Those who have Jewish friends know that they just celebrated their New Year’s Day, called Rosh Hashanah. The New Year season lasts through Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the most solemn day of the Jewish year.
Rosh Hashanah marks the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, which this year took place 5786 years ago.
In the beginning, calendars were lunar-based because moon phases were easy to measure. The Hebrew calendar, also known as the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar. It consists of 12 months, with an extra month added every few years to align with the solar year. The dates of God’s appointed feasts are recorded on that calendar. The Bible calls these the Moadim – the Lord’s Appointed Times (see Leviticus 23). They are not just historical festivals, but divine appointments on His calendar.
Most of the world today uses the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It is a solar calendar that consists of 12 months and includes a leap year every four years, with specific exceptions for centennial years. It starts with the birth of Christ, 2025 years ago.
Rosh Hashana this year began at sundown on September 22 which started a period of reflection and repentance -also known as the Days of Awe – which will end on Yom Kippur at sundown on October 2. These days are marked by the sounding of the shofar, proclaiming God‘s Kingship.
Is there a special meaning for the year 5786?
Hebrew numbers are represented using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, where each letter has a specific numeric value.5786 is written Tav–Shin–Peh–Vav(תשפ״ו). Each letter carries a meaning: Tav is covenant and completion. Shin is fire and refining. Peh is the mouth and proclamation. Vav is the nail or hook that connects (Source: Hebrew Dictionary). Put together, they point to a year of truth spoken boldly, promises fulfilled, and heaven and earth joined by God’s hand. This is the year of a divine hook that connects heaven with earth.
The Talmud describes how, on the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, three books are opened before God: one for the righteous, one for the wicked, and one for the intermediate. The righteous, the Talmud goes on to explain, are inscribed in “the book of life.” Man however cannot be righteous, without his sins being forgiven.
The Lord is calling His people to prepare, to awaken, and to align with this divine connection in 5786.
Standing with Israel 
Understanding how Chag Hanukkah a mitzva דאורייתא
Shabbat a זימן גרמא מצוה.
All time-oriented commandments require making a fundamental הבדלה which separates Av time-oriented commandments which require כוונה from toldot קום ועשה ושב ולא תעשה מצוות שלא צריך כוונה. להבדיל בין מלאכה מן עבודה
Am a yid attempting t’shuva after coming to Israel in 1991. Rejected the Rambam’s Sefer Ha’Mitzvot in favor of the B’HaG vision of Torah commandments. For a time-oriented commandment example: tefillah; Rambam’s introduction rejects the B’HaG’s order of mitzvot. Let’s focus upon his 5th positive commandment – tefillah. The B’HaG learns the opening Mishna of ברכות – that קריא שמע תפילה דאורייתא. The Rambam, based upon the criticism made by the RambaN, ruled that tefillah Shemone Esrei דאורייתא.
A fundamental error on par with his error concerning forced קידושין על ידי ביאה with a young minor child who lacks the mental maturity to understand the “k’vanna” of the time oriented mitzva of קידושין. This fundamental flaw in the Sefer Ha’Mitzvot which divides the תרי”ג מצוות into positive & negative commandments and ignores Av tohor time-oriented commandments an error that makes his scholarship totally treif. On par with his perversion of 4 part inductive logic פרדס – the kabbalah of rabbi Akiva, Yishmael, and Yossi Yossi Galili. Assimilated Rambam relied upon the 3 part deductive syllogism logic of Plato and Aristotle; Rambam blew out the lights of Hanukkah and caused the Jewish people a tragic ירידות הדורות, Israel forgot the Oral Torah as the Hanukkah blessing in the bencher testifies.
His statute law code utterly worthless when learning the Gemara. The example of the opening sugya of קידושין brings the common law precedents of etrog and כוי. To understand the limitations of the 3 ways a baal acquires a woman as a wife which do not apply to a young girl due to her lack of maturity – similar to etrog. Rambam’s statute law (assimilated to Roman statute law which organized law into categories), none of the super commentaries starting with the כסף משנה/Karo caught his fundamental error.
