"Wenn du jetzt nichts unternimmst, wird von anderswoher Hilfe für die Juden kommen, du aber und deine Familie – ihr werdet sterben! Vielleicht bist du gerade deshalb Königin geworden, um die Juden aus dieser Bedrohung zu retten!

Die Nation Israel und das jüdische Volk befinden sich nach fast sechsmonatigen Kämpfen immer noch im Krieg. Dennoch sehen wir die Kraft und die Widerstandsfähigkeit des HERRN die der HERR dem jüdischen Volk verleiht, da wir weiterhin leben und im Kampf gegen den Feind nicht nachlassen.

Da das Purimfest naht, können wir alle nachempfinden, wie sich das jüdische Volk zur Zeit der biblischen Esther gefühlt haben muss. Haman und viele andere hatten geplant, das jüdische Volk zu vernichten, und genau das wollen die Hamas, die Hisbollah und der Iran dem Volk Israel antun. Und doch hatte Gott im Buch Esther einen souveränen Plan, um sein Volk zu befreien und dem jüdischen Volk einen Weg zu bahnen, seine Feinde zu bekämpfen und zu besiegen. Heute flehen alle den HERRN an, die wir in Israel leben, sowie alle, die auf der ganzen Welt beten, dass er es wieder tun möge. Wir beten: "HERR, komm und kämpfe für dein Volk, schütze es vor dem Feind und befreie wieder Israel und das jüdische Volk!"

Wenn das jüdische Volk diesen Monat, am 14. Adar, Purim feiert, erinnern wir uns an die Geschichte, wie Gott das jüdische Volk vor der drohenden Vernichtung durch das antike persische Reich bewahrte. Dieser Feiertag ist nach dem Wort "pur" (Lose) benannt, nach den Losen, die Haman, ein Fürst unter König Ahasverus (Xerxes I.), zog, um damit den Tag zu bestimmen, an dem die Juden ausgerottet werden sollten. In der Geschichte, die in der Megillat Esther (Buch Esther) niedergeschrieben ist, werden Themen wie Mut, Glaube und Gottes göttliches Wirken behandelt.

Die Geschichte von Purim: Mut und Vorsehung

Im Mittelpunkt der Purim-Erzählung steht Esther, ein jüdisches Mädchen, das Königin wird aber ihre jüdische Identität verbirgt. Ihr Cousin Mordechai weigert es, sich vor Haman zu verbeugen, was Hamans Zorn hervorruft. Haman überredet den König, eine Verordnung zur Vernichtung der Juden zu unterzeichnen. Die Geschichte entwickelt sich, wobei Mordechai ein Komplott gegen den König aufdeckt. Er ermutigt Königin Esther, sich zu erheben, um das jüdische Volk zu verteidigen, und erklärt, dass sie ihre königliche Stellung gerade für eine solche Zeit erlangt hat. Esther ruft mutig ein dreitägiges Fasten aus und riskiert ihr Leben, um sich dem König zu nähern und das Komplott gegen das jüdische Volk aufzudecken. Sie offenbart ihre jüdische Identität, und Gott wendet die Geschichte. Die Geschichte gipfeltdarin, dass der König die Hinrichtung Hamans anordnet, Mordechai erhöht wird und ein neues Gesetz verfasst wird, das es den Juden erlaubt, sich gegen ihre Feinde zu verteidigen. Am Ende schenkte Gott dem jüdischen Volk den Sieg über seine Feinde, und sie feierten mit einem großen und fröhlichen Fest!

"Dann kam der 13. Tag des 12. Monats, des Monats Adar. An diesem Tag sollten die Bestimmungen des Königs ausgeführt werden. Die Feinde hatten erwartet, sie könnten die Juden vernichten. Aber nun geschah das Gegenteil: Die Juden besiegten ihre Feinde. In allen Städten und Provinzen versammelten sie sich und kämpften gegen diejenigen, die ihnen nach dem Leben trachteten. Die Feinde konnten keinen Widerstand leisten, aus Angst vor den Juden waren sie wie gelähmt." Esther 9, 1-2

Traditionen des Purimfestes: Freude, Erinnerung und Großzügigkeit

Die Purimtraditionen dienen dazu, die wundersame Befreiung des jüdischen Volkes durch Gott zu feiern und die Lehren aus der Geschichte den folgenden Generationen beizubringen. Einige dieser Traditionen sind:

Megilla-Lesung: Während der öffentlichen Lesung des Buches Esther in den Synagogen ist es üblich, Hamans Namen jedes Mal, wenn er erwähnt wird, mit Lärm wie Buhrufe zu übertönen. Dies symbolisiert die Auslöschung des Bösen.

Mishlo'ach Manot: Das Verschenken von Lebensmitteln an Freunde und MatanotLa'Evyonim (Geschenke an die Armen) unterstreicht die Bedeutung von Gemeinschaft und Wohltätigkeit an diesem Feiertag. Einer der bekanntesten Gegenstände, die zu den Mishlo'ach Manot gehören, sind Hamantaschen, ein dreieckiger Keks, der typischerweise mit einer süßen Füllung wie Datteln oder Mohn gefüllt ist.

Purim-Spiel: In Theatervorstellungen wird die Purim-Geschichte nacherzählt, wobei oft Humor und Satire zum Einsatz kommen.

