1 Shavat 5779

Sh'vat 1, 5779 (Jan. 7, 2019)

Today is the 1st day of the 11th month of the Hebrew calendar.  The 11th month is called Shevat. However, the names of the months are secondary titles to the numeric positions of the months. In Scripture the months are numbered from one to twelve. Most of the names were adopted from the Babylonian except for the name Abib, Ziw, Eythanim and Bul.

Since the outgoing 10th month of Tevet has 29 days, only the first day of the incoming month of Shevat is the Rosh Chodesh. Following a  30-day month, the 30th day of the outgoing month and the 1st day of the incoming month are days of Rosh Chodesh.

The 11th month of Shevat has 30 days. So the next Rosh Chodesh Adar will be on Shevat 30, 5779 and Adar 1, 5779. That'll be 2 days of Rosh Chodesh.

Shevat is the 2nd month of winter in Israel. The 1st month of winter is Tevet. And the 3rd month of winter is Adar.

There are written instructions in the Scripture regarding the observation of the 1st day of the month, or Rosh Chodesh, which is Hebrew for the head of the month. These instructions are:

1.Blow the ram's horn at the new moon. Psalm 81:3
2.The breaking of bread. 1 Samuel 20:5, 18. The Hebraic breaking of bread is totally different from the Catholic's holy communion.
3.Have a Set Apart Assembly. Isaiah 1:13-14
4  No buying or selling. Amos 8:5-6
5. Blow the trumpet over the burnt offerings. Numbers 10:10
6. Bring the following offerings( Numbers 28:11-15):
i.Burnt offerings
ii.Drink offerings
iii. Grain offerings
iv. Sin offerings.
All these 4 offerings has nothing to do with sin. The burnt offerings speaks of total submission to Yahweh Elohim. Just like Abraham and Isaac who offered the burnt offering of the ram. The grain offerings speaks of sacrifices as what is offered is flour, after the grain has been grounded and crushed to flour. The drink offerings speaks of joy and rejoicing before Yahweh Elohim. The drink offerings, comprising yayin (wine) or shekar ( intoxicating liquor) were not drunk but was poured out on the altar. And the sin offering, wrongly translated as "sin" should rightfully be called purification offerings. It is not to cleanse sins but to purify from uncleanness and defilements.

There is a calendar written in the Scripture. When we follow the Biblical calendar, we know the holy and set apart days of Yahweh our Elohim.And those set apart days are to be observe according to the written instructions in the Scripture.  If you follow the pagan Gregarian calender, it shows the pagan holidays.

Today is the 1st day of the 11th month of Shevat. It is not the 1st month of the year yet. The 1st month of the year will be in Spring, in the 1st month of Abib.

Chodesh Tov!  Rosh Chodesh Shevat Sameach!