Rosh Hashana

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Comment by Jody on September 30, 2008 at 12:25pm

Shalom, For any who may want to know. (This is what we suspected, but did not know until now) Quote:

New Moon Not Sighted

On Tuesday September 30, 2008 the new moon was not sighted by
observers from Israel. With the time between sunset and moonset only
20 minutes this was exactly as expected. As a result, Yom Teruah will
begin Wednesday night, Oct 1, which is the 31st day from the previous
sighting. This is because a lunar month can only be 29 or 30 days long
and the non-sighting tonight made the Sixth biblical month 30 days.

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

Comment by Jody on September 30, 2008 at 12:20pm

SHANAH TOVA to any who wish to celebrate today. I understand the dilema with hours at work. That is why the "jews" celebrate for two days every year. That way they are bound to get it right one of the days. (LOL) One could always take off both days.
As far as the preparation, it is the same every month. You dont know until YHVH shows you with His sign as to which day is Rosh Chodesh. Obviously it wouldn't take much to prepare both days... The blowing is EZ. The blowing is also done each month. So Yom Teruah is essentially the same as each month for us, just a bit more! Does that make sense?? Have a blessed day. (or two) smile

Comment by Celia on September 29, 2008 at 2:53pm

Jody, we are just discovering the whole new moon issue this year. We plan to do a celebration tonight showing a few families what we do (they are just beginning their journey) and then when the new moon is sighted, just our family will do a little celebration and rest on the "real" date. The main reason we stuck with the original rabbinical date is that one of the fathers has a job in retail with sporadic hours and he has to know when to ask off for well in advance. I'm not sure what to do about that in the future if we keep celebrating with them.

My question though is do you just get everything ready--food, table, people etc. and have it waiting and if you don't see the new moon, you save it all until the next night? I guess I wanting to know practically how you do things if we start going actually by the new moon sighting. We don't do a big fancy meal, but I think I would have to scale down some. Maybe that would be a good thing. Celia

Comment by Jody on September 29, 2008 at 12:51pm

Shalom, So here we are at the last day of the month. (maybe) This is the 29th day. So tomorrow we will look for the new moon. If the new moon is not sighted, then this will be a 30 day month. If the new moon is sighted, then the month is 29 days and tomorrow is day 1 of the new month. (the 7th month) Yom Teruah!! So depending upon YHVH's timing, since He is the One who made the cycles and the seasons, will depend whether this (6th month) is 29 or 30 days. It will vary year to year... Not every 6th month is 29 days long, not every 6th month is 30 days long.
But this is another example of the Rabbinic authority usurping YHVH's timing. THEY (the Rabbinic authority) has deemed that there will be 30 days every elul, so that they can deem it 40 days to Yom haKippurim!
It reminds me of the Catholic cirche changing the holy days and deeming these "false" decrees holy or set-apart. Personally, for my dh and our household and most of the people we gather and fellowship with, this is not the case. That is why we choose not to simply accept the Rabbinic authorities decisions and proclamations. Just MHO... this is not for everyone. This is simply where we are on the path. My "jewish" friends all accept the Rabbinic authority as law (except the Karaites)

Comment by Karis on September 27, 2008 at 6:52pm

We fellowship with a Messianic congregation during the feast days. So Monday we'll gather as a sacred assembly for the evening service complete with shofar blowing (which takes concerted effort!! ha ha) and our fellowship dinner. We'll meet up again on Tuesday morning at the lake.

We use Robin's resources for family activities also.

Our focus is on Yom Teruah but we do discuss Rosh Hashanah because that's what most people celebrate/ acknowledge.

Comment by YAHaloma on September 5, 2008 at 4:32pm

Celia, you are correct, when you count from the first of Elul, through the ten days of the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement, or the ten High Holy Days (Days of Awe), there is a 40 day season.

We understand that the 40 days is a tradition, used to reflect Israel's 40 years of wondering, and subsequently Yahushua's 40 days of temptations. But, not all traditions are bad, so long as they are scripturally sound, and focus on the things of YHWH. The children are taught to remember that this is not something that is required of us, but it is a way for our feeble human minds to wrap around the entire concept of the Feasts of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement.

Elul is a time that we very much look forward to, a sort of a beginning, within a beginning of the Fall Feasts, and a picture of what is to come when Yahushua returns.

Comment by Jody on September 5, 2008 at 12:41pm

Shalom Celia, I appreciate your responce. In our home, we do not follow much of the "jewish" tradition in that it too has been infiltrated with pagan symbolism. Your example of xmas is right on! As far as the 40 days... A biblical month is 29.53+ days long. Dependant upon when the moon is sighted, most months are 29 days with a few which are 30. (that is where the .53+ comes in) So it would depend upon the month as to whether there is 39 or 40 days to Yom haKippurim. ** Has anyone else done a study on the comparison between Purim and Yom haKippurim?** Yom haKippurim actually translates to a "yom" (day) "Kippurim" (like Purim).

Comment by Celia on September 3, 2008 at 4:55pm

I thought it was 40 days from Elul 1 to Day of Atonement and that is where the number came from.

I completely see where you’re coming from. When we started learning about and investigating all the Hebrew Roots things and biblical holidays, we didn’t fully realize all the nuances of the whole kit and caboodle so we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, in the traditional Jewish way, but discussing Jesus and His kingship, sweetness of His forgiveness, our need to repent, etc.

Now that I am realizing much of what you are saying, it’s like the whole Christmas thing…what do you do with it? For our family,do we keep going with it, give it all up, keep some throw out other traditions, make our own, what? I know for some the answer will be easy, but we’re in process. I do want my children to understand and I do instill in them…”this is what the bible says about the Feast”, “this part is the Jewish tradition”.

I do think sometimes God works through the traditions (like hiding the afikoman), but I know He also doesn’t like us changing His word and knowingly mixing in pagan stuff It could be next year or the next, I’ll be in complete disbelief that I ever dipped apples in honey and said La Shana Tova. I think it is going to take a while for me to get all this stuff figured out. Thank you for giving me your take on it, and I am interested in what others think also.

Comment by Jody on September 3, 2008 at 2:58pm

Anyway, in addition. The first sighting of the new moon for the 6th month was sighted on Sept 1 (moon day). So that was the first day of this 6th Biblical month. For anyone who may keep track or care.

Comment by Jody on September 3, 2008 at 2:56pm

I don't mean to be a problem. And perhaps it is my misunderstanding of what you are doing... But where do you get the 40 days to Atonement? and why? Also, we do not celebrate "rosh ha shannah" and do not find the "new years" celebration in Scripture. We do see the Feast of Trumpets, or shofars, or blowing. However you want to translate it. The whole "new year" thing is rabbinic tradition. And since Scripture tells us that the month of Aviv will be the beginning of months for us, then this celebration of "new year" for Rosh ha shannah is not something we participate in. Just my opinion. The theme of teshuvah prior to Yom Kippur does however have a Scriptural precident.

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