A NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE

It's not late to wish AM ISRAEL and humanity a sweet 5770! I hope everyone that is reading this post has enjoyed so far the High Holidays known as the days of awe.

Now, before speaking about the beauty of our feasts; I have to say that the large Jewish community in Brazil and I as a Brazilian citizen are extremely upset about the encounter of the brazilian president Lula with Ahmadnejah at UN conference; every Rosh Hashanah he participates in the holiday celebration and so did he this time again, but Baruch Hashem BRAZIL and the Jewish people there do not agree with politics of just trying to get along with this tyrants in order to avoid conflicts and keep the exportation to Iran. The hatred that dictators preach have to be dealt with rigor and not in a passive way; so the message of BRAZIL AND ITS JEWISH PEOPLE to Lula is WE DON'T WELCOME DICTATORS, AM ISRAEL HATERS and HOLOCAUST DENIERS to our land of freedom;we will advocate and fight agaisnt the influence of this evil.

Now, about my Rosh Hashanah experience: it was very interesting this year in a very positive way, Baruch Hashem. I was able to enjoy the prayers sang by the Chazzan/ cantor Stark and my husband and I met a sweet couple from Canada that came to visit the husband's mother in the hospital, so we went to visit some patients at the hospital as well and I felt like it was one of the best prayers that I could offer...

Now this Yom Kippur I had the privilege of having a live dream with my sweet late daddy, it felt so real and I feel grateful to G-d for His kindness.

If we read the newspapers, we can see that most of its news are not enthusiastic and positive, nevertheless, if keep our souls in the spirit of the High holidays where we reflect and try to improve ourselves and ask forgiveness to G-d, thus in the holiday of Succot (Feast of the booths) we embrace the sense that our prayers have been answered, being sheltered by the Almighty’s heavenly clouds symbolized by the booths that once the ancient Israelites lived in the desert.

I hope everyone may harvest good blessings from their sincere prayers and enjoy the Yom Tov of Succot that is right on the corner and just like history tells, may we really experience its joyous occasion with news of Divine interventions individually and as a G-d fearing nation.

May Hashem Himself bring His SHALOM to ERETZ ISRAEL and not the treaties of politicians that think they could solve the problem and may we all gather together soon in Yerushalayim.

An interesting article upon the Jewish and Arabs living in Brazil, check at http://www.brazilpoliticalcomment.com.br/content/view/104/29/lang,en/ or click on the text of this post.

Tidbit on the role of the Shofar

First of all I'd like to detail a tidbit history of the Shofar which is a ram's horn that has been used as a sounded instrument from ancient Yisrael.

The Torah was given to Yisrael with the blasting sound of the shofar ( Shemot/Exodus 19:19); and Yisrael conquered the Battle of Yericho ( Jerico) with the blast of the shofar (Joshua 6:20); the shofar was blown as a sign to all Yisrael as an assembly during wars ( softim/judges 3:27; Shmuel 20:1); the shofar was also used during the coronation of kings (1 Kings 1:34, 39) and it was blown to announce the beginning of the Chaggim, the Jewish festivals (Numbers 10:10); and to celebrate the new moon on Rosh Chodesh (Psalm 81:1-3) and for a Teshuvah (Repentance - Isaiah 58:1;Ezekiel 33:1-20) and other appointed times such as distress, judgements, deliverance and so on.

Klal Yisrael will be advised on he coming of Mashiach through the blast of the Shofar (Zechariah 9:14,16) and the Shofar's blasts are a reminder that Hashem is on control of everything, as it causes awareness of his sovereignty.

The sound of the Shofar awake us to our spiritual reality and help us to be aware of our soul's need to reconnect to our Sovereign Creator who is the only one that can bring us deliverance from our distress.

Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as “Yom Teruah”, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, or the Day of the Awakening Blast.

Each sound is different. The various notes of the shofar that are blown are known as:

teki'ah--one long blast,

shevarim--three broken sounds, and

teru'ah‑nine--staccato notes.

The shofar blasts have the following sound patterns below:

teki'ah‑shevarim teru'ah‑tekiah;

teki'ah‑shevarim‑teki'ah;

teki'ah‑teru'ah‑teki'ah.

The final sound, the tekiah is longer ( teki'ah gedolah, which means a "great blast") and it reminds us about the verse from Isaiah which says: "And on that day a great ram's horn shall be sounded" (27:13)

Therefore, I'd like to wish each one of my friends, family, Am Yisrael and all good natured human being a true meaningful and happy 5770 with lots of joyful occasions, shalom and health !