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Years ago a Chassidic Rabbi taught me the real meaning of Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement.

I was handing out pamphlets about Yeshua the Messiah at a New Jersey college when all of a sudden, the campus Chassidic Rabbi ran towards me and began handing out his own literature.  Not only that!  He stopped some of the students who had received a copy of my pamphlet, asked them if they were Jewish and then told them they should not read, what was obviously in his opinion – spiritual contraband.  He virtually took it out of their hands and gave them a copy of his leaflet, telling them about the importance of living a more fulfilled Jewish life; keeping Torah, kosher, going to Synagogue and loving G-d in a more traditional Jewish way.  He represented a group called Chabad, which now has close to 6,000 “missionaries” traversing the globe calling Jewish people – especially on campuses – to return to their spiritual roots and embrace a more faithful Judaism.

At first I was a bit concerned and felt he was unfair in doing what he did and I almost said to him – “go get your own crowd!”  But, in the distance I noticed that students were watching and seemed to be wondering why the Rabbi was helping the man (me), wearing a sweatshirt that read something like. Yeshua is the Messiah – hand out his literature.  I laughed and continued this unexpected few moments of “dueling pamphlets”.

It was just a few days after the Day of Atonement and thought I would take the opportunity to engage my self-proclaimed protagonist in meaningful conversation.  So I asked the Rabbi – whose name I knew – “Baruch, did you have a good High Holiday season”?  He looked at me and said, “of course”.  I then asked if I could ask him a bit of a personal question and he responded with a quick “sure”. I asked Baruch, whose name means blessing, “do you know if you were blessed with the forgiveness of your sins on Yom Kippur”?  He smiled at me, like a father whose young and precocious son had asked a naïve, but potentially reasonable question.  He answered, “you believers in Jesus think it is so easy to be forgiven…you just say a little prayer and bingo…you are forgiven!”  I returned the good-natured smile and said, “Baruch, I really want to know…you spent all day fasting, 10 days intensely repenting and now the Books of Life and Death are closed (according to Jewish tradition) and I am wondering…did you make it into the Book of Life”?  I then in typical New York, Brooklyn fashion – since I knew he had lived in Brooklyn – said – “answer the question, Yes or No.”

He used a fatherly tone with me and said, “How can someone ever know they were forgiven?  You think you get a certificate or something like that?  It is a matter of faith and believing you did the right thing”.   I pressed him one more time and said, “so, you do not know for sure that your sins are forgiven?”  This time he became a bit exasperated with me (I don’t blame him) and using my Hebrew name, said, “and even if I was forgiven, I would walk out of the Synagogue and sin again and have to repeat the whole process the following year”…He continued, “ the point is this…a faithful Jew must keep repenting all the time in order to forgiven of sin…it is a constant process”.

I smiled and said “thank you”.  He asked “why the thank you?” I then said to him that his answer reminded me of why I am so grateful for what Yeshsua the Messiah did for me and for him…that He died once for all, for all sins; for all time and for all people…and that though I do need to repent and live for Him that my eternal future rested in His mighty hands and not my own. He smiled at me and we wished one another a “Chag Sameach” – Happy Festival as we still had one additional Leviticus festival (and the one which was the most fun!), coming up – Tabernacles – Sukkot.

The Rabbi helped me appreciate the words of our Messiah who said, “It is finished”!  It is a source of great personal joy to know that His work of redemption is completed and as the author of the Book of Hebrew writes,

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Heb. 10:14)

Hebrews 8-10 describe His once for all atonement for our sins, but read verses 1-16 of chapter 10 and you will be able to glean the heart of what He did for us through His sacrificial death.

I went to a wonderful Messianic congregation on Yom Kippur day and the Messianic Rabbis’ sermon encouraged us to go beyond repentance – to reconciliation and that reconciliation with God (and with other people) can only come through the death and resurrection of our promised Messiah – Yeshua.  I could not agree more and am grateful for both Rabbis as I reflect upon Yom Kippur 5772.

