A Sweet New Year

Photo by Unsealed.org

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Ha Shana, is not in fact the biblical new year, but the Feast of Trumpets. One concept is about tradition, sweet things and pomegranates. The other seems rather more serious: the Kingship of God and the shofar call to repentance. But are these two parts of the one festival incompatible?

Jerusalem held a sweet atmosphere in her air during the ‘new year’ weekend of 15-17 September. The Sabbath and Erev Rosh Ha Shana (evening start to the holiday) candle lighting was early, at a few minutes after 18:00, so the streets became quiet as families gathered in their best clothes to usher in one of the sacred Feasts of the LORD.

It is traditional to eat gefilte fish, and also fish heads, to mark the ‘head’ of the year. There are extra blessings at the dinner table, to thank God for His sweet produce. It is traditional to dip apples in honey and wish one another a ‘sweet’ new year. At the gathering I attended, we added a blessing for a dish including pomegranate seeds. The delicate fruit is another tradition at Rosh Ha Shana, since the number of seeds is said to represent the 613 commands of God in the Torah (Five Books of Moses).

The weekend celebrations held a precious sense of unity. Israel has been so divided of late, with demonstrations and disruptions. Some say this is good for democracy, while others have held deep concerns that internal division could embolden Israel’s enemies. Many of the demonstration posters and placards have been in English, causing some to suspect a planned, media-attracting coup, aimed at the overthrow of yet another democratically-elected government here. Many prayers have been lifted up for internal peace and resolution of strife.

With Rosh Ha Shana ushering in the ‘Ten Days of Awe’, a time of introspection and reconciliation prior to the Day of Atonement, it is an opportunity to press ‘pause’ on the grievances, and to just be grateful for the many blessings and promises of God. The awe-inspiring sound of the shofar (ram's horn) can be heard in different locations, such as the Western Wall, and in congregations.

One community of Jewish believers in Messiah, together with many visiting tourists, heard the shofar played stunningly, during a Yom T'ruah (Day of Blowing Trumpets) service. It was a chance to really present ourselves afresh to the Lord in this new year season. Both Tenach (Older Testament) and New Testament passages referencing the shofar or trumpet, were read aloud in Hebrew, by different people, young and old. Welcoming people at the door was a smiling lady giving out little plastic bowls containing apples and honey.

The room of President Ben-Zvi on Mount Zion

The exact same psalm was spoken corporately at this service, as I had heard some young devout Israeli girls singing, as they sat in a friendship group on a special site on Mount Zion. It is special because it is the traditional site of the Lord’s supper, but also the place from which the second President of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, used to host fellow Jews, during the Jordanian occupation of the Old City. From their Mount Zion vantage point, the Jews filled with centuries of longing could see the Temple Mount. Not until the 1967 liberation of the city could they return to the Kotel (Western Wall) to pray.

At the Messianic service, congregants prayed this psalm aloud, before taking the customary communion elements to remember their Suffering Servant King:

“Lev tahor bara-li Elohim, ve ruach nachon chadesh be kirbi” (Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me).

You may know a simple song to these words. Well, it turns out they are actually a Rosh Ha Shana and Elul prayer! Psalm 51 is just a natural expression for the descendants of the Psalmist, during their penitent month (Elul the Hebrew month of seeking the King) of preparation for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). It was so special to hear the girls singing these familiar words in Hebrew, from such sincere and simple hearts, not in a building or under duress. They had chosen to find themselves a special place to sing to their Maker and Redeemer.

A serious business? Yes – a holy God. A sweet time? Definitely. The Fragrance of Messiah is all around.

View from the President's Room: Jewish people knocking on the door of the traditional site of the Lord's Supper but finding it locked. Behind is the Dormition Abbey. Lit up in the background (left) is the King David Hotel.

The Importance of Names

“...and you shall call his name YESHUA (meaning Salvation): for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Yeshua in ancient Hebrew script

The Hebrew word for “soul” is ‘neshamah’. Central to that word, the middle two letters, Shin and Mem, make the word ‘shem’, Hebrew for “name”. They say, here in Israel, that your name is the key to your soul.

Names are a book. They tell a story, often the story of our spiritual potential as well as our life’s mission. Some sources tell us that when we complete our years on this earth and face heavenly judgment, one of the most powerful questions we will be asked at the outset, is: “What is your name and did you live up to it?” For instance, my birth name is Sharon. It means, “a fertile and fruitful valley,” the name of a plain in Israel. As believers, we are all called to this. Our commission is:

“Go and bear fruit...” (John 15:16).

My grandmother told my mother: “This little girl will be a blessing.” I have tried to live up to my name but of course, like so many of us, wish I could do so much more!

His Name: God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (1 Kings 18:36) Credit: Names for God.net

Jewish sources tell us that God used names not for the sake of identification in the beginning, but rather for creation. He spoke; and the very words describing the object came into being. The Almighty merely gave it a name, and the very letters defined its atomic structure. Names came before the existence of those things with which they would subsequently be identified. When Abram came to the realization of monotheism, his name had to be changed. See Genesis 17:5.