Verkleiden mit Kostümen und Masken: Die Kostüme symbolisieren die verborgenen Wunder der Purimgeschichte und Esthers verborgene jüdische Identität.

Tzedakah: Die Essenz von Purim und die Arbeit von Vision für Israel

“to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” - Esther 9:21-22

Tzedaka, das Geben an die Armen und die weniger Begünstigten, ist ein Eckpfeiler des Purimfestes. Vision für Israel wendet dieses biblische Prinzip das ganze Jahr über an, und leistet den Bedürftigen in ganz Israel wichtige Hilfe. Anlässlich des Purimfestes laden wir Euch ein, dieses Fest mit Geschenken für die Armen in Israel zu feiern. Um mehr über unsere Arbeit zu erfahren, besucht unsere Projektseite.

Antisemitismus heute: Der Schatten Hamans in der Neuzeit

Die unheimliche Ähnlichkeit zwischen Haman und der Hamas ist für heutige Beobachter nicht zu übersehen. Genauso wie Haman das Los warf, um das jüdische Volk zu vernichten, startete die Hamas am 7. Oktober, dem Tag von Simchat Tora, einen Angriff gegen Israel, um es zu vernichten.

Aber das war noch nicht alles. Nach dem Angriff und dem anschließenden Krieg in Gaza erleben wir heute einen Anstieg des Antisemitismus in der ganzen Welt. Dies ist eine ernste Angelegenheit, und wir müssen aus der Geschichte lernen.

Diese Parallele unterstreicht den anhaltenden Kampf gegen Antisemitismus und die Bedeutung von Einigkeit, Widerstandskraft und Wachsamkeit, damit jüdisches Leben und jüdisches Erbe vor modernen Bedrohungen geschützt werden kann. Lasst uns unsere Stimme gegen Antisemitismus erheben und für unsere jüdischen Brüdern und Schwestern zusammenstehen.

Die Botschaft Gottes in der Purimgeschichte lautet, dass Er sein Volk aus der Hand seiner Feinde befreien wird, wenn es Mut beweist und Ihm vertraut. Dieses Fest dient auch als Aufruf, in der heutigen Welt zu handeln, und erinnert uns daran, wie wichtig es ist, sich gegen Unterdrückung zu wehren, einander zu unterstützen und einen Gemeinsinn zu fördern, der durch Großzügigkeit und Liebe gekennzeichnet ist. Gottes Botschaft aus dem Buch Esther ist nach wie vor aktuell, und mehr denn je für Israel, da wir uns immer noch im Krieg befinden.

Heute, da Israel von allen Seiten von vielen Feinden umgeben ist, blicken wir auf den HERRN, der unser Retter und Schild ist. Er wird sein Volk schützen und für es kämpfen. Wir erwarten, dass Er Wunder tut, und Er wird alle Ehre und Herrlichkeit dafür erhalten, dass Er sein Volk und seine Nation treu beschützt.



Erfahrt mehr über dieses freudige Fest in folgenden Blogs:


Are you willing to bless Israel, make a difference in the lives of people, and partner with God's plan for restoration of the land of Israel?

Erkundet das Vermächtnis des Purimfestes, von seinem antiken Ursprung und seinen Traditionen bis hin zur modernen Bedeutung: die Widerstandsfähigkeit des jüdischen Volkes und den Kampf gegen Antisemitismus.

Purim: Ein Fest der Befreiung | Blog | Vision for Israel

Hör zu, wenn Batya die Schönheit von Paraschat Jitro in Exodus 18,1-20,23 aufschlüsselt. Dieser Abschnitt der Tora spricht Bände über Gottes Liebe zu seinem Volk, das Wunder des Exodus und wie wir die zehn Gebote erhalten haben. Als Torastudentin und Jeschua-Nachfolgerin bietet Batyas Perspektive neue Einblicke in unsere Verheißungen mit Gott und wie wir mit schwierigen Entscheidungen umgehen können.

Parashat Yitro - Bible Teaching with Batya Segal

Wollt ihr Israel segnen, etwas im Leben der Menschen bewirken und euch an Gottes Plan zur Wiederherstellung des Landes Israel beteiligen?

Dieser Abschnitt der Tora spricht Bände über Gottes Liebe zu seinem Volk, das Wunder des Exodus und wie wir die zehn Gebote erhalten haben.

Woher haben wir die Zehn Gebote? | Aktuelles | Vision für Israel

Eine biblische Perspektive auf Tu biSchevat 

„Doch Segen soll über alle kommen, die allein auf mich, den Herrn, ihr Vertrauen setzen! Sie sind wie Bäume, die am Wasser stehen und ihre Wurzeln zum Bach hin ausstrecken. Sie fürchten nicht die glühende Hitze; ihr Laub bleibt grün und frisch. Selbst wenn der Regen ausbleibt, leiden sie keine Not. Nie hören sie auf, Frucht zu tragen.“

Zu Beginn des neuen Jahres 2024 kämpft Israel in einem anhaltenden Krieg gegen die Hamas und steht im Norden unter den ständigen Angriffen der Hisbollah. Inmitten all dessen ist es besonders wichtig, dass wir tief im Herrn verwurzeln sind, damit wir weiterhin Frucht für Ihn bringen, in diesem Krieg standhaft bleiben und der Angst keinen Raum geben.

