Judaism

Dear Children,

It is believed by some, that Jesus was born 5 BC.

Do you know, that BC means ‘Before Christ’?

Now you could ask me, how Jesus was born 5 years before himself, since Jesus and Christ are names for the same person?

The reason is that in early times, people could not read or write. So whatever the master taught, it was passed on by word of mouth, and the students, had to learn it by heart.

Therefore, the recording of ancient history may not be very accurate.

So, some historians now believe, that Jesus was probably born, 5 years earlier than it is believed that he did.

Jesus was a Jew and what he stated, was very close to what the Jewish Scriptures taught.

The Jewish scriptures describe how God created the world.

The Jews believe that God created the world in 6 days, and rested on the 7^th day.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year falls in September and is regarded as the anniversary of the day that God created the world.

The Celebration begins with a blast of the shofar (ram's horn) to announce that the God who created the world is still the one ruling it.

The custom of tearing clothes was a sign of sorrow for having sinned. However God is more concerned with a change of heart, which means, to stop sinning and to obey the laws of the Lord.

The first prayer that a Jew learns as a child is:

“Shema Yisroel Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echod”

Which means: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One”

This prayer, a devout Jew also says, before he dies!

The early Jews were slaves, and were treated badly by their masters.

Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and captivity.

Moses was given the 10 commandments by God.

Some of these commandments of God, urge Jews to honor their parents, not to murder, to remain faithful, speak the truth, not to steal what does not belong to them, and to lead a good life, and perform good deeds (mitzvah) i.e., visit the sick, not hurt people’s feelings, the study of the scriptures…

Dear children, please note that what God taught the Jews is not different from what your religion teaches you.

Some of the Jews, in time, forgot the commandments, so God sent prophets and messengers to remind the people of the commandments of God.

Today, not only the Jews, but all of us have to remember what God commanded.

And I am trying in a very small way to share with you, what I have learned and feel to be true.

Will you read my words and think about them?

Read: Moses