STEP IN THE BIBLE

CAN WE DREAM IT OVER AGAIN?

"On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets." Numbers 29.1 niv

In Numbers and Leviticus, we are told to Commemorate (Remember) the blast of the trumpets. What are we remembering? 

The command in Numbers and Leviticus to commemorate the blast of the trumpets (as at the Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah) calls Israel to remember foundational spiritual experiences—the overwhelming divine revelation at Sinai and, by extension, God’s power later displayed at Jericho.

The Sinai Experience

The trumpet (shofar) blast at Sinai accompanied God's descent, the giving of the tablets, and the initiation of a covenant relationship with Israel—an event marked by awe, fire, and the voice of God.

The festival commanded in Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1 is a “memorial” of trumpet blasts, understood not just as a ritual re-enactment, but a living reminder of that Sinai encounter and its implications of covenant, revelation, and divine presence.

Jewish tradition and commentators see this as remembering both for the people and “reminding” God of His promises; it’s a calling to repentance, readiness for atonement, and acknowledgment of God’s commitment to His people.

Power Affirmed at Jericho

Joshua 6.5 niv -- When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

Joshua’s victory at Jericho is a striking demonstration of the power of God given to Israel at Sinai, now manifest in the conquest of the Promised Land. The miraculous destruction of Jericho’s formidable walls was entirely the result of God’s intervention, not military might or human ingenuity.

Lest we forget the redemption of Rabab during the destruction of Jericho! Thanks to a scarlet cord (a Tikva) that she hung out of her window, Joshua was able to find and save her. Rabab is key to the story since she would become King David's great-great grandmother.

Sinai’s Power Manifested

At Sinai, the Israelites received the law, the covenant, and the assurance of God’s presence—the Ark of the Covenant, containing the Sinai tablets, symbolized this. In the conquest narrative, the Ark leads the way, emphasizing that it is the holy God of Sinai acting on behalf of His consecrated people. The instructions for Jericho’s conquest, received after Joshua’s encounter with the Commander of the LORD’s army (often interpreted as a divine or messianic figure), echo Moses’ experience at Sinai—where standing on holy ground is a sign of God preparing to act in salvation and judgment.

Miraculous Strategy

God’s battle plan—marching around Jericho, bearing the Ark, and blowing shofars—was not conventional warfare but obedience to a divine command. This approach recalled not only God’s past miracles in Egypt and the wilderness but also reinforced that victory in the Promised Land was contingent upon faithfulness to the covenant established at Sinai.

Lessons from Jericho

The destruction of Jericho demonstrated that God’s covenant power, first revealed at Sinai, was available to those who trusted and obeyed His word.

The fall of Jericho marked the continuation of God’s redemptive plan begun in Egypt and at Sinai, highlighting faith, obedience, and reliance on divine rather than human strength.

The events at Jericho exemplify that the true “weapon” of Israel was the transformative power received at Sinai: God’s presence, the covenant, and obedience to divine instruction.

Dreaming In Order To Re-living

How do you remember an experience you didn't personally have? You have to dream it -- you have to do it with your imagination. In effect, you have to use your God given gift to create the experience in your mind.

Engaging the God-given faculty of imagination is an ancient, biblically rooted practice: believers use memory, meditation, and creative mental imagery to internalize and “re-live” sacred events, making them a living part of faith.

Imagination in Biblical Remembrance

Imagination is not merely fantasy; it transforms what is known into what can be experienced internally, allowing someone to “see” themselves in the story of God.

Hebrew meditation, as taught in scripture (for example, Joshua 1:8), means filling the mind with God’s truth until it shapes identity and spiritual perception—not just memorizing but “experiencing” God’s works anew.

Practicing “holy imagination” is encouraged by many biblical and spiritual traditions: picturing oneself at Sinai, feeling the awe and hearing the trumpets, or imagining walking around Jericho to feel the power and fear, creates spiritual connection across generations.

Creating Living Memory

When the Torah instructs remembrance, it asks each new generation to re-enact, tell, and imagine the ancient events as if they themselves had been present.

By using imagination in prayer and meditation, every person is invited to creatively participate in God’s story—transforming national memories into personal, spiritual realities.

This God-given gift is central to passing on faith: the story comes alive through active contemplation, not just words or ritual. It is a means to step into His story.