The change of identity required a change of identification. When Jacob, whose name came from the root word meaning “heel” - which so perfectly suited someone whose approach to the problems of life was always flight - suddenly realized he had to fight rather than flee, the angel informed him:

“Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28)

A traumatic lifestyle change brings with it a new personal description. The Children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt; God took note of their suffering and ensured their survival. They were imperfect in many ways, but they did not change their names, their language, or their mode of dress. They remained true to themselves. The Bible tells us: “As his name is, so is he” (1 Samuel 25:25). We will forever leave behind our names as a final legacy. Does that mean we are predestined to live lives circumscribed by something beyond our control? Are we doomed to play out roles handed to us by our parents while we were infants? Is our free will limited by our names? Of course not. We emphasize the principle of freedom of choice. Our names do not force us to be what we are. It is what we are that transmits itself, in a profoundly prophetic manner, to those entrusted with the holy task of choosing our names. It is a message from God, entrusted to our name-givers, in order to help us define our mission on earth. Our names outlive us; let’s do everything in our power to make them be remembered for a blessing.

First published in February 2020, written by Sharon Sanders

Get up, My little lamb!

“Meet me at the Talita Kumi!” my longtime friend always used to say. The Jerusalem landmark has a wonderful story behind it... It has something to do with the Hand of God.

“Can you help me to get off the bus?” an elderly lady asked me in Hebrew as I was trying to board. I took both of her wrinkly hands in mine, and made sure she was safely on the pavement. I felt so happy to have helped her. It got me thinking about how God speaks a lot in the Bible about holding our hand. I love the Isaiah promise, first to Israel, and also to those who fear Him:

“For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’” (Isaiah 41:13-14)

It is such a simple gesture to hold someone’s hand, be it a child, an older person, a beloved spouse. It’s always so sweet to see an elderly couple still holding hands after many years together. Israel’s faithful God reminds His People that though they may feel like a little worm, His big, capable hand is outstretched for their sake.

And it is not a question of how worthy or strong they are. By calling them ‘Jacob’ here, God is alluding to their weakness. As one spiritual leader here in Jerusalem always reminds Gentile Believers (alluding to Romans 11:21):

“Without a certainty about God’s mercy upon Israel, there is no certainty of His mercy towards the Church.”

I started wondering about where we see Yeshua taking someone’s hand. I’m sure He did many times when He healed someone, when He called the children to Himself, when He lifted up the lady who was cowering on the ground for fear of being stoned.

(Painting by Victoria Karlsson)

I went to the familiar story of the little girl of twelve, (how special - today's Bat Mitzvah age - when girls get to be a princess for a day!) who had already died before the popular Travelling Healer reached her. “Yes, it says He took her hand,” I thought happily to myself.

“Putting them all outside, He took her by the hand, and called her…”

The online Hebrew Bible translation of the Gospels renders the verse, "!קומי,ילדתי" - “Get up, My child!” (Luke 8:54). Often we hear that ‘Talita Kumi’ is an Aramaic translation. Actually, ‘kumi’ is both a modern and an ancient Hebrew instruction found also in Isaiah, (60:1), also to Israel:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come” (‘Kumi! Ori!’ in Hebrew).

In the book, ‘Jesus Spoke Hebrew – Busting the ‘Aramaic’ Myth’, by Brent Minge, we find that ‘talita’ is also rooted in the Hebrew language. It is a word used by other Jewish teachers of the period, including the spoken translation (Targum) of Genesis 34:3 for ‘young woman’. The word comes from the Hebrew ‘talah’, meaning ‘lamb’; and as Minge says, it is “a term hardly out of place on the lips of the Good Shepherd”. Based on these uses of the word, it is probable that Yeshua addressed her as His “little lamb”. Isn’t that beautiful? Isaiah perhaps caught a glimpse of the hands of the Shepherd, centuries earlier, when he wrote:

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs (Hebew Bible plural of ‘talah’ - ‘tla-im’) in his arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

So, back to the landmark... Right in the centre of Jerusalem stands a constant reminder of this miracle of a little girl raised to life. The ‘Talita Kumi’ girls’ orphanage and school was rebuilt by master architect Conrad Schick, in 1868. Schick is famous for his buildings around Jerusalem, but also for his models, such as that of the Temple Mount, now housed at the Heritage Centre at Christ Church. (Photo: Friends of Conrad Schick on WordPress.com)

All that remains of the beautiful school building now is a façade which was preserved at the original site, where Ben Yehuda Street meets King George Street. Because you can’t miss it, it’s a great place to meet a friend! What a privilege to follow the Shepherd and encourage the downhearted by holding out helping hands, as if to say, “Rise up, little lambs; arise and shine! For the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

"Hold hands with the Lord Each day of your life Each day of your life, He’ll show you the way. Hold hands with the Man Who bled just for you Who hung on that cross just for you.

For His love is so deep, so wide and so sure Praise His name, lift it high, from mountain to shore; For no trouble, no hardship, no hunger, no trials Can ever His hold on us break."

(Anon.)