Showing posts with label Kohen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kohen. Show all posts

Sunday, February 14, 2016

On Mt. Zion, a Donkey to Redeem Israel is Blessed in Rare Biblical Ritual [PHOTOS] - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS


Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

On Mt. Zion, a Donkey to Redeem Israel is Blessed in Rare Biblical Ritual [PHOTOS]

“And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty.” (Exodus 34:20)
There are many Torah commandments (mitzvot) that even the most observant Jew living outside of Israel will never see or perform. Some of these mitzvot are making a comeback and having a most unanticipated effect.
Last Saturday night, a baby donkey was brought to the Tomb of King David on Mount Zion to be redeemed. What many consider an obscure agricultural ritual turned into a joyous celebration that ended with passionate cries for the coming of the Messiah.
Petter Chamor (redeeming a firstborn donkey) is mentioned three times in the Torah (Exodus 13:13; Exodus 34:20; Numbers 18:15). Redeeming the firstborn donkey is necessary since, when it is born, it is considered Hekdesh, or sanctified, and belonging to God via his emissary, the kohen, or high priest. The owner of the donkey’s mother has the right to use the donkey after he redeems it by giving a sheep to the priest in its place.
The story begins with a man from Bnei Berak who owned a jenny – a female donkey – which gave birth to a foal. He approached Rabbi Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb, which is located in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Rabbi Berger told Breaking Israel News that the man wanted to redeem the donkey in the place that symbolizes the unity of Israel under one king. As Rabbi Berger explained, “This is the place where the entire nation of Israel will be redeemed, so it is only fitting.”

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

The rabbi was thrilled by the prospect of performing the rare commandment, and arranged for it to be done at the most auspicious time for the Kingdom of David: Saturday night after the Sabbath ends. A special feast, accompanied by music, is usually held at that time at the Tomb of David, but with the addition of one tiny foal, this became an extra-special occasion.
Rabbi Simcha Hacohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rehovot and the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem, served as the kohanic emissary to receive the young donkey. Other esteemed rabbis, among them Rabbi Aharon Yitzchak Stern and Rabbi Shalom Arush, attended the ceremony as well.

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The small donkey was decorated and adorned with a crown, since, as Rabbi Berger explained, “This donkey, by bringing about this mitzvah, connects us to God, so it is fitting we should honor it and make it beautiful.”
Alongside the donkey stood a sheep that would be given in its place to redeem it. The owner of the donkey stood in front of Rabbi Simcha Hacohen Kook, and requested to redeem the donkey.
He then recited the blessing:
Blessed art thou, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments, and commanded us to redeem the firstborn donkey.

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)
Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

Then he recited the blessing of shehechayanu, a blessing which is said on special occasions when one is celebrating a “first”. The blessing thanks God for sustaining the reciter until this auspicious moment.

redeeming donkey
Document attesting to the redemption and “exchange” of the donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

Rabbi Berger described the great excitement of the gathered crowd when they heard the rare blessing. Those gathered chanted together, “God, just as you redeemed this donkey, please redeem all of Israel and bring moshiach (messiah) now!”
Breaking Israel News asked Rabbi Berger about the significance of the mitzvah. He explained that it was connected to the Exodus from Egypt, which is one of the major principles of Judaism.
“The Torah says that we do the mitzvah of redeeming the firstborn of a donkey in memory of the final plague in Egypt, in which the firstborn of Egypt were killed (Exodus 11:5). We know that every Jew who has a first-born son must redeem him for this reason as well,” Rabbi Berger said.
The rabbi explained why the donkey, out of all the animals, was chosen for remembering the Exodus. “The Talmud (oral law) says that the mitzvah is a reward for the donkey, a merit it is given through helping Israel connect to God,” he told Breaking Israel News. “It earned this reward by helping Israel carry the Jews and all the wealth out of Egypt. In the Torah, gratitude is very important, so we must show gratitude to the donkeys that carried us out.”

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)
Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

In these days which seem to clearly be paving the way for the messiah, it is exciting to see that every creature, great and small, will play a part.

