Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is also know as the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah(Day of Blowing). It falls on the 1st day of the month of Tisrei and begins the calender year(this year we begin the year 5774 - May it come to us for peace and blessing!). The name "Rosh Hashanah" means "Head of the Year", "rosh"="head", "ha"="the" "shanah"="year". 

The Shofar - made from a hollowed out ram's horn

This is just one of the several "new years" on the Hebrew calender, others include the new year for trees (Shevat 15 used to count the years of fruit trees in order to fulfill the Torah instructions of the tithes), the "spiritual" or religious new year (Nisan 1)...I know it kinda sounds confusing at first but just think, on the secular calender January 1st begins the "new civil year", or the "calender year" with January as the first month. However you also have a birthday - your personal "new year", oh and don't forget your anniversary another "new year" of sorts....and then of course there are those fiscal new years too! Does it make more sense now?

Themes of the Day

Creation
One of the many events that took place on the day includes the creation of man so it is no surprise that is a day to recognize G-d's creator role and acknowledge Him as our sustainer and author of life.

Repentance - G-d's Kingship
It is a day of repentance and time to re-crown HaShem as King over us, singly and corporately. It is said by many a great sage that the books are opened on this day and all men are judged. How appropriate to call this the "head of the year" as it surely is the pinnacle, will you choose life or will you choose death?

  "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

 ~ Rev 20:11

Is your name in the book? Have you placed your faith in the salvation provided by HaShem through the work of Yeshua HaMashiach? If not I hope and pray that you may be inscribed this year!

Blow That Shofar!
The Torah says that it is to be "a day of blowing", a "memorial of blowing of trumpets". You positively cannot let this day go by without hearing the sound of the shofar! This is again, is a last and final call or cry to repentance, a "wake up the King is coming! The King is here!" kind of moment. And to those who have turned back to HaShem this is the coronation blast! The trumpet that sounds signifying our crowning G-d as our King of Glory!

"Who is this King of glory? The L-RD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah." -Psalm 24:10

For me personally this memorial or remembrance represents the following things
#1 It serves as a reminder for me to turn my foot from following after the things of the world and turn back to the way of the L-rd. To search my ways, make peace with my brother and repent.

#2 It is a remembrance for HaShem. In scripture the phrase is used: "and G-d remembered"...the blowing of the shofar acts as a bringing us to G-d's remembrance(or attention). Reminding G-d that we have not forgotten His covenant and says in a way, as is so often said in the Psalms, G-d "don't forget us, we wait on You, we hope in Your covenant. Remember Your promises to Your people Israel"

#3 Lastly it reminds me of the trumpet that will blow at Mashiach's return. When He will be crowned as the rightful and righteous King of Israel! May it come soon and in our days!

  ~ Customs and Traditions ~

Apples and Honey - It is traditional to eat sliced apples dipped in honey. Why an apple you ask? Well apparently the pile of ashes that remained on the alter after a sacrifice was then carefully raked and shaped into a perfect semi-circle? And this was called the "tapuach" which means "apple" in Hebrew.  (http://www.templeinstitute.org/illustrated/tapuach_description.htm) Why would they call it that though? Well, an offering or a sacrifice for a truly repentant person was a means to draw close to HaShem. Naturally this "drawing near"/fellowship with G-d had a sweetening effect to the judgment, just like making peace with our fellow or rectifying a wrong brings sweetness back to the relationship. With Rosh Hashanah having such a theme of repentance it only seems fitting that we have something to remind us of drawing near to HaShem in that special way.

 A couple other things to think of when you dip your apple this year is how Israel is likened to the apple of G-d's eye in scripture, He gaurds us and protects us and will not cast us away! 

Honey is in everything at Rosh Hashanah; challah, cakes, and main dishes. Obviously it symbolizes our desire for a sweet year to come but it should also reminds us, wherever we are, of the promised land of Israel, G-d's promised heritage for His people. The land that Mashiach will return to and reign as King!

.....Oh and something I just thought of now...honey doesn't have an expiry date, that's right it never spoils!.....And neither do HaShem's promises! Now that's sweet!

Blessing for eating the apple and honey:

Ba-ruch a-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam bore pri ha-etz.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.

Ye-hi ratzon she-ti-cha-desh alei-nu shanah tovah u-m'tu-kah.

May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.

Switching Up the Challah
Challah is generally made sweeter(than normal!!) and shaped round (instead of braided) to resemble a crown. This reminds us that G-d is our King and we desire to crown Him as such. It is also to remind us that the feasts of the L-rd are a cycle a circle, meant to, with each consecutive year, bring us into a closer and deeper relationship with G-d.

