Shabbat on our knees... Teshuvah!

Tonight begins Shabbat and we will be on our knees. Today is the eighth anniversary of the 9/11.

We are not having a special meeting tonight but a time of prayer. Husband and I are grieved to see America has slipped back into complacency, back away from The Almighty. This is the season of Teshuvah, of returning back to the laws of The Father in preparation of the Fall Feasts and the Messiah's return.

How very fitting that tonight's Parashah is Ki Tavo, "when you enter." In this Parashah, the children of Israel are getting ready to enter the land and Moses is exhorting them to keep the law, the Torah. It is in this reading where the Moses gives them the charge for the "Blessings and Curses." Blessings if you follow the commandments, the Torah, and Curses if you don't. This is reflected in 2 Ch 7:14

Quote:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Ki Tavo is read during the season of Teshuva, or returning, the time when we are to perform cheshbon ha-nefesh and teshuvah, (soul searching and return [to the laws of the Almighty]) in the days leading to Yom Kippur. In other words, "Repent before you die." This is interesting because Husband and I feel today, the eighth anniversay of 9/11, America needs Chesbon ha-nefesh and Teshuvah!

Parashah: Deut. 26:1 - 29:9
Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1-22
Brit Chadashah: Acts 7:30-36, Eph. 1:3-6 , Rev. 21:10-27

Shavua Tov!

We have been keeping Shabbat for two years now but tonight was the first time we had a Havdalah ceremony, which marked the end of Shabbat. I'm so glad we did for it added a new dimension to our understanding of His Day, of His separating the Holy from the profane. The various scripture and blessings recited over the candles and the wine and spices were beautiful and hearing them in Hebrew, which we've been studying, deepened their meaning for us. 

The blessing my Husband said to bring an end to Shabbat was filled to overflowing with meaning and significance: 

Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu Melekh Ha'olam, ha'mavdil, bayn kodesh le'chol, bayn or le'choshech, bayn Yisra'el la'amim, bayn yom ha'shevi'i le'sheshet yemay ha ma'aseh. 
Blessed are you, Oh L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe who created a distinction between the holy and the profane, between the light and darkness, between Isra'el and the nations, between the seventh day and the rest of the week. 

Baruch ata Adonai, ha'mavdil bayn kodesh le'chol. 
Blessed are You, Oh L-rd our G-d who made a distinction between the sacred and the profane. 

After the Havdalah, we all jumped into work, cleaning from our meeting last night, beginning the laundry again, vacuuming and planning for our work tomorrow. It made a wonderful transition back into "normal" mode.

Shabbat is over 
Shavua Tov! (good week!)