[Why two Sabbath lights instead of one or more, ever wonder? Here’s a post that attempts to answer this Jewish tradition:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/484176/jewish/Why-Light-Two-or-More-Shabbat-Candles.htm
So the next Q is: why are Sinaites being mere copycats instead of devising our own distinctive way of celebrating the Biblical Sabbath? A: Sinaites have adopted the kindling of two lights on our Sabbath celebration–emulating the Jewish tradition of celebrating erev Shabbat in the family setting—but adding our own interpretation of “why two lights” indeed:
- The first candle is our way of acknowledging Israel as the source of our knowledge of and belief/faith in the One True God-Creator, everything the TORAH narrates about Israel and their God.
- The second candle is representative of Gentiles of the world (which includes us, Sinaites and all other non-Jews), whose enlightenment about the One True God through His Revelation to Israel has come to us from the Sacred Scriptures of Torah-observant Israel. The Torah is the ultimate and only authority we recognize as the source of our belief and way of life.
So actually, the better image should be:
- one candle already lit representing Israel and,
- the second candle is lit by the first, representing Gentiles of the world who have come to believe and worship the God Who chose Israel to be His ‘Light to the Gentiles’.
So, two Sabbath lights for Israel and Gentiles of the world, the Sinaite’s metaphor.–Admin1.]
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Kindle the Sabbath Lights
Blessed are You, YHWH our God,
King of the Universe,
Who commanded Your chosen nation, Israel,
to set aside one day out of seven,
to rest from their labors,
this nation in this day and age,
continues to be the Sabbath-keeper
on the True Sabbath Day,
as ordained by You,
Oh YHWH,
Lord of the Sabbath,
God of Israel, God of the Nations.
As Gentile-believers in You, O God of Israel,
we believe we are grafted into Israel!
We relate to the generation of Gentiles
who left Egypt with the Israelites in ‘the Exodus’,
and who stood among the Israelites
when Your Commandments were given to them
through Your Servant Moses,
in the desert of Sinai.
We relate to those Gentiles
who were not of Israel
but related to Israel
and stood with Israel
before You,
the God Who spoke Your Law from Mount Sinai.
Just like that first generation of Gentiles among Israelites,
We– 21st century Gentiles—
are fortunate and blessed to have come to know You
through the Scriptures of Israel,
and through the continuing witness
of Your chosen people from their inception:
a people formed by You, Yourself,
through the line of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham,
down to their descendants
who claimed Your Divine Declaration
that the Land is theirs,
but had to fight for its occupancy;
the Promised Land problematic
for generations of Israelites
who have not enjoyed peace
in the land of promise.
We address You by Your Self-Revealed Name,
and dare to utter it with utmost reverence and awe,
for we love Your NAME, O YHWH,
and would declare it to all who need to hear
about “Who is the One True God?”
and “What is His Name?”
In the confusion caused by world religions today,
Your True Name has been replaced
by names of non-gods and of idols,
invented by men out of ignorance or intentional deceit,
as though six millennia had not passed
from the time You were angry at the nations
who worshipped gods other than You,
who declared names of non-gods
instead of Your Name,
O YHWH!
Darkness is upon us on our side of planet earth,
And yet You would not have granted us eyesight
if darkness is all we would ever see during our lifetime—
for physical darkness renders vision useless,
for, to be able to see with our eyes,
we need even the smallest flicker of light!
And so as Your spectacular sun sets on our horizon,
and night-time is soon upon our side of planet earth,
We kindle these two lights to signal
the beginning of yet another day.
How thoughtful are You, O Creator-God,
to use darkness and light and the heavenly bodies
to signal to sentient human beings
to be ever conscious of the passing of hours,
minutes and seconds that keep moving nonstop through TIME,
So that we might not succumb to the tyranny
of business and activity that we tend to impose upon ourselves.
So much so,
in Your wisdom and concern for our well-being,
recognizing that rest is just as important as work,
You added the 4th Commandment:
You created the 7th day for all humanity
to cease from our daily strivings.
We thank You, O Creator and Designer of the human body,
for providing us with two eyes with which to see,
for providing us with spiritual eyes as well,
to see beyond our material world.
Yes, how fortunate are we not only to have sight,
but to have been endowed with mental faculties
and spiritual vision to recognize and acknowledge with wonder,
Your Handiwork in the created order
that sustain all life in this perfect world we inhabit,
where the needs of all living creatures
from the simplest to the most complicated,
from the smallest to the biggest,
from the weakest to the strongest,
are provided for.
What an awesome God are You,
O YHWH,
Creator of the Universe,
Light of the World,
Source of Life,
God of Israel, God of Sinaites,
God of Torah-believing Gentiles of the nations,
Amen.
From the Book of Jewish Prayers:
MEDITATION
We pause in reverence before the gift of self:
The vessel shatters, the divine spark shines through,
And our solitary self becomes a link
in Israel’s golden chain,
For what we are, we are by sharing.
And as we share
We move toward the light.
We pause in reverence before the mystery of a presence:
The near and far reality of God.
Not union, but communion is our aim.
And we approach the mystery with deeds.
Words lead us to the edge of action.
But it is deeds that bring us closer to the God of light.
We pause in terror before the human deed:
The cloud of annihilation, the concentrations for death.
The cruelly casual way of each to each.
But in the stillness of this hour
We find our way from darkness into light.
May we find our life so precious
That we cannot but share it with the other,
That light may shine brighter than a thousand suns,
With the presence among us of the God of Light.
May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart,
be acceptable to You, O God,
my Rock and my Redeemer.
May the One who causes peace
to reign in the high heavens
cause peace to descend on us,
on all Israel
(and our beloved Philippines),
and all the world.
Amein.
Lord YHWH,
Source of all blessings,
we thank You first and foremost,
for the life You have granted us to live on earth:
the country of our birth, _______________
the city of our birth, ___________________
our current residence of choice____________
and the length of time and quality of life we have enjoyed.
We thank You for the Gift of Family:
our parents _______________,
siblings____________________,
spouse____________________,
children___________________.
extended kin______________.
We thank You for all the friendships we have cultivated
at stages of our growth and maturity,
circles of friends we have mingled with,
from our youth to our current age:
(name them)_____________________________.
We thank You for our sources of sustenance,
Your provisions for our livelihood,
job opportunities, business ventures,
for circumstances way beyond our capability to induce or influence,
but from which we have benefitted
and have been blessed.
We thank You even for adverse circumstances
that have beset us, through which we have survived,
and hopefully learned valuable lessons from,
developing us into who we are today.
Most of all, thank You,
Lord YHWH,
for granting us LIFE!
SABBATH MEAL
image from judaicafinearts.com
TORAH STUDY & DISCUSSION
HAVDALAH
May we lie down this night in peace,
and rise up to life renewed.
May night spread over us
a shelter of peace,
of quiet and calm,
the blessing of rest.
There will come a time
when morning will bring no word
of war or famine or anguish;
there will come a day of happiness,
of contentment and peace.
Praise be the source of joy within us,
for the night and its rest,
for the promise of peace.
[From: THE NEW UNION PRAYER BOOK,
GATES OF REPENTANCE]
SHABBAT SHALOM
to all Sabbath Keepers,
on behalf of Sinai 6000 Core Community,
NSB@S6K
