NEW YEAR, or FEAST OF TRUMPETS (r)m rivrn rumn Irv), though not one of the three great festivals on which the male population appeared before the Lord in Jerusalem, is nevertheless one of the first among the principal holydays, and as such has been celebrated by the Israelites since the giving of the Law, and is ob served to the present day.
1. Name and its signification, and the import of this the two passages where the in stitution of it occurs, this festival is called lint urn, remembrance blowing, i. e., of trumpets (Levit. xxiii. 24 ; Sept. kanhubcruvov o-aNarlyywv, Vulg. sabbatum memoriale clangentibus tubis), and rIV11/1 V, the day of blowing, i. e., the trum pets (Num. xxix. i. ; Sept. 420pa ankmotas; Vulg. dies clangoris et tuba rum). To understand this in definite appellation, we must examine the import of this festival. As the first of Tishri, on which this festival occurs, besides being the new moon, is the beginning of that month wherein the festi vals most distinguished, both for holiness and joy, are celebrated [FESTIVALS], it had to be connected in an especial manner with the import of the month itself. Hence, as Maimonides observes, it was made, as it were, a stepping-stone to, and a preparation for, the great day of atonement (6A7 awl Dr9 nronn ;Irv, brim, More Mkt.
them, iii. 43). This is not only indicated by the particle • (Lev. xxiii. 27), which forms the transition from the feast of new year to the day of atonement, but has been so understood by the unanimous voice of the Jewish church, which from time immemorial has observed the ten in tervening days between these two festivals as days of penitence, and calls them the ten days of repent ance, or humiliation' (rIz1wn rTIVV, comp. Talmud, Roth Ha-Shana, IS a; Maimonides, ibid ; Orach Chajim, secs. 5S2, 602, 603). Being preparatory to it, the festival of the new year had to draw the attention of the Israelites to the design of the day of atonement, by summoning and stirring them up to it. As it is ordained that whenever all Israel are to be summoned to general action e.g., either to a convocation, journey, war, or an assault—the priests are to blow silver trumpets made especially for this purpose (Num. x. I-to), and that these trumpets are especially to be blown at every sacred work in order to summon the people on festivals and new moons to participate in the sacrifices (ibid. v. 10) ; the festival of the new year,
which is designed to summon the Israelites to the most holy of all works, and to prepare them for the great day of atonement, had to be furnished with the sign of this summons in an especial manner. Thus the blowing of the trumpets, which was a secondary thing on other festivals, became the chief and distinguishing feature of this festival. Hence its name, Mr 11 Dr, the day on which the trumpets were especially blown ; or, the day on which the blowing was peculiarly characteristic (Num. xxix. s). Moreover, as this blowing of the trum pets is a summons to the Israelites to enter upon the work of sanctification, it is accounted to them as a merit in the sight of God, and the inspired word promises them for it a special remembrance be fore the Lord (D:+16N 4=5 )rob aa5 rnI,Num. x. so) and divine help for this holy life (nnizi)1 nnynn rnro +)th, ibid. v. 9). Hence this festival is also called rivrin ;rut, the remem brance blowing (Lev. xxiii. 24), i.e., the day on which the blowing of the trumpets, by its summon ing the Israelites to effect their reconciliation with God, makes them to be remembered before the Lord, and secures for them divine aid for the holy work before them. The synagogue, however, takes the word inn1 more in the sense of reminding God of the merits of and his covenant with the patriarchs, and for this reason has appointed Gen. xxi. 1-34 ; xxii. 1-24, recording the birth and sac rifice of Isaac, as lessons for this festival (comp. Rashi on Lev. xxiii. 24, and the article HAPH TARA in this Cyclopedia). That this festival oc curs on the day commencing the civil new year, which from time immemorial has been on the first of the seventh month, called Tishri, is not only evident from Exod. xii. 1 ; xxiii. 16 ; xxiv. 22 ; Joseph. A ntiy. i. 3. 3 ; but from the fact that both the Sabbatical year and jubilee commenced in this month (comp. Lev. xxv. 9, so ; and the articles FESTIVALS: and JUBILEE in this Cyclopedia).* The universal practice of the Jewish nation, who regard and celebrate it as the Festival of the New Year's Day, is therefore rightly supported by Christian scholars ; and the name New Year (VIN1 Melr1), by which this festival is almost universally spoken of in the Jewish literature, is far more expressive than the vague appellation, Feast of Trumpets.