The sound of the shofar is a living resonance—a bridge to the defining moments of Israel’s spiritual past, especially Sinai and Jericho. Hearing the blast is not a passive ritual; it is a summons to actively awaken memory, reverence, and spiritual imagination within oneself.

Its blast is a “memorial” (zichron teruah), intended to reconnect every generation with the momentous events of the past and with God’s ongoing faithfulness.

The Role of Imagination

To truly remember—to make the shofar’s blast meaningful—requires internal, imaginative participation. The act of hearing the shofar becomes a spiritual exercise in which one mentally places themselves at Sinai, standing with ancestors experiencing awe, trembling, and revelation.

Jewish tradition holds that each individual is called to “see themselves as if they came out of Egypt” or stood at Sinai—imagination transforms memory into living faith.

The power of the shofar is only fully realized when one responds, stirring the heart by envisioning the ancient events, letting the resonance move soul and spirit toward repentance and reconnection with God.

The shofar’s blast is both an echo of history and an invitation. Memory alone cannot suffice—imagination and the active engagement of the heart are essential for the sound to truly change and awaken those who hear it.

Ears to Hear. Eyes to See.

The Cross is to the Christian what the Shofar is to the Jew. 

The cross in Christianity holds a central, profound significance comparable to the role of the shofar in Judaism. The cross symbolizes Yeshua's sacrificial death on Calvary and His victory over sin and death, and the foundation of salvation.

The Jew hears the shofar. The Christian looks to the cross. One on a mountain. The other on a hill. 

Psalm 47
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
    shout to God with cries of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome,
    the great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued nations under us,
    peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us,
    the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.[b]
5 God has ascended amid shouts (teruah -תְּרוּעָה) of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing to him a psalm of praise.

Amen

SNEAKING IN THE BACK DOOR

IS CHINA TRYING TO UNDERMINE THE UNITED STATES?

Multiple recent reports indicate that the Chinese government is engaged in actions that are perceived by U.S. and some European officials as deliberate attempts to undermine the United States and its allies. These concerns are part of a broader strategic competition driven by China's desire to achieve technological superiority, increase its global influence, and shift the balance of power away from the United States. 

Is China sneaking into America through its geographic door?

Is Washington state of staging area for the CCP's efforts?

Does anyone find this suspicious?

- Washington is the first state to adopt Muslim state holidays (NYS, a state that is liberal like Washington, just followed suit.)

- Washington is the state where the Wuhan/Covid virus entered the state. From there it showed up in NYS.

Why Washington is a target

Washington state possesses attributes that make it a particularly attractive target for foreign influence and intelligence operations:

• Military assets: It is home to multiple military installations, including Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which handles sensitive national defense information.
• High-tech industry: The Puget Sound region is a hub for major technology companies like Microsoft and Amazon, which are rich sources of intellectual property and sensitive data.
• Strategic trade location: As a major port for transpacific trade, the state is a key access point for economic activity and can be used for intelligence collection

Evidence of Influence
Washington State has a considerable liberal voter base, with a political landscape that is reliably Democratic at the statewide level. The state also has a significant and diverse Asian American population, including a notable Chinese community, which plays a role in its economy, culture, and politics.

There are documented reasons for suspicion regarding China's espionage and influence activities in the state of Washington, based on recent US Department of Justice charges and national security reports. Washington's location, critical infrastructure, and advanced technology sectors make it a target for Chinese intelligence efforts. 

Espionage and recruitment

Targeting military personnel: In July 2025, the Justice Department charged two Chinese nationals with spying for China's Ministry of State Security. They allegedly attempted to recruit US Navy personnel at naval stations in multiple states, including one in Washington.

Targeting military information: A February 2025 House Committee on Homeland Security report highlighted over 60 cases of Chinese espionage and repression across 20 states, including Washington. It referenced the 2023 indictment of a former US Army sergeant, last stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, for attempting to share national defense information with China.

Gathering intelligence: One of the Chinese nationals charged in July 2025 was reportedly tasked with visiting a naval installation in Washington to identify potential recruits for Chinese intelligence. 

Critical infrastructure and technology

• Seaport security: Concerns have been raised by security experts about Chinese-made cranes, used at major seaports like those in Seattle and Tacoma, potentially posing a national security risk. These cranes are manufactured by a Chinese company with potential links to the state, and could be used for intelligence gathering or disruption.

