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Monday, September 10, 2018

Intro to Bussel’s ‘The Gospel of Jerusalem - Jewish New Year’

Intro by John R. Houk, Blog Editor
Posted September 10, 2018


The Jewish New Year, better known as Rosh Hashanah in Judaism, in 2018 began on the evening of September 9 and culminates on the evening of September 11.

Christianity and Judaism are closer entwined than many Christians (and Jews for that matter) may understand. Here’s a brief reminder for Christians.

Christians trace the history of their faith to Jesus the Christ the Son of God and the son of Mary. Essentially Mary’s husband became step-father. Mary and Joseph were Observant Jews following the traditions of Judaism. That means Jesus was raised an Observant Jew following the Judaic Traditions including Festivals of great religious importance in Judaism. The Gospels share over and over about how Jesus preached to the people in relating to the significance of Jewish Traditions and religious Festivals especially hearkening back to the Patriarch Fathers and the Prophets how their actions were a forthtelling of the Christ who is Jesus. (Any Antisemite Christians should think about that before they embark on any Jew-hatred rants.)

Ergo with that incomplete bit of Christian faith in relation to Jesus and Judaism, here is a bit of info on Rosh Hashanah from a Judaic perspective according to Judaism 101:

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishri.

Jewish "New Year"

The name "Rosh Hashanah" means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year, continuing through the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur.

You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?

Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).


Traditions

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blownREAD THE REST (Rosh Hashanah; By Tracey Rich; Judaism 101; © Copyright 5756-5771 (1995-2011))

With that, I am grateful for Ari Bussel sharing this Jewish New Year’s testimony which includes a prayer for Israel, the Land of the Jews.

JRH 9/10/18
In this current state of media censorship & defunding, consider chipping in a few bucks for enjoying (or despising) this Blog.
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The Gospel of Jerusalem - Jewish New Year
By Ari Bussel
Sent 9/9/2018 5:46 PM

Dear Friends of Zion and Jerusalem,

How quickly time passes!  Here are blessings and curses of the past year - embassy moves, earthquakes, Gaza and Syria.

A year ago Christian media professionals from around the world convened unto Zion Jerusalem for the Government of Israel’s First Christian Media Summit (pictured below with Israel’s President Rivlin).  Little did any of the participants envisioned that just months later, the United States of America will move its embassy to Israel’s capital.


President Rivlin Addressing Christian Media Summit October 2017

This was likely the single most significant action of Israel’s ally and friend, the United States of America; what my colleague Norma Zager calls “a simple reality check.”

It was quickly followed by Guatemala and Paraguay, although the latter gave in to pressure and is reversing the move of its embassy.  More countries promised to follow suit, yet the USA remains the one beacon of sanity and stability, an anchor of steadfast resolve.

President Cabrera-Mayor Barkat  Congrats Guatemala Embassy Jerusalem

Another “reality check” by the US administration and its Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, was to look at the utilization of US funds overseas and to stop the flow of money when it is earmarked to pay convicted terrorists and their families (the greater the dead and wounded, the higher the remuneration); incite terror and educate young children to become martyrs; and perpetuate the myth of “refugeedom” for all eternity instead of focusing on assimilation.

Israel celebrated.


A new street sign in Jerusalem, the Walls of the Old City with a special tribute, a group giving thanks to God the Almighty

There were also several moderate earthquakes in Israel (of the very physical/real type; Israel sits atop the Syrian-African Fault).  Not used to earthquakes and having undergone relatively minor preparedness and nation-wide training, Israelis suffered several waves of anxiety, but quickly returned to normalcy.

Then, there were two major developments to which one must pay attention.  On the Gaza border, Hamas is determined to instigate constant mayhem, sending its people to “walk unto the border of Israel and breach that border.”  It also has engaged in a new favorite summer pastime, “Go Fly A Kite.”

Most of us will immediate start singing “Let’s Go Fly A Kite” from Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA-g8YYPKVo).  The song was composed by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, two Beverly Hills brothers.
  

A few weeks ago, the City of Beverly Hills celebrated Richard Sherman’s 90th birthday and presented him the Key to the City (https://vimeo.com/282597968).


The Gazans’ idea of flying a kite is diabolically different.  Israel’s neighbors affix incendiary devices and have caused huge regional fires around Gaza, with devastating results to agriculture and property.