In der Nacht zum 24. Januar beginnt in Israel das Fest Tu Bischvat, auch Rosch HaSchanah La'Ilanot genannt, was "Das Neujahr der Bäume" bedeutet. Die Israelis feiern diesen Tag, indem sie Bäume pflanzen. Im späten 18. Jahrhundert begannen jüdische Pioniere, die nach Israel eingewandert waren, das Land zu bepflanzen und zu bebauen. Später, anfangs des 19. Jahrhunderts, begannen die Chalutzim (Pioniere) im Hula-Tal Eukalyptusbäume zu pflanzen, um die Malaria zu bekämpfen. Heute finden an jedem Tu Bischvat Pflanzaktionen statt, an denen sich über eine Million Israelisbeteiligen, die junge Bäume im Land Israel pflanzen.

“Doch Segen soll über alle kommen, die allein auf mich, den Herrn, ihr Vertrauen setzen. Sie sind wie Bäume, die am Wasser stehen und ihre Wurzeln zum Bach hin ausstrecken. Sie fürchten nicht die glühende Hitze; ihr Laub bleibt grün und frisch. Selbst wenn der Regen ausbleibt, leiden sie keine Not. Nie hören sie auf, Frucht zu tragen.“ Jeremia 17, 7-8

Das unfruchtbare Land von vor 2000 Jahren ist jetzt ein Land mit allerlei Obstbäumen und Blumen. Auf den Märkten und in den Lebensmittelgeschäften sieht man jede Menge frisches und getrocknetes Obst, sowie die verschiedensten Nüsse.

In der Diaspora konnte man zu dieser Jahreszeit kein frisches Obst kaufen, deswegen feierte man Tu Bischvat, indem man Trockenfrüchte aß. Dies wurde nun auch in Israel zum Symbol des Feiertags.

In der Bibel wird der Mensch oft als ein Baum betrachtet, der an Wasserbächen gepflanzt ist und Früchte trägt. Wenn wir in der Heiligen Schrift mit einem gesunden Baum verglichen werden, welche Früchte tragen wir? Das bedeutet, dass wir als Menschen die Wahl haben, Früchte zu tragen. Die Aufgabe eines Baumes ist es, Früchte zu tragen und somit Leben zu schenken. Wenn wir also wie ein Baum sein sollen, sind wir aufgefordert, eine Frucht im Geist zu tragen, die Leben bringt, wie es in der Heiligen Schrift dargestellt wird. Das Bild eines guten Baumes, der gute und gesunde Früchte trägt, ist ein Symbol dafür, dass wir uns an einem guten geistlichen Ort sind, um gute geistliche Früchte zu bringen.

„Der Geist Gottes dagegen lässt als Frucht eine Fülle von Gutem wachsen, nämlich: Liebe, Freude und Frieden, Geduld, Freundlichkeit und Güte, Treue, Bescheidenheit und Selbstbeherrschung. Gegen all dies hat das Gesetz nichts einzuwenden.“ Galater 5, 22-23

Die Bäume essen nicht die Früchte, die sie tragen, stattdessen bringen sie sie hervor für das tägliche körperliche Leben von Menschen und Tieren. Die Samen der Früchte werden auch befruchtet und vermehren sich, damit sie noch mehr Früchte produzieren. Das Wort im Hebräischen für Frucht (P'ri) ist auch im Wort "fruchtbar sein" enthalten: " Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und füllt die Erde (..)“ 1. Mose 1, 28a.

„Bei den anderen schließlich ist es bei dem Samen, der auf guten Boden fällt. Sie nehmen die Botschaft mit gutem und willigem Herzen an, bewahren sie und bringen durch Standhaftigkeit Frucht.“ Lukas 8, 15

Wie die Bäume sind auch die Menschen damit ausgerüstet, anderen etwas von sich zu geben und damit eine unaufhörliche Vermehrung zu erzielen.

"Denn ich gieße Wasser auf das durstige Land und Ströme auf das ausgetrocknete Feld. Ja, ich gieße meinen Geist über euren Nachkommen aus, mit meinem Segen überschütte ich eure Kinder. Sie werden sich ausbreiten wie Schilf am Bach und wachsen wie Pappeln am Flussufer." Jesaja 44, 3-4

Vision für Israel hilft anderen Menschen, ihre eigenen Fähigkeiten zu erkennen, mit denen sie Früchte tragen können. In unseren verschiedenen therapeutischen Kursen rüsten wir sie mit den Werkzeugen aus, die sie für ihre Genesung brauchen. Wenn wir ihnen diese Mittel zur Verfügung stellen, werden sie in die Lage versetzt, weiterhin Früchte zu tragen, ähnlich wie ein Baum, der an Wasserbächen gepflanzt ist. Wir sind dankbar für Freunde wie Dich, die uns ihre Früchte spenden, damit wir wiederum mehr Früchte hervorbringen können, um den Menschen um uns herum ein Segen zu sein!

„Er gleicht einem Baum, der am Wasser steht; Jahr für Jahr trägt er Frucht, sein Laub bleibt grün und frisch. Was immer ein solcher Mensch unternimmt, es gelingt ihm gut.“ Psalm 1, 3

Gott lädt uns nun mehr denn je ein, mit Ihm zusammenzuarbeiten und seinen Samen der Liebe in die Herzen seines Volkes zu säen. Wir beten dafür, dass Gott Dich in einer Zeit wie dieser in die Ströme seines lebendigen Wassers hineinpflanzt, damit Du, wie eine mächtige Eiche seiner Gerechtigkeit, SEINE Herrlichkeit offenbar machst.

