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Jewish Holiday Calendar
For February 2025 site updates, please scroll past this entry....
The Torah divides the calendar into two symmetrical halves: the Spring and the Fall, indicating the two advents of Messiah. The Biblical year officially begins during the month of the Passover from Egypt (called Rosh Chodashim, see Exod. 12:2), and the spring holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits both recall our deliverance from Egypt and also our greater deliverance given by means of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah, the great Passover Lamb of God. Yeshua was crucified on erev Pesach, buried during Unleavened Bread, and was resurrected on Yom Habikkurim (Firstfruits). The holiday of Shavuot (i.e., "Pentecost") both commemorates the revelation of the Torah at Sinai as well as the revelation of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) at Zion.
The intermediate months of summer end with the advent of the sixth month of the calendar, called the month of Elul, which recalls the time Moses interceded on behalf of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf. To commemorate this time of our history, we likewise focus on teshuvah (repentance) in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and especially in anticipation of Yom Kippur, the great "Day of Atonement." In Jewish tradition the 30 days of Elul are combined with the first ten days of the seventh month (called the "Days of Awe") to set apart "Forty Days of Teshuvah" leading up to the Day of Forgiveness for Israel. Immediately following Yom Kippur, the mood changes as we begin preparing for a joyous week-long celebration called Sukkot (i.e., "Tabernacles") that concludes with the holiday of Simchat Torah.
The winter holidays (חגי החורף) remember special times when God acted on behalf of His people so that they would triumph over their enemies, and therefore they prophetically picture the final victory in the world to come:
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The Winter Holidays:
Note that in accordance with tradition, the following holiday dates begin at sundown:
- Month of Tevet (Mon., Dec. 30th [eve] - Wed. Jan. 29th [day])
- Month of Shevat (Wed. Jan. 29th [eve] - Thurs. Feb. 27th [day])
- Month of Adar (Thurs. Feb. 27th [eve]) - Sat. March 29th [day])
- Month of Nisan (Sat. March 29th [eve]) - Sun. April 27th [day])
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Note: For more about the dates of these holidays see the Calendar pages....
February 2025 Updates
Stepping out in Faith...
The divine consequence of the exodus from Egypt (יציאת מצרים) is still felt to this day, as indeed is the greater exodus Yeshua attained by the power of the cross (Luke 9:30-31).
02.03.25 (Shevat 5, 5785) From our Torah this week (i.e., Beshalach) we read how the children of Israel were trapped before the sea with no way of escape... Moses then cried out to God who told him to march forward -- right into the waters -- as the Pillar of Cloud settled between the people and Pharaoh's advancing army.
According to midrash, when Moses lifted his staff to divide the sea, at first nothing happened. The people waited anxiously at the seashore, wondering what to do. Finally, Nachshon ben Aminadav, a descendant of Judah (Num. 1:7), waded into the water "up to his nose," and the winds then began blowing to divide the waters (Shemot Rabbah). The great miracle of kiryat yam suf (קרית ים סוף)- the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (the word "suf" means "reed,"see Exod. 2:3) therefore happened because someone found courage and took a step of faith: "And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall (חוֹמָה) to them on their right hand and on their left" (Exod. 14:22). They marched across the sea all night (i.e., Nisan 21), under the light of the Shekhinah Glory...
The Talmud says "kasheh le'zavgom ke'kriat yam suf," which means it is more difficult for God to create a marriage than to split the sea. They reason this way because each person needs to take individual action to trust the other. Likewise with God. It is more difficult for God to get us to be in a trusting relationship with Him than it is for Him to split a sea. Of course the problem is not with God, who is the perfect "husband," but with our adulterous inner nature. It took the LORD a year to deliver Israel from Egypt, but it took Him 40 years to teach Israel to trust in His promises of love. God always awaits our teshuvah - our "answer" - to His invitation before He reveals more to us. As Yeshua once said to his followers, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). Some things about God can only be known by stepping out in faith and surrendering ourselves to Him.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 37:5 Hebrew reading (click):
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Note: For more on this subject, see "Stepping out in Faith..."
Finding the Place of God...
