Parashat Nitzavim: Preparing for Rosh Hashanah 2025

Torah: Deut 29:10-31:30

Haftarah: Is 61:10 - 63:9

Brit Chadashah: Rom 10:1-8

Main Points:

Israel stands before the Lord.

Repentance and forgiveness.

Choice of life and death before them.

Joshua succeeded Moses and was commissioned.

Beginning of the Song of Moses.

Fall Feasts

Rosh Hashanah 2025 is almost here! It is a time of remembrance. A time of the blowing of the trumpet, and a time of preparation. The three main fall feasts include the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The fall feasts correspond to the rapture, second coming/judgement, and the messianic age. 

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)

Rosh means head. The word Rosh Hashanah literally means, “head of the year”. It is also called the Feast of Trumpets due to the sounding of the shofar. The feast marks the beginning of the Jewish new year. It is a special day to call our attention to the coming Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).  In Leviticus 23 scripture records that the trumpet (shofar) is blown as a memorial. The sounding of the Shofar is to call our attention to important things (note that trumpets are mentioned in 1 Cor 15:51 and were also used in the Book of Revelation). The ten days between the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) are called the ten days of Awe and are considered the most holy days on the Jewish calendar. The focus of this time involves repentance, spiritual growth with a focus on spiritual things, reflection of the past year, and prayer for the new year. It is a time of spiritual preparedness, forgiveness and reconciliation that looks forward to the coming of the Lord. 

This feast recalls several important themes that shape our understanding of its significance as a memorial. It is the Jewish New Year, God’s coronation day, the day of judgement, and the birthday of the world. This holiday can be celebrated with a joyful dinner at home or in the church or synagogue. This holiday can include games, music, dancing the Horah, singing, and sending of Rosh Hashanah cards to one another. Many people recite the traditional greeting,” Shanah Tovah” or good year. 

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the Sabbath with the lighting of the candles. At the church or synagogue, the ram’s horn (shofar) is sounded and the congregation is engaging in prayer and reading God’s world. 

The Rosh Hashanah dinner is prepared following the service and may include some customary foods such as apples dipped in honey to symbolize anticipation of the sweet year to come. Celebrations may include only a few simple items along with a round challah or may be more involved to include a specialized seder. At the morning service, the next day the shofar is blown three times followed by the reading of God’s word. That afternoon, the next day in some traditions, it is customary to meet by a body of water to symbolically divest oneself of sin by physically casting stones into the water (Tashlich- cast off, Micah 7:18-20) and asking God to empower us to change. It is during fall holidays that many Jews pray selichot (prayers of forgiveness) in special services. These prayers can be found in a siddur or as a PDF online.

One thing is necessary to remember. Rosh Hashanah, like all the feasts, is about our relationship with God and also about our sacred community. If at the end of the holiday we are prepared to face the New Year individually and corporately in the fear of God and joy of his spirit, we will have had a good Rosh Hashanah.

We have been in a season of preparation for the High Holy days and we have been focusing on our relationship with God. It is easy to be depressed and accept a verdict of failure when rehearsing past mistakes then end up in the crazy position of looking like a believer but feeling like a spiritual drop-out. One part of our walk with God entails resembling him. When we are forgiven of our sins and begin to act on the word of God, God does not give us the judgment we deserve. Instead, he forgives us and clothes us with his own glory. We do wear his clothes, spiritually and in our attitudes, goals, and actions we seek to manifest his person and fulfill his word. Knowing that God blesses, heals, saves, and delivers is one thing. Accepting it and allowing it to be a part of your person is another.

I recently sat down with someone who was pouring his heart out about the mistakes of his past. He was still walking with God and obeying the scriptures, but he could not get away from his mistakes and bad decisions. It seemed that every day his thoughts kept accusing him and tormenting him about what he did, how it defined him, and it was keeping him away from what God was providing for him in his present. After talking about the nature of biblical repentance and the need to forgive himself as well as others, we began to pray.  I mentioned this haftarah portion because it contains a central truth that fits so well, “If you are going to wear God’s clothes (Is 61:10), you have to accept his labels for you as well (Is 62: 4).”

Is 61:10 speaks of God clothing us (literally to wrap around) with garments of salvation and covering us with a robe of righteousness (an outer garment). This implies two layers of garments, one on the inside and another outside. God cleanses us inside. He works to heal us mentally and emotionally on many levels specifically our past sins, emotional scars, and personal weaknesses. He not only cleanses us on the inside he also cleanses us outside and helps us to manifest his glory before the nations in how we live. In our haftarah, we see God robing us with himself and then he addresses the issues of the labels we wear (Is 62:4).

Malicious people may have labeled you many things out of spite, jealousy, or anger. Hateful labels can come from spouses, parents, acquaintances, or even family, and some may be true. We wear these negative labels and they define our happiness, capabilities, and place limitations on our person and future that God never meant to exist. We often cannot look to our past for validation because our past can be a museum of failed life experiences rift with blame, guilt, shame, and accusations. So where do we look? The definition of our person cannot come from the weakest part of who we are, the worst of what we have done, or the most negative painful things others have said about us. Have you ever thought of yourself as being forsaken and desolate? Israel did and many of us have been in this same place.

Isaiah 62:4 points to a new definition for God’s people that was centered on the promise and blessing he was speaking over their future. It was a turning point for the entire nation.

Who are you really and how do you define yourself? Is your self-concept stuck in a ditch alongside memory lane somewhere on a dead-end street? If you feel that way, God is calling you to accept his terms and his definition of your person.

Understand that your past is part of what gives you the wisdom to help others. Cherish it and use it for good. Learn to learn from your past and submit all things to Yeshua. He can redeem anything and make it a testimony for the kingdom. Learn to let go and forgive. Forgiveness is for our benefit so that we can be free (this does not imply a lack of boundaries). Begin to recall and proclaim the blessings of God and those things he has called you to be. Your confession is part of what you ultimately embrace as truth. Constantly speak the word God is giving to you. Focus on being part of that truth and defining yourself by actively being a part of God’s will and purpose. Leave no negative thought unchallenged.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of our future and what God is leading us into. The future God is giving to us is always greater than the past he is taking us out of.  Empower yourself with the word of God. Proclaim his truth. Know that only God determines your value, worth, and substance. When we let him define us and label us our lives will resemble his redemptive plan. Remember, we wear his clothes and bear his name. That is the ultimate label.

Rav Calev,

Shabbat Shalom

Next Feasts:

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset, Sept 22^nd and ends at sunset on Sept 24^th.

Yom Kippur begins at sunset, Oct 1^st and ends at sunset on Oct 2^nd.

Sukkot begins at sunset, Oct 6^th and ends at sunset on Oct 13^th.

Hebrew words to know:

Cross over in prayer- Kavanah

Cry or wail- Geshrai; A Yiddish word.

Curiosity- Sakranut

Decrees- Chukkim