The Jerusalem Prayer List – September 6, 2011

Today is one day before the beginning of the Day of Atonement – Yom HaKippurim. Today was also the hearing of our case in the Supreme Court of the State of Israel. The legal system in Israel is one of the most wonderfully glorious thing that Israel has. We have full confidence in Israel's legal system. Today we were in the Supreme Court of Israel. Three honorable judges heard the opposition’s appeal that centered on the fact that we received “half of our request” and because there is opposition to our existence in the neighborhood that should be enough. The opposition wanted to concentrate on the city planning part, and tried to hide the fact that the only reason that they made this appeal was because we are Jewish disciples of Yeshua. Our lawyers tried to make it very clear that the whole issue is who we are and not the addition of another floor and remodeling our building. The final results of this court hearing will be received in a few months when the judges write their brief and give their verdict. We have full confidence in the God of Israel, in His Righteousness, and in His promises to Israel and the whole World. We also have peace in our hearts over this Supreme Court hearing today and no matter what is decided by the good judges we will make we will continue to seek the good of our people Israel and continue to distribute food to the poor and continue to study and teach the Word of God in Jerusalem. I really do believe that in this case like in all other cases all things work for the Good of those who Love the Lord, and we love the Lord very much and will continue to do so no matter what happens. Please pray for Israel and for the wisdom of the judges and the purity of the legal system in Israel.

Our long saga over the building license is not really over yet, and we shall wait for the decision of the Supreme Court, but also we need you to continue to pray for us because in the City of Jerusalem planning department there are some problems that need to be resolved. God will these issues of planning and design will be resolved and we will be able to start building as soon as we have the verdict and the plans cleared in the committee. Please keep praying for us and for Jerusalem and for the wellbeing of Israel's civil rights and equality before the Law.

The Day of Atonement is mentioned in the New Testament in an interesting context. Paul was traveling from Caesarea to Rome. He left Caesarea probably in the summer and had plans to get to Rome in the beginning of the Fall Season. His ship got into bad weather near the southern shores of Crete. Here is the text from the book of Acts chapter 27: “Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.” (Acts 27:8-13) Note Paul is sailing on an Alexandrian Ship in the Mediterranean Sea the sailing is slow and fall is coming and winter after the fall. The text says that the sailing is now dangerous because the Fast was already over and winter was coming. The Fast is Yom HaKippurim – the Day of Atonement. Now, a question! Why would Luke mention that the Fast was already over and winter is coming? A possible answer: Luke and Paul did Fast and when Luke wrote this he must have presumed that everyone of his readers will know immediately what is the Fast that comes just before the winter – it has to be Yom HaKippurim / the day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement comes in Israel ten days after Rosh HaShana. These ten days are called the days of awe and it is incumbent upon each person to take stock of his life, his actions, his sins and his mistakes, and in great regret repent and prepare for Yom HaKippurim. Well, today was the ninth day tomorrow is the tenth day after Rosh HaShana and tomorrow afternoon starts the service for Yom HaKippurim. The services of Yom HaKippurim starts with one of the most fascinating prayer called in Hebrew “Kol Nidrei.” The words of the Kol Nidrei prayer translated from Aramaic to English are: "All vows, obligations, oaths or anathemas, pledges of all names, which we have vowed, sworn, devoted, or bound ourselves to, from this day of atonement, until the next day of atonement (whose arrival we hope for in happiness) we repent, aforehand, of them all, they shall all be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, void and made of no effect; they shall not be binding, nor have any power; the vows shall not be reckoned as vows, the obligations shall not be obligatory, nor the oaths considered as oaths."

This prayer was especially composed during the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th Century. During the Spanish Inquisition Jews were forced to convert to the Christian faith of Catholic Church and stop to live a Jewish Lifestyle or eat Kosher food or circumcise their children or even light candles on Shabbat. If the “New Christians” would be caught doing something like lighting candles on Friday afternoon or evening or “God forbid” going to the Synagogue on Yom HaKippurim – they would be killed and may be burned alive in the city square. So, this preyer was composed to allow these “New Christians” to come to the and worship and pray with the Jewish community. The Kol Nidrei prayer is to release all the vows and promises that bound the “New Christians” and allow them to be again a part of the normal and natural Jewish Community in spite of the fact that they had actually converted to Christianity of the Catholic Church and made vows and promises not to be Jewish anymore and not to participate in Jewish Holidays, and even to change their names to so called “Christian names.” So, in our congregation in Jerusalem tomorrow we will gather to worship and celebrate the Atonement that God has given us and all will begin with the Kol Nidrei prayer. Please keep Netivyah in your prayers and pray that we continue to facilitate for the rest of the Jewish Disciples of Yeshua in Israel and in other parts of the world the Restoration of faith and lifestyle like the lifestyle and practices we read about in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. This is the only effective way that we as Jews can integrate our life and faith back into a biblical pattern like the early disciples of Yeshua in Jerusalem in the first century.

Please keep on praying for the list of sick brothers and sisters in Israel, Finland, the United States, Brazil, Japan, and other places.

Please continue to pray for God to provide jobs and financial support for the hungry and needy brothers and sisters whom you know and we know in Israel and in other places. The children of God deserve to be blessed with God's bounty and goodness. I shall not this week list the sick by name nor will I list the host of brothers and sisters who need God's blessings. But, I will tell you that we have distributed several tons of food. We have given good and fresh and high quality food, fruit, vegetables, canned goods, meat, poultry, and fish, to near 200 families – not individuals who can celebrate the holidays with God's goodness and provision thanks to your prayers and your generosity. We have also this week distributed near ½ ton of good quality clothing to the poor of Jerusalem and to those who come to take food from Netivyah.

Next week comes the Feast of Booths – Sukkoth in Hebrew. There will be thousands of Christians from all around the world walking in the streets of Jerusalem and celebrating Sukkoth with Israel. I will write more about it next week. For now God bless you all and bless your bread and your water, the fruit of your life and the joy of your walk.

Joseph Shulam

P.S. - Please go to our web page and read, hear, and see, what Netivyah is doing: www.netivyah.org

Also if you want to contribute to Netivyah you can do it with your credit card through the web page and PayPal or you can send your contributions by check to the following address and write on the envelope – For Netivyah in Israel. In both cases the funds arrive to us in Israel. For book-keeping reasons some people prefer to contribute through the church.

The address is:
Netivyah Israel
North Boulevard church of Christ
1112 North Rutherford Boulevard
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130
U.S.A.