02.03.25 (Shevat 5, 5785) What was it about Yeshua that made him so special? For the moment, put aside your theology or "Christology" and ask what made him so attractive and endearing to people on a human level. What sort of a man was he? What made people want to follow him? Did he have special "charisma" or an aura about him?
We really don't know the answer to these questions, of course, since the New Testament says little about his physical appearance, though the prophet Isaiah foretold that he would be a man of "no reputation," with no regal form or "comeliness" with which we would desire him. Indeed, he would be "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:2-3). Indeed Yeshua was born into this world in obscurity, grew to become an unassuming man, a "nobody" in the eyes of the world, without power or political authority. For all the more reason then does this suggest that what made him so attractive was his heart, his kindness, and his accessibility, and that's part of the lesson we learn by the invitation he gave to the two disciples of John the Baptist to come to his home.
Recall that the New Testament records how John the Baptist began announcing the imminent coming of the Messiah, calling the people to repentance. One day John saw Yeshua of Nazareth and proclaimed: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29-30). Two of John's disciples (by tradition Andrew and John, author of the fourth gospel) were standing with him at the time and they believed John's testimony that Yeshua was the promised Savior of Israel. Indeed John had explained the purpose of his ministry was to herald the coming of Messiah, and his preaching was intended to prepare the people for the momentous hour. Therefore when John identified Yeshua as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," they understood the implications and immediately decided to follow Yeshua as he walked away. When Yeshua turned to them and asked: "What are you looking for?" they replied, "Rabbi, where do you live?" And Yeshua then graciously invited them to "come and see." So they went to Yeshua's house and stayed with him for the rest of the day (see John 1:35-39). We may wonder, what did they see? What did they do? What did they discuss with Yeshua? We are not told, though it is clear Yeshua was a kind and approachable person, accessible to the seeking heart.
And this presents a sort of "parable" or pattern for anyone who would come to know Yeshua. First there is a deep awareness of the need to repent before God, as John the Baptist had preached, along with the realization that true repentance, or personal salvation, is impossible apart from divine intervention that would free the soul from its bondage to sin. Second there is revelation that points to Yeshua alone as our healer and deliverer. Third there is sincere desire to learn more about him and the nature of his character, and there is an "inner sense" that you are called to "come and see" where Yeshua lives...
This invitation is for all people who are burdened by their sins and who hunger and thirst for deliverance. Yeshua's message finds it place in the heart of the broken: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).
It is your willingness to accept the invitation to know his heart that marks the first step from which all others may follow. Yeshua asks you to feel welcome and safe in his presence, as if you have belonged to him all along, to realize that you are accepted, respected, and dearly valuable to him. This is the "place" of God, the "where" of his presence and the "who" of his character. And indeed, God's Presence is liked to a "house," a "miskhan" or dwelling place, a refuge and sanctuary for the soul, a secret garden, a strong habitation, the everlasting arms of a loving Father, Abba, the one who makes a place for us, an everlasting domicile that will enshrine us in the comfort and blessing of eternal love.
Some people wrestle with shame and feel unworthy of love and blessing. It is hard for them to believe that God bears their sins because they do not believe they matter enough for God to do so. But God affirms and demands that we take his love seriously, that we esteem ourselves as people he loves and cares for despite our sins and failings... His heart extends to the "poor in spirit," to those who mourn over their lives, to the humble, the broken, the wandering outcast, the despised and rejected of men. Yeshua is the "friend of sinners" who calls out to their weariness: "Come to me, and I will give you rest..."
So what do you want? What do you truly desire of the Lord? Yeshua encourages us to come and see who he is and to repose in the place of his dwelling, the habitation of his heart. "Live in me - in the truth of my heart - and let my heart live in you" (John 15:4). This "house" of the Lord is found in heart connection with him, where you accept yourself as beloved in him. It is found in God's presence as Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we are made part of his family, members of his household, and partakers of the blessing of his love.
We start "following" the Lord by first trusting that he really desires us, for assuredly we will cannot do so unless we believe his heart for us, after all. We begin by praying, "Lord, how am I to be with you? How can my heart know your heart for me? How can I connect with you, finding life in your life? Is this not essential - to know who you really are, to experience your mercy and grace, to rest in your steadfast love and faithfulness? How can I experience your acceptance and kindness in light of my brokenness, shame and disappointment? Will you heal the wounds of my heart - wounds that you yourself bore for me in your suffering? I bow down in hope before the cries of my heart. I wait, O Lord, for your touch, the breath of your Spirit, the true balm of Gilead that forever heals my brokenness.
