which occurs 10 days later and during which we humans reconcile with our Creator. We all have plenty of reasons to get right with God again, whether Jew, Messianic Jew, Christian, or any other person.
And so, I thought of welcoming our readers to the Jewish New Year with the song and video “Sound of the Shofar.” It’s a song whose melody you probably all know, but with alternative words fitting for these unique days.
“It’s that time again, summer has come to an end. The air is cooler, and the leaves are changing. The sound is clear. It is the sound of the shofar. When you hear it, you know for sure, it’s time for you to turn back to God, to who you were. Feel your soul stirred, by the sound of the shofar. And as we all gather and listen to that thunderous sound, we all stand without speaking. We all stand and listen. And we long to be close to God. We ask for the Book of Life, peace and happiness and no more strife. And we ask God to remove all our fears. When God’s glory will shine and together, we will hear the call. The Messiah is coming to redeem us all and we will return to the land of Israel. We will know it is true by the sound of the shofar.”
Every time I hear this song, the lyrics and music move me. For all of us this has been a difficult season, whether we be in Europe or North America or anywhere else in the world. War and gas crisis in Europe, where everyone is worried about a cold winter ahead. Rising inflation worldwide. All of it makes people uncertainty and fearful. And to the people of Iran, we wish in these days strength and courage in their protest against the radical regime of the ayatollahs: “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
The world is filled with tragedy, and that is why this annual time of reconciliation with God is so important. And so, with this video we would like to encourage you and wish you a blessed new year. Our hope is that each of you find your way and words to reconcile with God in your personal life.
A blessed Shana Tova from Jerusalem!
Aviel and Anat Schneider and the whole team of Israel Today.