• Technological vulnerabilities: National security reports have warned about risks from Chinese technology, noting that companies and state governments are vulnerable through purchases of Chinese-made tech products and services. Some US military and intelligence agencies have restricted products from certain Chinese technology manufacturers due to security risks. The tech sector in Washington state could be a target.

State and local influence campaigns

• United Front activities: A 2021 report warned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses "United Front" organizations to conduct influence operations at the state and local levels. The goal is to co-opt local leaders and use them as proxies to advance Beijing's interests and reduce criticism of its policies.

• Targeting local leaders: According to the report, these campaigns exploit local leaders' desire for economic cooperation to influence their positions on issues sensitive to the CCP, such as Taiwan, Tibetans, and Uyghurs. 

Espionage and intelligence gathering

Federal authorities have documented several cases of espionage originating from or affecting the Pacific Northwest:

Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) cases: In March 2025, the FBI and Department of Justice arrested two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers and one former soldier on charges of selling military secrets to Chinese buyers. The soldiers, stationed at JBLM in Washington, allegedly provided classified hard drives and documents related to U.S. weapons systems.

Pacific Northwest spy network: In July 2025, two Chinese nationals were arrested in Oregon and Texas for running a spy network targeting U.S. Navy personnel. According to prosecutors, the network attempted to recruit individuals at naval installations in multiple states, including Washington.

FBI warnings: Following the JBLM arrests in March 2025, the FBI's Seattle field office issued a public warning about Chinese government espionage efforts targeting residents and businesses in Western Washington. The FBI stated that the Chinese government could leverage vulnerabilities in the high-tech sector and military presence in the region. 

Sub-national Foreign Influence
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also uses a "sub-national" strategy, targeting state and local leaders to influence national policy. 
Intelligence alerts: In 2022, the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) warned that China was using both overt and covert methods to influence U.S. state and local leaders. The goal is to cultivate relationships that can be leveraged to advocate for policies friendly to Beijing, such as improving economic ties and reducing criticism of human rights issues.
Exploiting local issues: The NCSC noted that China often exploits local economic interests to gain influence. By offering seemingly benign business opportunities or exchanges, Beijing can mask its broader political agenda.

Making America Great Again

Making America great again requires that we deal with evil forces out to destroy our country. Fortunately,  the Trump Administration's DOJ, FBI and National Security teams under aren't about to let China fly spy balloons across the USA, let alone get away with destroying our nation! 

THE ONE JEWISH EXPULSION ORDERED BY GOD

Chutzpah (sometimes spelled as "kutzpa" or "chutzpa") is a Hebrew and Yiddish word meaning audacity, nerve, or boldness, often in a way that is shocking or disrespectful.  For countries and the United Nations to demand that Israel reward the Palestinians with land in biblical Israel is beyond Chutzpah.  

Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom recognized a Palestinian state on Sept. 21. Many others have and will be doing the same.  The announcement was made ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City; the countries had pledged to recognize a Palestinian state before the summit. 

All of these countries expelled their Jews:

The Assyrians, Babylonians, the Romans, Byzantines, England, France (multiple waves, starting in the 12th century, major expulsion in 1306, and others), Germany, Italy (various cities and regions: Southern Italy, Naples, Sicily, Genoa, Venice, Milan, and more), Spain (1492 was one of the largest and most notable expulsions in history), Portugal (1496), Hungary, Austria (Vienna and other cities), Bohemia and Moravia (Czech lands), Poland and Lithuania, Russia/USSR (expulsions, forced migrations, particularly in the 18th–20th centuries), Switzerland (various towns, e.g., Bern, Basel, Zurich), various towns in the Netherlands, Belgium, Kiev and other regions in Ukraine. 

Many of those countries carried out multiple expulsions. 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

These mass Arab country expulsions occurred in the 20th century!

• Egypt
• Iraq
• Libya
• Syria
• Yemen
• Algeria
• Morocco
• Tunisia
• Lebanon
• Iran/Persia 

The Jews weren't expelled for committing crimes or trying to overthrow the government. They were expelled for being Jews. Surely, the Jews in every one of these countries didn't do anything as horrible as Hamas has been doing for over 20 years. 

THERE ARE TWO EXCEPTIONS:

Chances are that if a country did not expel the Jews, it is because their weren't Jews living there to expel.  There are two exceptions. 

The first is the USA. Given Jewish history, you might wonder, why the USA never expelled the Jews? 