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)
An attendee takes a selfie with the redeemed donkey.  (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)
Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)
The gathering celebrates after the redemption of the donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)


Friday, October 2, 2015

Sukkot in the Holy City ✡ "All the Gentiles Who Had Come to Jerusalem"

All the gentiles who had come to Jerusalem, will come every year to worship the King God, Master of Legions, and to celebrate the festival of Sukkot.

ZECHARIAH (14:16)

וְהָיָה כָּל הַנּוֹתָר מִכָּל הַגּוֹיִם הַבָּאִים עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְעָלוּ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה לְהִשְׁתַּחֲו‍ֹת לְמֶלֶךְ יְ-הוָה צְבָאוֹת וְלָחֹג אֶת חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת

זכריה יד:טז


v'-ha-yah kol ha-no-tar mi-kol ha-go-yim ha-ba-eem al y'-ru-sha-la-yim v'-a-lu mi-day sha-na v'-sha-na  l'-hish-ta-kha-vot  l'-me-lekh a-do-nai tzva-ot v'-la-khag etkhag ha-su-kot

Jerusalem Inspiration

Sukkot (Tabernacles) is a unique festival in the Jewish calendar. During the Temple times, all the nations of the world were able to participate. Our verse describes the mass ingathering of non-Jews who came to the Temple in Jerusalem on the festive days of Sukkot to pray to God. Today, Sukkot is still a magnificant time to visit the Land of Israel. Though the Temple is no longer standing, Jews come on "pilgrimage" to the Western Wall, with tens of thousands of people gathering there to perform Biblical commandments such as "Birkat HaKohanim", when Jews of the priestly class bless the Israelite congregation. Meanwhile, on the Temple Mount, violent agitators who wish to stop non-Muslim prayer are stockpiling weapons, starting fires, throwing rocks, and barricading themselves inside their mosques in order to attack the Israeli police and Jewish and Christian visitors who come to the site. Temple Mount advocacy organizations such as the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation are campaining every day in the Knesset and the streets of Jerusalem for safety, equality and access for all on the Temple Mount.

Police Battle "Terrorist Wannabes" on Temple Mount

Young Muslim "terrorist-wannabes", incited and directed by the PA and Hamas, holed themselves up overnight in the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount over Sukkot with a stockpile of weapons to prevent Jewish holiday traffic by staging violent riots. The Israel Police have released this video showing the violence, including the throwing of rocks, fireworks, metal bars and incendiary devices. Police stopped the violence, allowing visitors to ascend in peace.

DNA Studies Find Link Between Biblical Figure of Aaron and Members of the Modern Jewish Priestly Class

Scientists have discovered a gene which can be traced from the Biblical figure of Aaron, the first High Priest (kohen) of the Jewish people, to a segment of the Jewish population today which carries the priestly lineage.

Touch Israel Biblical Map

Touch Biblical Israel with this scaled, topographically contoured map of Israel as it was in Biblical times. It is labeled with all of the towns, cities, regions, rivers and lakes mentioned in the Bible. See exactly where each tribe settled in the Land, the locations of the surrounding nations, and the roads that the patriarchs walked. Any place with special Biblical status, such as Cities of Refuge, is marked on the map. Feel the valleys and mountains of Israel under your fingers and understand the Bible in a totally new way!

Jerusalem Daily Photo

Check out this amazing aerial view of the Temple Mount and its surroundings, from Wiki Commons. Just imagine the Third Temple towering above Jerusalem. We're getting there!

Thank You

Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Robin Sussman in memory of her parents Sigmund and Barbara Beer.

“Your Articles and God's Word Are a Fresh Meal For My Soul

It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send mean email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).

