The Origins of Rosh HaShanah & Book Aviad Cohen For Your Jewish Event

 

AviadCohen.com l aviad@aviadcohen.com l September 17, 2009   1. The Origins of Rosh HaShanah l PLUS Accompanying Online Video by Aviad Cohen 2. Book Aviad Cohen For Your "Jewish Event"   1. The Origins of Rosh HaShanah l PLUS Accompanying Online Video by Aviad Cohen Here is the link to the video Aviad made to accompany this spiel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wra_8qtzvw Shalom,   I say this all with love. Here is my logical spiel in regards to God's Word in Exodus 12 v.s. Judaism's Rosh Hashanah. Perhaps this is something to share with others, especially if you are a follower of Yeshua Messiah and are practicing Rosh HaShanah. In other words if you are practicing Judaism, even if you splash it with a bit of Yeshua, is this what Yeshua would do? Did Moses or Yeshua practice Rosh HaShanah? No. Then why should you? I bolded and underlined specific text to stress a blatant point    EXODUS 12 l Jewish Publication Society Tanakh / Public Domain l link (This is a legit version according to "Jewish standards")   "1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying: In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;"   So according to God a/k/a The Creator of the universe a/k/a the LORD, YHVH. Yehovah and in His Word, the Tanakh, as He spoke unto Moses and Aaron, the first month of the year is around Pesach (Passover) time. Is it Passover time right now? No. So why does Judaism claim this to be the beginning of the New Year and command Jews to keep Rosh HaShanah? I find it odd that some Messianic ministries (who are believers who are older than me) and other Jewish believers send out Rosh HaShanah imagery and newsletters as well, even though Rosh HaShanah is blatantly not Biblical and confuses many believers into thinking that they should practice Rabbinic Judaism, which is counter to the God and His Word. Doing this is perpetuating a lie down to the next generation and I feel it is not appropriate. I understand that Jews who don't follow Yeshua nor understand that Rosh HaShanah is not biblical send out such content online but believers should know better. or if they didn't know, whell now they will know for the next time. You will now see through cited sources how rabbis have altered and changed God's appointed times. Let's see what Judaism says about Rosh HaShanah and it's origin.   My Jewish Learning l Rosh Hashanah 101 l link History   The origins of Rosh Hashanah may be sought in a royal enthronement ritual of biblical times, though the Bible itself never mentions the "New Year" or "Day of Judgment" aspects of the holiday. Even though Rosh Hashanah falls in the seventh month, later rabbinic tradition decided to designate it the beginning of the year. Although the origin of this tradition may have been adopted from the Babylonians, the rabbis imbued it with Jewish significance as the anniversary of the day on which the world was created, or of the day on which humanity was created. Another explanation can be found in the significance of Tishrei as the seventh month, hence the Sabbath of the year.   The Origin of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year l link Observance Origins In the Mishna, a Talmudic commentary, Rosh Hashanah was made the start of the Jewish year. The tradition of having a day for peaceful reflection, repentance and judgment began. Rosh Hashanah is one of four "New Years" in Jewish tradition, but Rosh Hashanah became the New Year for years, and the changing of the calendar. Traditions developed such as tashlich, or throwing crumbs into a body of water to symbolize getting rid of sins. Another is the tradition of eating apples dipped in honey to wish for a sweet year. A festive meal, lighting candles and reciting prayers focused on forgiveness are all part of the Rosh Hashanah tradition now. No work is permitted, and Rosh Hashanah is considered one of two of the most major holidays on the Jewish calendar.   OU.org l The Meaning of Rosh HaShanah l link   At this same time, G-d reviews the status of his creation and determines if he or she merits another year in this world (Where is this is this in the Tanakh?????)....Though that judgment is inscribed, it is not yet sealed and can still be changed at least for another ten days. G-d waits until Yom Kippur to seal the book for the year. Rosh Hashanah History - Origin l link In fact, the name Rosh Hashanah came later in Mishnaic times, about 10 B.C.E. until about 200 C.E. or 220 C.E., when the Mishnah of the Talmud was compiled and codified. So how did Rosh Hashanah extend to two days? During the time of Rabban (Rabbi) Yohanan ben Zakkai (circa 1 C.E. - 80 C.E.) of the region of Judea/Israel, who was an important Jewish Sage and a disciple of the great Rabbi Hillel, Rosh Hashanah became a two-day holiday. Another note:   Jewish Virtual Library l link During this period there was a revival of Hebrew studies in Rome, centered around the local yeshiva, Metivta de Mata Romi. A number of well-known scholars, Rabbi Kalonymus b. Moses and Rabbi Jacob "Gaon" and Rabbi Nathan b. Jehil (who wrote a great talmudic dictionary, the Arukh), contributed to Jewish learning and development. Roman Jewish traditions followed those practiced in the Land of Israel and the liturgical customs started in Rome spread throughout Italy and the rest of the world. Let's get down to Bible basics. Throwing pieces of bread into water will not help you atone for your sins, nor doing tons of exhausting and confusing rabbinic liturgy. John 3:16 in The Brit Chadasha (New Covenant) states: 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:17 For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God." Jeremiah 31:31-34 in the Tanakh (Old Covenant) states: 31:31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 31:32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: 31:34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. Clue: Read The New Covenant. There is a link to it here. Isaiah 53 in the Tanakh states: 53:1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 53:2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 53:3 He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn't respect him. 53:4 Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 53:7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn't open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn't open his mouth. 