Peshat - the plain and simple meaning

Counting the Omer - 2012

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:07:30 -0700

Karaite Korner, and the people and organizations quoted on http://www.karaite-korner.org, are in no way associated with peshat.com and views expressed here.

More discussion is here: Counting the Omer 2009


	Leviticus Chapter 23 9 And YHWH spoke unto Moses saying: 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before YHWH, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And in the day when ye wave the sheaf, ye shall offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto YHWH. 13 And the meal-offering thereof shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto YHWH for a sweet savour; and the drink-offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until ye have brought the offering of your God; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the day of rest, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the waving; seven weeks shall there be complete; 16 even unto the morrow after the seventh week shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall present a new meal-offering unto YHWH. 17 Ye shall bring out of your dwellings two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah; they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with leaven, for first-fruits unto YHWH. 18 And ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams; they shall be a burnt-offering unto YHWH, with their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto YHWH. 19 And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering, and two he-lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before YHWH, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to YHWH for the priest. 21 And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest; thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am YHWH your God.

http://www.karaite-korner.org/omer.shtml:

May 15, 2012:
Today is the 3rd day of the 6th week of seven weeks. Today is the 38th day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

15 מאי 2012:
הַיּוֹם יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי לַשָּׁבוּעַ שִׁשִּׁי מִשִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעוֹת. הַיּוֹם שְׁלוֹשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה‏ יוֹם מִסְפִירַת חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם מֵהֲנָפַת הָעֹמֶר מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת.

Declaration of Faith - Sh'ma Yisrael

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:30:43 -0700

Sh'ma Yisrael meaning Hear Israel, the declaration of Faith, is a prayer which takes from 3 different sections of the Torah. The prayer should be stated aloud.

Study videos and hebrew in following section.

Baruch atah, YHWH Eloheinu, melech ha-olam oseh ma'aseh vereshit.
Blessed is you, YHWH our God, King of the Universe, the source of creation and its wonders.


	Deuteronomy Chapter 6 4 Hear, O Israel: YHWH is our God, YHWH is one. 5 And thou shalt love YHWH thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.


	Deuteronomy Chapter 11 13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied. 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17 and the anger of YHWH be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which YHWH giveth you. 18 Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; 21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which YHWH swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.


	Numbers Chapter 15 37 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 38 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of YHWH, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray; 40 that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am YHWH your God.'

Repeated with Hebrew...


	Deuteronomy Chapter 6 4 Hear, O Israel: YHWH is our God, YHWH is one. 5 And thou shalt love YHWH thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. Devarim 6 4 Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil Yeho'ah Eloheinu Yeho'ah echad. 5 Barukh sheim k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed v'ahav'ta eit Yeho'ah Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha. 6 V'hayu had'varim ha'eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha hayom al l'vavekha. 7 V'shinan'tam l'vanekha v'dibar'ta bam b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha 8 Uk'shar'tam l'ot al yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha. 9 Ukh'tav'tam al m'zuzot beitekha uvish'arekha.


	Deuteronomy Chapter 11 13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied. 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17 and the anger of YHWH be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which YHWH giveth you. 18 Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; 21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which YHWH swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth. Devarim 11 13 V'hayah im shamo'a tish'm'u el mitz'votai asher anokhi m'tzaveh et'khem hayom l'ahavah et Yeho'ah Eloheikhem ul'av'do b'khol l'vav'khem uv'khol naf'sh'khem 14 V'natati m'tar ar'tz'khem b'ito yoreh umal'kosh v'asaf'ta d'ganekha v'tirosh'kha v'yitz'harekha. 15 V'natati eisev b'sad'kha liv'hem'tekha v'akhal'ta v'sava'ta. 16 Hisham'ru lakhem pen yif'teh l'vav'khem v'sar'tem va'avad'tem Elohim acheirim v'hish'tachavitem lahem 17 V'charah af Yeho'ah bakhem v'atzar et hashamayim v'lo yih'yeh matar v'ha'adamah lo titein et y'vulah va'avad'tem m'heirah mei'al ha'aretz hatovah asher Yeho'ah notein lakhem. 18 V'sam'tem et d'varai eileh al l'vav'khem v'al naf'sh'khem uk'shar'tem otam l'ot al yed'khem v'hayu l'totafot bein eineikhem. 19 V'limad'tem otam et b'neikhem l'dabeir bam b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha 20 Ukh'tav'tam al m'zuzot beitekha uvish'arekha. 21 L'ma'an yirbu y'maychem vi-y'may v'naychem al ha-adamah asher nishba Yeho'ah la-avotaychem latayt lahem ki-y'may ha-shamayim al ha-aretz.


	Numbers Chapter 15 37 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 38 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of YHWH, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray; 40 that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am YHWH your God.' Bamidbar 15 37 Vayo'mer Yeho'ah el mosheh lei'mor 38 Dabeir el b'nei Yis'ra'eil v'amar'ta aleihem v'asu lahem tzitzit al kan'fei vig'deihem l'dorotam v'nat'nu al tzitzit hakanaf p'til t'kheilet 39 V'hayah lakhem l'tzitzit ur'item oto uz'khar'tem et kol mitz'vot Yeho'ah va'asitem otam v'lo taturu acharei l'vav'khem v'acharei eineikhem asher atem zonim achareihem 40 L'ma'an tiz'k'ru va'asitem et kol mitz'votai viyitem k'doshim lei'loheikhem 41 Ani Yeho'ah Eloheikhem asher hotzei'ti et'khem mei'eretz Mitz'rayim lih'yot lakhhem leilohim Ani Yeho'ah Eloheikhem

Yom Teruah vs Rosh Hashanna

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:46:00 -0700

JewishEncylopedia: New Year

Happy Yom Teruah!

