Ash Wednesday / Lent

[watchinginawe]

Hello fellow BFers, been a while.

I'm wondering, anyone here practicing Ash Wednesday / Lent this year? Any arguments for / against?

I'm kind of thinking on contrasting Ash Wednesday / Lent to Rosh Hashanah / Days of Awe. I haven't really studied it, but both now are more and more observed by Christians of all stripes. Of course, there is strong Biblical precedent for the Jewish New Year observance, and almost no Biblical precedent for Lent. Lent is basically tradition founded on disjointed Biblical precedents. I'm kind of wondering how much the Rosh Hashanah / Days of Awe / Day of Atonement directly play into the tradition of Ash Wednesday / Lent / Easter. I've never done the study, but I see strong correlations.

I'm kind of sympathetic to both observances as a Christian, though I've never practiced either. Maybe that will change in the future.

Thoughts? Contributions? Other?

[Fenris]

Not being a Christian, I don't know anything about Lent. But I'm here for any questions on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

[RabbiKnife]

I generally give up fasting for Lent.

[watchinginawe]

Not being a Christian, I don't know anything about Lent. But I'm here for any questions on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

OK, some basic questions. If it gets too personal, let me know.

Is this a household observance for you? Do you discuss between you what "sacrifices" you will be making during the Days of Awe? Or am I way off on that? My understanding is that during the 10 days of observance that the observer solemnly practices introspection and also offers sacrifices of one form or another. Then on Yom Kippur, atonement is made which I guess is good for the year until the next time around.

Rosh Hashana - Usually a Synagogue day? Do they blow the Shofar?
Yom Kippur - Usually a Synagogue day? How is "atonement" made? The fast and the previous observance of the Days of Awe? Is the practice of forgiveness of others and asking forgiveness key to the covering for a year? Or is there really any focus on the "atonement" part of Yom Kippur?

For comparison, Easter is always a church day for the Christian. Some will do a sunrise service in observance of the early risen Lord.

Christmas however is usually (in Protestant churches) celebrated at home unless it falls on a Sunday.

Hopefully the above is not too disjointed.

[watchinginawe]

I generally give up fasting for Lent.

Is that equivalent to "I don't observe Lent"? I have never either. I have fasted at various times, but I've never or never been attached to a congregation that observed Lent in the traditional manner.

[49ersALLS.F.]

Lent coincides with Ramadan on the calander. It’s also known as the Month of Thermador, and I always clean the lent screen in the dryer door when I launder my own money, too.

[Fenris]

Is this a household observance for you?

No, it's a religious observance.

Do you discuss between you what "sacrifices" you will be making during the Days of Awe? Or am I way off on that?

Unlike Lent, we do not make "sacrifices" on the ten day period that includes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

My understanding is that during the 10 days of observance that the observer solemnly practices introspection 

Yes, that is the point. On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, we crown God as King of the universe, and all are judged. On Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, we desist from food and drink and labor, and beseech the Almighty to forgive us for our sins.

Rosh Hashana - Usually a Synagogue day? Do they blow the Shofar?

Always a synagogue day and yes we blow shofar.

Yom Kippur - Usually a Synagogue day?

Always.

How is "atonement" made?

Through fasting, resting from labor, and prayer.

Leviticus 16:29 This shall be as an eternal statute for you; in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall not do any work neither the native nor the stranger who dwells among you. For on this day shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you. Before the Lord, you shall be cleansed from all your sins. It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict yourselves. It is an eternal statute.

Similarly, Leviticus 23: But on the tenth of this seventh month, it is a day of atonement, it shall be a holy occasion for you; you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall offer up a fire offering to the Lord. You shall not perform any work on that very day, for it is a day of atonement, for you to gain atonement before the Lord, your God. For any person who will not be afflicted on that very day, shall be cut off from its people. And any person who performs any work on that very day I will destroy that person from amidst its people.  You shall not perform any work. This is an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

Simple as that.

[49ersALLS.F.]

I studied that once in a history of Agincourt. It was in modern English though, it didn’t have connections with ancient Hebrew. The teacher said it had something to do with the Book of Job in the minds of the European people we were studying in that History class, but it was very much a national timeline names’n’dates’n’battles lecture at the school. The phraseology and the religious language came up.