Teruah and the Resurrection…

Rosh Hashanah literally means the “head of the year,” and it traditionally marks the anniversary of the creation of mankind. The sages note that where it is written, “When you take a census of the children of Israel” (Exod. 30:12), the Hebrew reads, “When you lift up the heads (כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת־ראשׁ) of the children of Israel,” which implies that each person should be encouraged to understand that they “count” in the eyes of Heaven. The sages also note that the word “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל) contains the letters that form the phrase li rosh (לִי ראשׁ), “there is to me a head,” that is, a soul created in the image of God.

During Rosh Hashanah we affirm our faith that the LORD our God is the great King over all the earth (מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל עַל־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ). The Hebrew word “king” is melekh (מֶלֶךְ), the value of which is 90, the same as the Hebrew letter Tzadi (צ), meaning “Righteous One.” Indeed some of the sages say that the word “amen” (אמן) is an acronym for the phrase El Melekh Ne’eman (אֵל מֶלְךְ נֶאֱמָן) – “God is a Righteous King.” The LORD is a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he (Deut. 32:4). The LORD God, the Righteous One has “ascended with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a shofar” (Psalm 47:5). This refers to the ascension and glorification of our Savior Yeshua, who ascended in triumph over sin and death our behalf. As is written: “Sing praises unto our King, sing praises!” (Psalm 47:6). L’Chayim b’Yeshua Adoneinu- to Life in Yeshua our Lord, friends!