One last thought.  I am thankful for the forgiveness of sin and gift of eternal life given to all who believe in Yeshua the Messiah, but the encounter with the Chabad Rabbi also taught me another important lesson.  That one’s love for God should never lead to silence!  In fact it should produce the opposite – a joy that compels us to speak to total strangers, to risk our personal dignity and safety and to even respectfully resist those whose goal it is to turn people towards a spiritual path other than the One way we know to be true.  I have a found a new, New Years resolution, thanks to some continued reflection on an event that happened many years ago – I pray that 5772 will be a year of new opportunities to tell others about my love for God and for His Son, and that He will give me the strength to take and even make these opportunities.

And you?

Happy Rosh Hashanah, and may your name be inscribed in the Book of Life!

We had wonderful Rosh Hashanah services at our Messianic congregation in Manhattan, Sha’ar Adonai, where I had the privilege of preaching on Erev Rosh Hashanah. I decided to preach on Psalm 23, which was the same text I preached on ten years ago when we observed Rosh Hashanah a few days after 9/11. At that time, many people were posting the twenty-third Psalm throughout New York City, hanging it on construction sites, hospitals, and more. Both believers and non-believers knew exactly what passage to read in order to find comfort and hope from God during a very trying moment.

Those days after the attack on the World Trade Center, and that first Rosh Hashanah service afterwards, were unforgettable. Months before the holiday, we had rented a space right next to the Empire State building for services. We decided not to change the location, even though many of us thought that the Empire State building could be the next target of the terrorists. Subways and buses were running poorly and the traffic was horrible as almost every other vehicle was stopped at a bridge or tunnel and searched for explosives. These were difficult days for the traumatized citizens of New York City.

In fact, we almost canceled the service, but decided against it. I remember telling one of our staff, “I will only cancel our High Holiday services when the Lord changes the Jewish calendar.”

We had a great service that night, and I was able to remind people that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear evil because the Lord is with us (Psalm 23:4), and when He is with us, we have nothing to fear. That post-9/11 Rosh Hashanah service was the first service that Steve and Carol Fenchel attended in New York City prior to their coming here to plant a Messianic congregation. And here we are ten years later, still loving the Lord and worshipping Him during Rosh Hashanah – having passed through the “dark valley” of terrorism, yet still able to praise God. And ten years later we are now able to look back and see that our faithful Shepherd was guiding and leading us to better and greener pastures. We are safe, though surrounded by danger, because we are His sheep and He has promised to be with us “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

This commemoration of Rosh Hashanah 9/11 was supremely meaningful to me and for those who went through the trauma ten years ago. I met one Jewish couple who attended our service ten years ago – it was their first time at a Messianic Rosh Hashanah service as followers of Yeshua (Jesus). I asked when they had come to faith and they replied, “A few days ago.”

I was a bit surprised and asked them to tell me their story. They had heard the message of Jesus from some Gentile Christian friends but were not convinced. They had also watched Jonathan Cahn’s TV show (Jonathan is a Jewish believer in Yeshua and pastor of Beth Israel congregation in New Jersey), but they were still not convinced. However, on September 11, their daughter was in one of the Twin Towers, and when they saw what had happened they prayed and asked Yeshua to save their daughter. They promised Him that if He did, they would both become believers in Him. After God did save their daughter, they became believers and found their way to our service just a few days later.

The same Lord who did such wonders during and immediately after September 11 is the Shepherd who continues to seek His sheep. After our service the other night, I was approached by an older couple, which I noticed had been smiling throughout the very lively and joy-filled service. I asked them how they liked the service and they said, “We loved it! This was unlike any Rosh Hashanah service I have ever attended!”

I asked the wife whether that was good or bad, and she exclaimed, “Good!” She and her husband had been brought to the service by a friend who is Jewish and believes in Yeshua. We compared stories about growing up in Brooklyn and Queens, and then talked a bit about the deeper spiritual issues of the High Holidays. It was a great conversation, but I don’t think I will forget the smile on this dear woman’s face when she went on to ask, “Is this the way your services usually go?”

I told her, “Yes – we are a happy bunch!”

As a Messianic Jew, I love to observe the Jewish holidays, but we must remember that the point of Rosh Hashanah in the Jewish community is that it serves as the “gateway” to the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. It is the day Jewish people begin a season of repentance and prayer that will hopefully lead to salvation by the close of Yom Kippur.

