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Post by alon on Sept 20, 2014 18:26:53 GMT -8
Messianic JUDAISM
In all our attempts to define ourselves, I think we sometimes loose sight of the basic description of our faith; it's Messianic JUDAISM.
Rav S. spoke about this some today. As Messianics we do some things simply because it is what all Jewry does! Judaism is a celebration of life and community. When Yeshua gave instructions on how to pray, He said:
"When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven," Luk 11:2
This is how Jews always see things, as a community:
Jhn 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob,
Jhn 8:53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead?
Rom 1:7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father,
Scripture is full of "our Father," which is how the Jews referred to God. Not "my Father," but "our"- community.
Numbers 15:16(KJV) One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
Bamidbar 15:16(OJB) 16 One  and one mishpat shall be for you, and for the ger that sojourneth with you.
Note that the word "stranger" is "ger". Even the ger who left Mitsrayim with the Jews were made a part of this covenant. And all lived as a community directed by Elohim.
As Messianic Jews we try to keep that "oneness" with other Jews, except when it contradicts scripture.
Now, I am sure that the ger who were there did not perfectly keep the customs and traditions of the Hebrew people they were with. They learned over time and probably had to be shown or told a few times to do some things. So we here can take heart from this, that as ger we can still be a part of the covenant. Whether ger toshav or ger tsedek, our salvation by accepting Yeshua makes us a part of the same covenant. We are grafted onto the rootstalk of Yisra'el.
I encourage everyone to take hold of as much as we can in Judaism. Obviously we won't get it all, and some of what we do get won't be right. But we have a heritage now as Messianic Jews. The High Holy Days are coming up, which are commanded; but instead of just sitting around saying "Oh, it's Rosh HaShanah", maybe slice some apples (not commanded) and dip them in honey (commanded) and whatever else you can do to spice things up a bit and "celebrate life" with all Judaism!
Dan C
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Post by Questor on Sept 20, 2014 22:31:55 GMT -8
Messianic JUDAISM
In all our attempts to define ourselves, I think we sometimes loose sight of the basic description of our faith; it's Messianic JUDAISM.
Rav S. spoke about this some today. As Messianics we do some things simply because it is what all Jewry does! Judaism is a celebration of life and community. When Yeshua gave instructions on how to pray, He said: "When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven," Luk 11:2 This is how Jews always see things, as a community:Jhn 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob,
Jhn 8:53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead?
Rom 1:7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, Scripture is full of "our Father," which is how the Jews referred to God. Not "my Father," but "our"- community.Numbers 15:16(KJV) One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
Bamidbar 15:16(OJB) 16 One and one mishpat shall be for you, and for the ger that sojourneth with you.Note that the word "stranger" is "ger". Even the ger who left Mitsrayim with the Jews were made a part of this covenant. And all lived as a community directed by Elohim.
As Messianic Jews we try to keep that "oneness" with other Jews, except when it contradicts scripture.
Now, I am sure that the ger who were there did not perfectly keep the customs and traditions of the Hebrew people they were with. They learned over time and probably had to be shown or told a few times to do some things. So we here can take heart from this, that as ger we can still be a part of the covenant. Whether ger toshav or ger tsedek, our salvation by accepting Yeshua makes us a part of the same covenant. We are grafted onto the rootstalk of Yisra'el.
I encourage everyone to take hold of as much as we can in Judaism. Obviously we won't get it all, and some of what we do get won't be right. But we have a heritage now as Messianic Jews. The High Holy Days are coming up, which are commanded; but instead of just sitting around saying "Oh, it's Rosh HaShanah", maybe slice some apples (not commanded) and dip them in honey (commanded) and whatever else you can do to spice things up a bit and "celebrate life" with all Judaism!
Dan C |
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Post by alon on Sept 20, 2014 23:07:56 GMT -8
The Par'shah tis week was Nitzavim-Vayelech, and it touches on this theme as well. The Hebrews are standing before God, about to enter into the covenant with Him. The expression atem nitzavim (you are standing), used almost 300 times in the Bible always has people about to enter into a contract, pact or agreement.
