Because today is Yom Teruah, I figured I would write and share a little with you. But first, go HERE for your good morning shofar smile.

Now, today. There are three biblically commanded festivals in the fall; Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, Succoth. Today is Yom Teruah. Some call this day Rosh Hashanah and celebrate it as the Jewish New year. I call it Yom Teruah and celebrate it as the festival teaching us to look to when the Messiah will come (again) and gather up his people. The next festival Yom Kippur celebrates When YHWH will separate the sheep from the goats, and lastly Succoth celebrates when YHWH will tabernacle with us forever and ever amen.

There are some traditions of this festival, and of course, all are symbolic. There is something called Tashlich which is taking rocks that represent our sins and throw them into water. It needs to be living water, with fish in it, symbolizing all kinds of neat things our messiah being like living waters, us being "fish" our sins being washed, etc. Oh the messianic belief is full of symbolism!

Then we can do a Mikva which is a lot like a baptism. Only you wade yourself out into the water and dunk yourself three times under to give yourself to YHWH (symbolically! literally! Woot) after of course, getting it right with God and deciding that you are going to renew yourself again and stop being a putz, read your bible, do what you should do and so on. If you aren't making that pledge, then keep your sorry self out of the water.

Then we face the east and together recite several prayers that basically tells YHWH we know what the real skinny is with this day, and what is going on and how he is the greatest God to ever God.  

Then we go back to the church and play games which are richly planted in tradition and I know this will surprise you-Symbolism. Since the bible tells us that Yeshua will come with a blowing of the trumpets (for you Christians) or Shofar (for all you Jews) then we play a game where someone (always has been me) hides places and blows the shofar. When the kids hear this, they run quickly to find me. This is to teach them to always be listening and ready for the blasts we are waiting for. When they find me (Or whoever) they get a piece of Bit o' honey.

Which leads me to food. It is tradition to eat sweet things. Mainly apples dipped in Honey, or honey and apple things. I am sending apple pull apart bread sweetened with honey. Oh man yum. This year we seem to be taking all the best things to eat from several different festivals and eating them tonight. I was going to make Chorset which is apples mixed with honey and nuts. It is used during the passover Seder. My sister is making Matzo ball soup, which is also a passover thing. However, since these foods are man made traditions, it is okay to switch them around like this. Something you couldn't do if it was biblically commanded.  

We will also sing and dance, and play Yom Teruah bingo, a game that we are trying to make for every festival. It is a fun way to teach children and guests the whyfore and whynot of this day. I don't think there will be any more games than that. Unfortunately this festival falls on Tuesday which means we who have school the next day must retire early. But that is basically the in's and out's of this day for me.

This lesson is now concluded, thank you for your time and patience. I hope you paid attention as there will be a test.