"Die Leute werden sie mit prächtigen Bäumen vergleichen, mit einem Garten, den der HERR gepflanzt hat, um seine Herrlichkeit zu zeigen." 

An diesem Tu biSchevat wollen wir einen tieferen Blick in die Bibel werfen, um zu entdecken, was es bedeutet, wie ein Baum zu sein, der an einem Wasserlauf gepflanzt ist und Früchte trägt.

Wie ein Baum, der am Wasser Gepflanzt ist - Tu biSchevat | Aktuelles | Vision für Israel

Wie ein Baum, der am Wasser Gepflanzt ist - Tu biSchevat

“Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

This year, Yom Ha'atzma'ut (Israel’s Independence Day) will be celebrated on April 15. According to the Jewish calendar, it's on the 5th of Iyar.

 As you may know, the state of Israel was established 3 short years after the Holocaust ended—and it is no coincidence that we celebrate our independence 1 week after Yom Hasho'a (Holocaust Remembrance Day), and both are commemorated soon after Passover. On Passover, we celebrate the fact that we were set free from slavery in Egypt, and on Yom Hasho'a we remember the atrocities that were done to the Jewish people in Nazi Europe. Yom Ha'atzma'ut is preceded by Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance of our fallen soldiers).

 But how did the modern state of Israel come to be? Here’s a look at a few of the key events.

During the First World War (1914–18), an Arab uprising against Ottoman rule and the British Empire's Egyptian Expeditionary Force under General Edmund Allenby drove the Turks out of the Levant during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Israel was part of that region.

 In Palestine, the Balfour Declaration of "national home for the Jewish people" was to be established alongside the Arabs who composed the vast majority of the local population. The British controlled Palestine for almost three decades, overseeing a succession of protests, riots, and revolts between the Jewish and Arab communities. 

 During the Mandate, the area saw the rise of two nationalist movements: the Jews and the Arabs. Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine ultimately produced the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine and the 1944–1948 Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine. 

 The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was passed on 29 November 1947; this envisioned the creation of separate Jewish and Arab states operating under economic union, and with Jerusalem transferred to UN trusteeship. Two weeks later, Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech Jones announced that the British Mandate would end on 15 May 1948. On the last day of the Mandate, the Jewish community there issued the Israeli Declaration of Independence.

Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally declaring the establishment of the State of Israel.David Ben Gurion was the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, and soon to be the first Prime Minister of Israel. He declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, which would come into effect on termination of the British Mandate at midnight that day.

Within a few hours, at midnight, the new state of Israel was facing its first war as an established state. The War of Independence broke.

 The first deaths of the war occurred on 30 November 1947 during an ambush of two buses carrying Jews. There had been tension and conflict between the Arabs and the Jews, and between each of them and the British forces since the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the 1920 creation of the British Mandate of Palestine.

 As a result of the war, the State of Israel controlled the area that UN General Assembly Resolution 181 had recommended for the proposed Jewish state, as well as almost 60% of the area of Arab state proposed by the 1947 Partition Plan, including the Jaffa, Lydda, and Ramle areas, the Galilee, some parts of the Negev, a wide strip along the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem road, West Jerusalem, and some territories in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria regions), Transjordan took control of the remainder of the former British mandate, which it annexed, and the Egyptian military took control of the Gaza Strip.

 Around 700,000 Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes in the area that became Israel, and they became known as Palestinian refugees in what they refer to as the Nakba ("the catastrophe"). In the three years following the war, about 700,000 Jews emigrated to Israel. Around 260,000 Jews moved to Israel from the Arab world during and immediately after the war. They were either fleeing due to rising antisemitism or expelled. 

“I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” 

How is Independence Day celebrated in Israel?

 The official “switch” from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha’atzmaut takes place a few minutes after sundown, with a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem in which the flag is raised from half-staff (due to Memorial Day) to the top of the pole. 
 The president of Israel delivers a speech of congratulations, and soldiers representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force parade with their flags. In recent decades this small-scale parade has replaced the large-scale daytime parade, which was the main event during the 1950s and ’60s. The evening parade is followed by a torch lighting (hadlakat masu’ot) ceremony, which marks the country’s achievements in all spheres of life.

 Other than the official ceremonies, Israelis celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut in a variety of ways. In the cities, the nighttime festivities may be found on the main streets. Crowds will gather to watch public shows offered for free by the municipalities and the government. Many spend the night dancing Israeli folk dances or singing Israeli songs. During the daytime, thousands of Israeli families go out on hikes and picnics.

 Army camps are open for civilians to visit and to display the recent technological achievements of the Israeli Defense Forces. Yom Ha’atzmaut is concluded with the ceremony of granting the “Israel Prize” recognizing individual Israelis for their unique contribution to the country’s culture, science, arts, and humanities.

 In closing, friends, we ask that you join us in prayer that God will continue to bless the land and people of Israel, and that He watches over her—particularly in the coming years of conflict.

Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’

Israels Unabhängigkeit: Ein hart erkämpfter Sieg | Vision for Israel

Israels Unabhängigkeit: Ein hart erkämpfter Sieg

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.