WORK IN PROGRESS... reference How the Day of Shouting Became Rosh Hashanah by Nehemia Gordon


	Confirmed on Jewish Virtual Library: Jewish Calendar: The "first month" of the Jewish calendar is the month of Nissan, in the spring, when Passover occurs. However, the Jewish New Year is in Tishri, the seventh month, and that is when the year number is increased. The year number is increased in the seventh month? The traditional Jewish New Year known as Rosh Hashannah (head of months) is not found anywhere in the Tanakh; therefore, it is tradition. On the same day that Rosh Hashannah is celebrated, Yom Teruah (day of shouting; commanded from the Torah (see Lev 23:23-25; Nu 29:1-6)) is celebrated. Both Rosh Hashannah and Yom Teruah are on the first day of the seventh month; however, the day is most recoginized for being Rosh Hashannah (or the Jewish New Year). The first day of the first month is commonly understood as the new year. The New Year, the one in the first month, is in fact, defined as the beginning of months in Exodus 12 which shows it was selected by YHWH as a remembrance for His leading the children of Israel from Egypt with a strong hand. It is defined based on the ripeness of aviv and leads to preparations for Passover. So, let's examine the tradition, commonly known as Rosh Hashannah, which starts the traditional "new year" in the fall when we are told, in Exodus 12, the first month begins in the spring. Exodus 12 deals with the exodus from Egypt, at the powerful hand of YHWH, in the spring... Exodus Chapter 12 1 And YHWH spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Leviticus Chapter 23 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no manner of servile work; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto YHWH. Numbers Chapter 29 1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you.

New Year
By Isidore Singer, J. F. McLaughlin, Wilhelm Bacher, Judah David Eisenstein

Biblical Data:

In the earliest times the Hebrew year began in autumn with the opening of the economic year. There followed in regular succession the seasons of seed-sowing, growth and ripening of the corn under the influence of the former and the latter rains, harvest and ingathering of the fruits. In harmony with this was the order of the great agricultural festivals, according to the oldest legislation, namely, the feast of unleavened bread at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the month of Abib; the feast of harvest, seven weeks later; and the feast of ingathering at the going out or turn of the year (; see Ex. xxiii. 14-17; xxxiv. 18, 22-23; Deut. xvi. 1-16).


	Even the American culture has an economic year beginning in the fall. It is called the corporate fiscal year. Exodus Chapter 23 14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me in the year. 15 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep; seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib -- for in it thou camest out from Egypt; and none shall appear before Me empty; 16 and the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labours, which thou sowest in the field; and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord YHWH. Exodus Chapter 34 23 Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord YHWH, the God of Israel. Deuteronomy Chapter 16 16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before YHWH thy God in the place which He shall choose; on the feast of unleavened bread, and on the feast of weeks, and on the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before YHWH empty;

This system of dating the New-Year is that which was adopted by the Semites generally, while other peoples, as the Greeks and Persians, began the year in spring, both methods of reckoning being primarily agricultural and based on the seasons of seed-time and harvest.
The Regnal Year.

The regnal year was evidently reckoned in the same way as late as the end of the seventh century B.C. This is evident from the account of the eighteenth year of King Josiah, in which only by such a reckoning can sufficient time be allowed for the events of that year which precede the celebration of the Passover, assuming, of course, that the Passover was celebrated at the usual time in the spring (II Kings xxii. 3, xxiii. 21-23).


	Regnal year is the year the current king is reigning. So, it was the 18th regnal year of King Josiah... Second Kings Chapter 22 2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of YHWH, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of YHWH, saying. Second Kings Chapter 23 21 And the king commanded all the people, saying: 'Keep the passover unto YHWH your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.' 22 For there was not kept such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; 23 but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah was this passover kept to YHWH in Jerusalem.

Only in the same way can the fourth year of Jehoiakim be made to synchronize with the twenty-first year of Nabopolassar, in which the battle of Carchemish was fought, and also with the first year of Nebuchadrezzar, the Babylonian year having been reckoned from the spring (Jer. xxv. 1, xlvi. 2).


	The Babylonian year begins in spring Jeremiah Chapter 25 1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: 3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even unto this day, these three and twenty years, the word of YHWH hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, speaking betimes and often; but ye have not hearkened. Jeremiah Chapter 46 1 The word of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. 2 Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

The second half of the Hebrew year would thus correspond to the first half of the Babylonian year. In Ezek. xl. 1 the prophet has his vision at the beginning of the year, apparently in the month of Tishri.


	Tishri is the seventh month. Clearly, there is no direct connection and/or reference made to this verse being Tishri. So, how is this connection made? Hmm, 10th day of Tishri is Yom Kippur (day of atonement/forgiveness - Lev 23:26) and the 10th day of Abib is when the Passover Lamb (a Lamb without blemish - Exo 12:3-5) is selected. So, are there other references in Ezekiel which we can refer to? Yes there is. All part of this very same story where Ezekiel is selected to describe the temple to the Israelis, another reference to the new year exists in Ezekiel Chapter 45 verses 18-22, YHWH explains Passover with reference to the first day of the first month. Therefore, it is proven that this authors reference of the new year being in Tishri based on this verse in Ezekiel is without merit and ignorant of the facts. Ezekiel Chapter 40 1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of YHWH was upon me, and He brought me thither. 2 In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south. 3 And He brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. 4 And the man said unto me: 'Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall show thee, for to the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought thither; declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.' Exodus Chapter 12 1 And YHWH spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying: In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household; 4 and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbour next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man's eating ye shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats; 6 and ye shall keep it unto the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at dusk. Leviticus Chapter 23 26 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 27 Howbeit on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; there shall be a holy convocation unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto YHWH. 28 And ye shall do no manner of work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before YHWH your God. 29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. Ezekiel Chapter 45 18 Thus saith the Lord YHWH: In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish; and thou shalt purify the sanctuary. 19 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering, and put it upon the door-posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 And so thou shalt do on the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple; so shall ye make atonement for the house. 21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover; a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering.

The Levitical law places the beginning of the Sabbatical year in the autumn, on the tenth day of the seventh month, according to the later reckoning (Lev. xxv. 9).


	The horn blast could also be used to prepare the farmers and ranchers not to plant seeds for the following year. And, perhaps, that they have 6 months to prepare to return everything to their rightful owners during the Sabbatical year. Leviticus Chapter 25 8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and there shall be unto thee the days of seven sabbaths of years, even forty and nine years. 9 Then shalt thou make proclamation with the blast of the horn on the tenth day of the seventh month; in the day of atonement shall ye make proclamation with the horn throughout all your land. 10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you; ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of the undressed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy unto you; ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 13 In this year of jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.

It has been pointed out also that the story of the Flood places the beginning of the deluge on the seventeenth day of the second month, which would, on an autumn reckoning, coincide with the beginning of the rainy season (Gen. vii. 11; Josephus, "Ant." i. 3, Number 3).


