Rabbi Joshua Heller’s Rosh Hashanah Message for 2026

When the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, more traditionally-oriented congregations wait until the second day to sound the shofar. The Talmud explains that this is to prevent anyone from accidentally transporting shofar in public in violation of Shabbat. It was a reinforcement of the importance of Shabbat.
Still, the sages didn’t take overriding a biblical decree lightly. Some pointed to Leviticus 23:24, which calls Rosh Hashanah a “yom zichron teruah”—a day of remembrance of the shofar’s sound. Taken literally, the verse suggests the shofar’s blast itself triggers remembrance: of the binding of Isaac, of our sins, of the chance for repentance. But metaphorically, it means that sometimes, the shofar must be remembered rather than heard. That’s precisely what happens when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat.
We’ve grown bad at remembering. Once upon a time, I memorized phone numbers, driving routes, and appointments. Then I got my first smart phone, and everything changed. Now I carry almost no phone numbers in my head, rely on GPS for routes I should know by heart, and have to check my device to find out what I am doing next.
Likely you also outsource much of your remembrance to a device (or maybe a paper organizer?). But what would happen if you lost that? Without mine, I could manage to call my wife, my mom, one of my kids. And maybe1-800-Kars4Kids, though I’m not sure how that would help.
You don’t need to remember much these days — except to bring your external memory with you. For those who observe Shabbat traditionally, leaving that device behind forces a shift in mindset. On Shabbat I have to think differently. I don’t need phone numbers, but recalling my schedule takes real effort. Walking to synagogue in an unfamiliar city means actually remembering the route.
In that sense, a shofar-less Shabbat offers a spiritual gut check. Are you relying on something external- the shofar’s blast- to usher you into Rosh Hashanah and the season of repentance? Or can you draw on your own internal spiritual resources to begin the work of teshuvah?
Of course, if you attend on Sunday, the second day, the shofar will sound, reminding you of the regrets and hopes you might have set aside. But Shabbat of Rosh Hashanah teaches us that there are times when we cannot rely on external aids. We must hold our faith in our own hearts.

Rabbi Joshua Heller is the Senior Rabbi for Congregation B’nai Torah.