On
the 1st day of the Seventh Month (Tishrei) the Torah commands us to
observe the holy day of Yom Teruah which means “Day of Shouting”
(Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6). Yom Teruah is a day of rest on
which work is forbidden.
One
of the unique things about Yom Teruah is that the Torah does not say
what the purpose of this holy day is. The Torah gives at least one
reason for all the other holy days and two reasons for some. The Feast
of Matzot (Unleavened Bread) commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, but it
is also a celebration of the beginning of the barley harvest (Exodus
23:15; Leviticus 23:4–14). The Feast of Shavuot (Weeks) is a celebration
of the wheat harvest (Exodus 23:16; 34:22). Yom Ha-Kippurim is a
national day of atonement as described in great detail in Leviticus 16.
Finally, the Feast of Sukkot (Booths) commemorates the wandering of the
Israelites in the desert and is also a celebration of the ingathering of
agricultural produce (Exodus 23:16). In contrast to all these Torah
festivals, Yom Teruah has no clear purpose other than that we are
commended to rest on this day.
See the rest here.
Yom Teruah will be September 11th or 12th, depending upon when the new moon is sighted.
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