All present, regardless of status or situation were invited to join Elohim in this b'rit (covenant), and thus to become heirs to the Kingdom. Even the ger (stranger, foreigner) was offered equal status in this b'rit with Elohim, in order “that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, ...” (Deuteronomy 29:13, ESV)
One of the more unique things about this covenant is that it transcended time, place or people. We've talked about the fact that ger were included. But reading further, this covenant is made "with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today." (Deuteronomy 29:15) That statement would seem to include you and me, since I'm probably the oldest one here and I certainly wasn't there!
Of course Yisro'el broke this covenant, and El promised through the prophet Jeremiah a “B'rit Chadashah ” (New, or Renewed Covenant) for the Hebrew people: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:31–32, ESV)
And now, in the fullness of scripture, we know that all of us; past, present and future, transcending time, place and people, are able to be brought into the covenant by the shed blood of Yeshua. We all stand before YHVH on a daily basis and decide to live our lives for Him, obeying His and so in a right relationship with Him. The covenant is at the same time personal to each of us as well as communal to all of us. Baruch HaShem!
Dan C
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Post by Questor on Sept 21, 2014 19:37:38 GMT -8
Messianic JUDAISM
In all our attempts to define ourselves, I think we sometimes loose sight of the basic description of our faith; it's Messianic JUDAISM.
Numbers 15:16(KJV) One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
Bamidbar 15:16(OJB) 16 One and one mishpat shall be for you, and for the ger that sojourneth with you.
Note that the word "stranger" is "ger". Even the ger who left Mitsrayim with the Jews were made a part of this covenant. And all lived as a community directed by Elohim.
As Messianic Jews we try to keep that "oneness" with other Jews, except when it contradicts scripture.
The High Holy Days are coming up, which are commanded; but instead of just sitting around saying "Oh, it's Rosh HaShanah", maybe slice some apples (not commanded) and dip them in honey (commanded) and whatever else you can do to spice things up a bit and "celebrate life" with all Judaism!
Dan C
When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they too had to be taught one way...not just the ger among them. They had been in Egypt for 400 years, and their separating customs must have been somewhat far and few between, while their feast days had not been given, for even Passover was as yet only a one time occasion when the was first given. During the first 40 years of being a separate people as Isralites, Moshe waited for all of the generation that had come out of Egypt to die, and he was training the new generation how to understand the , and to obey it even as he was training them to think in a new way, and to learn to fight against their enemies.
They had only the customs needed, and remembered from their ancestors, who were Shepherds, and a lot of pagan Egyptian ways to shed...Moses in particular, being brought up in a palace and under Egyptian Gods for 40 years, before he learned the life of a Midianite Shepherds as he lived with his father-in-law in what is really Saudi Arabia these days.
One must ask, did they even have apples out in the desert, and if so, where did they get them? Or honey, for that matter. How and where did they trade their sheep and goats for what was grown in more established areas? When did they first build a parapet around the roof of houses they did not have for so long a time?
We must remember that in the beginning of Israel being a living covenant people before G-d, that they had very little to do to be Observant...Shabbat, the Feast days, and the commandments pertaining to keeping and staying separate, and retaining their Observance. The Levitical Laws were certainly in use, but hardly in the manner of the Second Temple. Even the Jews forget how much has been added in terms of traditions and customs to their heritage that was simply acquired over time, in and out of other countries in Persia and Syria, then as they re-settled in towns that were built and destroyed and rebuilt by others, and as civilization progressed among them and around them.
As for keeping one custom today, well, without Jews around, it is hard for many a ger toshav to adopt them, so that a ger toshav must also look to what we know of Jewish customs in Yehoshua's lifetime in order to even approach what He knew and experienced, and what we are supposed to do as we live in the instructions of the Apostles as given to them by Yehohsua.
