On the Sea of Galilee

On the Sea of Galilee
America Must Stand By Israel!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

L'Shanah Tova!! May You have a Good and Sweet New Year!!

Do you not feel it in the brisk fall air? Do you not feel an anticipation that's arising? Do you not sense that there is a special significance to this time? A need to go deep within yourself and emerge better than before? I love fall! And there is so much more to it than just the beautiful, bold, vibrant colors!

For those who don't know, the Jewish world celebrates a new year twice a year! How fun is that! A new start twice a year! And today and tomorrow is the celebration of Rosh Hashanah - the high holiday celebrating the creation of the world! This is a special time that the entire world will one day celebrate when Messiah returns. It's a new time; a time of new beginnings! Even as a Gentile, this is a holiday that applies to you too.


Elul, the month preceding this high holiday, is the month when you are to reflect upon the year and determine how you can be more righteous. It's the time to prepare to make a change; to prepare to make a new and fresh start on Rosh Hashanah before the King arrives!

It is well-known in Judaism that this is the time of year that Messiah will come for His bride. All during the rest of the year, we are ushered into the King's palace to seek an audience, but during Elul, the King comes to the fields looking for His Bride. He invites and desires us to walk closer in intimacy with Him. 

Just as a bride sets aside time to prepare herself for her groom, so too it makes sense that He gives us the whole month of Elul to cleanse and purify ourselves before the Bridegroom's arrival! He will come for a pure bride and invite her to join in on His celebration and enjoyment of what He has made. So come! Walk with the King of Kings and celebrate what He has made...for us, His bride. Let's make ourselves pure for the King, our Bridegroom.


The Hebrew greeting shared during this time is: Shanah Tovah - the simple translation means, "May you have a good a sweet new year"; the deeper translation means, "May you be inscribed this year in the Book of Life!" Amen!

I love how Shorashim Shop puts it:


SHANAH TOVA UMEVORECHET

A BLESSED AND SWEET NEW YEAR
May the world be judged with sweetness and compassion.
May we sense the great potential within us to change.
May we turn inwards and upwards and achieve our great spiritual potential...because that is what Hashem, God of Mercy, expects from us.

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