Jewish New Year: The Month of Festivals
Rosh Hashanah
Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20
It is customary to sound the shofar and blow trumpets at the coronation of a king. Similarly, on Rosh Hashanah, we crown G-d as king over the universe at large and over each of us in particular.
The sound of the shofar is to awaken people to repent and return to G-d. The shofar represents a simple outcry of a person who recognized his spiritual “poverty” and whose feelings cannot be contained in words. It is compared to a forlorn child in a distant country who has forgotten the language of his people and his father, the king. When he returns to his father his only means of communication is his simple cry, which his father recognizes. He lifts the child up to be close to him. Similarly, when Rosh Hashanah comes we realize we have lost our common language with our Father in Heaven, so from the bottom of our soul we cry out, “Father, Father,” to which G-d responds. This then turns us toward Him to lead our lives in accordance with His will. He accepts our prayers and is willing to be Master of the Universe and grant us a good and sweet year.