Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) Rosh Hashanah
OPENING PRAYER: Our Father, Hallowed, Glorified and Exalted is Your Name. We give honor to Your Holy Name, Yehovah. The whole world trembled at the sound of the Shofar - at Your majestic Presence at Sinai. Creation shook in awe of You when You thundered from the mount and spoke Your holy words in tongues of fire to Your people.
Let the shofar we blow this day resound with the heavenly Shofar, in anticipation of that future festal shout of the Archangel, when the final Shofar will be blown and You will sound the battle-cry and gather Your people unto Yourself.
KIDDUSH LAVANA - SANCTIFYING THE NEW MOON: Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, whose Word created the heavens, whose breath created all that they contain. Statutes and seasons You set for them as faithful witnesses in the heavens, that they should not deviate from their ordained task. They all do Your will as their Creator and glorify You.
Blessed are You Yehovah our God for renewing the earth and sustaining and preserving us in life for Your glory. Blessed are You, O Yehovah for Your covenant of faithfulness and mercy to our father David which endures forever, as the sun and the moon before You.
May we shine as lights in this world and reflect Your glory even as the moon shines and reflects the glory of the sun, through Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of David, the true Light of the world.
All Hail to the King of Israel Who lives forever! We proclaim the majesty, honor, glory and dominion of the One Who sits upon the throne. For, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11)
Our God, and God of our fathers, may this remembrance of Messiah, the son of David ascend before Your throne and be accepted before You for deliverance, life and peace on this Day of Remembrance for all Your people. Draw all Your people unto Yourself, for You are a gracious and merciful God. B'shem Yeshua HaMaschiach, Amen
SHEHECHEYANU – BLESSING FOR THIS SEASON
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheynu Meleck ha-olam
Shehecheyanu, v’kee-y’manu, v’hee-gee’anu lazman hazeh
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe. Who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
THE SOUNDING OF THE SHOFAR
LEADER: Yehovah said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with shofar blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to Yehovah by fire. It is a day for you to sound the shofar.’" (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1)
With its powerful and profound call, the sound of the shofar awakens us to our failings and calls us to seek our God and the return of Yeshua.
The four calls of the shofar – Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, and Tekiah Gedolah – beckon us to:
Gather, Repent, Arm ourselves, and Praise Yehovah
Through the sound of the shofar, let us draw near to Yehovah, in unity with Yeshua the Messiah, and seek His mercy and forgiveness.
(Time of silent prayer and meditation)
Sovereign of the Universe, You have instructed us to sound the shofar on this day as it is written, "Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the appointed time, on our solemn feast day. For it is a decree for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob." (Psalms 81:3-4)
Tokiah, are you prepared and ready to sound the shofar?
TOKIAH: I am prepared to fulfill God's commandment to blow the shofar, as it is prescribed in the Torah, “a day of blowing unto you.” Please stand in honor of the King during the recitation of the blessings and the shofar blasts.
TOKIAH: Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and in the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar. May it be Your will, O Yehovah our God, God of our fathers, to let the sounds that come forth from the shofar ascend to Your throne in remembrance of Your promise that You will someday gather all the faithful together unto Yourself.
LEADER: When we hear the blowing of the ram’s horn, we fear and tremble and bend our will to the will of the Creator – for such is the effect of the Shofar, which causes shaking and trembling, as it is written “Shall the horn be blown in a city, and the people not tremble?” (Amos 3:6)
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Teruah Tekiah
READER 1: When we hear the Shofar we are to remember God's Kingship. So we, on Rosh Hashanah, accept the kingship of the Creator, blessed be He. Thus said David; “With trumpets and sound of the Shofar shout you before the King the Lord.” (Psalm 98:6) When we blow the Shofar, we remember that Yeshua is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we are to be his obedient subjects.
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Teruah Tekiah
READER 2: The Shofar calls upon us to accept the true God, to put away the false gods of greed, selfishness and vulgarity. May the sound of the Shofar enter our hearts and arouse us to be kind and just, so that we may live to see God’s kingdom of peace and happiness realized for all the children of men. The sounds of the Shofar remind us that we are indeed our brother’s keeper, and that we are responsible for much of the misery in life. The Shofar summons us to condemn slums and child labor, poverty and ignorance, hatred and prejudice, violence and war. It is man’s task to see that every individual and every nation live in security and happiness.