	Even in Josephus, it says that Moses changed the beginning of the year. Moses was well after Noah... so talking about when Noah thought the new year began is not applicable. I question whether the rainy season is in the spring or fall as well -- very thin example of Autumn reckoning! http://www.science.co.il/Israel-climate.php Climate in Israel The rainy season extends from October to early May, and rainfall peaks in December through February. Rainfall varies considerably by regions from the North to the South. Highest rainfall is observed in the North and center parts of the country and decreases in the southern part of Israel, from the Negev Desert to Eilat where rainfall is negligible. Josephus Antiquities Book I - Chapter 3 3. This calamity happened in the six hundredth year of Noah's government, [age,] in the second month, called by the Macedonians Dius, but by the Hebrews Marchesuan: for so did they order their year in Egypt. But Moses appointed that Nisan, which is the same with Xanthicus, should be the first month for their festivals, because he brought them out of Egypt in that month: so that this month began the year as to all the solemnities they observed to the honor of God, although he preserved the original order of the months as to selling and buying, and other ordinary affairs. Now he says that this flood began on the twenty-seventh [seventeenth] day of the aforementioned month; and this was two thousand six hundred and fifty-six [one thousand six hundred and fifty-six] years from Adam, the first man; and the time is written down in our sacred books, those who then lived having noted down, with great accuracy, both the births and deaths of illustrious men. Genesis Chapter 7 10 And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Possibly Two Modes of Reckoning.
(see image) Blowing the Shofar on New-Year's Day.(From a Passover Haggadah, Amsterdam, 1695.)
(see image) Celebration of the New-Year in Germany in the Eighteenth Century.(From Bodenschatz, "Kirchiiche Verfassung," 1748.)There is much difference of opinion as to whether or not there was in preexilic times a second mode of reckoning from the vernal equinox. This inference has been drawn from such passages as II Sam. xi. 1, I Kings xx. 22, 26, and II Chron. xxxvi. 10.


	more study needed... Second Samuel Chapter 11 1 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. 2 And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said: 'Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' First Kings Chapter 20 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Arameans with a great slaughter. 22 And the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said unto him: 'Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest; for at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against thee.' 23 And the servants of the king of Aram said unto him: 'Their God is a God of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put governors in their room: 25 and number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.' And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were mustered, and were victualled, and went against them; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Arameans filled the country. Second Chronicles Chapter 36 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and he did that which was evil in the sight of YHWH. 10 And at the return of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of YHWH, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. 11 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; 12 and he did that which was evil in the sight of YHWH his God; he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of YHWH.

The expression used here, "at the return of the year," is, however, sufficiently explained as "the time when kings go out"; that is to say, the usual time for opening a military campaign. Of course if the law of the Passover (Ex. xii. 1; Lev. xxiii. 5; Num. ix. 1-5, xxviii. 16-17) is pre-exilic, the question admits of no further argument. It seems, however, to be now very generally accepted that this law in its present form is not earlier than the sixth century and that it represents post-exilic practise.


	"it represents post-exilic practise" - that is correct. The decision to make Nissan the first month was made by YHWH during the time he was using his strong hand to release the Israelites from Egypt. Exodus Chapter 12 1 And YHWH spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Leviticus Chapter 23 4 These are the appointed seasons of YHWH, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk, is YHWH'S passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto YHWH; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. Numbers Chapter 9 1 And YHWH spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'Let the children of Israel keep the passover in its appointed season. 3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, ye shall keep it in its appointed season; according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it.' 4 And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover. 5 And they kept the passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at dusk, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that YHWH commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. Numbers Chapter 28 16 And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is YHWH'S passover. 17 And on the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast; seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

According to this legislation, which henceforth prevailed, the month Abib, or Nisan (March-April), became the first of the year. It is possible that this change was due, in part at least, to the influence of the Babylonian sacred year, which likewise began with the month Nisan. It appears, however, that the festival of the New-Year continued to be observed in the autumn, perhaps originally on the tenth, and later on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri. Josephus asserts (l.c. i. 3, � 3) that while Moses appointed Nisan to be the first month for the sacred festivals and other solemnities, he preserved the original order of the months for buying and selling and for the transaction of other business. The Seleucidan calendar, from 312 B.C., placed the beginning of the year in the autumn; but it appears that the Palestinian Jews still reckoned from the spring and dated the Seleucidan era according to that reckoning (see Sch�rer, "The Jewish People in the Time of **** ****," 2d ed., Eng. transl., I. i 36-46, on the dates in the Books of Maccabees; comp. Esth. iii. 7).

How Celebrated.

It is altogether probable that the beginning of the year was celebrated from ancient times in some special way, like the New Moon festival. The earliest reference, however, to such a custom is, probably, in the account of the vision of Ezekiel (Ezek. xl. 1) which, as stated above, took place at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month (Tishri ?).


	Ezekiel Chapter 40 1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of YHWH was upon me, and He brought me thither. 2 In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.

On the same day the beginning of the year of jubilee was to be proclaimed by the blowing of trumpets (Lev. xxv. 9). According to the Septuagint rendering of Ezek. xlv. 20, special sacrifices were to be offered on the first day of the seventh month as well as on the first day of the first month.


	Ezekiel Chapter 45 18 Thus saith the Lord YHWH: In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish; and thou shalt purify the sanctuary. 19 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering, and put it upon the door-posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 And so thou shalt do on the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple; so shall ye make atonement for the house. 21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover; a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering.

This first day of the seventh month was appointed by the Law to be "a day of blowing of trumpets" (). There was to be a holy convocation; no servile work was to be done; and special sacrifices were to be offered (Lev. xxiii. 23-25; Num. xxix. 1-6; comp. ib. x. 1-10). This day was not expressly called New-Year's Day, but it was evidently so regarded by the Jews at a very early period (see R. H. i. 1).


	Leviticus Chapter 23 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest; thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am YHWH your God. 23 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no manner of servile work; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto YHWH. Numbers Chapter 29 1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you. 2 And ye shall prepare a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto YHWH: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; 3 and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth part for the ram, 4 and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs; 5 and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you; 6 beside the burnt-offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering thereof, and the continual burnt-offering and the meal-offering thereof, and their drink-offerings, according unto their ordinance, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto YHWH.

Bibliography: Hastings, Dict. Bibl. s.v. Time;
Cheyne and Black, Encyc. Bibl. s.v. Year and New Year;
Benzinger, Arch.;
Dillmann, Monatsberichte, Societas Regia Scientiarum, Berlin, 1881.S. J. F. McL.

�In Rabbinical Literature:

The Rabbis recognize four beginnings of the year from different standpoints: (1) the 1st of Nisan for regnal dating; it was based on the Exodus (comp. I Kings vi. 1); (2) the 1st of Tishri, as, agricultural New-Year the beginning of the harvest (Ex. xxiii. 16, xxxiv. 22); (3) the 1st of Elul for reckoning tithes of cattle (R. Eleazer, however, would reckon these from the 1st of Tishri); and (4) the 1st, or, according to Bet Hillel, the 15th of Shebaṭ, the New-Year for Trees.


