Sh’ma Yisra’el

As I sat here wondering what my first post should say, the idea of saying the Sh’ma came to mind. What better a way to begin this journal than with the entire Torah summarized by the two greatest commands:

 

Chag Sameach!

Happy Sukkot everyone!

This is my second year of celebrating Sukkot however, it is the first time I have actually built a sukkah. What a great experience. We went through several revisions to the original plan and learned some valuable lessons along the way (our first attempt was about as sturdy as a jellyfish).

sukkah

Even now there are changes I plan on incorporating in next year’s model but I have to admit I’m quite proud of our first attempt I would have liked to close in the sides with lattice but the budget for this year was already maxed out. Also, next year I will be adding more roof trusses to support all the branches (4 is just not enough).

The bronze bowls on the black stakes in front of the sukkah are filled with citronella oil in order to help ward off the swarm of mosquitoes that fill the night air. We also added some blue string lights for a little extra ambiance.  (Sorry the last pic is so blurry)

Already we have been able to enjoy a couple of meals under the moon and stars. How awesome it is to look up though the branches and admire YAH’s beautiful work! I hope your Sukkot is filled with happiness and great rejoicing!

sukkah

night sukkah

 

Little Tent?

שלום

I’ve got a question that I’m hoping someone out there in the wide web will be able to answer for me. I’ve seen a breakdown of the word tallit that purports that the first half (tal) is the Hebrew word for tent and the second half comes from the word (ith) meaning little. The problem is when I look up these words in a Hebrew dictionary: tal doesn’t mean tent and ith doesn’t mean little?

So, I’m confused. Does anyone have a source that would show this breakdown to be accurate? It does seem to make sense to me but I can’t find a source that proves it to be correct. I’ve seen a lot of sites that all state the same thing but none of them list where they’re getting this from

Just in case I don’t post again before Yom Teruah:

Chag Sameach & L’shana tovah!

 

Modeh Ani

Well, what can I say? Sometimes we all need a good laugh. I stumbled across this and thought you might get a chuckle out of it too.

On a serious note, here’s the prayer in case you were wondering:

Modeh  ani  l’faneikha,  Melek  chai  v’kayom,  shehechezarta  bi  nish’mati  bechem’lah -  rabah  emunatekha

I give thanks before you, Sovereign living and eternal, for You have returned within me my soul with compassion – abundant is Your faithfulness!

 

Shin, Bet, Tav

Well, I attended my first Hebrew class this week. I can now read: שבת

The truly cool thing is my wife decided to come with me! Once she found out there wasn’t any tests to take she agreed to go I think it’s great that the College of Charleston allows you to take two semesters of Hebrew for free, even the workbooks are free.

I’ve been trying to teach myself to read Hebrew but it’s always easier when you can learn directly from someone that speaks the language fluently. I’m looking forward to no longer sounding like a small child when I read from my siddur.

 

Birkat Kohanim

Shabbat Shalom!

I love this blessing and thought you might like to see the Hebrew for this powerful prayer. Moshe was instructed by YHWH to have Aharon and his sons bless the children of Yisra’el with this in order that YHWH Himself could bless them. Personally, I find this to be a beautiful way to begin our Shabbat and bless my wife and children every erev Shabbat. The Birkat Kohanim is found in B’midbar (Numbers) 6:22-27

Y’varekhekha YHWH v’yishmerekha

YHWH bless you and guard you;

Yaer YHWH panaiv eleikha vichunneka

YHWH make His face shine upon you, and show favor to you;

Yissa YHWH panaiv eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom

YHWH lift up His face upon you, and give you peace.

 

Rosh Chodesh

Already it is Elul. Tonight we begin the sixth month knowing that the Fall Festivals are almost upon us. Yom Teruah is merely one short month away. I wonder what this year’s Yom Kippur will be like. Most of all, I look forward to the rejoicing at Sukkot.

This year my son and I are planing on building a sukkah in our backyard. We neglected to do this last year and I feel like we missed out on a special opportunity. If you have any tips or suggestions for a first-timer I’d love to hear them, I have a feeling we are going to need all the help we can get

 

Dirty Laundry

In my last post Mind If I Rant? I posed a question to everyone: Does the term ’secular Jew’ bother you? Although I didn’t receive hundreds of responses, the responses I did receive (todah rabah, thank you very much) had one common answer: “who am I to judge?” No one thought it appropriate to judge another person’s walk. One reader even thought I came across as insulting to the Goyim (Gentiles, Nations) although I can assure you it was not my intention to insult anyone. Then an interesting question was asked of me. Would I be willing to write about my life’s mistakes?

 

Mind If I Rant?

Okay, I have to clear the air a little.

 

Sh’ma Kolenu

I just happened to come across this short film and knew immediately that I had to talk about it.

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is a difficult subject for me to speak about. As a newcomer to the Yahudim, I oftentimes feel guilty for not having had to endure the constant pain and suffering that the others before me have felt. I wonder, even now, am I qualified to raise my voice? I cannot remain silent. In fact, I will not remain silent. Over six million men, women, and children were helplessly slaughtered while the world stood by and did nothing!

Tragically, even now as the last of the survivors pass away there are people denying what happened. I find it interesting that General Eisenhower spoke about just such a thing when he communicated the following to General Marshall:

The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, where they [there] were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to “propaganda.”

As painful as it is to watch and speak about we must not remain silent. We must teach our children, family, friends, everyone. This must never happen again and with YHWH’s protection this never will happen again.

Sh’ma kolenu, hear our voice…

 

Lechem!

Shabbat Shalom!

Two loaves of challah

While doing some reading/studying this erev Shabbat I was made aware of just how amazing our Elohim really is and why it is so important to learn the Hebraic roots of our faith. As with most things I learn about Hebrew, the simple word lechem is not quite so simple. Sure lechem means bread but it also conveys the meaning of Torah or the Word of YAH. When we ask YAH to provide for us our lechem continually we are not merely asking to have bread to eat but also that He would feed our soul with His Torah, His Word. Just as eating food refreshes our body, consuming the Torah refreshes our soul!

With this understanding of the significance of the word lechem we can begin to understand the significance of why the Meshiach was born in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem). Beit Lechem literally means: House of Bread. The Meshiach, Yahushuah, is the living Torah, the living Word of YAH. Yahushuah is that lechem that refreshes our soul. Therefore the House of Bread is the House of Torah, the House of the Living Word. How awesome is Avinu (Our Father) to give us such beautiful poetry in our simple lives? All we have to do is open our eyes and look around to see His amazing creations surrounding us.

I’ll leave you with this to meditate on: it’s not that Yahushuah had to be born in Beit Lechem but rather, Beit Lechem had to be so named because this would be the birthplace of our Meshiach! HalleluYAH!

Shabbat Shalom.