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Teruah Tekiah
READER 3: When we hear the Shofar we are to remember our need to repent. The Shofar signaled the approach of danger. We are in danger without repentance. “Blow a Shofar in Zion and sound an alarm on My holy mountain... consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly. Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning, and rend your heart and not your garments.” (Joel 2:15) Since Rosh Hashanah is the first of the ten days of teshuvah (repentence), the ram’s horn is blown to announce their beginning, as though to warn: Let all who desire to turn in teshuvah, turn now: and if you do not, you will have no reason to cry, “injustice!”
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
READER 4: The Shofar reminds us to be God's worshipers. God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. The sounding of the Shofar is like a prayer that ascends to God's throne saying, “O Lord, may the sound of our Shofar ascend before Your throne. Remember Your covenants, forgive us, save us, and deliver us.” Psalm 150 beckons us to “Praise Him with the Shofar.”
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
READER 1: The Shofar sounds the battle alarm for war. “Near is the great day of the Lord, near and coming very quickly... a day of Shofar and battle cry.” (Zeph. 1:16) The Shofar is a reminder that our final victory is ahead. When King Messiah returns, He will end all wars, battles, and injustice.
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
READER 2: When we hear the Shofar, we are to remember the faithfulness of the Patriarchs. The Shofar is made from a ram's horn. It reminds us of the Akedah, the binding and Abraham's intended sacrifice of Isaac. Because of this act of faith, God promised to bless the Jewish people and give us victory over our enemies. The Akedah points us to the binding of Messiah Yeshua, our ultimate Akedah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Shofar is a reminder of our covenant with God because of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
CALLER: Tekiah Teruah Tekiah
READER 3: At the sound of the Shofar we are to remember the Shofar that accompanied the revelation of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, and that all Scripture is divinely inspired by God. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this as well when he says. “I set watchmen over you saying, ‘listen to the sound of the Shofar.’” (Jeremiah 6:17) Prophets are like a Shofar which warns of danger. Israel was judged for ignoring the prophets. There is even greater judgment if we ignore Messiah Yeshua, Israel's greatest prophet.
CALLER: Tekiah Teruah Tekiah
READER 1: Sound the great Shofar for our freedom. Lift up the banner and gather up the scattered ones, and lead them in triumph unto Zion with everlasting joy. When we hear the Shofar, we are to be reminded of the restoration of the House of Judah and the House of Ephraim together in the Land of Israel. Messiah Yeshua will gather all of Israel's exiles as the prophets say, "You will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. It will come about also in that day that a Great Shofar will be blown." (Isaiah 27:13) At the sound of the Shofar we are to remember our resurrection that will take place at Messiah's return when the Shofar blows.
CALLER: Tekiah Teruah Tekiah Gedolah
LEADER: Happy is the people that know the sound of the Shofar. In the light of Your Spirit, O Lord, shall they walk.
Zachraynoo L’chayeem – Remember us to life
זָכְרֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים מֶֽלֶךְ חָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים וְכָתְבֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר הַחַיִּים לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים
Zachraynoo l’chayim, Melech chafaitz b’chayim, v’chatvaynoo b’sefer hachayim, l’mancha Eloheem chayeem.
Remember us unto life O King who delights in life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life for Your sake, O God of Life.
Our Father, grant peace, well being, and loving kindness unto us and unto all Israel, Your people. Bless us, our Father, even all of us together, with the light of Your presence; for through that light Your have given us, O Lord our God, the Torah of life, loving-kindness, righteousness, and mercy. May it be good in Your sight to bless Israel and all Your children everywhere with Your peace.
In the book of life, blessing, peace and prosperity may we be remembered and inscribed before You, we and all Your people, the house of Israel, for a happy life, and for peace. Blessed are You, O Lord, who desires peace.
Professing our faith and trust in Yeshua the Messiah for our salvation and life eternal we bless you . . .
לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם
L’shana tovah tikatev v’tichatem
May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!
KIDDUSH
Blessing of the kiddush –
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן
Baruch atah Yehovah, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, boray pree hagafen. Amen.
Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Amen.
Blessing of the challah –
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ
Baruch atah Yehovah, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, ha-motsee lechem min haarets. Amen.
Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.
Blessing before eating the challah dipped in honey –
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַאץ
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p’ri ha-eitz.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree.
יהי רצון מלפניך יי אלוהינו ואלוהי אבותינו ואמותינו שתחדש עלינו שנה טובה ומתוקה
Y’hi ratzon milfanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei
avoteinu v’imoteinu, shetchadesh aleinu shanah tovah um’tukah.