	(1) the 1st of Nisan for regnal dating First Kings Chapter 6 1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of YHWH.


	(2) the 1st of Tishri, as, agricultural New-Year the beginning of the harvest Exodus Chapter 23 15 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep; seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib -- for in it thou camest out from Egypt; and none shall appear before Me empty; 16 and the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labours, which thou sowest in the field; and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord YHWH.


	(3) the 1st of Elul for reckoning tithes of cattle Exodus Chapter 34 21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. 22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, even of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the turn of the year. 23 Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord YHWH, the God of Israel.


	(4) the 1st, or, according to Bet Hillel, the 15th of Shebaṭ, the New-Year for Trees.

According to the Talmud, servants were formally freed on the 1st of Tishri, but were allowed to remain on the homesteads of their former masters and to enjoy themselves for ten days, until Yom Kippur, when the trumpet was blown (Lev. xxv. 9) as a signal for their departure, and for the restoration of the fields to their original owners (R. H. 8b). This is cited to explain the passage in Ezek. xl. 1; "the beginning of the year in the tenth day of the month," which refers to the jubilee year that occurred on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Exile ('Ar. 12a).


	Ezekiel Chapter 40 1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, the hand of YHWH was upon me, and He brought me thither. 2 In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.

Rosh ha-Shanah.

The observance of the 1st of Tishri as Rosh ha-Shanah, the most solemn day next to Yom Kippur, is based principally on the traditional law to which the mention of "Zikkaron" (= "memorial day"; Lev. xxiii. 24) and the reference of Ezra to the day as one "holy to the Lord" (Neh. viii. 9) seem to point.


	Leviticus Chapter 23 23 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no manner of servile work; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto YHWH. Nehemiah Chapter 8 8 And they read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people: 'This day is holy unto YHWH your God; mourn not, nor weep.' For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said unto them: 'Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye grieved; for the joy of YHWH is your strength.'

The passage in Psalms (lxxxi. 5) referring to the solemn feast which is held on New Moon Day, when the shofar is sounded, as a day of "mishpaṭ" (judgment) of "the God of Jacob" is taken to indicate the character of Rosh ha-Shanah. Rosh ha-Shanah is the most important judgment-day, on which all the inhabitants of the world pass for judgment before the Creator, as sheep pass for examination before the shepherd (R. H. i. 2; See Day of Judgment).


	Psalms Chapter 71 4 O my God, rescue me out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man. 5 For Thou art my hope; O Lord YHWH, my trust from my youth. 6 Upon Thee have I stayed myself from birth; Thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb; my praise is continually of Thee.

Three books of account are opened on Rosh ha-Shanah wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class (not utterly wicked) are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days till Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous (R. H. 16b); the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living" (Ps. lxix. 28 ).


	Psalms Chapter 69 27 For they persecute him whom Thou hast smitten; and they tell of the pain of those whom Thou hast wounded. 28 Add iniquity unto their iniquity; and let them not come into Thy righteousness. 29 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. 30 But I am afflicted and in pain; let Thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

The zodiac sign of the balance for Tishri is claimed to indicate the scales of judgment, balancing the meritorious against the wicked acts of the person judged. The taking of an annual inventory of accounts on Rosh ha-Shanah is adduced by R. Naḥman b. Isaac from the passage in Deut. xi. 12, which says that the care of God is directed from "the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year" (R. H. 8a).


	Deuteronomy Chapter 11 10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou didst sow thy seed, and didst water it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs; 11 but the land, whither ye go over to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down; 12 a land which YHWH thy God careth for; the eyes of YHWH thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. 13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

The 1st of Tishri was considered by the best authorities as the beginning of Creation; e.g., by R. Eliezer, against the opinion of R. Joshua, however, who held the 1st of Nisan as the first day of Creation (R. H. 11a; Targ. Jonathan on Gen. vii. 11, counts the second month as Marḥeshwan).


	Genesis Chapter 7 10 And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

On Rosh ha-Shanah the means of sustenance of every person are apportioned for the ensuing year (B. B. 10a); so also are his destined losses. The indications of the weather prognostications, according to R. Zebid, may likewise be ascertained on Rosh ha-Shanah: If the day be warm, it indicates a warm year; if cold, it foretells generally a cold year (ib. 147a).

Omens of Good Luck.
(see image) Blowing the Shofar on New-Year's Day.(From Picart, 1726.) As an omen of good luck for the New-Year, Abaye said one should eat on Rosh ha-Shanah pumpkins, fenugreeks, leeks, beets, and dates (Hor. 12a), because they all grow quickly and because, it is declared, their names in Aramaic mean "plentiful" or "forgiveness." Ezra told the people on Rosh ha-Shanah (the first of the seventh month) to "eat the fat, and drink the sweet" (Neh. viii. 10).


	Nehemiah Chapter 7 9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two. 10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two. 11 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. 12 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

The prevailing custom was to partake of some specially palatable meal on New-Year's eve. "In France in the twelfth century the custom was to supply the table with red apples; in Provence, with grapes, figs, and a calf's head, or anything new, easily digested, and tasty, as an omen of good luck to all Israel" (Maḥzor Vitry, p. 362). R. Jacob M�lln (14th cent.) in his "Maharil" mentions the custom of eating apples with honey and a deer's head in remembrance of the 'Aḳedah incident. Another reason for eating an animal's head is to presage that the consumer will be "ahead" and not backward in his undertakings during the ensuing year. But one may not eat nuts on Rosh ha-Shanah, as the numerical value of the letters in the Hebrew term for nut, , is equivalent to that of the letters = "sin" ("ḥet, minus the vowel א = 17), and also for the more plausible reason that nuts stimulate saliva and consequently distract one's mind from his prayers on the solemn day.

In modern times the table is served with grapes, other fruits, and honey. After the benediction of "Ha-Moẓeh" the bread is dipped in the honey, when the following benediction is recited: "May it please the Lord our God and God of our fathers to renew for us a good and sweet year." The feasting is in anticipation that the prayers will be acceptable, and in reliance on the goodness of God. In ancient times the Jews on Rosh ha-Shanah were dressed in white. "Unlike the accused who is dressed in black before the tribunal, the Jews are dressed in white on the Day of Judgment" (Yer. R. H. i. 3).

