The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-29
ROSH HASHANAH.
The Jewish New Year--Its Origin and
Observance.

The Jewish New Year--Its Origin and
Observance.
The religious New Year OF the Israetes will be
ushered In on Wednesday evening next, and this
festival as well as that Of the AtOnement, which
follows ten days later Is observed more generally
than any other days in the Jewish calendar. The
synagogues are usually thronged with devout wor-
shippers and those who during the rest Of the year
pay very little attention to devotion will those
days least put the sembance OF pety and faith
fully attend to all the outward acts OF religious
life. Prayers are recited with trembling fervency
and the words Of admOniti0n and Of encourage
ment uttered by the rabies End resting place in
the open hearts and docile minds Of the waiting
congregations. The New Year and the days that
intervene to the Atonement are spent In heart
searchings and the performance OF many spiritual
acts which in some sense answer for penance, and
which are designed to arouse the people to sense
Of their
ACCOUNTABILITY TO GOD,
and make way for the reconciliation Of q snless
Creator and shining creature. The shofar, or
cornet, Is sounded annually during those days to
awaken the careless from their spiritual sleep and
to remind them Of the thunders and voices Of
Sinai and Of the judgment Of q righteous God upon
their sins. The trumpet blast tells the people that
their existence ia ephemera their life but dream
or vapor, which passeth quickly away, and that
the things OF this life upon which the affections
fondly centre, are as Meeting as the life itself 1t
reminds them that the soul s OF infinite value and
Is designed to an eternal DURATION because It is
GOd-bOrn and cannot cease. R0sh Hashanah tells
them again that they are accountable to God for
all their ways; but it reminds them that God Is
gracious and merciful, long suffering and OF
great kindness; that He willeth not the death
OF sinner, but rather that he should turn rom
his ways and live, and as the rabDes and Hebrew
editors say, las long as lsraetes observe Rosh
and faithful members OF that religion which has
the Creator for Its father and mankind for its
family" But as very much OF the devotion called
forth by the annual return Of this day springs from
superstition the Jeotsh Times warns Israeites that
IN such case It were better that Its observance
idea, is body without soul-a cadauer OF I'M
seemly sight, defiling and cOrruptng, and that the
sounding OF the shofar becomes idolatry and the
recital OF prayer blasphemy.
THE ORIGIN OF THIS FESTIVAL
Ia found In Levticus xiii. and Numbers xxx,
first day Of the month";" they should keep Sab
bath, memorial Of blowing OF trumpets q holy
convocation In which no servile work should be
done. Hence, just barely the work that Ii needed
to keep life going smoothly and clearly ts performed
during the holidays. And very much Of this work
in wealthy Jewish families Is done by Christian SER
wants, who have no such scruples. This festival
has been observed by israelites throughout the
BY
to have been commemorative of the time or season
in which the creation OF the world took place. SO
days. days creatien e There s however, some
difference OF opinion among rabbinical COM
mentatOrs on that point, some maintaining that
the creation took place at the vernal equinox and
some at the Autumnal equinox. The former Is the
most generally received opinion. The names OF the
months in the Jewish calendar are Persian the He
brew knowing no other division of time than those
found in scripture, as first, second, third &c. And
the word Tishri, the name OF the month which be-
gins on Wednesday evening next, means simply
"hrst'' or "beginning." Connected with this festl-
val Is an idea that on New Years day "the absolute
cnna nf Uo0n ND fha fof Of
nations are meted out and weighed" and their
late decided for the coming year. And the elbow
ing Of the trumpets" on this day Is in sympathy
with this idea and IS part OF the awe-insplring
service which Is to cause all the Inhabitants to
tremDe at the approach Of the day Of the Lord. 1t
also denotes
THE FINAL RESTORATION OF ISRAEL.
The services Of this festival comprise prayers OF
threefold kind, namely-"0f homage" to invoke
the speedy approach OF the kingdom OF God when
all mankind will arrive at the true knowledge OF
the Creator and unite in His worship; second ''0f
remembrance" OF Gods supremacy and mans de-
pendence &C., and thirdly, "of sounding" the cor.
net to celebrate that future jubilee when man will
be freed from the letters OF error and will acquire
perfection in the knowledge OF the true God. The
annual sale OF pews and sittngs in the synagogues
takes place at this season. and there Is great rush
to get the choicest. The synagogues are crowded
and many are unable to gain admittance; hence
the Jewish papers for a couple OF weeks past have
warmly advocated opening temporary syna-
gogues for the poor where they can have the
mlnistratiOns OF the law and the benefits OF
this season without being debarred therefr0m by
the conventionalites OF fashionable temples and
synagogue wOrshippers. The congregations yes
terday were comparatively small, owing to the ne
cessary preparations for the holidays