Talmudic common law (court-room judicial law) brings precedents (בניני אבות) which re-interpret (משנה תורה-common law) the intent of the language of the Mishna based upon a completely different perspective. Like the Front/Top\Side views of a blue-print permits the קבלן to construct a 3 dimensional building from a 2 dimensional blue-print. The Rambam erred when he ruled that ביאה achieves קידושין even in a young child who lacks the mental maturity to understand how a man who rapes her acquires her as his wife.
In short the halachic rulings made by this assimilated Jew utterly treif. In 1232 the Rabbis of Paris/Baali Tosafot agreed with the court of Rabbeinu Yonah in Spain and placed the ban of נידוי upon the Rambam. 10 years later the king of France together with the Pope decreed the burning of the Talmud in France. Rabbeinu Yona duplicated the error wherein the two warring brothers, Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II, invited Roman general Pompey into the walls of Jerusalem to resolve their dynastic dispute. The Hasmonean kingdom fell without even a whimper. What a disgrace.
Unlike the Tzeddukim who lost the Hannukah Civil War, Karaite Rambam won the identical Civil War wherein Jews forgot the Oral Torah פרדס logic system; the Talmud compares to the warp\weft of a loom – halacha/aggada. דרוש ופשט affixed to the Aggada which makes a drosh onto T’NaCH prophetic mussar (T’NaCH like the Talmud a common law legalism); רמז וסוד weave prophetic mussar “p’shat” determining the k’vanna of halachic mitzvot. The B’HaG rules that raising mitzvot to Av tohor time-oriented commandments makes these rabbinic mitzvot into דאורייתא commandments.
This sh’itta of learning “acquired” from Rav Aaron Nemuraskii a talmid of rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. Rabbi Nemuraskii did not teach this sh’itta of learning to his sons because he feared they would suffer isolation and disgrace. Rabbi Elyashiv did not teach this sh’itta to his sons Moshe and Binyamin, both of whom danced at my wedding, I suspect for the same exact reason. As a person attempting to remember the ways of my forefathers ie t’shuva, the risk of isolation and disgrace much more far removed.
Hanukkah clearly a post Torah rabbinic commandment. That’s if a person “shoe boxes” Torah commandments into Moshe commandments and post Moshe commandments as the Rambam did. This latter רשע totally assimilated like the Karaim and before them the Tzeddukim; all these religious sects or leaders believed and embraced as the Primary basis of their faith absolute trust and acceptance of ancient Greek Philosophy over the secondary Torah revelation at Sinai and Horev. The Rambam no different from those earlier/contemporary Jewish cults and/or sects who deny the Oral Torah revelation at Horev. Obviously this includes the writers of the New Testament.
Rabbi Akiva taught a kabbalah touching the Oral Torah revelation at Horev which defines it as a rational inductive reasoning logic system. Its known as the פרדס four part inductive comparison logic which measures Case/Rule cases to other previous judicial Case\Rule cases – precedents — בניני אבות. Judicial common law establishes law through courtroom rulings rather than cult of personality authority figures or legislative law. One of the central meanings of משנה תורה – Legislative Review.
The scholar known as the B’HaG, the last generation of the Talmudic scholars which preceded the Reshonim talmudic scholars. Gaonim 600 to 950CE. Reshonim 951- 1450 CE. The Rambam published his Yad Chazakah statute law halachic code in about 1185. In context, the Rabbeinu Tam – the leader of the common law Baali Tosafot French school of Talmudic scholarship – he died prior to the Rambam publishing his assimilated abomination code of halachic statute law.
The Book known as Sefer Ha’Mitzvot the Rambam wrote as an introduction to his puke Yad narishkeit. In that book he classified the 613 Torah commandments limited strictly to the language of the Written Torah; akin to how Orthodox Xtians interpret the Creation story of sefer בראשית. The Rambam rejected the kabbalah of rabbi Akiva’s 4 part פרדס inductive logic format in favor of Plato and Aristotles 3 part syllogism deductive logic philosophy.
