The first of the fall appointed times, and the only one whose commanded act is a sound.
Yom Teruah 2026 begins at sunset on Friday 11 September and ends at nightfall on Sunday 13 September.
Dates follow the rabbinic calendar. Households keeping the sighted moon may observe a day or two later — see the calendar page.
What Scripture says
Leviticus 23:24 gives the day in a single sentence: 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. Numbers 29:1 calls it a day of blowing. That is nearly all of it.
No sacrifice is described that the reader must perform. No meal is prescribed. What is commanded is a teruah — a blast, a shout, an alarm. The same word describes the sound at Jericho and the cry of an army. It is not a musical note. It is a signal.
Why the shofar and not a trumpet
Silver trumpets exist in Numbers 10 and have their own purposes — assembling the congregation, breaking camp, going to war. The shofar is different. It is not manufactured; it is taken from an animal and hollowed, and it produces a sound no craftsman designed.
The ram's horn in particular carries the memory of the Akedah — the ram caught in the thicket, offered in Isaac's place. That association is why the ram is the preferred horn and why the day feels the way it does.
Teachings
“The Mo'edim: Yom Teruah” · 119 Ministries — Hebrew Roots. Teaches that Torah applies identically to Jewish and gentile believers, a position Messianic Jewish congregational bodies do not share.
“Rosh Hashanah – The Feast of Trumpets” · Jonathan Bernis, Jewish Voice — Messianic Jewish. A more traditionally Jewish framing of the same day.
“Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah?” · Nehemia Gordon — Karaite Jewish scholar. He does not profess Yeshua as Messiah. We include him because his work on the biblical text and calendar is the most rigorous available and is widely used across this community. Weigh it as Jewish scholarship, not as Messianic teaching.
How to actually blow a shofar
Buzz your lips as you would into a trumpet, pressed to one side of the mouthpiece rather than centred. Keep the corners of your mouth firm. Do not blow harder — blow tighter. Almost everyone who cannot get a note is using too much air and too little lip.
The three traditional blasts are tekiah (one long note), shevarim (three broken notes), and teruah (nine short blasts), closing with tekiah gedolah — one long note held as long as breath allows.
“How to Blow a Shofar: The Three Main Blasts” · My Jewish Learning — mainstream Jewish, non-denominational. A straightforward demonstration; no theology attached.
Common questions
Is Yom Teruah the same as Rosh Hashanah?
They are the same day, called by different names, and the names carry different assumptions. Scripture calls it Yom Teruah — the day of blowing. Rosh Hashanah, head of the year, is a later name reflecting the tradition that the civil year begins here. Many Hebrew Roots households use only the biblical name for that reason. Messianic Jewish congregations generally use both.
Do I need a kosher shofar?
If you intend to sound it on the day, yes — and the thing that most often disqualifies one is a coating. Silver plating, gold plating and paint all alter how a horn resonates, and a coated mouthpiece sits between you and the instrument. Carving and engraving are fine, because they cut into the horn rather than covering it. Our full standard is at How We Label Kosher, and there is a buying guide at Choosing a Shofar.
What if nobody in my household can blow one?
Buy short. A 12–14 inch ram's horn takes far less breath than a 38 inch kudu and will usually speak on the first evening. Most people get there within an hour of trying.
Is it a fast day?
No. Yom Teruah is a rest day and a day of blowing. The fast is Yom Kippur, nine days later.
What if my calendar shows a different date?
That is normal and it is not an error. See The Biblical Calendar for why sighted-moon and aviv-barley households often land a day or two off the calculated calendar.
To read alongside
- Rosh Hashanah, Yom Teruah — The Day of Sounding the Shofar — a focused study of this one day
- Fall Feasts — A Biblical Study — a workbook through all three fall feasts
- God's Appointed Times — how to keep it at your own table
Those three are our Fall Feast Shelf. Any three books take 10% off automatically, and orders over $60 ship free.
Next: Yom Kippur, nine days later · back to the Learning Hub