Tashlich - On the first day of Rosh Hashanah the community gathers next to a stream or some other body of water for prayers and to take part in the tradition of tashlich, which literally means to "cast off".

"Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth the iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old."  Micah 7:18-20

In remembrance of these words during the Tashlich service everyone casts some *pebbles into the water to symbolize the casting off of the previous years sin (teshuva-repentance). And of course in remembrance that in Yeshua HaMashiach we are made a new creation, our eternal penalty was cast completely on Him, sin's curse taken away *forever* so that we may dwell with him in his kingdom.

*Some communities use bread crumbs, however to avoid giving others the impression that you could be feeding the fish many hold the opinion that pebbles are the better choice.

For more on Tashlich check out the links below
http://www.ou.org/chagim/roshhashannah/tashlich.html
http://www.torahresource.com/Parashpdfs/Tashlich.pdf
Click HERE for a copy of the Tashlich prayer

Elul - The King is coming! He is in the field! Let's get ready!

   *I neglected to post this at the beginning of Elul but I guess better late than never....*

~ The month of Elul ~

During the month of Elul, the month preceding the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, we begin preparations for this special mo'ed(appointed time) by repairing relationships, bridging gaps between our fellow, and seeking forgiveness from those we have wronged and of course extending that forgiveness to those who have wronged us during the past year.

 It's a time to take stock of our life and seriously evaluate where we are in our service to the Creator. Are we just going along to get along? Have we gone deeper in our relationship with Him? Am I truly being an obedient servant, or do I retain my control by choosing to obey certain things in the Torah and purposefully neglect other instructions? Am I coasting?.....It seems only appropriate that "Elul" means "search" doesn't it? 

Another interesting fact that I learned in prior years is that the spelling of the word "Elul": aleph, lamed, vav, lamed, is the acronym for "Ani l'dodi v'dodi li," "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine," Mashiach is truly our Beloved who we wait to come and receive us as His bride. With this in mind Elul can be thought as our preparation to meet our bridegroom and King. Let us be diligent to be ready for His coming, with repentance and clothes without spot.

 ...and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 

-Isaiah 62:6

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. - 2nd Kefa 3:14

"Believing that the "beloved" refers to God, the sages take this verse to describe the particularly loving and close relationship between God and Israel. Elul, then, is our time to establish this closeness so that we can approach the Yamim Noraim, or Days of Awe[the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom HaKippurim], in trusting acceptance of God's judgment. We approach the trial not out of fear, but out of love."

 - The Month of Elul: Leading into the High Holidays by Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer 

~ Customs During Elul ~

 The Shofar - One of the most common customs of the month of Elul is the sounding of the shofar after the morning prayers. Rambam(Rabbi Mosheh ben Maimon) explains this is to serve as a wake up call, a reminder to throw off our slumber and complacency and do teshuva(literally: change direction, or turning around). However it is not blow on the Shabbat or on the day just prior to Rosh Hashanah( to distinguish between the custom of blowing during the month and the biblical mitzvah to blow the shofar on the day of Rosh Hashanah)

Mikvah(Immersion) - The mikvah represents a change of state. It could be anything from the change from tamei(unlcean) to tahor(clean) to marking a change of heart or will (teshuva/repentance) it's the latter that Yochanan the Immerser was conducting(or more accurately - "witnessing") during the day of our Master Yeshua. In like manner those who placed their faith in Yeshua as Mashiach underwent mikvah in his name. You could perhaps say this acted as statement to those witnessing that you were accepting Him as your master, putting yourself under his authority and accepting his yoke.

The Tehillim - Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (founder of Chassidic Judaism) began the custom of reading 3 of the tehillim(Psalms) everyday starting on the 1st of Elul and continuing until Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur the remaining 36 psalms are recited to complete the reading of the entire book of Psalms. In like manner Psalm 27 is read daily following the shacharit/morning prayers.

No matter what customs you keep during this Elul I hope that they will inspire you to answer the call to repentance and be inscribed in the book for a good and sweet year to come!

More on Elul

http://www.jewfaq.org/elul.htm

Apple Cake

Somehow I always think I will never fail to find recipes I haven't made for a year...I think my subconscious must be under the false impression I have a fool-proof memory...ah if it were only true! If you too fall into this category don't let your self fall sway to the lie!!

Rosh Hashanah is coming up fast so I figured I should dig out my "successfuls" from last year...so far it's been like..."yeah...um hopefully this is the same recipe??"...New years resolution #1 start a holiday recipe book!