May it be Your will, O Lord our God, God of our fathers and mothers, that this be a good and sweet year for us.
Let the shofar we blow this day resound with the heavenly Shofar, in anticipation of that future festal shout of the Archangel, when the final Shofar will be blown and You will sound the battle-cry and gather Your people unto Yourself.
KIDDUSH LAVANA - SANCTIFYING THE NEW MOON: Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, whose Word created the heavens, whose breath created all that they contain. Statutes and seasons You set for them as faithful witnesses in the heavens, that they should not deviate from their ordained task. They all do Your will as their Creator and glorify You.
Blessed are You Yehovah our God for renewing the earth and sustaining and preserving us in life for Your glory. Blessed are You, O Yehovah for Your covenant of faithfulness and mercy to our father David which endures forever, as the sun and the moon before You.
May we shine as lights in this world and reflect Your glory even as the moon shines and reflects the glory of the sun, through Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of David, the true Light of the world.
All Hail to the King of Israel Who lives forever! We proclaim the majesty, honor, glory and dominion of the One Who sits upon the throne. For, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11)
Our God, and God of our fathers, may this remembrance of Messiah, the son of David ascend before Your throne and be accepted before You for deliverance, life and peace on this Day of Remembrance for all Your people. Draw all Your people unto Yourself, for You are a gracious and merciful God. B'shem Yeshua HaMaschiach, Amen
SHEHECHEYANU – BLESSING FOR THIS SEASON
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheynu Meleck ha-olam
Shehecheyanu, v’kee-y’manu, v’hee-gee’anu lazman hazeh
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe. Who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
THE SOUNDING OF THE SHOFAR
LEADER: Yehovah said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with shofar blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to Yehovah by fire. It is a day for you to sound the shofar.’" (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1)
With its powerful and profound call, the sound of the shofar awakens us to our failings and calls us to seek our God and the return of Yeshua.
The four calls of the shofar – Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, and Tekiah Gedolah – beckon us to:
Gather, Repent, Arm ourselves, and Praise Yehovah
Through the sound of the shofar, let us draw near to Yehovah, in unity with Yeshua the Messiah, and seek His mercy and forgiveness.
(Time of silent prayer and meditation)
Sovereign of the Universe, You have instructed us to sound the shofar on this day as it is written, "Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the appointed time, on our solemn feast day. For it is a decree for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob." (Psalms 81:3-4)
Tokiah, are you prepared and ready to sound the shofar?
TOKIAH: I am prepared to fulfill God's commandment to blow the shofar, as it is prescribed in the Torah, “a day of blowing unto you.” Please stand in honor of the King during the recitation of the blessings and the shofar blasts.
TOKIAH: Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and in the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar. May it be Your will, O Yehovah our God, God of our fathers, to let the sounds that come forth from the shofar ascend to Your throne in remembrance of Your promise that You will someday gather all the faithful together unto Yourself.
LEADER: When we hear the blowing of the ram’s horn, we fear and tremble and bend our will to the will of the Creator – for such is the effect of the Shofar, which causes shaking and trembling, as it is written “Shall the horn be blown in a city, and the people not tremble?” (Amos 3:6)
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Teruah Tekiah
READER 1: When we hear the Shofar we are to remember God's Kingship. So we, on Rosh Hashanah, accept the kingship of the Creator, blessed be He. Thus said David; “With trumpets and sound of the Shofar shout you before the King the Lord.” (Psalm 98:6) When we blow the Shofar, we remember that Yeshua is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we are to be his obedient subjects.
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Teruah Tekiah
READER 2: The Shofar calls upon us to accept the true God, to put away the false gods of greed, selfishness and vulgarity. May the sound of the Shofar enter our hearts and arouse us to be kind and just, so that we may live to see God’s kingdom of peace and happiness realized for all the children of men. The sounds of the Shofar remind us that we are indeed our brother’s keeper, and that we are responsible for much of the misery in life. The Shofar summons us to condemn slums and child labor, poverty and ignorance, hatred and prejudice, violence and war. It is man’s task to see that every individual and every nation live in security and happiness.
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Teruah Tekiah
READER 3: When we hear the Shofar we are to remember our need to repent. The Shofar signaled the approach of danger. We are in danger without repentance. “Blow a Shofar in Zion and sound an alarm on My holy mountain... consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly. Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning, and rend your heart and not your garments.” (Joel 2:15) Since Rosh Hashanah is the first of the ten days of teshuvah (repentence), the ram’s horn is blown to announce their beginning, as though to warn: Let all who desire to turn in teshuvah, turn now: and if you do not, you will have no reason to cry, “injustice!”