In fact, there was a time when it nearly did. During the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Order No. 11 on December 17, 1862, during the American Civil War, expelling all Jews from his military district covering parts of the Southern states temporarily. There was outrage in congress. President Abraham Lincoln swiftly revoked the order in January 1863, declaring his opposition to condemning an entire group for the acts of a few. Grant later expressed regret for the order, which remains a significant example of official antisemitism in U.S. 

THE ONLY EXPULSION ORDERED BY GOD

The second exception of a nation that had Jews but didn't expel them, is ancient Egypt.  This is the one expulsion ordered by God. Ironically,  Pharaoh in ancient Egypt did NOT want to let the Israelites go. The Exodus is the one Jewish expulsion that God ordered! Pharaoh defied God by refusing to expel the Jews. 

IS "TURNABOUT FAIR PLAY"? 

Why shouldn't the Jews be allowed to expel the Palestinians?  Given how often in history the Jews have been expelled, doesn't it seem fair for the Jews to expel the Palestinians, especially after all the horrific things Hamas has done?

Israel has "offered the other cheek" to the Palestinians about five times, and every time the Palestinians have tried to take out our other eye!  

BEYOND CHUTZPAH: THE DOUBLE-STANDARD

Here is the thing about antisemitism. It is perfectly acceptable to criticize Israel!! The definition of antisemitism, is ALL about having a "double-standard."

The ultimate chutzpa and double-standard is the United Nations. This one graphic says it all. It shows all the "condemnations" that the U.N. has issued over the last 10 years. The farther back, the worse it gets. 

ISRAEL IS UNIQUE IN ANOTHER WAY

No other nation can claim to be living in their God-given biblical homeland.  No other nation has been given a biblical command to expel the other people in their land. Israel went into Canaan, the bible land of the Canaanites who were decendents of Cain, who killed his brother Able.  Ironically, the Palestinians need "sanctuary" and no country is willing to provide it. 

"They hate us cause they ain't us."

At this point, Israel has to protect Israel. "From the River to the Sea," Israel will always be! 

Am Yisrael Chai!

THE ULTIMATE IRONY

Did you know that there is already a "Palestinian" state? It is "Jordan" and even they won't accept the Palestinians from Gaza.

There are currently around 2.3 to 2.4 million registered Palestinian refugees living in Jordan now, which has a total population of approximately 11.8 million. 

Yet, Jordan has refused to accept Palestinians displaced from Gaza. The Jordanian government, including King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, has repeatedly and firmly rejected all proposals to transfer or resettle Palestinians from Gaza into Jordan.

Arab states, including Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, have all firmly rejected plans to take displaced Palestinians, citing political, security, and demographic concerns. No country has expressed willingness to accept Gaza Palestinians. 

There is a precedent that doesn't seem to apply to the Palestinians. During the war with ISIS, European countries accepted nearly six million muslims from Iraq and Syria. But nobody wants the Palestinians. Why?  Perhaps the Jews and the Palestinians have something in common. 

Israel is the only country that tried to offer Palestinians a better life. But the Palestinians chose Hamas. They chose death over life! Now, they have to live with their choice. That is the ultimate irony!!

Epilogue:

Bible verses where God commands the Israelites to expel or destroy the people of Canaan:

Deuteronomy 7:1-6 (NASB) -- "When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you... you shall put them to the sword and devote them to destruction... You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them."

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 (NASB) -- "In the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them—the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite and Jebusite—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things."

Exodus 23:23-24 (NIV) -- "My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices."

Leviticus 18:24-25 (NIV) -- "You must not defile yourselves by any of these things, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants."

Joshua 6:21 (NIV) -- "They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys."

REMEMBRANCE AND REDEMPTION

Preface: A Shared Tapestry of Tears and Trumpets

As the crisp air of autumn heralds Rosh Hashanah, Jews and Christians alike pause to reflect on themes of remembrance, repentance, and renewal. 

For Jews, this sacred festival, the Day of Remembrance, is marked by the soul-stirring blast of the shofar and the poignant stories of matriarchs like Rachel and Hannah, whose tears embody longing and hope. 

For Christians, these same biblical narratives resonate deeply, finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who transforms sorrow into redemption. This story weaves together the Jewish reverence for Rosh Hashanah’s symbols—tears and the shofar—with their Christian echoes, offering a bridge of understanding between two faiths rooted in shared scripture. 