This year, Passover falls on the eve of March 27th. It is the one Old Testament feast that perhaps most particularly points to Yeshua. This is the feast of Redemption and we celebrate it for 7 days. Yeshua is our redemption. He redeemed us out of a life of bondage to sin and brought us into freedom in Him. It was also the evening of Passover that Yeshua had His last supper, the Passover Seder, with His disciples and that was the night He was betrayed.

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” - Luke 22:14 – 16

On the very first Passover, God commanded the children of Israel:

“This day is to be a memorial for you. You are to keep it as a feast to Adonai. Throughout your generations you are to keep it as an eternal ordinance. For seven days you are to eat matzot, but on the first day you must remove hametz from your houses...” - Exodus 12:14-15a

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord...

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  - Exodus 14:10, 13 – 14

On the morning of Passover eve, all the leavened food items are burned in a ceremony called “Bi’ur Chametz.” Leavened food (chametz) is considered a corrupting influence—a hidden uncleanness that manipulates purer elements and sin. Spiritual leaven is like an evil impulse within us that corrupts and sours our soul. We must put it away from us and sanctify ourselves.

Get rid of the old chametz, so you may be a new batch, just as you are unleavened—for Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast not with old chametz, the chametz of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread—the matzah of sincerity and truth. - 1 Cor. 5:7-8

The Seder is the centerpiece of any Passover experience. A Seder is a festive meal that takes place on the first night of the holiday. Family and friends join together to celebrate. The word Seder means “order,” and the Passover seder has 15 separate steps in its traditional order. During the Seder, we read the Passover Haggadah, which guides us through those steps.

A blessing is recited over wine in honor of the holiday. When the seder falls on a Friday night, this version of the Kiddush is recited for Passover and Shabbat. When the seder falls on a Saturday night, as it does this year, we continue with a special version of Havdalah. The wine is then drunk. A second cup is then poured (but not yet drunk).

Participants wash their hands without a blessing in preparation for eating the Karpas.

A vegetable (usually parsley) is dipped in salt water and eaten to remind us of the tears that the people of Israel shed when they were slaves in Egypt.

The middle of the three matzot on the table is broken into two pieces. The smaller part is returned to the pile, the larger one is set aside for the afikoman, wrapped in a cloth napkin, and hidden until later in the Seder (see below).

A retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Pesach. This begins with the youngest person asking The Four Questions, a set of questions about the proceedings designed to encourage participation in the seder.

Participants wash their hands again, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah.

HaMotzi is the blessing over the bread at the beginning of the meal. Since it's Passover, this blessing is recited over the matzah.

A blessing specific to matzah is recited, and a bit of matzah is eaten. 

A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (usually raw horseradish mixed with grated beets; sometimes romaine lettuce), and it is eaten. This is a reminder of the bitterness of life as slaves.

The maror that fills the koreich sandwich is dipped into Charoset, a paste made of dates, nuts, and wine—whose consistency is reminiscent of the clay our ancestors used in Egypt to manufacture bricks.

A festive meal is eaten. There is no particular requirement regarding what to eat at this meal (except, of course, that chametz cannot be eaten). Often, the meal begins by eating a hard-boiled egg, which is a symbol of mourning, in remembrance of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

The piece of matzah set aside earlier is eaten as “dessert,” the last food of the meal. Different families have different traditions relating to the afikoman. Most commonly, the adults hide it and the children have to look for it. The child who finds it gets a prize or monetary gift. Some families have the children hide it, while the parents have to either find it or ransom it back.

The third and fourth cups of wine are poured, and Birkat HaMazon (Grace) is recited.

The standard group of psalms that make up a full Hallel is recited at this point. A blessing is recited over the last cup of wine and it is drunk.

A simple statement that the seder has been completed, with a wish that next year, we may celebrate Pesach in Jerusalem (i.e., that the Messiah will come within the next year). The closing may be followed by various traditional songs, hymns, and stories. Friends, in these unprecedented times, let us remember that nothing we face is too big for God. While we celebrate this Passover, and soon the resurrection of our Lord, let us throw out the old leaven of doubt and fear—and replace it with the “new lump” of joyful faith in God. 

“So you are to observe the Feast of Matzot, for on this very same day have I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you are to observe this day throughout your generations as an eternal ordinance.” 

Pessach – Eine Feier der Freiheit | Vision für Israel

"If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” 

 Purim is one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. The story of Purim is recounted in the Book of Esther, whose eponymous heroine plays the leading role in saving her people. This story is one of the most beloved in the Jewish community, because of the hope that it gives a minority living in an oftentimes hostile majority culture.

The word Purim (from the word pur) means “lots” and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the destruction of the Jews. Purim is preceded by a fast called “The Fast of Esther”, which commemorates Esther’s three-day fast in preparation for her meeting with the king.

The holiday of Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Adar in the Jewish calendar, which is usually during February/March. This year Purim begins at sundown on February 25th.

Hearing the reading the Book of Esther (megillah)

Making noise every time Haman’s name is mentioned in the megillah

Eating sweets and drinking alcoholic beverages and even getting drunk!