53:8 He was taken away by oppression and judgment; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people? 53:9 They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 53:11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities. 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. If they read Isiah 53 at congregations this Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, it would be HUGE! Look, I don't claim to be some mega macher scholar wih some big beard. I'm not old nor am I married with children and so I am not seen as legitimate by Jewish or Messianic Jewish elders. But I do have 29 years experience practicing Judaism, which most Messianic leadership or Messianics in general have no real clue about since most of them were not raised up in Yeshivas and Jewish private schools. To feel more Jewish and feel less persecuted, many just toss in Rabbinic Judaism into the Jesus mix so they won't be persecuted by their families and the surrounding Jewish community instead of being set-apart. Also, they never grew up with Judaism and so they now find this confusing and mystical religion "beautiful" and throw it in to the mix. Why? There is no need. You are confusing people, especially the children. This is a sad way to water down the Gospel. Some might say to me, well Christmas and Easter are pagan too. I agree. I don't do Rosh HaShanah, the tradiitonal Hellenistic and Talmudic Passover seder, Lag Ba Omer, get drunk and dress up in demonic or weird costumes on Purim, light mystical Kabbalah candles on Shabbat and Havdalah  mystical candles, I don't follow the Talmud, Mishna, Kabbalah (nor really have a need to  read it),  I don't wear a hexagram Jewish star, wear a Talmudic kippah, etc and nor do I do Christmas and Easter. Judaism, as I see it from experiencing it for 29 years prior to following Yeshua is like wandering in the desert for 40 years after exodusing out of Egypt. Nobody has a clue, everyone is asking each other for directions, nobody can decide on what the Truth is (since they don't really want to read it), they choose their own way instead of looking at the map, which is God's Word. If they just read God's Word, ebraced their Messiah Yeshua, they'd be out of the desert by now. If not for Yeshua/Jesus, I'd still be wandering in the desert with the rest of the lost Jews. They like the desert, they like the suffering, they like controlling each other and being controlled, bowing down to other gods but showing up to shul twice a year (how many Jewish Buddhists and New Agers are there out there as well as Jewish Zionistic Atheists and practicers of the relligion called Feminism?). Judaism...it's their religion. They made it. They decide what to do with it. They do whatever they want with it. They change God's Word and appointed times, add "fence laws," find loopholes by creating other laws that supercede another law they made which they don't like, they stick together and make the goyim feel like they are 3rd class. This is what happens when you practice any and I mean any form of Judaism - period. It's elitism. I don't want any part in this nor will I pass down this lie to the next generation. To many, ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is also a sure fire way of getting into hell. Don't go there. Read the Bible, repent of your sins, follow Yeshua and have everlasting life. You will be inscribed in the Lamb's book of life and be with God for eternity when your time is up here. It's your choice. God gave you free will. Follow Him in Truth. Sincerely, Aviad Cohen   1. Book Aviad Cohen For Your Jewish Event Aviad (formerly 50 Shekel) Cohen would like to be invited to Jewish congregations, Jewish universities and other univerisites, Jewish youth groups, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, weddings and other Jewish events to share about his past 5 years of following Yeshua (Jesus) The Messiah and also in regards to 29 years of being raised in Judaism prior to following Yeshua Messiah. Aviad Cohen, a graduate of Hofsta Univeristy with a B.A. in Communications was born in Israel, raised in Brooklyn, NY, attended Ocean Primary School, Yeshiva Ataras, Yeshiva of Flatbush, Robert Gordis Day School and Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County. His Jewish father of Persian decent is an Israeli former IDF soldier who defended Israel in three wars. His Jewish mother is of Polish decent and her Jewish grandparents are survivors of the Holocaust. Aviad's Grandmother hid underground with her family, was witness to rabbis being murdered in front of her, went through a horrific time surviving during the Holocaust, was in a home after the war when Polish people bombed their house. Aviad's Grandfather's family was murdered in the Holocaust. He led an escape out of the notorious Treblinka concentration camp. Growing up as a Jew, with an Israeli father and a mother who's parents came out of the Holocaust was an intersting, challenging and growthful experience. As a follower of Yeshua Messiah, Aviad loves G-d, His only begotten Son Yeshua Messiah and The Bible. He also loves Jews, despite what might think of him as a "traitor to the Jewish people" because he is now a Christian. Aviad also lived in Israel for 9 months in 2008-2009 in the center of Jerusalem. He made the choice to return back to the USA, as many other Jews who try to live in Israel and find it very difficult. Aviad is not asking for any financial compensation for speaking engagements, but would kindly request that those who invite him would assist by paying his air fare and hotel accommodations as a kind gesture. Aviad will not be selling his CDs, but those interested can email him after the event and he will be glad to provide them with free MP3 downloads of his music. In addition, if possible, Aviad would like to hold a screening at these events of the movie, The Hiding Place. Here is a list of some places Aviad would like to be invited to speak: Yeshiva of Flatbush & Ramaz, New York Hofstra University, YU / Yeshiva Univeristy NYU, BU, Yale, Harvard, University of Miami Please use the booking request form to request a speaking engagement.