By exploring the maternal cries of Rachel and Hannah and the shofar’s call, we invite Jews and Christians to find common ground in the universal language of faith, where human vulnerability meets divine compassion, and remembrance paves the way for restoration.

The Tears and the Shofar: A Story of Remembrance and Redemption

In the rolling hills of ancient Israel, where olive trees whispered tales of faith, two women’s tears wove a story that would echo through time, finding their fulfillment in the heart of Rosh Hashanah and the promise of Christ. This is the tale of Rachel and Hannah, whose cries of sorrow became prayers of hope, joined by the haunting call of the shofar—a sound that stirred God’s memory and opened a path to redemption.

Rachel, one of Israel’s revered matriarchs, was Jacob’s beloved wife, a woman whose heart bore the weight of barrenness. Year after year, she watched her sister Leah bear children while her own womb remained empty. Yet, on Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Remembrance, Jewish tradition holds that God turned His gaze upon her, answering her prayers with the birth of Joseph, to the father of Israel’s tribes. But Rachel’s story stretched beyond her personal joy. She became the eternal Jewish mother, weeping for her “children”—the people of Israel—in times of exile. The prophet Jeremiah captured her grief: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted, because they are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15). Near her tomb in Bethlehem, her tears flowed for a nation scattered, a symbol of communal sorrow read in the Haftorah on Rosh Hashanah’s second day. In Kabbalistic thought, her weeping mirrored the shofar’s cry, a maternal wail from the womb of the new year, pleading for Israel’s return and God’s mercy.

Centuries later, another woman’s tears joined this sacred story. Hannah, childless and heartbroken, stood in the Temple, her lips moving silently in fervent prayer. Mocked by her rival Peninnah, who bore children, Hannah poured out her anguish to God, vowing to dedicate her son to His service if her plea was heard. The priest Eli blessed her, and God remembered her, granting her Samuel, the prophet who would shape Israel’s future. Hannah’s song of gratitude became a cornerstone of Rosh Hashanah’s first day Haftorah, a testament to the power of personal prayer and divine remembrance. Her tears, unlike Rachel’s communal lament, were deeply personal, teaching that vulnerability before God could transform despair into hope.

The shofar, blown on Rosh Hashanah, became the voice of their tears. It's long, unbroken tekiah proclaimed God’s kingship, while the broken shevarim and trembling teruah echoed the cries of a mother’s heart. In the Musaf Amidah’s prayers of remembrance, the shofar called God to recall His covenant, just as He remembered Rachel’s barrenness and Hannah’s vow. Fashioned from the ram that spared Isaac in the Akedah, the horn stirred souls to repentance, awakening a yearning for divine closeness. Its sound, raw and primal, was both a wordless prayer and a battle cry against spiritual emptiness, recalling Sinai’s thunderous shofar where God forged His covenant with Israel. 

The Hebrew word for tears, dimah, carries deep meaning. It's root—dalet (door), mem (water), ayin (eye)—paints tears as “water from the eye’s doorway,” a gateway to God’s compassion. With a gematria of 119, tears are linked to Psalm 119’s celebration of God’s Word through the Hebrew alphabet. Thus tears became a sacred language, connecting human frailty to divine renewal. As Jewish sages taught, “the gates of tears are never locked,” making Rachel’s and Hannah’s cries a powerful plea for mercy, repentance, and restoration.

Read my blog post about Tears for a deeper dive.

This story finds fulfillment in Yeshua whose life wove together the tears of these matriarchs and the shofar’s call. Born near Rachel’s tomb in Bethlehem, Yeshua entered a world shadowed by her weeping. The Gospel of Matthew ties her tears to the Massacre of the Innocents, when Herod slaughtered Bethlehem’s children to destroy the infant Messiah (Matthew 2:18). Yet Jesus survived, fulfilling the hope behind Rachel’s sorrow. He became the Savior who ended spiritual exile, gathering not only Israel but all humanity into God’s kingdom. Like Hannah, whose personal tears birthed Samuel, Jesus was the ultimate intercessor, weeping at Lazarus’s tomb (John 11:35) and praying fervently for humanity in Gethsemane. His tears showed divine compassion entering human sorrow, answering Hannah’s model of heartfelt prayer with eternal salvation.

The shofar’s call to remembrance found new meaning in Jesus. Its blasts, heralding judgment and mercy, prefigured the Last Trumpet of resurrection, when “the dead will be raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Rachel’s communal longing and Hannah’s personal hope converged in Christ, whose life transformed tears of exile into joy of redemption. 