Sending out goodie baskets to family and friends (Mishlo’ach Manot)

In distinction to various other holidays, such as Pesach (Passover), Purim is the quintessential community holiday. Nonetheless, several activities are centered in the home. One of the favorite activities in preparation for the holiday is the baking of hamantaschen, the triangular filled pastries that are the traditional food at Purim time. In addition, following the commandment to give gifts to friends and the poor, the preparation of so-called mishloah manot baskets is a fun activity to engage in, as is their distribution on the holiday. The centerpiece of Purim’s home celebration is the seudah, a festive meal accompanied by alcoholic beverages.

Purim is a community holiday of joyful celebration. The centerpiece of the communal celebration is the reading of the Scroll of Esther, the Megillah, in the synagogue. This is a raucous affair, with whoops, hollers, and noise being made every time that Haman’s name is mentioned, so no one can hear the name of this horrible evildoer. Another tradition is the Purim shpiel, the Purim play, during which fun is poked at community leaders and members. Purim has often been called the Jewish carnival, and dressing in costume and taking part in a Purim carnival heighten the levity of the day, on which one is encouraged to engage in activities that at other times of the year would be somewhat more restricted in scope, such as drinking.

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Ahasuerus, who reigned from India to Ethiopia, in Shushan the citadel, in Persia. He was very wealthy and loved to show off his riches. He hosted a big party that lasted 7 days and commanded his wife, Queen Vashti, to appear before him and his male guests at the party. Vashti refused and as a result, King Ahasuerus decided to find another queen. His search begins with a royal beauty pageant. The most beautiful young women in the kingdom are brought before the king, and Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah, a young Jewish girl, is selected to be the new queen. Esther is portrayed as an orphan belonging to the tribe of Benjamin. She lives with her cousin Mordechai as a member of the Jewish exiles in Persia. At her cousin's behest, Esther conceals her Jewish identity from the king.

Not long after Esther becomes queen, Mordechai offends the grand vizier, Haman, by refusing to bow down to him. Haman decides to punish not only Mordechai but all Jews for this slight. He informs King Ahasuerus that the Jews do not obey the king's laws and that it would be in the kingdom's best interest to get rid of them. He asks for permission to destroy them, which the king grants. Haman then orders the king's officials to kill all the Jews - "young and old, women and children" - on the 13th day of the month of Adar (Esther 3:13).

When Mordechai learns of the plot he tears his clothes and sits in sackcloth and ash at the entrance to the city. When Esther learns of this, she orders one of her servants to find out what is troubling her cousin. The servant returns to Esther with a copy of the edict and instructions from Mordechai that she should beg the king for mercy on behalf of her people. This was not a simple request - at the time it had been thirty days since King Ahasuerus had summoned Esther and appearing before him without a summon was punishable by death. But Mordechai urges her to take action anyways, saying that perhaps she became queen so that she could save her people.“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)Esther decides to fast before taking action and requests that her fellow Jews fast along with her.

After fasting for three days, Esther puts on her finest clothes and appears before the king. He is pleased to see her and asks what she desires. She replies that she would like the king and Haman to join her at a banquet. At the banquet, the king asks Esther what she wants and she answers that she would like the king and Haman to come to another banquet the following day.

Haman is delighted to hear this but is still so upset with Mordechai that he can't stop thinking about it. His wife Zeresh, and friends tell him to impale Mordechai on a pole if it will make him feel better. Haman loves this idea and immediately has the pole set up. However, that night the king decides to honor Mordechai because earlier in the story Mordecai had uncovered a plot against the king. He commands Haman to put the king's own robe on Mordecai and to take him around the city on the king's horse while proclaiming, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!" (Esther 6:11). Haman reluctantly obeys and soon afterward goes to Esther's banquet.

At the second banquet King Ahasuerus asks his wife again, what does she desire? She answers: "If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated." (Esther 7:3). The king is outraged that anyone would dare threaten his queen and when he asks who has done such a thing Esther declares that Haman is to blame. One of Esther's servants then tells the king that Haman had erected a pole upon which he planned to impale Mordechai. King Ahasuerus commands that Haman instead be impaled. He then takes his signet ring from Haman and gives it to Mordechai. Mordechai is also given Haman's estate and the king gives Esther the power to overturn Haman's orders.

Esther issues an edict giving Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves against anyone who may try to harm them. When the appointed day arrives, the Jews defend themselves against their attackers, killing and destroying them. According to the Book of Esther, this happened on the 13th day of Adar, "and on the fourteenth [day] [the Jews] rested and made it a day of feasting and joy." (Esther 9:18). 

Mordechai declares that the victory would be remembered every year. The celebration is called Purim because Haman cast the "pur" (the lot) against the Jews, yet failed to destroy them.


Purim – Der Sieg von Gottes Volk | Vision für Israel

The name of this festival is actually its date: “Tu” is a pronunciation of the Hebrew letters tet and vav, whose numerical value is the number 15. And Shvat is the name of the month. So essentially "Tu Bishvat" means the 15th of Shvat. It’s also known as Rosh Hashana La’ilanot, the new year of the trees.

"He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

At its start, Tu Bishvat was not a Jewish festival. Rather, it marked an important date for Jewish farmers in ancient times. The Torah states:

“When you enter the land [of Israel] and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden for you, not to be eaten.” - Leviticus 19:23

The fruit of the fourth year was to be offered to the priests in the Temple as a gift of gratitude for the bounty of the land, and the fifth-year fruit–and all subsequent fruit–was finally for the farmer. This law, however, raised the question of how farmers were to mark the “birthday” of a tree. The Rabbis, therefore, established the 15th of the month of Shvat as a general “birthday” for all trees, regardless of when they were actually planted.