Throughout the Tanakh and Brit Chadashah, I see only Obedience being taught, not how to blend in with a Jewish people. Customs and traditions are used for living together, cheek by jowl, and many of us have no Messianic Rabbi to copy a custom or tradition from, nor even a neighbour to share a Sabbath with.
We need to celebrate, not just the Feast Day of the New Year, but the life we have forever in Yehoshua, regardless of our customs. And blessedly, for those of us with no Syngogue or Rabbi to instruct us, we have the Ruach haKodesh to help us as we learn the customs of the Jews even as we learn Observance.
I often think that the token portion of the Ruach haKodesh that we carry within us after our immersion and receiving of the Ruach is what really holds us together as a worldwide fellowship...that, and Obedience.
Our customs don't matter as much as the prayers we need to be learning in Hebrew or our native language, so that wherever we go, we can celebrate with other Messianic Jews in their synagogues. For if we have Obedience, an attitude of respectfulness and deference to others, along with the words of the prayers in the Siddur in our mouths, would we not be accepted by those who are making room for us to join them?
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Post by alon on Sept 21, 2014 20:02:52 GMT -8
They didn't have to blend in in the time of the B'rit Chadashah, they were Jews. They already knew all the customs and .
The Hebrews leaving Egypt also had laws. Certainly the Noahide laws were in effect, though possibly only in the Oral Tradition (which I don't think started at Sinai, but that's my opinion). They would have had documents lost to us as well. They were kept separate and distinct as a people in more ways than slavery. Over 400 yrs they would otherwise have all been turned to pagan gods rather than still worshiping the Elohim who allowed them to remain slaves.
So yes, the ger among them would have to, as we must do also, learn to think like the Hebrews, to keep their customs and to worship this new God that replaced all their pagan gods.
And we may not have Jews around, but there is a wealth of information right at our fingertips. You can't swing a chicken without finding all kinds of information on the Jewish observance of the High Holy Days and the Days of Awe! Heck-fire, I even just summarized a bunch of info for you and put it on here!
So loosen up, enjoy this part of your new heritage. And if you don't get it right, God will only see that you tried. But to not observe the High Holy Days, as we are commanded to do, is sin, and God will see that as such. So right or wrong, I'm doin' somethin' for Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur; and just because the Jews are right again and I need the repentance I'm goin' in for the Days of Awesomeness as well!
Dan C
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laina
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Post by laina on Sept 24, 2014 15:10:17 GMT -8
They didn't have to blend in in the time of the B'rit Chadashah, they were Jews. They already knew all the customs and .
The Hebrews leaving Egypt also had laws. Certainly the Noahide laws were in effect, though possibly only in the Oral Tradition (which I don't think started at Sinai, but that's my opinion). They would have had documents lost to us as well. They were kept separate and distinct as a people in more ways than slavery. Over 400 yrs they would have all been turned to pagan gods rather than still worshiping the Elohim who allowed them to remain slaves.
So yes, the ger among them would have to, as we must do also, learn to think like the Hebrews, to keep their customs and to worship this new God that replaced all their pagan gods.
And we may not have Jews around, but there is a wealth of information right at our fingertips. You can't swing a chicken without finding all kinds of information on the Jewish observance of the High Holy Days and the Days of Awe! Heck-fire, I even just summarized a bunch of info for you and put it on here!
So loosen up, enjoy this part of your new heritage. And if you don't get it right, God will only see that you tried. But to not observe the High Holy Days, as we are commanded to do, is sin, and God will see that as such. So right or wrong, I'm doin' somethin' for Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur; and just because the Jews are right again and I need the repentance I'm goin' in for the Days of Awesomeness as well!
Dan C Hi Dan, i have a couple of questions. Why is the Jewish New Year not the first month on the Jewish Calendar? Or do I have a gentile/Jewish calendar? i don't have a Messanic group of believers to fellowship with so how would my husband and I celebrate Rosh Hashana and the next two holidays that are almost upon us? Thanks, Laina  |
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Post by alon on Sept 24, 2014 15:51:24 GMT -8
I don't have much time right now, but your calendar is probably OK. There are actually 4 new years in Judaism. We'll talk when I get back- have to set up for Yom Kippur service of sorts right now.
