Chag Sameach (Happy Holidays!) from all of us at My Olive Tree!
We have officially entered into the Fall Feast Season and this Rosh Hashanah is of particular importance because it is a shemittah year (shh-me-tuh).
Rosh Hashanah—the head of the year—is the traditional Jewish New Year. It is a special time of introspection and preparation for the Days of Awe (the 10 day period
Our Large Yeminite Shofars are measured following the curve and range from 25-40 inches in length. As each shofar is organic they vary in color, texture, and finish. They are a beautiful edition to your home as well as your spiritual life. In Biblical days, the shofar was used in a variety of ways including announcing the onset of Sabbath and holidays. It was also used at the coronation of a king or as a sound to rally the people to battle. Gideon used the sound of the Shofar to confound and scare the Midianites and shofars were used by Joshua for bringing down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:2-5). Today, many people and Churches use shofars as a call to worship and part of the worship service. “Special international shipping rates apply. International orders will be contacted shortly by a representative regarding your full shipping rate to a specific location outside of the US 48 contiguous.”
between the Head of the Year and the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur). Rosh Hashanah was instituted in Leviticus 23 as “the day of sounding the shofar” and hence is also called the Feast of Trumpets.
This Head of the Year marks the beginning of the shemittah year. If you have been following our blog posts you have been learning all about the shemittah year and its special significance. But if not, you are probably asking: What does shemittah mean?
The shemittah year is the 7th year, or the Sabbath year, and just like the 7th day of the week is considered Holy, so is the 7th year. It is much like the Sabbath day in that it is a year of rest and year to strengthen our relationship with God by communing with Him.
The word Shabbat is derived from the Hebrew root word, shin-beit-tav, which means to rest, to end, or to cease.
For My Olive Tree this is of special significance because this is the year that we let the land rest and wait one year before planting new trees.
Does this mean we stop our efforts? By no means! It simply means we work diligently to collect as many tree sponsorships as possible before our fall 2015 planting. This planting should be especially great and signify the overflow from honoring the Sabbath year.
For Believers, we are entering into a season of spiritual rest in 5775, where we learn to trust God for our harvest. Human nature pushes us to plant, plant, plant… work, work, work… and do, do, do! But, in this New Year God is inviting with us to Shabbat with Him.
God created the world in 6 days and on the 7th day He rested. We have been invited to rest with Him. The Shabbat day and the Sabbatical year have been set apart and sanctified as days to remember, to zakhor, who God is and what He has done for us.
So, for all of us from My Olive Tree, we wish you a Happy Rosh Hashanah celebration and a blessed Fall Feast Season!
L'shanah tovah (to a good year)!