Yet as believers in Yeshua, we have forgiveness already! We also know that repentance alone does not save a man or a woman from the consequences of sin – we are  saved through the blood of the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah!

And this is why we have such joyful services! It’s not because we do not think we need to regularly repent, turning from our sins every day and drawing closer to God. Rather, we rejoice because we know that our sins are forgiven and we have been eternally bonded to God through the sacrifice of His Son, never to be undone – not even by the sins we commit each day as we do our best to walk with Him.

He is our great Shepherd. He leads us, guides us, and provides for all of our needs. And most importantly, He walks with us. He is our ever-present Companion and Joy, and this is why we view Rosh Hashanah as a celebration and a time to rejoice in thanksgiving to God for His goodness.

Again, I want to wish you a Happy New Year! I pray that you will have a spiritually fruitful week as you draw near to God and He draws close to you.

Mitch

Shalom!

This has been an eventful and traumatic week for Israel and the Jewish people.  The United Nations heard from President Obama, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the leaders of Turkey and Iran on the  topic of Israel, her borders and her status within the community of nations.  It is not lost on many of us that these historic conversations are taking place just days before the worldwide Jewish community begins the High Holiday season, beginning with the first night of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) on Wednesday night.  Admittedly, this was not  planned, as the General Assembly schedule is set well ahead of time – but still, the timing is notable!

The High Holidays, outlined in the Bible in Leviticus 23, have a privileged position in Jewish tradition and life… especially the New Year and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).  The ten days between the two great festivals have also grown in importance in Jewish tradition and are called The Days of Awe or Ten Days of Repentance.  This comes from the notion that God opens the books of life and death in heaven on Rosh Hashanah and closes them at the last moment of the Day of Atonement.  Jewish people use these ten days to make all things right with their neighbor and particularly to apologize to those they may have offended during the previous year.

The result would then be a sweet and fruitful year, symbolized by our sharing plates of apples and honey with one another! In other words, our sins require repentance and only when this is done can a Jewish person have peace with God, their fellow-man or woman and with themselves.

I love this tradition because it encourages humility and vulnerability and promotes the healing of broken relationships.  If only believers in Jesus the Messiah had a special season of the year when they knew the Lord was especially looking  into their hearts to make sure that they were seeking the forgiveness of others and were ready to forgive any who had offended them.  As our Messiah said,

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matt. 5:23 -24)

I believe that an annual week of repentance would transform relationships within the Body of Messiah and bring renewal and refreshment to our souls!

However, there is also a way to misuse the Jewish High Holidays – and there are lessons to learn from these instances as well.  For example, in 1973 the Jewish people were getting ready to observe the Day of Atonement. Israeli society stops completely on this holy day.  It was at that very time that hostile Arab nations attacked Israel, as the nation was observing the Day of Atonement and was unprepared for these terrible events.  The enemies of Israel chose this day knowing that Israel would have trouble deploying her primarily volunteer army and put warplanes into the air.  However, seven days later the Jewish nation was victorious.  But – without some help from the U.S. in  particular – this could have been the “end of Israel”!

The themes of the High Holidays could also be misused for the detriment of Israel as described in an excellent article that appeared online in the New Republic a few days ago. Yossi Klein Halevi* of the Hartman Institute in Israel wrote,

If only Israel had apologized to Turkey for killing nine of its nationals on last year’s Gaza flotilla, so the argument goes, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erodgan would not be threatening now to send warships against the Israeli coast. If only Israel had apologized to Egypt for the accidental killing of six of their soldiers when Israeli helicopters entered Egyptian territory in pursuit of terrorists last August, an Egyptian mob wouldn’t have ransacked the Israeli embassy in Cairo, as Egyptian leaders refused to take calls from desperate Israeli leaders. And if only Israel had stopped building in settlements and offered the Palestinians a fair solution, they would not now be turning to the U.N. to substitute an imposed solution for the negotiating process.

This convergence of blame comes at a time of spiritual vulnerability for Jews. This is, after all, our season of contrition. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, the process of self-examination intensifies. And as Jewish tradition emphasizes, the basis for penitence is apology. Before seeking forgiveness from God, we are to seek forgiveness from those we have hurt, even inadvertently.