Fruit trees were awarded a special status in the Torah because of their importance in sustaining life and as a symbol of God’s divine favor. Even during times of war, God warns the Israelites:

“When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees… Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed.” - Deuteronomy 20:19-20

At a later time, the Rabbis of the Talmud established four “new years” throughout the Jewish calendar–Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish new year for the calendar date; a new year for establishing the reign of kings; a new year for tithing animals of Jewish farmers to be given to the Temple; and finally, Tu Bishvat, the new year for the trees (Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah 1:1). The Rabbis discussed why this date was chosen; saying that Tu Bishvat falls after mid-winter (usually in February), they concluded that the majority of the annual rainfall has usually already fallen by this time in the land of Israel, thus yielding a healthy, water-logged soil in which to plant new trees (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 14a).

According to Deuteronomy 8:8, there are five fruits and two grains associated with Israel as a “land of wheat and barley, of vines [grapes], figs and pomegranates, a land of olive trees, and [date] honey.” Jews also give a prominent place to almonds in Tu Bishvat, since the almond trees were believed to be the first of all trees in Israel to blossom. Carob, also known as St. John’s bread, became another popular fruit to eat on Tu Bishvat since it could survive the long trip from Israel to Jewish communities in Europe.

When Jewish pioneers began returning to the land of Israel in the late 19th century, Tu Bishvat became an opportunity for these ardent agrarians to celebrate the bounty of a restored ecology in Israel. In ancient times, the land of Israel was once fertile and well forested. Over centuries of repeated conquests, destructions, and desertification, Israel was denuded of trees. 

The early Zionists seized upon Tu Bishvat as an opportunity to celebrate their tree-planting efforts to restore the ecology of ancient Israel and as a symbol of renewed growth and flowering of the Jewish people returning to their ancestral homeland.

Tu Bishvat has become a symbol of both a Zionist attachment to the land of Israel as well as an example of Jewish sensitivity to the environment. 

Early Jewish settlers to Israel began planting new trees not only to restore the ecology of ancient Israel but as a symbol of renewed growth of the Jewish people returning to their ancestral homeland. 

Many American and European Jews observe Tu Bishvat by contributing money to the Jewish National Fund (JNF), an organization devoted to reforesting Israel (the purchase of trees in JNF forests is also customary to commemorate a celebration such as a Bar or Bat-Mitzvah).

In modern times, Tu Bishvat continues to be an opportunity for planting trees — in Israel and elsewhere, wherever Jews live. Many parents donate to the JNF every year on Tu Bishvat in honor of their children.

Tu Bishvat, or the “birthday” of all fruit trees, is a minor festival seemingly tailor-made for today’s Jewish environmentalists. In fact, there is an ancient midrash (rabbinic teaching) that states:

“When God led Adam around the Garden of Eden, God said, ‘Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent! For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world–for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you’.” - (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13)


 Text credit:
 www.myjewishlearning.com

Was ist Tu-Bischwat?  | Vision für Israel

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. 

The word Hanukkah means dedication. It’s an 8-day holiday that commemorates the rededication of the second temple after a small group of Jewish warriors (Maccabees) defeated the Greeks who were trying to secularize the Jewish faith. This year Hanukkah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 10.

The Hebrew word Hanukkah is related to Khannach (dedicated, train, discipline) and Khanan (Grace, favor, pardon). Another name for this holiday is the Festival of Lights.

The story of Hanukkah starts way back in 333BC, when Alexander the Great stormed through Syria, Egypt, and Babylonia (modern-day Iran/Iraq). 

Everywhere he conquered he demanded that the people give up their gods and worship the Greek pantheon of gods (Zeus, Venus, Apollo, and other gods). He made them speak Greek and learn Greek culture and law as well. 

When he marched into Jerusalem, he demanded that a golden statue be built in the temple honoring him. The High priest was shrewd and said, “we can’t do that, but we’ll have all of our firstborn sons take the name Alexander—they’ll be a living memorial of your greatness!” Sounded good to Alexander and that led to about 100 years of relative peace in the region.

But all that changed in the year 168 BC.

One of Alexander’s successors, Antiochus Epiphanes became king of Syria. He was an eccentric, cruel, and tyrannical dictator. He sought to eradicate the Jewish religion and establish Greek polytheism instead.

The observance of all Jewish laws, including Sabbath, circumcision, and the study of the Torah, were forbidden under penalty of death. He plundered the city of Jerusalem, took 10,000 captives, stripped the temple of its treasures, and built a pagan altar on the great altar of Burnt Sacrifices.

On the 25th of Kislev (Antiochus’ birthday), a sacrifice was brought on this altar for the first time. He required a swine to be offered in the Temple of God in Jerusalem, and every village. This was the ultimate blasphemy against God because swine are unclean according to the Law of Moses.



In the village of Modi’in, an aged priest named Mattathias lived with his 5 sons. He started a revolt against Antiochus, which grew into a full-scale uprising of rebels. Soon after, Mattathias died and left the leadership to his son Judah Maccabee (Maccabee means hammer). 

Under his brilliant leadership, what began as a guerrilla war turned into a full-scale military engagement in which the smaller Jewish forces managed to defeat the much more powerful Syrian armies, and they succeeded in throwing off the yoke of the Greek Empire.