I specifically wanted to make sure I had the recipe for the apple cake I used last year it was really really reeeeeally good! I have the following recipe copied out in my recipe book....I guess we'll find out this year if it is indeed the same one...I sure hope so!

Fresh Apple Cake

Combine and let stand 10min:

1 3/4 cup chopped apples

1/2 cup sugar

Sift together:

1 1/3 cup flour

1 tsp b. soda

1/2 tsp salt

tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

then add to apples and sugar mixture and add:

1/2 melted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup rasins  

Spread into a greased and floured 8" square pan

bake at 350 for about 35min

Let cool and dust with powdered sugar and or ice with honey butter icing

From Me To You

I stayed up rather late last night writing the previous blog post...finally I was like "I need to go to bed!" crawled in under my cozy blankets...but I couldn't sleep...G-d had other plans...a rhyming novel apparently ;)

From Me To You

© K.Taylor Written December 21, 2012

I looked for Christ in Christmas

I looked in the stockings stuffed to the brim

I dug to the bottom but I didn't see him

I looked on the tree so shiny and bright

but got distracted by the cookies and twinkly lights

Then I looked for him in the presents a bit

but saw only the cards labelled "From ol Saint Nick"

I looked for Christ in Christmas

but didn't have much luck this year

then came Easter, surely I could find him here!

I looked in the Easter aisle here than there

lots of chocolate, but I didn't see Jesus anywhere!

I went to church had a stale square wafer,

two teaspoons of juice in a tiny cup made of paper

but I can count to 3 and things just didn't add up

Finally I looked in the bible,

that's where we should've start,

and as I dug deeper

 it cut straight to the heart

I learnt Shabbat is a sign

of seasons and cycles of time

 All through G-d's word there's this recurring theme

G-d has something call "moedim"!

For pete's sake why didn't I know!?

HaShem appointed His times long ago!

We begin with Pesach

celebrating G-d's great redemption

Our chains were broken and we were set free 

from Egypt's bitter bitter slavery

We eat matzah for seven whole days

cause chametz represents arrogancy

and there's just no room for that

 in what Yeshua did for me 

Shavuot we stood under a cloud

heard the words spoken clear and loud

and three times we repeated our vows

Yeshua is the bridegroom! 

Yes yes I see it all now!

Rosh Hashanah the trumpet will sound

and you better be ready

it just might be Him who's comin to town

Ten more days to get things straight

then it's time to pass through the judgement gate

We know we have sinned 

we know we have done wrong

so we fast on This Day all the day long

"We have erred and have caused a great breach

because your commandments we didn't keep"

The righteous he covers they'll never be lost

the wicked however are strained out like dross

Then out comes the lumber for a seven day feast!

We live in a sukkah...some might call it the least

but it's not about what we make with our hands 

it's about the provision G-d gave us in the desert sands

The cloud and the fire that guided our way

The Rock that followed

giving us water each day

The tag on the end is the last of the assembly 

"Shemini Atzeret" which represents eternity

Oh how awesome the Olam Haba shall be!

When the Mashiach shall forever dwell with me

No it doesn't stop there!

Chanukkah we commemorate His strength and might

remembering the Maccabees and their holy fight

and rededicate ourselves to Him when the menorah we light

as we kindle a new flame each consecutive night

And lets not forget Purim!

The spiel, the mask and disguise

all to remember how G-d used Hadassah

through ways that seemed quite normal or hidden

to save us from those who from the world wished us ridden

She became Queen Esther

but you see she had a hidden identity

which brought us salvation in our time of great need

proving that even when we don't see

HaShem is always here for you and me

Yes where ever I opened and looked 

It wasn't hard to find Mashiach at work

Christmas and Easter on the other hand?

G-d never said "use it to worship Me"

Nope! Open the book, go look and see!

I also learned the things that HaShem had to say

about people who changed His feasts and His ways.

Combining holy with polluted things

Then calling it "kosher" 

forgetting the curses the mix brings

That's when it hit me and I couldn't ignore it

He has an order and I've gotta stop messing it up

after all it's the least I can do - after He drank my cup

poured out His blood and saved me from sin's power too

So now I am wondering..what about you?

Maybe it's time for you to search too?

Cause it hardly seems right 

these things that we do,

when we let the light of His Torah shine through

No I am not condemning

Heck! I was there too!

But G-d kept me up late last night

to write this little note entitled "From Me To You"

 and I'm just wondering what you'll do

cause this time G-d's having the party

....and He's invited YOU!