Recall the story about Elijah, dejected, weary, and feeling abandoned. The Lord instructed him, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice... And, suddenly there came a Voice to him that asked, "What are you doing here?"
Or consider Job who was described as "a man blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil" who nevertheless was tested and brought to despair and the knife's edge of death. After languishing in dismay, he found himself beneath the whirlwind, beholding the revelation of God's glory, and only afterward was he able to say, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear (לְשֵׁמַע־אֹזֶן שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ): but now mine eye seeth thee (וְעַתָּה עֵינִי רָאָתְךָ). Therefore I forsake myself, and I repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6).
There is no recipe or formula for following the Lord since it involves turning to God from the depths of your soul, allowing him to be the center of your heart. In a sense it is a matter of losing yourself to find yourself, letting go of your fears and attachments in surrender to God. As we go through the refining fires, we leave behind the old life for the new - crossing over into the realm of the Spirit. Once we take hold of who we are in God's house, the despair that has haunted us fades away and we live in God's provision and abundance.
Faith in the truth of God's love sets us free, though we must be careful not to let our hope wane in quiet desperation. The temptation is to lose sight of God's heart for us or to be dissuaded from our hope because of sadness or fear. God is merciful and will beckon us to return to his love, though if we begin to fall away, he may lead us to confess once again that we are unable to control our lives, that we desperately need him, and to know once again that all that we are or ever shall be is bound up in his presence and love for us.
Yeshua is the answer to our hurting and desperate hearts. It may not be an "easy" answer, but it's the only answer that is real, with love forged in the passion of God's heart, the expense and expanse of which surpasses all of creation, forever and ever. Amen.
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"Sabbath of the Song"
About Shabbat Shirah...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Beshalach... ]
02.02.25 (Shevat 4, 5785) Our Torah reading for this week (Beshlach: Exod. 13:17-17:16) includes the famous Shirat Hayam (שִׁירַת הַיָּם), the "Song the Sea," a hymn of praise the Israelites sang to the LORD after they miraculously crossed the Sea of Reeds (i.e., Yam Suf: יָם סּוּף). Shirat Hayam is also traditionally sung on the 7th day of Passover (i.e., on Nisan 21) since it was first sung seven days after the people left Egypt during the time of the Exodus. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, Shirat Hayam was sung every day by the Levites during the minchah (afternoon) offering. After the Temple was destroyed, however, the song was incorporated into the shacharit (morning) service of synagogues (i.e., "Mi Chamocha," etc.) to fulfill the Lord's commandment to "remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt all the days of your life" (Deut. 16:3).
Today the Sabbath on which parashat Beshalach is recited is called Shabbat Shirah Hayam and the congregation rises when the song is chanted:
אָשִׁירָה לַיהוה כִּי־גָאה גָּאָה
סוּס וְרכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם׃
עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה
זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרמְמֶנְהוּ׃
יהוה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה יהוה שְׁמוֹ׃
ah·shee'·rah · la-Adonai · kee-ga'·oh · ga'·ah
soos · ve·roh·khe·voh · rah·mah · ba·yahm.
oh·zee · ve·zeem·raht · Yah · va·hee-lee · lee·shoo·ah
zeh · ei·lee · ve·an·ve'·hoo · e·loh·hei · ah·vee · va·a·roh·me'·noo.
Adonai · eesh · meel·chah·mah · Adonai she·moh.
"I will sing to Adonai, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
Yah is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will enshrine Him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his Name." (Exod. 15:1-3)
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To commemorate and honor this time, Jewish scribes (soferim) stylized the Hebrew text in a special way. The Talmud (Megillah 16b) states that Shirat Hayam must be written in the form of "a half brick over a whole brick, and a whole brick over a half brick," that is, with alternating half-lines, to resemble "building a house":
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According to Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez, the alternating "bricks" are intended to resemble waves of water, while the blank spaces separating these (i.e., text blocks) suggest "blank spaces in our knowledge and praise of God" which we are encouraged to add to the "building." The sages count exactly 198 words in this song, which is the numerical value for the word tzchok (צחק), a word that means "laughter" and is the word used to describe Sarah's response when she finally gave birth to Isaac (Gen. 21:6). According to Rabbi Bachya, the laughter in Isaac's name comes from Abraham's joy (Gen. 17:17). The joy of Isaac's birth, then, is linked with the "birth" of the nation of Israel at the time of the Exodus, just as his symbolic death during the Akedah represents Israel's rebirth...