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
READER 4: The Shofar reminds us to be God's worshipers. God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. The sounding of the Shofar is like a prayer that ascends to God's throne saying, “O Lord, may the sound of our Shofar ascend before Your throne. Remember Your covenants, forgive us, save us, and deliver us.” Psalm 150 beckons us to “Praise Him with the Shofar.”
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
READER 1: The Shofar sounds the battle alarm for war. “Near is the great day of the Lord, near and coming very quickly... a day of Shofar and battle cry.” (Zeph. 1:16) The Shofar is a reminder that our final victory is ahead. When King Messiah returns, He will end all wars, battles, and injustice.
CALLER: Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
READER 2: When we hear the Shofar, we are to remember the faithfulness of the Patriarchs. The Shofar is made from a ram's horn. It reminds us of the Akedah, the binding and Abraham's intended sacrifice of Isaac. Because of this act of faith, God promised to bless the Jewish people and give us victory over our enemies. The Akedah points us to the binding of Messiah Yeshua, our ultimate Akedah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Shofar is a reminder of our covenant with God because of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
CALLER: Tekiah Teruah Tekiah
READER 3: At the sound of the Shofar we are to remember the Shofar that accompanied the revelation of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, and that all Scripture is divinely inspired by God. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this as well when he says. “I set watchmen over you saying, ‘listen to the sound of the Shofar.’” (Jeremiah 6:17) Prophets are like a Shofar which warns of danger. Israel was judged for ignoring the prophets. There is even greater judgment if we ignore Messiah Yeshua, Israel's greatest prophet.
CALLER: Tekiah Teruah Tekiah
READER 1: Sound the great Shofar for our freedom. Lift up the banner and gather up the scattered ones, and lead them in triumph unto Zion with everlasting joy. When we hear the Shofar, we are to be reminded of the restoration of the House of Judah and the House of Ephraim together in the Land of Israel. Messiah Yeshua will gather all of Israel's exiles as the prophets say, "You will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. It will come about also in that day that a Great Shofar will be blown." (Isaiah 27:13) At the sound of the Shofar we are to remember our resurrection that will take place at Messiah's return when the Shofar blows.
CALLER: Tekiah Teruah Tekiah Gedolah
LEADER: Happy is the people that know the sound of the Shofar. In the light of Your Spirit, O Lord, shall they walk.
Zachraynoo L’chayeem – Remember us to life
זָכְרֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים מֶֽלֶךְ חָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים וְכָתְבֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר הַחַיִּים לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים
Zachraynoo l’chayim, Melech chafaitz b’chayim, v’chatvaynoo b’sefer hachayim, l’mancha Eloheem chayeem.
Remember us unto life O King who delights in life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life for Your sake, O God of Life.
Our Father, grant peace, well being, and loving kindness unto us and unto all Israel, Your people. Bless us, our Father, even all of us together, with the light of Your presence; for through that light Your have given us, O Lord our God, the Torah of life, loving-kindness, righteousness, and mercy. May it be good in Your sight to bless Israel and all Your children everywhere with Your peace.
In the book of life, blessing, peace and prosperity may we be remembered and inscribed before You, we and all Your people, the house of Israel, for a happy life, and for peace. Blessed are You, O Lord, who desires peace.
Professing our faith and trust in Yeshua the Messiah for our salvation and life eternal we bless you . . .
לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם
L’shana tovah tikatev v’tichatem
May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!
KIDDUSH
Blessing of the kiddush –
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן
Baruch atah Yehovah, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, boray pree hagafen. Amen.
Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Amen.
Blessing of the challah –
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ
Baruch atah Yehovah, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, ha-motsee lechem min haarets. Amen.
Blessed are You, Yehovah our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.
Blessing before eating the challah dipped in honey –
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַאץ
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p’ri ha-eitz.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree.
יהי רצון מלפניך יי אלוהינו ואלוהי אבותינו ואמותינו שתחדש עלינו שנה טובה ומתוקה
Y’hi ratzon milfanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei
avoteinu v’imoteinu, shetchadesh aleinu shanah tovah um’tukah.
May it be Your will, O Lord our God, God of our fathers and mothers, that this be a good and sweet year for us.