My family has been on the awesome journey of Torah for over ten years now. Sometimes it's hard to express it all to people...especially at this time of year. Please feel free to share with your friends! This was HaShem's doing so if it can be of use in sharing why you do what you do....DO IT! Then let me know how it went!!! :o) Shabbat blessings to all!

Pomegranate Garland

I meant to have this post done before Rosh Hashanah but it got pretty busy but anyway here it is now, hopefully in enough time for Sukkot!

I always like to think of things I can make that are going to last from year to year and is less holiday specific.You can put these up for Rosh Hashanah and leave them up through Sukkot. Or even use them as Sukkah decorations.

They are not expensive to make they just require a little time and patience.

 What you will need

Paint brush

Package of small Styrofoam balls

thick thread or clear fishing line

glitter

a couple of pins and a sewing needle

white glue or Mod Podge*

thin paper such as tissue paper or crepe paper
beads of your choice

I wanted to be able to hang these in our sukkah later so I used Outdoor Mod Podge. It is much thicker than white glue and creates a nice finished seal. You should be able to find it at any craft store, I got mine at Michael's

Spear one of the balls with a pin and brush it all over with your glue mixture. Tear a small square of your paper, big enough to completely cover the ball but small enough you don't have a ton left over, and wrap it around the ball and smooth it down. Coat it again with the glue, holding the excess paper at the top with your pin. After doing the bottom spear your second pin into the opposite end of the pomegranate and carefully remove the first pin you inserted. You should have a little tuft of paper at the top that you haven't covered in glue yet. so glob on some glue and form it into a little bump on the top to make the stem. It helps to dip your fingers in a little water and smooth everything out.

Sprinkle with a little fine glitter and allow to dry on a plastic bag. You will probably want to rotate them once the top has dried. 

After they are completely dried you can start threading them into a garland. If you make a pile of them you can thread them on one after another. However after the finicky-ness I decided to thread fine beads on in between each one.

I would highly recommend using fishing line instead of thread though, just because it is going to be far more durable, especially if you plan to put it in your sukkah where it could get rained on.

Chag Sameach!
May it be His will that next year we will celebrate in Yerushalayim!

Rosh Hashanah Plaque

 Lashana Tova!

As Rosh Hashanah is quickly approaching I am beginning to get my decorating hat on. So I thought I would share my most recent holiday project.

I made this simple wall plaque using:

- a 5x7" paint canvas (you can get them in a pack of 2 at the dollar store)
- watercolour pencils
- water ;)
- paint brushes

 I love water colour pencils because they are so easy to use! Draw your apple using the pencils then using a fine tipped brush dipped in water begin going over your pencil. Start by doing the edges and work your way in. Remember the heavier your pencil is the darker the colour will be.

 Once the apple is completely coloured in you'll have to let it dry completely before going further.

Once it's completely dry write your holiday greeting using a watercolour pencil in the centre of the apple then carefully go over it with a brush that has been lightly dipped in water. You may want to keep a tissue close by to dab the excess water off on. If you have too much water on your brush the colour is more likely to run off on you....literally!

Ta Da! And in less than a couple hours you have a very simple and inexpensive holiday decor item that you can use year to year!

Shanah Tovah!

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is also know as the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah(Day of Blowing). It falls on the 1st day of the month of Tisrei. The name "Rosh Hashanah" means "Head of the Year", "rosh"="head", "ha"="the" "shanah"="year". 

The Shofar - made from a hollowed out ram's horn

This is just one of the several "new years" on the Hebrew calender, others include the new year for trees (Shevat 15), new year for Kings which is also the religious new year (Nisan 1)...Iknow it kinda sounds confusing at first but just think, on the secular calender January 1st begins the "new civil year", or the "calender year" with January as the first month. However you also have a birthday - your personal "new year", oh and don't forget your anniversary another "new year" of sorts....and then of course there are those fiscal new years too! Does it make more sense now?

One of the many events that took place on the day includes the creation of man so it is no surprise that is a day to recognize G-d's creator role and acknowledge Him as our sustainer and author of life.

It is a day of repentance and time to re-crown HaShem as King over us, singly and corporately. It is said by many a great sage that the books are opened on this day and all men are judged. How appropriate to call this the "head of the year" as it surely is the pinnacle, will you choose life or will you choose death?