The idea of a good omen probably introduced the custom in the Middle Ages of greeting one another on New-Year's eve with "Le shanah ṭobah tikkateb" = "Mayest thou be inscribed for a good year," with reference to the book of life of the righteous.

The Second Day.

Only the 1st of Tishri was celebrated as New-Year's Day in Palestine prior to the time of R. Johanan b. Zakkai; but ever since, Palestine, like other countries, observes Rosh ha-Shanah for two days (see Palestine, Laws Relating to). The Zohar lays stress on the universal observance of two days, and claims that the two passages in Job (i. 6 and ii. 1), "when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord," refer to the first and second days of Rosh ha-Shanah, observed by the Heavenly Court before the Almighty (Zohar, Pineḥas, p. 231a).


	Job Chapter 1 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said: 'It may be that my sons have sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts.' Thus did Job continually. 6 Now it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before YHWH, and Satan came also among them. 7 And YHWH said unto Satan: 'Whence comest thou?' Then Satan answered YHWH, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' Job Chapter 2 1 Again it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before YHWH, and Satan came also among them to present himself before YHWH. 2 And YHWH said unto Satan: 'From whence comest thou?' And Satan answered YHWH, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.'

For the services on Rosh ha-Shanah, see Prayer; for the ceremony and significance of the shofar-calls, see Shofar; and for the ceremony of "tashlik" on the first day of Rosh ha-Shanah, see Tashlik; see, also, Day of Judgment; Greeting, Forms of; Month; Seliḥot.

Bibliography: Shulḥan 'Aruk, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 581-603;
Carl Rehfuss, Sermon for Rosh ha-Shanah, 1839, in Kayserling, Bibliothek J�discher Kanzelredner, pp. 359-368, Addresses to Young Children, xxii. 202-212, London, 1858;
Schwab, Contribution to the History of Reform of the Jewish Ritual, i., St. Joseph, Mo., 1904;
idem, in Jewish Messenger, Oct. 3, 10, 1902;
Some New Year's Cards, in Jew. Chron. Sept. 18, 1903.W.

KJU Class 2011

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:32:03 -0700

Karaite Jewish University, and the people and organizations quoted on kjuonline.com, are in no way associated with peshat.com and views expressed here.

Karaite Jewish University had another successful graduation and conversion ceremony...

Congratulations to class 2011!

Baruch YHWH!

True Food Shopper's Guide

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 19:30:41 -0700

How to Avoid Foods Made with Genetically Modified Organisms [GMOs]

Vegetables Owned by Monsanto
February 25, 2012

US Policy toward Israel

Tue, 17 May 2011 19:23:56 -0700

President Obama Addresses the UN General Assembly

Watch President Obama's Full Speech on Mideast Policy

Obama, Netanyahu Meet Amid Discord Over 1967 Borders

Netanyahu: Borders Must Reflect 'Dramatic' Changes From 1967

Lower Quality Version: President Obama Speaks to the Muslim World from Cairo, Egypt

Jewish Response to the Obama Cairo Speech

Counting the Omer - 2011

Mon, 2 May 2011 20:42:43 -0700

Karaite Korner, and the people and organizations quoted on http://www.karaite-korner.org, are in no way associated with peshat.com and views expressed here.

This year, both Rabbinical and Karaite Jews held Passover on the same day. It was truly an incredible coincidence, since the rabbinical calendar is normally off by two days from the new moon calendar described in the Torah. Anyhow, It is quite unfortunate that Rabbinical Jews will be holding Shavout starting on Tuesday evening, June 7, 2011. Based on the following verses, Shavout should always occur the day after Sabbath, a Sunday -- this year, June 12, 2011.

More discussion is here: Counting the Omer 2009


	Leviticus Chapter 23 9 And YHWH spoke unto Moses saying: 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before YHWH, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And in the day when ye wave the sheaf, ye shall offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto YHWH. 13 And the meal-offering thereof shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto YHWH for a sweet savour; and the drink-offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until ye have brought the offering of your God; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the day of rest, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the waving; seven weeks shall there be complete; 16 even unto the morrow after the seventh week shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall present a new meal-offering unto YHWH. 17 Ye shall bring out of your dwellings two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah; they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with leaven, for first-fruits unto YHWH. 18 And ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams; they shall be a burnt-offering unto YHWH, with their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto YHWH. 19 And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering, and two he-lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before YHWH, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to YHWH for the priest. 21 And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest; thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am YHWH your God.

http://www.karaite-korner.org/omer.shtml:

June 11, 2011:
Today is the 7th day of the 7th week of seven weeks. Today is the 49th day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath. Today is Sabbath, the 7th Sabbath of seven Sabbaths. Today completes the 7th week of seven weeks.

11 יוני 2011:
הַיּוֹם יוֹם שְׁבִיעִי לַשָּׁבוּעַ שְׁבִיעִי מִשִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעוֹת. הַיּוֹם אַרְבָּעִים וְתִשְׁעָה יוֹם מִסְפִירַת חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם מֵהֲנָפַת הָעֹמֶר מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת. ‏הַיּוֹם שַׁבָּת, שַׁבָּת שְׁבִיעִית מִשֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת. הַיּוֹם נִשְׁלַם שָׁבוּעַ שְׁבִיעִי מִשִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעוֹת.

Meaningful Notes: YHWH's signs

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 23:34:00 -0700

Not sure if Reform Judaism believes anything beyond the Jewish traditions several of which are misplaced at best. Conservative Judaism does not believe in the covenant. One conservative rabbi once told me that if he were to enter Rabbi school with the belief that the Torah was divine, he would have been kicked out. Could this be the result of following the Talmud rather than the Torah? Orthodox Judaism is dedicated to the Talmud which mostly follows Torah; but discrepancies exist...

The Torah is the contract between YHWH and the children of Israel. While you have the ability to choose to accept or deny the contract, you must recognize the consequences should you choose to deny it. What is left?

Since I have seen many Jewish people seemingly taking the covenant for granted, I decided to look into the signs YHWH has appointed in effort to determine whether or not you are part of YHWH's chosen people. The effort will begin from Exodus Chapter 31 Verse 17 where the Torah says Shabbat will be a sign between Himself and the Children of Israel. The word used for sign in this verse is the hebrew word אוֹת.


	The noun אוֹת ('owth) means sign, signal, token, standard, or proof taken from the root word אוֹת ('uwth), a verb meaning to consent or agree. Rather fitting for the subject at hand. Exodus Chapter 31 15 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to YHWH; whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign (אוֹת) between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.'