Klein Halevi’s reminder that  the sins we confess before the Holy One and before our fellow-man are for both intentional and unintentional sins is profound. This theme grows out of chapter 16 of Leviticus, where it is clear that although the Israelites were supposed to sacrifice regularly at the Temple for their sins, it was understood that some sins and opportunities to seek forgiveness would be be missed.  The Day (as the holiday is often called in Jewish literature) makes certain that at least once a year these forgotten sins could be handled (through the blood sacrifice of an offering in the ancient Temple) and forgiven.

Certainly, in the midst of a tense situation like war, sins are committed that require forgiveness and this is undeniable.  However, it is a low blow when an alleged offended party attempts to recast their offenses as the other party’s responsibility and demand repentance for an offense they  actually caused or committed.  We each have plenty of hidden sins we commit for which we need forgiveness; we do not need the additional pressure of others trying to manipulate us for our supposed spiritual benefit – especially when we are at our most sensitive and at the apex of our spiritual vulnerability. It is reprehensible for any person or nation to take advantage of another’s desire to please God in order to serve their own selfish purposes.

I appreciate how Klein Halevi clarifies this issue:

But in the present atmosphere Jews should resist the temptation for self-blame. Apology is intended to heal. Yet those demanding apologies of Israel aren’t seeking reconciliation, but the opposite—to criminalize the Jewish state and rescind its right to defend itself.

Klein Halevi concludes,

This Rosh Hashanah I will ask forgiveness for my own sins and for the collective sins of Israel, as the liturgy insists. But I will withhold my political apologies for a time when those confessions won’t be manipulated against me. There is no religious obligation to collaborate in my own demonization. I will not be seeking forgiveness from those who deny my right to be.

I agree with Klein Halevi and believe that during the Ten Days of Awe, all parties engaged in the Israel-Palestinian conflict should examine themselves and repent, seek forgiveness and change the way they treat one another.  We cannot take responsibility for the sins of others – we have enough of our own!

One further thought: as a Messianic Jew – a Jewish follower of Yeshua (Jesus) – I believe that He is the One who is our ultimate sacrifice and that through His sacrifice we can be forgiven of our sins.  You can read more about this at www.Isaiah53.com.

His forgiveness gives us the power to forgive others. As Yeshua said to His disciples,

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matt. 6:14-15)

I realize that this is not the complete solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, but is is a good place to start and something to consider this Rosh Hashanah.

*Yossi Klein Halevi is a contributing editor to The New Republic and a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. (http://www.tnr.com/article/world/95020/un-palestine-israel-security-council-statehood?id=XSXeLNjlOhnXFgs1YTT71kQRmn2lUDfkoW7wSaad/fgUcW6fgf0yUqOtjBHROMqt)

I am sure you are following the events taking place at the United Nations carefully!  Times are tense – especially with the request for Palestinian statehood supposedly being brought to the table today by Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian authority.

The situation is grave and becoming more complicated by the day!

In an editorial this morning in the New York Times, the author wrote,

The United States and its partners should put a map and a deal on the table, with a timeline for concluding negotiations and a formal United Nations statehood vote. The proposal must be bold and fair and backed by the Security Council and the Arab League. And they need to help sell it to the Israeli and Palestinian people — not just politicians.

I believe statements and positions like these are at the heart of why peace has been so elusive and difficult to achieve.  It is a terribly unrealistic statement and tragically simplifies the problem.  The statement shows little understanding of the culture, values and history  of the people involved.  I am not offering any suggestions for a solution, but I know that demanding a quick resolution that ignores the volatility of the situation will not work!  The above suggestion treats the parties like children.

This is why it is so important at this moment to call upon the Lord to help and give wisdom to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians.  We know that peace will ultimately come when the Prince of Peace – Jesus – reigns on His rightful throne as predicted for thousands of years by the Jewish prophets… but we still need some type of solution today that will minimize the mourning of both Jewish and Arab mothers whose children are killed because world leaders cannot solve their problems by anything other than violence – especially utilizing terror attacks on innocents!

It is especially important for every follower of Yeshua the Messiah to pray for the peace of Jerusalem… and to pray today that some degree of peace, or at least the temporary cessation of violence might be possible!