On Rosh Hashanah, as the shofar sounds and the matriarchs’ stories are read, their legacy endures—a reminder that tears and trumpets open a door to God’s grace. For Jews, this is a call to repentance and renewal; for Christians, it is fulfilled in Jesus, who completes this sacred narrative, turning sorrow into resurrection and remembrance into eternal life. Together, these shared symbols invite both faiths to celebrate a God who hears every cry and answers with love.

Epilogue:

Sinai Echoes Through the Shofar

SINAI ECHOES THROUGH THE SHOFAR

The Blast of the Shofar, Rosh Hashanah, and the Hidden "DNA" of Jewish Trauma and Identity

Imagine a majestic Mount Sinai, radiant beneath dramatic thunderclouds pierced by lightning flashes. From its summit, concentric powerful sound waves ripple outward in glowing, ethereal waves, represented by the blast of the shofar. These sound waves pulse with intensity—visualizing the "very powerful blast" described in Exodus 19 that made the entire Israelite tremble.

As the Jewish community gathers each year on Rosh Hashanah, the blast of the shofar resounds—piercing, stirring, and awakening the soul. It is a sound steeped in millennia of tradition, symbolizing both a spiritual call to awaken to repentance and renewal, and a profound reminder of the covenant between God and the children of Israel at Sinai. Yet, beyond the spiritual and cultural, there may be a more profound, biological dimension to this call—a key to unlocking a deep ancestral memory embedded not only in the soul but also in the very spiritual DNA of the Jewish people.

Sinai Echoes Through the Shofar: Spiritual and Biological Legacy

The experience at Mount Sinai, where God revealed Himself to the Israelites amid thunder, lightning, and the dramatic blast of the shofar, remains the foundational event of Jewish identity. According to biblical tradition, the shofar’s blast punctuated that revelation, shaking the people to their core and electrifying their covenantal relationship with the Divine.

Recent perspectives suggest the Sinai moment is not only a collective memory but could be locked into the genetic heritage of Israelites and their descendants. Researchers have found that Jewish populations, including priestly Cohanim lineages, carry genetic markers that trace back thousands of years, underscoring a physical continuity from that ancient people. 

Myself, being 99% Ashkenazi, my DNA makes me part of the Diaspora that left Israel. Genetic studies show that Ashkenazi Jews retain strong genetic links to the ancient Israelites, reflecting continuity from the biblical population while also carrying admixture from interacting with host populations in Europe. This heritage solidifies a biological and cultural connection to Israel as the ancestral homeland, even as your lineage represents a chapter in the long Diaspora journey.

The shofar’s sound, in this light, becomes more than ritual; it is a spiritual and symbolic key awakening a biological and ancestral memory—an echo within the spiritual DNA that connects modern Jews to Sinai’s covenant. Tradition reverberates in the blast—a “primordial scream” that reaches into the core of identity, awakening both soul and something encoded deeper still.

Trauma and DNA: The Holocaust as a Case Study

Beyond the memory of Sinai, modern science reveals another dimension of this genetic legacy—how profound trauma experienced by an entire people can leave marks on their descendants’ DNA. The trauma of the Holocaust, with its unprecedented brutality and horror, is an extraordinary modern example.

Groundbreaking research spearheaded by scientists like Dr. Rachel Yehuda has shown that Holocaust survivors and their children bear epigenetic changes—modifications in gene expression that do not alter the underlying DNA sequence but affect how genes function. Particularly, alterations in the FKBP5 gene, which regulates stress response, have been identified in survivors and their offspring, indicating inherited biological imprints of trauma.

This phenomenon means that PTSD and the immense suffering endured were not only psychological or cultural memories but became biological legacies passed from parents to children—engraving trauma into their very molecular makeup. The descendants of survivors often exhibit heightened vulnerability to stress disorders and anxiety, embodying a living genetic testament to this shared history.

The Shofar Blast: A Key that Unlocks Memory

If the Sinai revelation is locked in the Israelite and handed down through the generations, it follows that the shofar blast—the very sound that marked the original covenant—acts as a spiritual “key” awakening not only cultural memory but also ancestral, biological memory. Similarly, the inherited trauma of the Holocaust, locked epigenetically in descendants’ DNA, finds a voice in communal rituals like the shofar’s call during Rosh Hashanah.