Don't ignore the signs!Rainbow

To promise the inhabitants of Earth never to destroy everyone with flood again, the bow in the sky was a sign from YHWH of the covenant He made with us. Baruch YHWH!


	Genesis Chapter 9 8 And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying: 9 'As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.' 12 And God said: 'This is the token (אוֹת) of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (אוֹת) of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the cloud, 15 that I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.' 17 And God said unto Noah: 'This is the token (אוֹת) of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.'

Circumcision

As a sign of the covenant between YHWH and Abraham's seed, a covenant in your flesh for an everlasting covenant that YHWH would be their God.


	Genesis Chapter 17 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.' 9 And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token (אוֹת) of a covenant betwixt Me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.'

Sending Moses to free the Children of Israel

Sending Moses to free the Children of Israel was a sign to the Children of Israel that YHWH would be there to protect them.


	Exodus Chapter 3 7 And YHWH said: 'I have surely seen the affliction of My people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their pains; 8 and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me; moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.' 11 And Moses said unto God: 'Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?' 12 And He said: 'Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token (אוֹת) unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.'

YHWH freeing the Children of Israel from Egypt

Many signs were offered as a sign to both the Pharoah and the Children of Israel that they may believe that YHWH, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.


	Exodus Chapter 4 1 And Moses answered and said: 'But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say: The lord hath not appeared unto thee.' 2 And YHWH said unto him: 'What is that in thy hand?' And he said: 'A rod.' 3 And He said: 'Cast it on the ground.' And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And YHWH said unto Moses: 'Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail -- and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand -- 5 that they may believe that YHWH, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.' 6 And YHWH said furthermore unto him: 'Put now thy hand into thy bosom.' And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 And He said: 'Put thy hand back into thy bosom. -- And he put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. -- 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign (אוֹת), that they will believe the voice of the latter sign (אוֹת). 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even these two signs (אוֹת), neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.' Exodus Chapter 7 1 And YHWH said unto Moses: 'See, I have set thee in God's stead to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs (אוֹת) and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and bring forth My hosts, My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am YHWH, when I stretch forth My hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.' Exodus Chapter 8 17 Else, if thou wilt not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. 18 And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end that thou mayest know that I am YHWH in the midst of the earth. 19 And I will put a division between My people and thy people -- by to-morrow shall this sign (אוֹת) be.' 20 And YHWH did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses; and in all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by reason of the swarms of flies. 21 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said: 'Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.' Exodus Chapter 10 1 And YHWH said unto Moses: 'Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs (אוֹת) in the midst of them; 2 and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs (אוֹת) which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am YHWH.' 3 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him: 'Thus saith YHWH, the God of the Hebrews: How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before Me? let My people go, that they may serve Me. Exodus Chapter 12 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am YHWH. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token (אוֹת) upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to YHWH; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Passover

A sign between the Children of Israel and YHWH that you recognize what YHWH did for you and that you would love YHWH for what he did in Egypt.


	Exodus Chapter 13 8 And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which YHWH did for me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9 And it shall be for a signs (אוֹת) unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of YHWH may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath YHWH brought thee out of Egypt. 10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. Exodus Chapter 13 14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: What is this? that thou shalt say unto him: By strength of hand YHWH brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go that YHWH slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast; therefore I sacrifice to YHWH all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem. 16 And it shall be for a sign (אוֹת) upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes; for by strength of hand YHWH brought us forth out of Egypt.'

Remember the Sabbath

Shabbat is a sign between YHWH and the Children of Israel that you recognize YHWH as the creator of all things and that he brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Do not violate the Sabbath. If you can't follow the commandment to rest... what can you follow?

Sabbath is a day of solemn rest, a holy day unto YHWH. It is the seventh day for in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore YHWH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it (Ex 20:11).

Rule 1, do no work.
Rule 2, nobody works for you.
Rule 3, do not cook on Shabbat
Rule 4, do not boil on Shabbat.
Rule 5, do not kindle a fire on Shabbat.
Rule 6, do not leave your place (possibly city).
Rule 7, remember YHWH - it is a holy day.

Hakham Meir Rekhavi, and the organizations quoted on http://rekhavi.karaitejudaism.org, are in no way associated with peshat.com and views expressed here; but if asked by him, I will remove this post -- in all due respect....

Hope Hakham Meir Rekhavi does not mind my cross posting this here. My apologies if he does. I am sure I will reference this over and over for personal use. I will not make a habit of cross posting.