Dan C
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Post by alon on Sept 24, 2014 22:44:10 GMT -8
Laina, if you have a Jewish calendar, it is almost certainly based on the Hillel Calendar. As the Sanhedrin is not currently seated, this is the only calendar with any authority in Judaism. Hillel was Nasi (the leader) of the Sanhedrin from about 320 to 385 CE. Traditionally regarded as the creator of the modern fixed Hebrew calendar, it is likely he oversaw and authorized its creation. It became necessary to create a fixed calendar based on mathematics and astronomy rather than observation of seasonal events due to the Diaspora.
The Jewish calendar serves to mark holidays and scriptural obligations. Four different Jewish new years mark these observances. They are laid out in the Talmud in Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1, and are 1 Tishri, 15 Shevat, 1 Nisan, and 1 Elul.
The first of Tishrei serves as the New Year for the civil calendar. Rosh Hashanah literally means "the head of the year." Rosh Hashanah is not well-defined in the , as can be observed in the current debate on another thread. However the Talmud makes it the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of creation. Rosh Hashanah 8a, "For R. Zeira said [that Tishrei is considered the New Year for years in relation] to the seasons. And this [opinion of R. Zeira] is [in consonance with the view of] R. Eliezer, who said that the world was created in Tishrei." Numbers 29:1 says “"On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets.” Thus its’ other name, Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets).
The first of Tishrei is also considered the new year for measuring the reigns of foreign kings, and the new year for setting the Sabbatical year when land may not be cultivated. Leviticus 25:2-5, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land." 1 Tishrei as the new year sets the Jubilee year. It is the new year for figuring the yearly ma'aser (tithe) on vegetables and grains. It is also (most importantly) the new year for ordering the Jewish holidays.
The next new year is Tu B’shevat, or 15 Shevat, the New Year for trees. Used for designating fruits as orlah (fruits that can’t be eaten because they grew during the first three years after a tree's planting) and to separate fruits for tithing. Customarily for the first time a fruit or fruits from the new season is eaten. Today, Tu Bishevat symbolizes the redemption of ha’eretz, the land of Yisro’el. Leviticus 19:23-25, “"When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God.”
Thirdly 1 Nisan, corresponding to the time of the redemption from Mitsrayim (Egypt) and the birth of the Hebrew nation. Exo 12:2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” This special religious counting system set Israel apart from other nations. 1 Nisan is the due date for completion of vows, and the date for counting the reign of Jewish kings.
Lastly, 1 Elul is the New Year for the tithing of cattle. No longer strictly observed, it does mark the beginning of preparations for Rosh Hashanah.
It all gets a bit confusing, but the good news is your calendar is probably OK. As long as it says 24 Sep 2014 is Erev Rosh HaShanah (Rosh HaShanah Eve) and the 25th is Rosh HaShanah, then it is good.
L'shanah tovah! (For a good year!)
Dan C
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Post by alon on Sept 24, 2014 22:51:04 GMT -8
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Post by alon on Sept 25, 2014 0:46:10 GMT -8
To bring it back on topic, we are all proselytes to Messianic Judaism; converts to a new (to us) form of religion, a sect of Judaism. We are all here trying to learn how Elohim wants us to worship and serve Him. I see the Messianic movement as an attempt to take us back to the 1st Cen. synagogues (NOT church!) that the apostles and early believers worshiped in. We are called out of the paganism of the mainstream churches and into the light of Judaism in Yeshua.
YHVH created the Jews as His people. He showed us His character in (and too often in spite of) them, gave us a Redeemer through them, and still calls us to worship Him with them.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation - the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new!
I would submit that part of that newness is a Jewishness. We serve a Jewish Messiah, and we strive to emulate Him. To emulate a Greek version of Iesos is to foster a lie, and God never inhabits a lie- ever! So to deny our Jewishness is to deny the Messiah!
Mat 10:33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
We are adoptive heirs to the promises made to Abraham, which means adopted into Judaism.
Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
I would suggest that learning about our new family will make all this more fun than just "keeping ." So why not jump in and enjoy the journey, as Elohim intended?
Dan C
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Post by alon on Sept 25, 2014 10:34:20 GMT -8
Concerning community, in last weeks par'sha, where the Hebrews were given instructions on living in ha'aretz (the land), note the passage in D'varim (Deuteronomy) 26:15:
"Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.'"
The farmer is instructed to pray not just for his own land or his harvest, but for the entire people and for the land given them. This is the sense of community, when you put your neighbors welfare equal to that of your own. And when we think about it, what effects your neighbor will likely effect you as well. It was also an insurance policy of sorts; one still seen in farming communities today.
I once came home on leave and helped with a wheat harvest for a farmer who had had a heart attack. It was an amazing sight to see every combine every farmer in the region owned spread out in a line across those hills helping get the harvest in for this man. No bills were sent for their or their hired men's time, for equipment usage or fuel costs. The word went out and it just happened. The same happens when there is fire in dry-land wheat country- everyone turns out to fight the common threat. These are things I remember which vividly exemplify the sense of community. Elohim simply extended this sense of community to spiritual matters as well. And when we think of community, doesn't it make sense that it starts with and is exponentially strengthened by the spiritual, based in ?
Dan C
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Post by alon on Sept 25, 2014 12:51:13 GMT -8
This theme of community runs all through the par'sha. In ch. 28 of D'varim, the Mosaic covenant lays out a series of blessings and curses which are dependant on the national obedience of the Hebrews. Modeled after traditional Near Eastern treaties, the consequences of a breach of the treaty are laid out after the terms of the treaty- and if one breaks the treaty all may be held responsible.
In ch. 28, vs. 10 "The Lords name is proclaimed over you" signifies a relationship with Elohim, as well as an accountability to Him. This can apply to the nation (Isa 63:19, Jer 14:9, 2 Chron 7:14) or to individuals (Ex 33:12, Jer 15:16). So there is a corporate sense of unity; individualism yet accountable as a nation. Isn't that what a community is?
Dan C
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Post by alon on Sept 25, 2014 14:00:29 GMT -8
Deu ch. 68 is one of the most frightening, terrible chapters in the entire Bible, Revelation notwithstanding. It describes a sort of an anti- where all the conditions, covenants and blessings are reversed. The horrors that are visited on us as a nation and as individuals are described in terrible detail, reversing all the fortunes of the Exodus and of living in observance. In vs. 64:
"And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known."
Dispersion results in the political dissolution of the nation, and idolatry destroys their religious distinction as servants of the One True God of Yisro'el. As individuals we should deconstruct this verse to mean we either worship and function corporately or descend back into the paganism that we were called out of.
Yet the question remains, how do we do this as a disparate group whose only real connection (for the most part) to the Messianic Jewish community is the internet? Most of us have taken the first step and made the commitment to be obedient. Past that we can lay claim to our God granted Jewish heritage and start to try an think like the Hebrews of Biblical times, actively throwing off our paganized Greco-Roman education and looking at things from God's perspective, which is revealed in the TNK (Old Testament). Then read the B'rit Chadasha (New Testament, or more accurately the Renewed Covenant)based on this understanding.
Try to put into practice as much as you can of what is shared here. For example, today is Rosh HaShanah. If you are blessed to have a home where both spouses are Messianic believers, there are websites that will tell you how to observe the holiday as Jews do everywhere. For example;
www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Holiday_Blessings/Rosh_Hashanah_Blessing/rosh_hashanah_blessing.html
Also if you cannot get to a Synagogue to hear the shofar blown, you can buy an inexpensive one and the husband as priest of his home may blow the required notes. It isn't all that difficult. One of the best places to buy on the net is from The Shofar Man; however don't be deceived into buying his books or CD's as I guarantee you'll be disappointed unless you really love Pentecostal services and ramblings.