  "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

 ~ Rev 20:11

The Torah says that it is to be "a day of blowing". You positively cannot let this day go by without hearing the sound of the shofar! This is again, a last and final call cry to repentance, a "wake up the King is coming! The King is here!" kind of moment. And to those who have turned back to HaShem this is the coronation blast! The trumpet that sounds signifying our crowning G-d as our King of Glory!

"Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah." -Psalm 24:10

  ~ Customs and Traditions ~

Apples and Honey - It is traditional to eat sliced apples dipped in honey. Why an apple you ask? Well apparently the pile of ashes that remained on the alter after a sacrifice was then carefully raked and shaped into a perfect semi-circle? And this was called the "tapuach" which means "apple" in hebrew? Why would they call it that though? Well an offering or a sacrifice for a truly repentant person was a means to draw close to HaShem and sweetened the sentence or judgment for that person. So we eat apples(a symbol of that) dipped in honey(also sweet) and say a prayer that HaShem will give us a sweet new year....not meaning that everything will be hunky dory but that in the midst of the bumps along the way He will sweeten the bitter times as on He can do

Blessing for eating the apple and honey:

Ba-ruch a-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam bore pri ha-etz.

Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.

Ye-hi ratzon she-ti-cha-desh alei-nu shanah tovah u-m'tu-kah.

May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.

Tashlich - On the first day of Rosh Hashanah the community gathers next to a stream or some other body of water for prayers and to take part in the tradition of tashlich, which literally means to "cast off".

"Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth the iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old."  Micah 7:18-20

In remembrance of these words during the Tashlich service everyone casts some pebbles* into the water to symbolize the casting off of the previous years sin (repentance).

*some communities use bread crumbs, however many prefer the use of pebbles as one could get the false impression that one is feeding the fish(which is not the point!)

For more on Tashlich see the following links
http://www.ou.org/chagim/roshhashannah/tashlich.html
www.torahresource.com/Parashpdfs/Tashlich.pdf‎
Click HERE for a copy of the Tashlich prayer

Elul - The Preparation

~ The month of Elul ~

During the month of Elul, the month preceding the holiday of Rosh Hashana, we begin preparations for this special mo'ed(appointed time) by repairing relationships, bridging gaps between our fellow, and seeking forgiveness from those we have wronged and of course extending that forgiveness to those who have wronged us during the past year.

 It's a time to take stock of our life and seriously evaluate where we are in our service to the Creator. Are we just going along to get along? Have we gone deeper in our relationship with Him? Am I truly being an obedient servant, or do I retain my control by choosing to obey certain things in the Torah and purposefully neglect other instructions? It seems only appropriate that "Elul" means "search" doesn't it? 

Another interesting fact that I just learned is that the spelling of the word "Elul": aleph, lamed, vav, lamed, is the acronym for "Ani l'dodi v'dodi li," "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine," Mashiach is truly our Beloved who we wait to come and receive us as His bride. With this in mind Elul can be thought as our preparation to meet our bridegroom and King. Let us be diligent to be ready for His coming, with repentance and clothes without spot.

 ...and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 

-Isaiah 62:6

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. - 2nd Kefa 3:14

"Believing that the "beloved" refers to God, the sages take this verse to describe the particularly loving and close relationship between God and Israel. Elul, then, is our time to establish this closeness so that we can approach the Yamim Noraim, or Days of Awe, in trusting acceptance of God's judgment. We approach the trial not out of fear, but out of love."

 - The Month of Elul: Leading into the High Holidays by Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer 

~ Customs During Elul ~

 The Shofar - One of the most common customs of the month of Elul is the sounding of the shofar after the morning prayers. Rambam explains this is to serve as a wake up call, a reminder to throw off our slumber and complacency and do teshuva(literally: change direction, or turning around). However it is not blow on the Shabbat or on the day just prior to Rosh Hashanah( to distinguish between the custom of blowing during the month and the biblical mitzvah to blow the shofar on the day of Rosh Hashanah)

Mikvah(Immersion) - The mikvah represents a change of state. It could be anything from the change from tamei(unlcean) to tahor(clean) to marking a change of heart or will (teshuva/repentance) it's the latter that Yochanan the Immerser was conducting(or more accurately - "witnessing") during the day of our Master Yeshua. In fact it was at this very season!

The Tehillim - Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (founder of Chassidic Judaism) began the custom of reading 3 of the tehillim(Psalms) everyday starting on the 1st of Elul and continuing until Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur the remaining 36 psalms are recited to complete the reading of the entire book of Psalms.

no matter what customs you keep during this Elul I hope that they will inspire you to answer the call to repentance and be inscribed in the book for a good and sweet year to come!