Baruch YHWH
Benjamin

>From: Meir Rekhavi
>Subject: Re: [karaites] what is forbidden on Shabbat?
>
>Shalom All,
>
>Concerning that which is forbidden on the Shabbath, the
>Tora delineates certain activities that are forbidden to be
>undertaken on the Shabbath. A thorough reading of the
>Miqra will reveal to us some of these activities, these are:
>
>1) Cooking and preparing food (Ex. 16:23)
>2) Collecting objects outside and going outside to
>undertake everyday tasks. (Ex. 16:25-30 and
>Num. 15:32-36)
>3) Leaving the domain (Ex. 16:29)
>4) The Shabbath has to be kept even if the task underhand
>is a task dedicated to YHWH (Ex. 31:12-17)
>5) Ploughing and Harvesting (Ex. 34:21)
>6) The verse that mentions "Ploughing and Harvesting"
>(Ex. 34:21) also has the sense that even if a great personal
>or financial loss will come about from keeping the
>Shabbath, the Shabbath has to be kept no matter
>how imperative a thing may seem to be.
>7) Burning a fire (Ex. 35:3)
>8 ) Carrying heavy objects in a public domain, carrying
>heavy objects from a private domain into a public domain
>(even if not to the market) (Num 4:3 and Jer. 17:21-27)
>9) Going anywhere related to profit or work (e.g. walking
>to work before the end of the Shabbath in order to be
>there when the Shabbath ends) (Isa. 58:13-14)
>10) Discussing financial, business, or work-related
>matters, and making weekday plans (Isa. 58:13-1)
>11) Buying and Selling (Amos 8:5 and Neh. 10:32)
>12) Treading wine presses (Neh. 13:15)
>13) Storing grain (Neh. 13:15)
>14) Loading and unloading produce and burdens
>(Neh. 13:15)
>15) Bringing produce to the market (Neh. 13:15-22)
>
>Apart from the above list of activities the Tora also
>commands that we may not perform any sort of
>melakha on the Shabbath, "you shall not do any
>melakha" (Ex. 20:10). The Tora uses the word melakha
>without distinction, therefore all forms of melakha are
>forbidden on the Shabbath.
>
>But what exactly is melakha? When our ancestors stood
>at Mt. Sinai the definition and meaning of the word
>melakha would not have perplexed them, since for
>them Biblical Hebrew was a living language. However,
>the Hebrew language ceased to be spoken as the daily
>language of the Children of Yisrael sometime during the
>long centuries of the Galuth [Exile, Diaspora].
>Nevertheless, we too can understand the meaning of
>the word melakha by using the exegetical device of
>Peshat (plain meaning) by which we can draw on the
>context of the word as found in various passages
>throughout the Miqra.
>
>In order for us to arrive at a greater understanding as
>to the meaning of the word melakha it is vital that we
>thoroughly search the Miqra whilst making a list
>consisting of where in the Miqra the word melakha
>appears and the context in which it is written. Such a
>list will inevitably be an indispensable tool in helping
>us to determine the true meaning of the word melakha.
>Once such a list has been drawn up we can then
>analyze the various passages in which the word
>melakha is found, placing it within its context, thus
>enabling us to establish its correct etymological usage.
>The word melakha appears 167 times in the Miqra,
>consequently providing us with plenty of scope to
>determine its correct etymological usage.
>
>Once we have patiently studied the relevant passages
>we will come to the conclusion from the evidence
>provided that the word melakha has the connotation
>of workmanship, occupation (see Jonah 1:8 &
>1 Chron. 9:33), business activities, and constructive
>or creative work as in:
>
>a.. God in creation (Gen. 2:2-3)
>b.. Travelling (Gen. 33:14)
>c.. Business of steward and household servant
>(Gen. 39:11)
>d.. Cooking and preparing food (Ex. 12:16)
>e.. Making designs; metal work including precious
>metals; cutting stones including cutting, polishing
>and setting gem stones; and carving wood
>(Ex. 31:4-5, 35:31-32; 1 Chron. 29:5)
>f.. The work of a jeweller (Ex. 31:4-5; Ezek. 28:13)
>g.. Carpentry (Ex. 31:5; 2 Kings 22:5-6;
>2 Chron. 24:12-13)
>h.. Making the Mishkan [Tabernacle] and its
>furniture (Ex. 35:21, 36:8, 39:43)
>i.. Embroidery, weaving and working with cloth
>(Ex. 35:35; Lev. 11:32)
>j.. Engraving (Ex. 35:35; 1 Chron. 29:5)
>k.. Erecting an enclosure or fence (Ex. 40:33)
>l.. Leather-work (Lev. 11:32, 13:48 )
>m.. Carrying burdens and labouring
>(Num. 4:3; Neh. 4:5,11)
>n.. Building (2 Kings 12:12; Neh. 4:5;
>2 Chron. 16:5)
>o.. Masonry work (2 Kings 12:12)
>p.. Work of a potter (Jer. 18:3; 1 Chron. 4:23)
>q.. Preparing for and going on an offensive military
>campaign (Jer. 50:25)
>r.. Public business and community matters
>(Ez. 10:13)
>s.. Work of seamen (Psalm 107:23)
>t.. Political activity, the work of a civil servant
>and the affairs of state in general (Est. 3:9, 9:31;
>Dan. 8:27; 1 Chron. 4:23, 29:6)
>u.. Work in the field, agricultural work
>(1 Chron. 4:23, 27:26)
>v.. To hew stone or wood (1 Chron. 22:15)
>w.. The functions of court officials and Judges
>(1 Chron. 26:29)
>
>Consequently, on the Shabbath it is strictly
>forbidden to carry out anyone of the above
>activities. As pointed out above, the Tora stresses
>"any melakha" (Ex. 20:10) consequently all forms of
>melakha, and not just certain forms, cannot be
>performed on the Shabbath. In addition the phrase
>"any melakha" is not synonymous to "your melakha",
>as some would believe, in other words one is
>strictly forbidden to perform melakha on the
>Shabbath, whether it is one's profession or not.
>
>May Yihweh be with you,
>Hakham Meir


	Repeated twice, in two different ways, Ye shall keep the sabbath -- which places great emphasis on the statement itself. "that soul shall be cut off from among his people" means "he shall surely be put to death" Exodus Chapter 31 12 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 13 'Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying: Verily ye shall keep My sabbaths, for it is a sign (אוֹת) between Me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am YHWH who sanctify you. 14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you; every one that profaneth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to YHWH; whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign (אוֹת) between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.'

http://lunarsabbath.info/id18.html
Josephus on how the Essenes:

Wars of the Jews 2:147 ... "Moreover, they are stricter than any other of the Jews in resting from their labors on the seventh day; for they not only get their food ready the day before, that they may not be obliged to kindle a fire on that day, but they will not move any vessel out of its place, nor go to stool thereon."


	The Dead Sea Scrolls combine both reasons for remembering the Sabbath. http://www.sdnhm.org/scrolls/description_2.html This text of the Ten Commandments is longer than traditional translations and reflects both biblical versions of the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:11 and Deuteronomy 5:11). This law instructs the Israelites not to work on the Sabbath to remember their rescue from slavery in Egypt and God's resting on the 7th day of creation. Many people practice this tradition of rest today. You don't work on shabbat. Not you or your servants or your animals... see article The Shabbat Goy from this forum. Exodus Chapter 20 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto YHWH thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; 11 for in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore YHWH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus Chapter 23 12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may have rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Deuteronomy Chapter 5 12 Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as YHWH thy God commanded thee. 13 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto YHWH thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou. 15 And thou shalt remember that thou was a servant in the land of Egypt, and YHWH thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore YHWH thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Children of Israel ignoring YHWH's signs

The result is they are denied entry into the land of Israel.


	Numbers Chapter 14 11 And YHWH said unto Moses: 'How long will this people despise Me? and how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs (אוֹת) which I have wrought among them? 12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and destroy them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.' 13 And Moses said unto YHWH: 'When the Egyptians shall hear -- for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them -- 14 they will say to the inhabitants of this land, who have heard that Thou YHWH art in the midst of this people; inasmuch as Thou YHWH art seen face to face, and Thy cloud standeth over them, and Thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night; 15 now if Thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying: 16 Because YHWH was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness. 17 And now, I pray Thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying: 18 YHWH is slow to anger, and plenteous in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, and according as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.' 20 And YHWH said: 'I have pardoned according to thy word' 21 But in very deed, as I live -- and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of YHWH -- 22 surely all those men that have seen My glory, and My signs (אוֹת), which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to proof these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice; 23 surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised Me see it.