Week after week, this favorite summer activity has been taking place, yielding great amusement and thrill to the Gazans.

Up north, in Syria, the global superpowers are flexing their arms; the local population suffers and continues to be slaughtered by the Assad regime in the ongoing civil war; and Iran continues to strengthen its presence.  Hizballah, Iran’s proxy in Syria and Lebanon, alongside special forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard of Iran are training in urban-warfare.

This, too, is most eye-opening.  Israel’s Defense Forces are training for urban warfare, with specific focus how to safeguard the lives of civilians and of its own soldiers.  Hamas, Hizballah and other like-organizations embed themselves within dense civilian populations, which they use as human shields.

In contrast, Iran and Hizballah are focused on conquering Israeli cities and inflicting terror.  Several decades ago it was kidnapping school buses and holding school kids hostage or smashing skulls of very young children in front of their parents.  Several decades earlier it was butchering the Jewish inhabitants in entire towns, slicing open pregnant women, raping children, women and men, young and old, and using heads for soccer games.  (For those to whom this seems very far-fetched, Daesh is doing the very same in recent years; and much worse.)

Continued Existence

And thus, we see that Tiny-Mighty Israel is constantly on the alert.  Many good things are happening, but Israel exists in a most perilous neighborhood, and her continued existence is never something to be taken for granted.

Safeguarding Israel is her Defense Forces, her Government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the power of prayer.  Israel’s enemies rise not only against Israel but against God Lord of Hosts Himself.  (The Prophet Zechariah told us that he who touches Judea, Israel and Jerusalem - those who negate their very existence - touches the Apple of God’s Eye, for God dwells in their midst.  (Zechariah 2:12, 14))

Deuteronomy Chapter 20 דְּבָרִים
ד  כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם--לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם-אֹיְבֵיכֶם, לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם.
4 for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'

Recognizing the power of prayer, Jewish people throughout the world say a special prayer (text below, translation by the Jewish Agency for Israel) in which we ask the God will send His light and truth to the leaders of Israel, her ministers and her advisors, and will provide them with good counsel and advice.

Prayer for State of Israel

Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your loving kindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and   advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel.

Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness.

Lead them, swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: "Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from  there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you.

And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.

Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance.

Manifest yourself in the splendor of Your boldness before the eyes of all inhabitants of Your world and may everyone endowed with a soul affirm that the Lord, God of Israel, is king and his dominion is absolute.

Amen forevermore.
___________________
Intro to Bussel’s ‘The Gospel of Jerusalem - Jewish New Year’
Intro by John R. Houk, Blog Editor
Posted September 10, 2018
________________
The Gospel of Jerusalem - Jewish New Year

Edited by John R. Houk

© Ari Bussel

Ari Bussel is Vice President of Operations at Saybrex International, a privately held family business specializing in the distribution of fine wines and spirits. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company and has held various positions in the company since 1993.

Prior to joining Saybrex, Mr. Bussel served as First Lieutenant in the Center for Systems Analysis at General Headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces, where he led the implementation of the Logistics War Doctrine in the Computerized Wargame Program.

Mr. Bussel is involved in a variety of philanthropic and civic activities. Mr. Bussel completed the Team Beverly Hills Leadership Program and served on the Environmental Sustainability Topic Committee of the City of Beverly Hills. He was a member of the Steering Committees of former Beverly Hills Mayor MeraLee Goldman and the current Beverly Hills City Treasurer, the Hon. Eliot Finkel. Mr. Bussel also completed and participated in the Community Emergency Response Training Program of the City of Beverly Hills as well as the Crisis Response Team of the Maple Counseling Center.

Mr. Bussel was among the founding members and served on the boards of Gen. Shimon Erem’s Israel Christian Nexus, the Western Region of Friends of Israel Firefighters and the Israel Institute for Alternative Energy Advancement. He completed the Salvin Leadership Program of the Anti-Defamation League.

Mr. Bussel writes regularly. For the past decade, his weekly columns appeared in print in Israel Jewish Life, Shalom LA, Muslim World Today and Israeli Week. Mr. Bussel’s articles appear on numerous websites, including Canada Free Press, Free Republic, NewsBlaze, SlantRight and OpEdNews. He is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club.

Mr. Bussel received a Master of Science in Operations Research from Stanford ... READ THE REST


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