Your articles and G-D’s word are a fresh meal for my soul. It’s exciting to read and begin to understand my Jewish roots since I’m a born again believer who love everything Israel! May Israel live forever, Amen. May the G-D of Israel, the LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD life up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.(Shalom)  - Tom Malay
Blessing from Jerusalem,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

"Kohen" Gene Proves Existence of Biblical Priestly Class

The High Priest  in the Tabernacle (Illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible/Wikimedia Commons)

The High Priest in the Tabernacle (Illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible/Wikimedia Commons)


"Kohen" Gene Proves Existence of Biblical Priestly Class


“For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to serve in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever.” (Deuteronomy 18:5)
Scientists have discovered a gene which can be traced from the Biblical figure of Aaron, the first High Priest (kohen) of the Jewish people, to a segment of the Jewish population today which carries the priestly lineage.
The nation of Israel’s priestly class, which is passed down from father to son, began with Aaron (Exodus 28:1). Despite 2,000 years of diaspora, modern science has now proved that the Biblical concept of kohanim has genetic evidence which has allowed the priestly heritage to maintain its integrity, leading to speculation that when the Third Temple is built, modern-day kohanim will be fully qualified to preside over the rituals and rites of the Holy Altar.
Originally, the firstborn of Israel were intended to serve God after He saved them from the plague that killed all of the firstborn sons in Egypt (Exodus 11). When the firstborns participated in the sin of the Golden Calf in the desert (Exodus 32), they disqualified themselves from serving in the Jewish Temple. The tribe of Levi (the tribe of Moses and Aaron) refrained from the sin, so they took the place of the firstborns, serving in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple as musicians, guards, and in several other roles.
Aaron, the brother of Moses, was chosen to be the high priest, and his four sons were appointed after him. The title of kohen is patrilineal, passed from father to son. In some ways, despite various honors allocated to kohanim, this was not a desirable position. Serving in the Temple meant not receiving a portion of land in Israel and also included many restrictions. Priests are not permitted to marry divorcees or converts, and they are also forbidden from coming into contact with the dead, or from entering cemeteries. However, the position also brought certain benefits, such as receiving a portion of the tithes which were only permitted to the priests and Levites and their immediate families.
While it may sound a bit like science fiction, geneticists have verified the link which connects the present-day group of men classified as kohanim to the Biblical figure of Aaron, who lived over 3,000 years ago. Demographic studies have shown that kohanim have always represented approximately five percent of the total Jewish population. 
Let's Rebuild the Temple Now!
According to Jewish law, Jewish identity is determined by the religion of the mother, but the priestly designation and  tribal identity have always been determined by the father. Since the designation of being a Levite or Kohen is passed from father to son, the gene is found on the Y chromosome, which is inherited only from the father.
Genetically speaking, women have two X chromosomes, one from each parent. Men have an X chromosome inherited from their mothers and a Y chromosome inherited from their fathers. All direct male lineage shares a common haplotype, which, in the simplest terms, is a specific group of genes that the offspring inherits from one parent. Since Y chromosomes are passed from father to son, all kohanim males should, in theory, have almost identical Y chromosomes.
The Cohen hypothesis was first tested by Professor Karl Skorecki, himself a kohen of Ashkenazic descent, at the Rambam-Technion Medical Center in Haifa in 1997. He tested for two distinct Y chromosome markers (YAP and DYS 19), labeling it the J1 Cohen Modal Haplotype. A particular genetic marker on the Y chromosome (YAP-) was detected in 98.5 percent of the kohanim, and in a significantly lower percentage of non-kohanim Jews.
The haplotype was also found in other groups that had no clear connection to the Jewish people or the priestly heritage, but Jews had a significantly higher proportion of full haplotype matches. The source for the gene was clearly in the Middle East, as it was also found with a higher frequency among Bedouins, Jordanians, and Yemenites. It also became clear from the study that within the group identified as kohanim, there were several different lineages. The results have limited implications, though the correlation is undeniable.
Since it was found in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews, the genome predates the split in the communities which occurred around 1000 CE. Based on the mutations found in the genes, scientists place the original kohen – the first common ancestor – at approximately 3,300 years ago, a timeline that fits neatly within the Biblical parameters of the lifetimes of the first priestly family.
There are many disputes surrounding the Third Temple, and much work to be done before it can become a reality. However, as hundreds of kohanim (Jewish priests) gather at the Western Wall on the third day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles) to bless thousands of Jews in a tradition passed down for millennia, the scientific proof of the legend of the Jewish priests shows that one thing is sure: the kohanim are here, and ready to begin work.

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/49932/dna-studies-prove-existence-of-biblical-priestly-class-health-and-science/#PDXWlSjcJUu6SY1E.99