The Jewish New Year known as the Feast of Trumpets falls on the first of the Hebrew month of Tishri. On this year of 2020, the beginning of the months starts on sunset of September 18, 2020 and lasts until sunset of September 19, 2020. The Jewish people observe their New Year Day by sounding the shofar 100 times during their Holy Day worship service on September 19, 2020.
Preparation for the Feast of Trumpets or Judgment Day starts on the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul. There are almost 30 days of repentance for the Jewish people to prepare for the Day of Judgment on Rosh Hashanah. The Day of Judgment that occurs on the first day of the month of Tishri is meant to bring shalom for the Jewish people that keep the Torah for the entire Jewish New Year.
For instance, if a Jew has successfully return to HaShem or Adonai Eloheinu by keeping the commandments or mitzvot written in the Torah of Moses, he or she would certainly has a very good and blessed New Year in 5781 (2020-2021). But if he or she failed to get a good and prosperous judgment day on Tishri 1, there are still 10 days left for correction. We call these ten days as the Ten Days of Awe that run from Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) to Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur).
Afterward comes the Sukkot festival, which is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles that is celebrated for 8 days, including Shemini Atzeret (the Eight Day). The Feast of Tabernacles will be observed this year of 2020, from October 15 – 22, 2020. It will be observed for seven days and the Eight Day is meant to be a separate Holy Day, which is not part of the Sukkot festival.
If you have already observed the Jewish New year or the Feast of Trumpet during the month of Tishri, you probably have wondered when do the Jewish people celebrate their New Year or Rosh HaShanah. There is really no celebration that happened during the First day or the Second day of Tishri for the Jewish people at that time concentrate and focus all their time and energy on their worship of the Lord in the synagogue. The Jewish people eat their New Year festive meal during the first two days of the month of Tishri. No real celebration that happens at these two days that are known as New Year Days.
Actually, the New Year celebration of the Jewish people occur on the last and seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is called Hoshanah Rabbah. This last day of the Sukkot festival is not a Holy Day or a Day of Rest like the Shabbat, so the Jewish people can truly celebrate their New Year Day in the same way that the Gentile people celebrate their New Year Day on January 1 of each year.
During the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles known also as the Last Great Day, the Jewish people already have an idea whether the Judgment of God on them on Tishri 1 is truly good and a prosperous one. Thus, to sum it up, God brings judgment on the people on earth on Rosh Hashanah or Feast of Trumpets and the judgment of God that has fallen of each of us here on earth becomes known during our observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
“If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
“In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 14:16-21, NKJV).
Rav Yeshua Ed
