Jesus wasn’t a Baptist Catholic, etc.. He was a Jewish Man. Shabbat Shalom!

Bible Feasts:

Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 that the Jewish feasts and celebrations were a shadow of the things to come through Jesus Christ. And though as Christians we may not commemorate these holidays in the traditional biblical sense, as we discover the significance of each, we will certainly gain a greater knowledge of God’s Word, an improved understanding of the Bible, and a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Celebrating the Jewish Holidays of
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
1 Tishri – 10 Tishri 5772
September 28* – October 08, 2011
*begins sundown September 28

Rosh Hashanah 2011 begins at sundown September 28, (Wednesday)
Yom Kippur 2011 begins at sundown October 07 (Friday)

The Jewish High Holy Days are observed during the 10 day period between the first day (Rosh Hashanah) and the 10th day (Yom Kippur) of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most important of all Jewish Holidays and the only holidays that are purely biblical, as they are not related to any historical or natural event.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated the first and second days of Tishri. It is a time of family gatherings, special meals and sweet tasting foods.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day of the Jewish year and is observed on the tenth day of Tishri. It is a day of fasting, reflection and prayers.

Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah is widely known and celebrated as the New Years Day of the Jewish calendar, but actually Rosh Hashanah has a fourfold meaning – It is the Jewish New Year, the Day of Judgment, the Day of Remembrance, and the Day of Shofar Blowing.

• It is the Day of Judgment
  As Jews worldwide examine their past deeds and asks for forgiveness for their sins

• It is the Day of Shofar Blowing
  As the Shofar (the rams horn) is blown in temple to herald the beginning of the 10 day period known as the High Holy Days

• It is the Day of Remembrance
  As Jews review the history of their people and pray for Israel

 Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays, the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.”

By Yom Kippur the 40 days of repentance, that begin with the first of Elul, have passed. On Rosh Hashanah God has judged most of mankind and has recorded his judgement in the Book of Life. But he has given a 10 day reprieve.

On Yom Kippur the Book of Life is closed and sealed. Those that have repented for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year.

Since Yom Kippur is the day to ask forgiveness for promises broken to God, the day before is reserved for asking forgiveness for broken promises between people, as God cannot forgive broken promises between people.

Yom Kippur is a day of “NOT” doing. There is no blowing of the Shofar and Jews may not eat or drink, as fasting is the rule. It is believed that to fast on Yom Kippur is to emulate the angels in heaven, who do not eat, drink, or wash.

The Five Prohibitions of Yom Kippur

1. Eating and drinking
2. Anointing with perfumes or lotions
3. Marital relations
4. Washing
5. Wearing leather shoes

While Yom Kippur is devoted to fasting, the day before is devoted to eating. According to the The Talmud the person “who eats on the ninth of Tishri (and fasts on the tenth) , it is as if he had fasted both the ninth and tenth.” Prayer is also down played so that Jews can concentrate on eating and preparing for the fast.

On the eve of Yom Kippur the community joins at the synagogue. Men put on prayer shawls (not usually worn in the evenings). Then as the night falls the cantor begins the “Kol Nidre“, it is repeated 3 times, each time in a louder voice. The Kol Nidre emphasizes the importance in keeping vows, as violating an oath is one of the worst sins.

An important part of the Yom Kippur service is the “Vidui” (Viduy) or confession. The confessions serve to help reflect on ones misdeeds and to confess them verbally is part of the formal repentance in asking God’s forgiveness. Because community and unity are an important part of Jewish Life, the confessions are said in the plural (We are guilty).

As Yom Kippur ends, at the last hour a service called “Ne’ila” (Neilah) offers a final opportunity for repentance. It is the only service of the year during which the doors to the Ark (where the Torah scrolls are stored) remain open from the beginning to end of the service, signifying that the gates of Heaven are open at this time.

The service closes with the verse, said 7 times, “The Lord is our God.” The Shofar is sounded once and the congregation proclaim – “Next year in Jerusalem.”

Yom Kippur is over.

Bible Feasts Calendar
Year		2011	2012	2013	2014
Holiday	Holidays begin at sundown on the evening of the previous day.
Feast of Lots (Purim)		Mar 20	Mar 8	Feb 24	Mar 16
Passover (Pesach)		April 19	April 7	Mar 26	April 15
Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavuot)		June 8	May 27	May 15	June 4
Jewish Year		5772	5773	5774	5775
Feast of Trumpets or New Year (Rosh Hashanah)		Sept 29	Sept 17	Sept 5	Sept 25
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)		Oct 8	Sept 26	Sept 14	Oct 4
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)		Oct 13	Oct 1	Sept 19	Oct 9
Rejoicing in the Torah (Simchat Torah)		Oct 21	Oct 9	Sept 27	Oct 17
Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)		Dec 21	Dec 9	Nov 28	Dec 17

Related articles

• High Holy Day Cycle (exploringjudaism.wordpress.com)
• Happy Rosh Hashanah (anitaanswersadvice.wordpress.com)
• Weekly Torah Portion: Yom Kippur “Day of Atonement” (paradoxparables.wordpress.com)