A Guide to the Jewish High Holidays
By Scott Phillips
As many of you already know, at Passages our two goals are to connect you as Christian college students with the roots of your Biblical faith, as well as introduce you to modern Israel. As we approach the Jewish High Holidays, we wanted to write something that would integrate both of these focuses. Many of the themes of our Christian faith originate with the Jewish feasts. We will explore together here the significance of these feasts from Biblical/historical, modern Jewish, and Christian perspectives. Our hope is twofold: that your faith will be strengthened and that your understanding of modern Jewish cultural and religious practice will be increased.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the first feast of the Jewish Fall high. On the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah always begins on the first day of the month of Tishrei. Biblically, this holiday is known as “Yom Teruah” or the “Feast of Trumpets”.
Biblical Significance
In Leviticus 23:24-25 (NIV), we see the origin of the Feast of Trumpets:
24 “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. 25 Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’”
We see another reference to the feast in Numbers 29:1-6 (NIV):
29 “‘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. 2 As an aroma pleasing to the Lord, offer a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 3 With the bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 4 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 5 Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6 These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are food offerings presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma.
As we can see here from both of these passages, scripture does not go into detail as to the purpose of this feast, but rather only specifies how to commemorate with the blasts of the trumpet, or shofar (ram’s horn), how to make the appropriate sacrifices, and to do no work for the duration.
Jewish tradition has suggested that the purpose of the Feast of Trumpets, as well as the practice of the blowing of the shofar, is intended to begin the process of calling people to repentance as they approach the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which we will discuss in depth later in this article.
Modern Observance
At this point, some may be asking where the name of the holiday changed from the Feast of Trumpets to Rosh Hashanah, Hebrew for “head of the year” or “new year”. For those familiar with the Hebrew calendar and the implications of the Torah’s prescription therein, one may recall that Passover, usually taking place in March or April of the Gregorian calendar, is actually commanded to be the start of the Biblical new year. Many believe that this change occurred in Jewish practice for two reasons. The first reason being that the agricultural process ends and begins in the Fall around the same time as the Jewish high holidays begin, specifically Rosh Hashanah. The second reason being that, spiritually, the Fall feasts indicate a “re-start” of the repentance and atonement process where one’s slate is cleared for the past year’s sins and their path for life begins anew for the upcoming year.
One particular modern Jewish practice which serves to exemplify this narrative is what is known as “tashliach”. This is a custom where one will cast small pieces of bread into a moving source of water such as a river, creek, or stream. The symbolism implies a “casting away” of the past year’s sins in preparation for the Day of Atonement to come.
Another more common modern Jewish practice is to eat apples and honey which serve to symbolize the hope of a “sweet” new year.
A great way to greet your Jewish friends this Rosh Hashanah is to eat apples and honey with them (if you’re close by) or to wish them L’shanah tovah (happy new year)!
Yom Kippur
The second holiday of the Jewish Fall high holiday calendar is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur always begins on the tenth day of the month of Tishrei. Also known as the Day of Atonement, this feast is regarded by most of Judaism to be the holiest day of the Jewish calendar for reasons which we will explore together.
Biblical Significance
In Leviticus 16:29-30 (NIV), we see the origins of Yom Kippur:
29 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.”
Unlike for the Feast of Trumpets, scripture gives a very specific reason for the establishment and strict observance of this holiday – in order that atonement will be made to God for the sins of the people.
During the times of the tabernacle in the desert as well as the temples in Jerusalem, there was a very specific sacrificial prescription for the high priest to perform on Yom Kippur in order to atone for the sins of the people:
7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work. 8 Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. 9 With the bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 10 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 11 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.”
Modern Observance
With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Judaism subsequently developed a revised tradition for observing Yom Kippur. Today, out of a scriptural command to “deny” oneself, Jews will fast food and water from before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur to the following evening at nightfall. Many will also spend a majority of the day in synagogue from early in the morning, with an afternoon break before going back to synagogue until the end of the holiday, which is marked by the blowing of the shofar. In addition, some will wear white to symbolize purity, further marking the day as one where sins are atoned before God.
A great way to greet your Jewish friends on this most holy day is to wish them “an easy fast”.
Sukkot
The third feast of the Jewish Fall high holiday calendar is Sukkot. On the Jewish calendar, Sukkot always begins on the fifteenth of the month of Tishrei. This holiday is also known as the “Feast of Tabernacles” and is quite a transition from the very somber Yom Kippur to a very joyous time of celebration.
Biblical Significance
The institution of Sukkot can be found in Leviticus 23:33-43.
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work. Leviticus 23:33-36
39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” Leviticus 23:39-43
The overarching purpose of this particular holiday was to celebrate the provision of the new crop harvest and to remember what God had done for the Israelites in the desert when He brought them out of Egypt and into the land of Israel. Even though the Biblical text isn’t explicit about it, one can’t help but imagine it was also meant to be a time of celebration that reflected upon the atonement for sin and the “re-start” for a new year ahead that occurred just a few days prior on Yom Kippur.
Modern Observance
In modern Judaism, Sukkot is also known as “Z’man Simchateinu” or “Season of Our Rejoicing”. The two main observances include doing no work on the first two days of Sukkot and by building a sukkah, or temporary dwelling, which reflects the Biblical command to “live in temporary shelters for seven days”. According to tradition, one can fulfill this command by simply having meals in the sukkah or, depending on the weather, even sleeping in it.
A holiday that follows immediately after Sukkot, considered by some to be a part of Sukkot is the holiday of Simchat Torah or “Rejoicing in Torah”. Jews all over the world read passages of the Torah (5 books of Moses) each week throughout the year in synagogue and on Simchat Torah, the reading cycle starts over. This is marked as a time of great celebration and thankfulness for the giving of the Torah to the people of Israel.
A great way to greet your Jewish friends on Sukkot is to simply say “chag sameach” or “happy holiday”!
A Christian Perspective
As a conclusion, it is evident that the foundations of Christianity are heavily influenced in a profound way by the themes of the Fall high holidays. In the Jewish feasts, we see themes of repentance (Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah), atonement (Yom Kippur), and celebration (Sukkot) in that order. In the same order we also see these same themes in the Christian experience. Repentance in the New Testament was highlighted and somewhat redefined with John the Baptist’s invitation to turn away from sin and be baptized. Following John the Baptist, we of course know that Jesus’ ministry culminated with His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection for the purposes of atonement before God. We then see themes of newness of life and celebration after the salvation experience. Perhaps one of the most relevant scriptures speaking to this process can be found in Acts 3:19:
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”
Repentance. Sins wiped out. Times of refreshing. How incredible and edifying as we seek to explore the origins of our Christian faith together!