Sponsored post from IFCJ
Written by Yael Eckstein
Earlier this month, I welcomed in Rosh Hashanah, the Hebrew New Year of 5777, with deep prayer and introspection.
Unlike the Gregorian New Year, which is celebrated with wild parties, the Jewish New Year is observed with hours of singing special prayers and hearing the sound of the shofar – the ram’s horn – being blown. For two days on Rosh Hashanah – the day Jewish tradition tells us Adam and Eve were created – Jewish people around the world unite in praying to God for a sweet New Year.
The theme of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, and the end of the High Holy Days) can be summed up in one word: LIFE.
In Hebrew, the word for life is “chai.” The name “Chaim” is one of the most popular Hebrew names, “L’chaim” (which means “to life”) is used during toasts, and donations in multiples of 18, the numerical value of the Hebrew letters which make up the word “chai,” are given as gifts on special occasions.
Why is the word “life” so foundational to the Hebrew language? Because people of faith cherish life. We cherish life because we cherish the Bible and God’s Word.
Our deepest prayer on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is to be written and sealed in the Book of Life for the coming year. And God tells us how to be worthy of this enormous blessing...