The B’HaG preceded the Rambam by about 3 generations. As one of the last of the Gaonic school of Talmudic scholarship in Iraq, he too introduced his common law halachic codification הלכות גדולות, by first addressing Torah commandments. The B’HaG greatly influenced, even dominated the early Reshon – the Rif – and how he organized his common law halachic code. The Baali Tosafot approved of the court of Rabbeinu Yonah’s ban of נידוי upon this early Spinoza Rambam; in 1232 the rabbis in Paris place the ban of נידוי upon the Rambam. The Rif, two generations before the Rambam published his Greek/Roman statute law halachic perversion.
The B’HaG’s “sefer Ha’Mitzvot” unlike the assimilated puke Rambam’s travesty codification of the so called 613 Torah commandments, which froze these commandments into, so to speak, an ice tray having two rows: positive and negative commandments. The Rambam failed to grasp the Av priority of tohor time-oriented Torah commandments!
The B’HaG understood that if a T’NaCH\Talmudic scholar possessed the wisdom to elevate secondary commandments which do not require k’vanna to Av tohor time-oriented commandments which absolutely without exception require prophetic mussar as the k’vanna; then this special type of Av commandments possessed the power to make an aliya, to raise rabbinic commandments out of the din of g’lut, unto Torah commandments observed in ארץ ישראל in all future generation redeemed from the Torah curse of g’lut. This the “substance” rather than the “form” of Torah commandment observance has the power to raise rabbinic mitzvot unto Torah commandments.
The Rambam puke – being a totally assimilated Jew clung to Greek philosophy rather than a scholars of the kabbalah of rabbis Akiva, Yishmael, Yossi Ha’Gallilee – the great Tannaim (scholars who preceded Rabbi Yechuda’s codification of Great Sanhedrin judicial rulings known as the Mishna). This “rabbi” who betrayed the substance of Rabbinic Judaism – teachers of the Oral Torah revelation at Horev, who accepted the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven from the P’rushim – the Rambam’s complete and totally treif learning compares to the New Testament abomination.
In conclusion: All time-oriented mitzvot are Av tohor commandments. Av mitzvot require כוונה, and the כוונה defined by prophetic mussar, not by the mechanistic performance of the act. Toldot mitzvot (קום ועשה / שב ואל תעשה without kavanah) rely on the Av-mitzvah to give them meaning by functioning as precedents within the language of the Written Torah.
An example of elevating rabbinic to Torah commandments: Torah allows Sanhedrin to determine months — a human action becomes the Torah’s time. If a rabbinic commandment is aligned with an Av time-oriented mitzvah and framed through prophetic mussar, it ascends from din derabbanan to din d’oraita.
The Rambam’s code, which freezes Sinai into a dead text divorced from the living Sanhedrin. Chanukkah as a Torah commandment categorically rejects Hellenistic assimilation. The establishment of both Chag Purim and Chanukkah – an act of Sanhedrin court authority. Once Ḥanukkah attaches itself to the Av-mitzvah of Hoda’ah on national geulah, its status automatically becomes דאורייתא — not because its lights – ancient, but because its kavanah dedicates a Jew to only interpret the Written Torah through פרדס Av-tohor time-oriented commandments.
The Oral Torah functions as a common-law constitutional system (פרדס), NOT some Greek statute. A Torah obligation national oath brit commitment to pursue judicial justice within the borders of our Homeland, to make fair restitution of damages inflicted upon other. The substance and reason of the first Sinai commandment.
LikeLike
The revelation of the Torah at Sinai – a two part revelation.
Process (how Sinai unfolded) – Two-stage revelation: God spoke the first two “dibrot” aloud; after that Israel asked Moses to receive the rest and transmit it (Exodus narrative as read by rabbinic tradition). Oral transmission of the 13 tohor רוח הקודש spirit interpretation of the first commandment שם השם as the בטול idea of תורה לא בשמים היא revelation of the Torah at Sinai. Legal common law middot such as introduced by Hillel and other Tannaim serves as the יסוד by which the generations interpret the k’vanna of the revelation of the 13 Tohor Oral Torah middot at Horev.