On the 3rd anniversary of the desecration of the Temple, on the 25th of Kislev, 164 B.C., the Temple worship was reestablished. The altar and all the vessels used in the earlier sacrilege were destroyed and replaced with new ones, and the Temple was rededicated. It is this rededication that is still celebrated among the Jews to this day as Hanukkah.



In later tradition, it has been told that at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left to light the Menorah in the temple. That oil was supposed to last only for one day, but it would take eight days to make new oil. A miracle happened and the oil lasted for eight days.

This story is actually only recorded in later Rabbinical writings.

Nevertheless, the fact that a force so few in number could defeat the armies of the Syrian-Greeks cannot be overlooked. And the fact that the Temple was restored and rededicated is also a testimony to the power of God and His love for His people.



It is quite interesting to see that the holiday of Hanukkah is not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament. The book of Maccabees (in which the story of Hanukkah is recorded) never made it into the Bible. The only place in the Bible that mentions Hanukkah is the New Testament.



Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ tell us plainly”. Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.” - John 10:22-25

There are a few traditions that the Jewish people in Israel and all over the world do to observe the holiday:


1. Lighting the Hanukkiah every evening for 8 days 

2. Eating food fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of the jar of oil

3. Giving gifts or money or chocolate gelt to children

The Hanukkiah symbolizes the Menorah (golden lampstand) that stood in the temple. It was one of the furnishings that God commanded Moses to place in the Tabernacle and was preserved throughout the years in the Temples. 

It is clear according to the Torah's instructions that the Menorah was to have the form of a stylized plant, like a small tree that has a trunk and branches bearing flowers and almonds. If so, we must ask the question: How could it be that the Torah commanded us to make a Menorah in the form of a tree, to be placed in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle, while elsewhere the Torah cautions, "You shall not set up a sacred post – any kind of pole [or tree] beside the altar of the Lord your God that you may make" (Deut. 16:21)?

Here is one possible explanation: In the book of Genesis (chapter 2:9) it talks about the two trees in the Garden of Eden. One is the tree of knowledge and the second is the tree of life. Perhaps the tree of life is a representation of the eternal life we get through faith in Yeshua. Yeshua is also the Light of the World, which is reflected through the light of the Menorah. 

Another reflection of Yeshua in the Hanukkiah is that it has nine branches, of which one is higher than the rest (shamash, servant) and is used to light the other candles. Yeshua is like the Shamash. He is exalted, but He is also a servant, and He gives the light in our lives and to the world.

As we think about what this Festival of Lights means to us as God’s people, we think of the testimony of those who stood up to secularism, to the defamation of their faith and said “No. No compromise! This altar belongs to the Lord--not to you!” The people who know their God will be strong and do exploits! That’s a pretty powerful message for us and the world we live in! 

You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. 

Weitere Rezepte sind auf den englischsprachigen Seiten zu finden.

Taste the flavors of Israel and the middle east—with authentic, healthy, and flavor-packed recipes that are sure to warm both your heart, and your kitchen.

Erfahre von den erstaunlichen Fortschritten, die jeden Tag gemacht werden – ermöglicht durch deine großzügige Unterstützung. Spüre den Segen Jeschuas (Jesus), der in Seinem Werk lebendig wird.

Hört von den erstaunlichen Fortschritten, die jeden Tag gemacht werden - möglich durch Ihre großzügige Unterstützung. Spüren Sie den Segen Jeschuas (Jesus), der in seinem Werk lebendig wird.

Tauche ein in Geschichte, Kultur und Theologie und vertiefe dich in wichtige Themen, die in den jüdisch-christlichen Traditionen und dem Land Israel verwurzelt sind.

Taucht ein in Geschichte, Kultur und Theologie und vertieft euch in wichtige Themen, die in den jüdisch-christlichen Traditionen und dem Land Israel verwurzelt sind.

Bleibe auf dem Laufenden über die Lage in Israel und seiner Menschen, unterstützt durch Berichte aus erster Hand über unsere Arbeit und wie diese täglich eine konkrete Veränderung für die Menschen bewirkt.

Bleibt auf dem Laufenden über den Zustand Israels und seiner Bevölkerung, unterstützt durch Berichte aus erster Hand über unsere Arbeit und darüber, wie sie tagtäglich für die Menschen einen direkten Unterschied macht.

Wissen

Purim: Ein Fest der Befreiung

Samstag, 23. März 2024

Woher haben wir die Zehn Gebote?

Dienstag, 1. Februar 2022

Wie ein Baum, der am Wasser Gepflanzt ist - Tu biSchevat

Freitag, 14. Januar 2022

Israels Unabhängigkeit: Ein hart erkämpfter Sieg

Freitag, 9. April 2021

Pessach – Eine Feier der Freiheit

Freitag, 19. März 2021

Purim – Der Sieg von Gottes Volk

Montag, 22. Februar 2021

Was ist Tu-Bischwat?

Freitag, 22. Januar 2021

Was ist Chanukka?

Donnerstag, 10. Dezember 2020

Ladet die VFI News App auf euer Handy

Erhaltet unsere Nachrichten per eMail

Bleibt am Puls der Zeit. Erhaltet aktuelle Nachrichten aus Israel. Unterstützt uns im Gebet!

Bleibt in Kontakt

Navigation

Werdet aktiv

Kontakt