It is also noteworthy to remember that the Lord Yeshua was the One who saved Israel on that very day. He is the Angel of the LORD and YHVH the Redeemer, as Moses likewise stated: וַיּוֹשַׁע יהוה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד מִצְרָיִם / "On that day, the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians" (Exod. 14:30).
It's been said that all the signs and wonders performed during the Exodus served two purposes: 1) to convince the Egyptians of the greatness of God, and 2) to convince the Israelites of the same thing... An even greater blessing, however, is to trust in the LORD without the need for signs and wonders (John 20:29). May the LORD God of Israel help us live by true bittachon (בִּטָּחוֹן) - trusting in Him and rejoicing in His salvation. Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 15:11 Hebrew reading (click):
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This week's Torah:
Parashat Beshalach - בשלח
In our Torah portion this week, the Lord divided the waters of the sea to make a path for the Israelites, a miracle that symbolized newness of life as God's liberated people...
02.02.25 (Shevat 4, 5785) Recall that last week's Torah portion (i.e., parashat Bo) told how the Israelites were finally released from Egypt after God issued the final plague during the time of Passover. In this week's portion (parashat Beshalach: Exod. 13:17-17:16), the Israelites begin their journey home, after 430 years of troubled exile. Instead of leading them along a direct route to the Promised Land, however, God directed them south, toward the desert, where the Glory of God appeared as a Pillar of Cloud by day and as a Pillar of Fire by night to lead them on their way. When Pharaoh heard that the Israelites were at the border of the desert, however, he perversely decided to pursue them and bring them back to Egypt. God then redirected the Israelites to camp near the edge of the Sea of Reeds, where the Egyptian army finally caught up with them. Dramatically, the Israelites were caught between the sea on one side, and Pharaoh's formidable army on the other!
The terrified people then began to blame Moses for their predicament. Moses reassured them of God's final deliverance and raised his staff to miraculously divide the waters of the sea. All that night the Shekhinah Glory enshrouded the Egyptian army but gave light to Israel as the people crossed through the sea on dry ground. Just before dawn, the dark pillar of cloud that veiled the Egyptian army lifted, and the soldiers immediately rushed after the Israelites into pathway of the sea. God then told Moses to lift his staff again so that the waters would overwhelm the Egyptians with their chariots and horsemen. By the time dawn arrived, the Israelites saw the dead bodies of Pharaoh's army lining the seashore.
Moses and Miriam then led the people of Israel in a spontaneous hymn of thanks and praise to God for their complete deliverance from Pharaoh, which is often called the "Song of the Sea" (i.e., shirah hayam). The song begins, "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation" / עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה (Exod. 15:2, cp. Isa. 12:2). For Orthodox Jews, singing Shirat Hayam every day is thought to fulfill the biblical commandment to "remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live" (Deut. 16:3). Note that Shirat Hayam is also sung on the 7th day of Passover, as a memorial of the deliverance by God through the waters of the Sea of Reeds.
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The great message of our deliverance resounds throughout Jewish history, and indeed it is regarded as a theme of the faithful love of LORD for His people:
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 12:2 Hebrew reading (click):
After the jubilation for their deliverance, the narrative resumes as God led the Israelites away from the sea, into the desert of Sin (מִדְבַּר־סִין), a desolate region about midway to Mount Sinai. Instead of taking the people along a direct route to the promised land, however, the Lord led them directly to the "school" of the desert. After traveling three days without finding any water, however, the people complained and God provided them with fresh water at Marah. Awhile later, the matzah (unleavened bread) the people had brought with them ran out and God tested their obedience by giving them "bread from heaven" (i.e., manna). The portion ends with the Amalekites' surprise attack of Israel at Rephidim, near Mount Sinai, and the selection of Joshua as the leader of the army of Israel.
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