Rebelling against YHWH

A sign that you should be very careful to follow the commandments of YHWH.


	Numbers Chapter 16 30 But if YHWH make a new thing, and the ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have despised YHWH.' 31 And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder that was under them. 32 And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said: 'Lest the earth swallow us up.' 35 And fire came forth from YHWH, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense. Numbers Chapter 17 1 And YHWH spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the fire-pans out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are become holy; 3 even the fire-pans of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar -- for they are become holy, because they were offered before YHWH -- that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel.' 4 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen fire-pans, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 5 to be a memorial (אוֹת) unto the children of Israel, to the end that no common man, that is not of the seed of Aaron, draw near to burn incense before YHWH; that he fare not as Korah, and as his company; as YHWH spoke unto him by the hand of Moses.

Songs - Dedication

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:00:00 -0700

Karaite Jews prepare for Succot with a lemon twist

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:39:24 -0700

GIL SHEFLER, and the people and organizations quoted on http://www.jpost.com, are in no way associated with peshat.com and views expressed here.

Karaite Jews prepare for Succot with a lemon twist
By GIL SHEFLER
09/22/2010 05:13

300 people are expected to attend holiday services at the ancient Karaite synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Pop quiz: The Four Species of Succot, which starts Wednesday night, are lulav (palm branch), hadass (myrtle), aravah (willow) and etrog (citron) – correct or incorrect?

According to mainstream or rabbinical Judaism the answer is correct. But if you ask Karaite Jews, members of an ancient Jewish movement which strictly adheres to the Bible and ignores the Talmud and rabbinical law, the answer is more complicated.


	The new moon sighting (from Israel) resulted in Sukkot beginning on Friday night at sunset, two days after the mathematically calculated rabbinical calender had predicted. A reference to the making of the rabbinical calendar is posted below. This method of determining the new month via a mathematically calculated calendar occurred after the Jews were sent into exile... the rabbinic court -- the Sanhedrin -- had already been disbanded. Rabbinical Stories - The New Month and the Authority of the Patriarch The Jewish calendar was not fixed until the fifth century CE. Each month began with the appearance of the new moon and had twenty-nine or thirty days. If the new moon appeared on the thirtieth day of the previous month, then that day became the first of the new month. If the new moon failed to appear, then that month had thirty days and the new month automatically began the next day. To ensure that no mistakes were made, the Mishna prescribes that witnesses testify before a rabbinic court, which would assess their testimony and proclaim the new month.

“The Torah does not talk about hadass, but of etz avot, which is boughs of thick trees and can be from any tree, not just the myrtle,” Maor Dabah, the educational coordinator for the Universal Karaite Judaism Movement, told The Jerusalem Post last week.

“There’s no disagreement over the arava. Regarding the lulav, the command is to use the palm-shaped date. But the lulav isn’t palm-shaped,” he said.

What about the etrog, the revered citron which is the prize possession of many Jewish families during the holiday and can fetch prices of up to a few hundred dollars on the market? Karaite Jews disregard it completely.

“Again, Torah does not use the word etrog. It talks about peri etz hadar, that’s mean ‘fruit of goodly tree’ and can be any fruit which is new and fancy. Citron etrogs are relatively new imports; there were none in the Land of Israel during the First Temple, so we use regular lemons, oranges or olives instead. From Nehemia 8:14 we can easily learn that the commandment of the Four Species of Succot is to build the succa from them, and not to play with them by our hands.”


	Nehemiah Chapter 8 14 And they found written in the Law, how that YHWH had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; 15 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: 'Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.' 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come back out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance.

Besides Succot, Karaite Judaism differs significantly from other rabbinical traditions.

For instance, descent is through the father, not the mother; Karaites do not lay tefillin; Hanukka is not celebrated because it isn’t in the Torah, and the dietary prohibition against eating a calf in its mother’s milk is taken literally and doesn’t apply to mixing dairy and meat products in general.


	For a patrilineal descent explanation, see Who is born a Jew? For an explanation on mixing dairy and meat, see Kosher: Jewish vs Biblical

The Karaite movement emerged as a distinct form of Judaism during the ninth century in Babylon and over the course of history has had ups and downs in its ties with the rabbinical stream.

The East European branch of Karaite Judaism, which survived well into the 20th century, has largely disappeared.

But most members of Egypt’s Karaite community moved to Israel after it was founded.

Today, there are between 20 to 50 thousand Karaite Jews in the world, the majority of which live in Israel.

“We are commanded to live in Israel and we serve proudly in the army,” Dabah said.

“There are concentrations of Karaites in Ramle, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Moshav Matzliah, Moshav Ranen, Beersheba and Jerusalem. We like to live close to the land.”

He said the biggest Karaite Succot gathering of about 300 people is expected to take place at their ancient synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City on the third day of Succot. But if you’d like to show up at the event and witness the unusual traditions of this branch of Judaism, just remember they’re on a slightly different time than the rest of us.


	Many rabbinical Jews are waiting for the re-creation of the Sanhedrin before "daring" to return to the new moon sighting... let's hope that will be soon. Israeli New Moon Society: Its history and reinstatement by Roy E. Hoffman In 2001, at the suggestion of Rabbi Zvi Idan, President Katzav, President of Israel, called for the establishment of a Sanhedrin-type body. In early 2004, a large number of very senior rabbis were asked if they considered a Rabbi Moshe Halberstam was worthy of smichah. All of the few who responded indicated that he was worthy. On that basis he then gave smichah to others. By 13th October 2004, there were about 90 smuchim and a big Sanhedrin of 71 was formed in Tiberius (see video). The Sanhedrin has been meeting every month or so since its reestablishment. In June 2005 the Sanhedrin replaced its leader (Nasi), Rabbi Zvi Idan with Rabbi Adin Steinzalts. On the subject of the calendar, they are only willing to say that they intend to discuss the implications of fixing the calendar according to observation in our times. However, while I have not heard any formal condemnations of the Sanhedrin's activities, most major authorities are not taking it seriously, citing serious flaws in the manner in which they reinstated the smichah. As a result, this Sanhedrin has not yet received and may never receive the widespread recognition that is required in order for it to be valid according to Jewish law (according to Maimonides Hilkhot Sanhedrin 4:11,12).

“We will celebrate Succot a day after rabbinical Judaism this year, so the pilgrimage will be on the 26th of September, which is the third day of Succot according to our calculations, and not the 25th. Those different times happen because we start the months according to the new moon, like in the biblical age,” Dabah said .