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
blown … READ 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.
*********************
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).
VIMEO VIDEO: SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC!
90TH Birthday Tribute for Richard M. Sherman at the Wallis 07/21/2018 | Beverly
Hills This Week
SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC! 90TH
Birthday Tribute for Richard M. Sherman at the Wallis 07/21/2018 | Beverly Hills This
Week from Beverly
Hills Television on Vimeo.
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.
