Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Shalom *|FNAME|*,
Here is a video link to a 3 minute clip. It is an Arab woman who supports Jewish Israel and is paying a price. What bothers me about her video is her perfect Hebrew. I openly covet her accent and command of the language. Oh well, time to repent. https://youtu.be/nLzCiX8-vCo
This Sunday night at 7pm we will celebrate the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets. The celebration will continue on Monday at 10:30am. Most synagogues celebrate 2 days of RH (Rosh Hashana). I’ll explain why we only celebrate one day in a moment.
Rabbi Trail: First, I want to share this video clip I found a few years ago. It’s just fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlcxEDy-lr0 musical presentation by the Ein Prat Foutainheads. The Fountainheads are a group of young Israeli dancers, singers, actors and artists, all graduates and students of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership, who have have joined forces to create new Jewish artistic content for today’s Jewish World. The Fountainhead’s work has already been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.
I hope to write a little each day as we prepare for RH. The wider Jewish community calls the holiday Rosh Hashana (meaning “head of the year” or first of the year, or most often just simply “new year.” It has biblical origins.
Leviticus 23:23 Adonai spoke to Moses saying: 24 “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest, a memorial of blowing (shofarot), a holy convocation.
Rabbi Trail: What? How did the seventh month get to be the first month? Oh yeah? How did the Catholics, in holy week (the week leading up to Good Friday) turn Thursday into Monday? Do I have to explain it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_Thursday. End RT.
Most of what is celebrated in modern Judaism on Rosh Hashana is cultural or traditional (rather than biblical). We wish each other a sweet year (as in the song by the Fountainheads) saying, “Shana Tova U’M’tuka.” We emphasize that by dipping apples in honey to symbolize fruitful and sweet.
Seriously, the 7th month is a new beginning. The command is to sound shofarot. This is a memorial of a great coronation that will happen on this day. We don’t know the day or the hour, but we do know the times and seasons. The shofar will announce the crowning of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Until we have the reality, let’s celebrate the promise.
I’ll write more tomorrow, Lord willing.
Week 39
Memory Verse: Jacob 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
191 9/23 Monday: Acts 10-11
192 9/24 Tuesday: Acts 12
193 9/25 Wednesday: Acts 13-14
194 9/26 Thursday: Jacob 1-2
195 9/27 Friday: Jacob 3-5
Question of the day: Who is it?
Answer: That was the question the little girl who answered knock at the door at Miriam’s house.
Rabbi Trail: Which Miriam? There are widely believed to be six Miriams in the New Testament. This Miriam (on whose door Peter was knocking) is described as the mother of John (also called Mark). End RT.
What a miraculous outcome. The assembly was praying for Peter’s release from prison. When he is released and knocks on their door, they refuse to believe it could be him. Peter, himself, didn’t think it was real, but that he was dreaming.
With every story in the Bible we ask what is God saying to us through this story? We should be expecting miraculous answers to prayer. And when our prayers are answered by God, let’s not act like we’re still waiting for answers.
Father, we receive your miraculous answers to our prayers. Open our eyes, ears and hearts to receive Your answers to prayer in every season. In Yeshua’s name, amen.