There are a lot of resources to help us connect, and this is a good place to share thos resources as well as to warn of some of the pitfalls and things to avoid. So for our newer members, welcome aboard! For those older members, let's get with it, what-say? And for those who just lurk on the sidelines, you are missing out on one of the true blessings of being MJ (Messianic Judaic); that is the blessing of community, of being involved. And those who refuse to embrace the Jewish aspect of our faith risk reversing the covenant and falling back into idolatry. You must feed off of one or the other rootstalk: that of Judaism or that of paganism. El Elyon is not a God of half measures. Deu 28:69 and all ch. 29 underscore the seriousness and consequences of taking on observance for the Hebrews and for us. We are either all in, or all out, and for me just being all in has made all the difference. I can't do it all and I'm sure I don't get what all I do exactly right, but I trust that God in His grace and mercy sees my efforts and overlooks my shortcomings. L'shanah tovah, may we all have a good year, together!
Dan C
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laina
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Post by laina on Sept 25, 2014 18:23:07 GMT -8
Thank you Dan. Just so you know, both links are the same. Was this intended? |
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laina
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Post by laina on Sept 25, 2014 18:24:59 GMT -8
Laina, if you have a Jewish calendar, it is almost certainly based on the Hillel Calendar. As the Sanhedrin is not currently seated, this is the only calendar with any authority in Judaism. Hillel was Nasi (the leader) of the Sanhedrin from about 320 to 385 CE. Traditionally regarded as the creator of the modern fixed Hebrew calendar, it is likely he oversaw and authorized its creation. It became necessary to create a fixed calendar based on mathematics and astronomy rather than observation of seasonal events due to the Diaspora.
The Jewish calendar serves to mark holidays and scriptural obligations. Four different Jewish new years mark these observances. They are laid out in the Talmud in Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1, and are 1 Tishri, 15 Shevat, 1 Nisan, and 1 Elul.
The first of Tishrei serves as the New Year for the civil calendar. Rosh Hashanah literally means "the head of the year." Rosh Hashanah is not well-defined in the , as can be observed in the current debate on another thread. However the Talmud makes it the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of creation. Rosh Hashanah 8a, "For R. Zeira said [that Tishrei is considered the New Year for years in relation] to the seasons. And this [opinion of R. Zeira] is [in consonance with the view of] R. Eliezer, who said that the world was created in Tishrei." Numbers 29:1 says “"On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets.” Thus its’ other name, Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets).
The first of Tishrei is also considered the new year for measuring the reigns of foreign kings, and the new year for setting the Sabbatical year when land may not be cultivated. Leviticus 25:2-5, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land." 1 Tishrei as the new year sets the Jubilee year. It is the new year for figuring the yearly ma'aser (tithe) on vegetables and grains. It is also (most importantly) the new year for ordering the Jewish holidays.
The next new year is Tu B’shevat, or 15 Shevat, the New Year for trees. Used for designating fruits as orlah (fruits that can’t be eaten because they grew during the first three years after a tree's planting) and to separate fruits for tithing. Customarily for the first time a fruit or fruits from the new season is eaten. Today, Tu Bishevat symbolizes the redemption of ha’eretz, the land of Yisro’el. Leviticus 19:23-25, “"When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God.”
Thirdly 1 Nisan, corresponding to the time of the redemption from Mitsrayim (Egypt) and the birth of the Hebrew nation. Exo 12:2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” This special religious counting system set Israel apart from other nations. 1 Nisan is the due date for completion of vows, and the date for counting the reign of Jewish kings.
Lastly, 1 Elul is the New Year for the tithing of cattle. No longer strictly observed, it does mark the beginning of preparations for Rosh Hashanah.
It all gets a bit confusing, but the good news is your calendar is probably OK. As long as it says 24 Sep 2014 is Erev Rosh HaShanah (Rosh HaShanah Eve) and the 25th is Rosh HaShanah, then it is good.
L'shanah tovah! (For a good year!)
Dan C
Thank, it's good and yes, very confusing. Which new year is the biblical one? |
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and one mishpat shall be for you, and for the ger that sojourneth with you.
