1st of Tishrei

1st of Tishrei ('Rosh Hashana')

The 1st of the 7th Month: Not the 1st of the Year

What Jews currently refer to as 'Rosh Hashana' is in fact a celebration of the 1st of the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar; the 1st of Tishrei.

Sabbath-Type Rest, Trumpets, Holy Assembly and Offerings

Leviticus 23:24-25

"In the seventh month on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-type rest, a memorial of sounding trumpets (1), a holy assembly. You shall not do any laborious work and shall offer an offering made by fire to Y-hova (2)". 

Numbers 29:1 repeats this requirement. 

Leviticus 23:24
Numbers 29:1

1st of Tishrei Celebrations in the Torah

Ezra Chapter 3 (3) describes a period after the destruction of the First Temple where the Israelites had returned to their towns and decided to reinstate the practice of offerings (which they did on the 1st Tishrei). Ezra 3:6 (4) says they made offerings despite not having begun building work on the Second Temple. When the building work began, Ezra 3:12 (5) says that many burst into expressions of joy although some Priests, Levites and family heads ('Rosh Ha'avot Hazekenim') began to weep.

In the Book of Nehemiah 8:1-3 (6), we are told of another occasion some years later where the people gathered together on the 1st Tishrei in front of the Water Gate and told Ezra the Priest to bring the Book of the Law of Moses. Ezra brought the Book before the assembly and 'the men and women who could hear with understanding listened'.

The Book of Nehemiah 8:9-11 (7) tells us that Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites told the people not to mourn or weep on this day; that the Levites told the people not to grieve and that Nehemiah told the people to 'go your way and eat of the abundance and drink sweetness and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared'. It is important to know that Nehemiah was not a Priest or Prophet but in fact a cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes I, who had been appointed Governor (8) over Judah. As mentioned by this Project, Deuteronomy 17:8-11 says that Jewish law can only be determined by Priests and Judges.

Transforming the 1st of Tishrei into 'Rosh Hashana'

The Pharisaic scholars later came to believe that the 1st of Tishrei was 'Rosh Hashana'; the 'Head of the Year' and that this day was one of four days of judgment throughout the calendar (9). Judaism began to mark the holiday with the eating of apples and honey as well as other particular foods, the saying of prayers of penitence and the performing of 'Tashlich', which reflects the practice of immersing in water to 'cast off sins'. Additionally, although the holiday is to be celebrated on the 1st of Tishrei (6th September 2021), Jews outside Israel have begun to celebrate the holiday on the day before as well (which is the 29th Elul).

Conclusion

There are several reasons why these traditions and beliefs have developed for the 1st of Tishrei. However, it is now a very different day to the 'memorial day of trumpets' described in the Book of the Law of Moses.  

References

  1. See 'Teruah': https://biblehub.com/bdb/8643.htm. For a video I found on YouTube of a silver temple trumpet, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbrIovlWDcg.
  2. For why I write the name of Y-hova as I do, see: www.israelalia.com/g-ds-name.
  3. Ezra Chapter 3: https://biblehub.com/bsb/ezra/3.htm. The Book of Ezra discusses the history of Artaxerxes I and the Jews' attempts to rebuild Jerusalem.
  4. Ezra 3:6: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ezra/3-6.htm.
  5. Ezra 3:12: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ezra/3-12.htm.
  6. Nehemiah 8:1: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/nehemiah/8-1.htm.
  7. Nehemiah 8:9: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/nehemiah/8-9.htm.
  8. Brown-Driver-Briggs reference for Nehemiah: https://biblehub.com/bdb/5166.htm. On the role of the Governor, see: Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:70; Nehemiah 7:65; https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8660.htm.
  9. For information on the Pharisaic view of 'Rosh Hashana': https://www.sefaria.org/search?q=rosh%20hashana&tab=text&tvar=1&tsort=relevance&svar=1&ssort=relevance.
Holidays
Discussion

Anonymous

Nowhere in the whole of the Tanakh is the Feast of the 1st day of the 7th month referred to as "Rosh HaShanah". It is always "Zichron Teruah" or "Yom Teruah". It is a memorial (Zichron) Sabbath of Teruah (shouting, noise). With the substitution of "head of New Year" the meaning of the Memorial event has been lost and converted to a "New Years Celebration. Much of this substitution has come directly from the Mishnah.

Anonymous

So how do you celebrate this Feast ? or Event if I may ask?

IsraelAlia Reply

I personally observe it as a day of no work upon which I listen to the sound of a trumpet and also 'attend' an online religious gathering. I am not able to offer a burnt offering. I do not follow even the suggestion of Nehemiah to 'eat sweet things'. 

Anonymous

My understanding was that the feast of trumpets was also used to herald the coming of the Messiah. The priest are trying to undermine this festival because of it's strong relationship with the coming of the Messiah. Well, we are not saying the Messiah is coming this September, this would be wrong teachings because no body knows the day the messiah would come.

IsraelAlia Reply