Last month I discussed the traditional biblical wedding outline and implements. This month I wish to share how the process of marriage occurs in two distinct stages: Kiddushin (commonly translated as betrothal) and Nisuin (full-fledged marriage). Kiddushin occurs when the woman accepts the contract offered by the prospective husband.  The word "Kiddushin" comes from the root Qof-Dalet-Shin, meani...  Read More

Etrog & Lulav As I shared in our September Newsletter greeting September is the month we begin the celebration of the High Holy Days the Fall Feasts! September is the month that we order our Etrog and Lulav sets for our Sukkot celebrations!  The command to celebrate Sukkot with the Etrog and Lulav is recorded in: Leviticus 23:40-43. On the first day you are to take choice fruit (Fruit of the Hadar...  Read More

Shalom Mishpocah,         Summer has passed by quickly! School is starting, hurricane season is in full swing, and though September is a transition month into fall time we still have 21 days of summer left until the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd 9:04 P.M. EDT-the first day of fall. The following Sunday, Sept 25th at sunset the Fall High Holy Days begins with the start and celebration of Yom T...  Read More

        What is the origin of the biblical wedding?  There is so much information on this subject that I will begin with the origins of the wedding and the wedding contract. I will continue this subject for several articles.  The wedding begins in the following scriptures:Exodus 19:9-19. ADONAI said to Moshe, "See, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will be able to hear when I...  Read More

The ShemaDeuteronomy 6:4. "Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one];The term Shema is derived from the Hebrew root shin, mem, ayin. Sh'ma is a noun that is most often translated as hear or hearing. On a side note, the word for rumor is shmu-aw; the plural, rumors, is shmu-aws. If that word for rumors, shmu-aws, sounds vaguely familiar, it should...  Read More

Shalom Mishpocah,        August, the eighth month is here! Statistically, August is the warmest and most humid month of the year! As summer is half over families begin shopping for school cloths and supplies! August is also the month of our highly acclaimed Youth Service (August 12th), where our youth run the entire service! August marks the beginning of harvest, and the Fall Feast celebrations ar...  Read More

The ShofarGenesis chapter 22 is the source of the ancient rabbinical explanation of the Shofar’s beginning. When Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed, an Angel appeared and stopped Abraham just before he sacrificed Isaac.  God provided the sacrifice, a ram caught in a thicket.  Here’s the tradition as retold by Jewish sages:  After sacrificing the ram, Abraham took one horn of the ram to remember t...  Read More

Prevent Truth decay, brush up on your bible! From the book “Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus” Authors David Blivin’s and Roy Blizzard Jr. “The more Hebraic the saying or teaching of Yeshua the more difficult it is to understand…..Most of Yeshua’s sayings are Hebrew idioms which do not translate into Greek”  The synoptic Gospels are derived from original Hebrew texts. Hebraic Idioms becom...  Read More

It’s July, summer has arrived! We are halfway through this year, where is the time going? The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (M.J.A.A) annual “Messiah Conference” begins this Sunday July 3rd at Messiah College in Grantham PA. Monday, July 4th, 2022, Congregation Zion’s Sake offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day!The United States Declaration of Independence is the pronounce...  Read More

Bar mitzvah means son of the commandments in Hebrew and bat mitzvah means daughter of the commandments. A bar/bat mitzvah signifies the transition from childhood to adulthood in their walk and relationship with Adonai! There are three scriptures that are associated with this ceremony about teaching the children:Proverbs 22:6. Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, t...  Read More

Shalom Mishpocha,        June has arrived, the weather is warming up, schools are letting out for the summer, vacations are being planned, and summer arrives on June 21st with the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year! June is a transition month, leaving spring and entering the summer season! Adonai designed transitions for a kingdom purpose. Transitions aren’t just change but are a series ...  Read More

Atara - The crown or neckpiece of the Tallit.Shamash - The blue strand in a tzitzit.Tzitzit - Specially made fringes worn on the four corners of a Tallit.Tzitziyot - Plural form of tzitzit.The blessing embroidered upon the atarah or CROWN is usually:  Blessed are You, LORD our God, Master of the Universe, who sanctifies us with His commandments and commanded us to wrap ourselves in tzitzit. Barukh...  Read More