The Torah does not invalidate the existence of other Gods; not the Gods of Egypt, Canaan, nor the Gods in later NaCH prophetic mussar. NaCH prophets do mock Gods limited to wood & stone. The Book of satire Kings mocks king Shlomo “as the wisest of all men” for his ignoring the mussar of the prophet Natan who commanded king David not to copy architectural constructs of how Goyim worship their Gods through Cathedral-like constructions. Rather the model of the Mishkan understood by the precedent of Moshe Rabbeinu’s last mitzva before he passed from this Earth – the Small Sanhedrin Capital Crimes Courts which define all the cities of refuge.
The 2nd stage of the revelation of the Torah at Sinai followed the sin of the Golden Calf – substitute theology which declared that אלהים (who occupies both the Heavens and the Earth) brought Israel out of Egypt. This substitute theology denies the בטול revelation of the שם השם לשמה – לא בשמים היא revelation that the רוח הקודש Oral Torah spirits live within the Yatzir Ha’Tov hearts of the chosen Cohen people when and only when we rule the oath brit land inheritance. The Torah revelation consists of two parts: Blessing/Life vs. Curse\Death-G’lut. Based upon the language of the 1st Sinai commandment “Egypt” לאו דוקא; all Goyim lands of g’lut – Jews live – just as no Sanhedrin or Yovel freedom for them so too no other Torah commandments apply other than to do t’shuva and remember – Israel came out of Egypt to conquer and rule Canaan with Sanhedrin courtroom common law justice.
No where, for example, does the Torah address the God worshipped in India and Asian countries. The brit of Gilgal/order of Rashi tefillen contrasts with the brit of Sh’Cem\order of Rabbeinu Tam tefillen. The oath sworn at Gilgal: just as HaShem judged the Gods of Egypt, so too HaShem will judge the Gods of Canaan. Just as Moshe a prophet so too Yehoshua a Torah prophet. Monotheism as a theology violates the 2nd Sinai commandment because if the Islamic Tawhid accurate then the 2nd commandment in vain. But the chicken always precedes the egg; Muhammad did not accept the revelation of the Torah at Sinai, his replacement theology substitutes Allah like as did the Golden Calf did with אלהים and the NT does with some “Father” in Heaven.
Monotheism, especially as framed by the נדוי Rambam assimilates to the foreign idea of ONE UNIVERSAL GOD. This false avoda zara assimilation validates Jews davening inside Mosques! It declares the Aggada of mesechta Sanhedrin touching the 7 mitzvot applicable to gere toshav to all “bnai noach Goyim in all lands! Mesechta Avoda Zara and in many other places throughout Sha’s teach that only Israel accepts the revelation of the Torah at Sinai. Therefore the שם השם לשמה by definition בטול, limited and restricted to the status of a local tribal god and not the foreign align Universal ONE God theology of alien foreign religious belief systems.
In like manner the mitzva of Moshiach not limited to some God/Man in the past as Xtian avoda zara attempts to dictate. Rather Torah common law stands upon the יסוד which requires בניני אבות-precedents. The NT worship of avoda zarah – other Gods – rejects the revelation of Oral Torah common law. It rejects Moshe anointing the House of Aaron as Moshiach despite the Talmud reference to Pinchas as משיח מלחמה or the NaCH reference to king Cyrus as משיח.
Goyim, by definition reject the revelation of the Torah at Sinai\Horev, therefore Goyim worship other Gods. Impossible for Goyim who reject the revelation of the Torah to thereafter dictate Torah mitzvot such as does the NT attempt with its false messiah paradigm and as does the Koran with its false definition of prophets sent to all Goyim paradigm. King Shlomo no different than his son at Sh’Cem. Just as Shlomo began his avoda zara “Civil War” curse imposed by the Natan curse following the David Bat Sheva injustice shown to her husband; Aaron dedicated by Moshe as Moshiach to sanctify through korbanot the dedication to rule the land of Canaan with judicial Sanhedrin common law justice. So too Rechavam ignored the elder advisors of king Shlomo just as young king Shlomo initiated building a Temple Cathedral avoda zara rather than establish the Federal Sanhedrin courts as the case of the two prostitutes proves.
LikeLike