Here in Jerusalem, you can almost feel the city holding its breath as Rosh Hashanah approaches. At night, thousands gather at the Western Wall for sliḥot — prayers of repentance that echo through the stones and the night air. I wish you could hear it in person: voices rising together, some weeping, some whispering, all pouring out their hearts before the Lord. Even if you don’t understand the words, the atmosphere is unmistakable. It’s like stepping into a current that carries you straight to God’s throne.
And woven into this season is the sound of the shofar.
If you’ve ever heard it, you know it’s unlike anything else. The shofar doesn’t play music — it cries out. It’s raw, unrefined, almost jarring. And that’s the point. It’s meant to shake us awake, to call us back to the heart of God.
The Torah tells us:
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation”
Leviticus 23:24
In Hebrew it’s called Zichron Teruah — “a memorial of the shofar’s sound.” Isn’t that something? God doesn’t just tell us to remember His words but to remember a sound. A sound that carries through generations, from the wilderness at Sinai, through the valleys and hills of Israel, all the way to today.
Each blast has its own meaning:
- Tekiah
the long, steady note, like a royal trumpet announcing the King. - Shevarim
three broken notes, like a cry from the heart, reminding us of our need for mercy. - Teruah
nine short, urgent blasts, like an alarm clock for the soul, shaking us from our slumber.
Together, these calls tell our story: our God reigns, we are broken, and yet He calls us to wake up and walk in His redemption.
And as followers of Yeshua, the sound of the shofar carries even deeper meaning. It not only points back to what God has done, but forward to what He will do. Paul reminds us:
“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God”
1 Thessalonians 4:16
Every Rosh Hashanah is like a rehearsal for that great day when Messiah returns. The shofar now is just a shadow, a foretaste of that final trumpet that will announce the King of Kings.
But the shofar isn’t just about prophecy and the future. It’s about now. It’s about softening our hearts, laying down grudges, letting go of pride, and making space for God’s Spirit to move. It’s His gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) way of saying, “Don’t drift. Don’t grow cold. Come closer. I’m speaking — are you listening?”
The prophet Joel put it this way:
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm in My holy mountain! Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming”
Joel 2:1
So this year, when the shofar sounds, don’t just hear a tradition. Hear a personal call. A call to remember His faithfulness in the past, to trust His hand in the present, and to hold fast to the hope of His future. Let it stir something in you that words can’t quite reach.
May this Rosh Hashanah be for you a time of reflection, of fresh repentance, and of deep joy. May it awaken your heart to God’s love in new ways, and may it remind you that He is still on the throne, still speaking, and still coming again.
From Jerusalem, I’m wishing you a Shanah Tovah — a sweet and blessed new year. May you hear His voice clearly in this season, and may the sound of the shofar awaken something beautiful in your spirit.
