Rosh HaShana/New Year

Rosh HaShana is the Jewish New Year occurring ten days before Yom Kippur. Together, Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Awe in Hebrew.

The forty-eight hours of Rosh HaShana are considered to be one day as are the two hemispheres inside the head is considered to be one brain; actually there are three major sections of the brain, the third being the cerebellum at the back. The middle of the forehead corresponds to Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement; Rosh literally means Head–the Head of the Year.

All bodily functions begin in the head; similarly, all events for the coming year are already taking shape inside these two days that celebrate the beginning of human history on planet earth–the birth of Adom/Adam 5770 years ago. It is during these two days that the blessings of God saturate the earth.

The Jewish People commemorate this day by sounding the Shofar/Ram’s Horn; the commandment of the Shofar in the Torah is related to Avraham/Abraham who at the moment before slaying his son Yitzchok/Issac he saw a ram in the thicket and sacrificed the ram instead–3800 years later the Jewish People sound the shofar to remind God we are the children of the father and son ready to sacrifice themselves for God.

The Cabala explains the reason time is circular because “The end fits into the beginning and the beginning fits into the end;” Rosh HaShana represents the point of connection between end and beginning–each completed cycle makes a new ring in the crown of creation worn by the Creator.

It is during these ten day between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kipur that we call God Malech/King as we ask for God’s blessing.

May the world be blessed with peace.

A Time of Judgement

A United Nations report that accuses Israel of committing war crimes during its offensive against Hamas in Gaza is "dangerous" and legitimizes terrorism, Israel's deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.

It states in the Midrash-Book of Metaphor it is better to be judged on earth than in heaven because earthly judgement has room for compassion whereas heavenly judgement is strict beyond comparison; only compassion from God can mitigate the heavenly judgement. Besides God, one’s self is the most important judge.

On the eve of Rosh HaShana/New Year 1939 the German army invaded Poland resulting in the beginning of World War II and the slaughtering of six million Jews; now 70 years later on the cusp of Rosh HaShana/New Year 2009 the United Nations disputes Israel’s claim to self-protection for the over six million Jews who live in Israel. Israel has always been held to a higher standard of moral behavior which she has accepted upon herself to be an example to the nations.

The ten days between Rosh HaShana/New Year and Yom Kipur/Day of Atonement are called Yomim Norim/Days of Awe–it is during this time that God is referred to as King because the king in this world is the final arbiter in the process of judgement.

During the days just before the Rosh HaShana/New Year are recited special prayers called Slichot/Forgivenesses to enter into the holiday in a state of spiritual clarity.

Sun Renewed Passover Eve

Every twenty-eight years the sun returns to the place in the heavens where it was in the fourth day of creation when the celestial bodies were solidified in their orbit; there is a blessing accompanying this event acknowledging the Creator as having Oseh Maasa Berashith/Performing the Acts of Creation. The fundamental difference between the profane and truly profound is in the acknowledgment that the Creator is in the world and not the product of a spontaneous Big Bang, but rather the intricate design and constant creation of the Creator.

God who is neither physical nor spiritual, allowing God to be everywhere all the time to everything and to everybody, chose the heavens as vehicles of communications to the earth; having this 28 year cycle happen hours before the celebration of Passover which is the holiday of the spring rejoicing in the freedom of humanity as told during the Passover Seder of how the Jewish People were released from slavery and brought out into freedom as a nation is a shout from the heavens.

In this extraordinary time of world-wide change, the correcting of the 30 hour a year fraction is significant; in Hebrew is the Lamed—a large letter towering above the other letters is known as the connection between the heavens and earth. This special time is what is called in the Torah, End of Day; when the next 28 year event happens the 6000 year Hebrew calendar will have only 300 years left.

Happy New Year

Iran played down President Barack Obama's new video message to the Iranian people on Friday, saying it welcomed the overtures but warned that decades of mistrust can't easily be erased.

The President called out for understanding based on common human values, but did not remind the Muslim community who continues warring over Israel, that the Jewish New Year is also only a few weeks away. The Torah/Teaching celebrates a new year in each of the four seasons commemorating one of the four life forms. In the fall is the new year for the earth called Rosh HaShana, in the winter the new year for the trees called Tuba Shavot when the sap begins to rise—the essence of water; in the spring the new year for the human being—Passover. In the summer is celebrated the animal and fire.

The human being is commiserate with the element of air because we have the ability to articulate thoughts into coherent speech. The basis of our ability to communicate complex ideas is the foundation of freedom of choice. As God says in the Torah, I place before you life and death, blessings (Barack) and curses have I put before you—chose life so you and your children will live.