Hearing the call of the shofar, the sheep awoke momentarily, moving their collective heads in unison slightly to the right and then back to the left, before falling back into another year-long hibernation of sorts on this, the occasion of the religious 'High Holidays.'
Would God be a Democrat or Conservative?, one asks at this time of the Jewish High Holy days. Clear to us, What about you? Will the call of the shofar awake the Jews and non-Jews this year?
On Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year followed by Yom Kippur-Day of Attonrment) it is said the Jews (and perhaps all mankind and womankind) are to reawaken God. It is said to be their
responsibility to show interest
-e.g.speaking out is important. Then, God knows we care and are doing our part and He will be there to help. But we must first help ourselves by showing interest and not expecting God to do all the work.
No need to travel and run from our homes. There is plenty to enjoy and discover right here. The Bible tells we should seek out new positive experiences each day right where we are....and not waste time and money traveling the world trying to 'find a better place.' That place is here, where we are right now.
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PARABLE OF THE LUCKY NUMBER
A man down on his luck woke up one day to find a $5 bill on the floor with no idea how lt got there.
After showering, the same man , long fighting a weight problem , among other things , noted when on the scale that he had lost FIVE pounds in one day!
Not to mention that his birthday was May 5. A religious man, he thanked God that night for all the good fortune, as it were, believing that luck had begun coming to him and he was eager for it to continue including getting a mortgage at 5% at time of inflation and mtg rates over 7%. More good things continued for him that he attributed to the lucky number FIVE. As if his good luck was here to stay, He told God that he decided to go for the ' Gold Ring ' and put all his life savings on Horse No. 5 tomorrow at the race track.
Even though God cautioned the man about Greed and superstition, he went to the racetrack , anyway. the next day and put all his money on Horse # 5.
That night during his prayers, a very distraught man was approached by God , who inquired as to why the man was so upset.
'Horse No. 5 came in FIFTH!' The man told God, acting as though it was God-s fault.
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The Bible is a guide from God to find one's way to the best, most honorable life, e.g. the 10 commandments .
God gives us a lot of things to help us, such as Noah's Ark. It's what we do with those things that count.
What do the 4 sounds of the shofar mean?
The shofar has four sounds: tekiah, a long, loud blast calling people to attention; shevarim, three broken blows which sound like crying; teruah, nine or more staccato rings serving as a wakeup call to the new year; and tekiah gedolah, a great blast played at the end of the Rosh Hashanah service.
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