The shofar, then, represents a profound symbol and tool: it calls the Jewish people to awaken spiritually, to recall their covenant, and perhaps also to connect with the dense, often hidden biological layers of their identity shaped by both divine encounter and historical trauma.

Wider Implications for Jewish Identity and Other Ethnicities

This scientific and spiritual understanding of trauma’s inheritance reshapes what it means to be Jewish. Jewish identity is not merely cultural or religious; it also assimilates a biological dimension where ancestral experiences—particularly those of trauma and revelation—are in stored in someway in the descendants.

This concept extends beyond Jews to other ethnic groups who have faced profound historical trauma. Native American communities, African Americans, and others show similar biological and cultural transmissions of trauma across generations. Such shared ethnic experiences, locked in our biological memory, manifest as “historical trauma,” blending biology, culture, and memory into a collective identity.

The Shofar’s Timeless Call

As the shofar sounds this Rosh Hashanah, it evokes layers of meaning—calling the Jewish people to spiritual awakening, communal reflection, and renewed covenant. Yet beneath these well-known layers lies an awe-inspiring possibility: that the sound reverberates in a deeper ancestral code, stirring within the indelible marks of Sinai and the profound trials of history, taken with Jews into the Diaspora. 

For Jews living in Israel, the experience of the shofar’s sound is layered with immediacy and presence. It is not only a connection to a distant ancestral memory but also a living, breathing reality within their land. Jerusalem’s unique topography, with its hills, valleys, and ancient stone architecture, creates a natural amplifier and echo chamber for the shofar’s blast. This echoing sound has the effect of filling the air with a tangible sense of awe, evoking memories of the Sinai revelation, the ancient Temple, and the enduring covenant between God and the Jewish people. Many describe hearing the shofar in Jerusalem as an immersive, soul-stirring event.

This call historically, culturally, spiritually, and biologically summons a people to remember, to awaken, and to embrace a complex identity forged through divine encounter and the endurance of immense suffering—a legacy of resilience etched not only in stories or faith but in the very fabric of their being.

The Hebrew root of the word shofar "שופר" is shin-peh-resh (ש-פ-ר), which connects to the meaning of being good, pleasant, or beautiful. This root also has a cognate in Aramaic and is understood in Jewish tradition to be related to the concept of improving one's deeds, especially during Rosh Hashanah.  

The root appears in various Hebrew biblical texts in words that describe goodness, beauty and pleasing.  

Psalm 16:6 -- Portions have fallen to me in pleasant places; even the inheritance pleases me.

We find use of the root in Job 26:13: 

בְּרוּחוֹ שָׁמַ֣יִם שִׁפְרָ֑ה חֹֽלְלָה יָ֜ד֗וֹ נָחָ֥שׁ בָּרִֽחַ

Job 26:13 -- By His breath He made the heavens a tent; His hand caused pain to the bar- like serpent.

The line "His hand caused pain to the bar-like serpent" is a poetic reference to God's ultimate victory over the forces of chaos and evil.

The ESV translation is: 

By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Here it translated as "pierced the fleeing serpent" or "formed the crooked serpent". In either case, the serpent symbolizes a primeval enemy defeated by God's power. 

For my Christian friends, it appears to me that we can see the Crucifixion in the Shofar.

In this verse you see  שִׁפְרָ֑ה = Shiphrah. The Hebrew name Shiphrah (שִׁפְרָה) is typically translated to mean "beauty," "fairness," or "grace". It can also mean "to improve" or "to beautify". 

Job 26.13 describes God's power in creating the heavens and the universe and His ability to control powerful creatures.  It is a bit confusing how the root word relates, which makes the very next and last verse so powerful:

Job 26:14:Behold these are the outskirts of His ways, and what implication of any matter can be understood therein, and who understands the thunder* of His mighty deeds?" 

(Thunder is the sound of the shofar/trumpet.)

The Gematria of Shofar (שופר)

The Hebrew Gematria for the word Shofar reveals profound insight. The Hebrew word for shofar, "שופר" (Shin-Pey-Vav-Resh), has a traditional gematria value of 586. This is calculated by summing the values of its individual letters. Here's the breakdown of the Hebrew letters and their values: 

ש: (Shin): 300
ו: (Vav): 6
פ: (Pey): 80
ר: (Resh): 200
Sum: 300 + 6 + 80 + 200 = 586 

The most significant kabbalistic meaning associated with 586 derives from the Hebrew word 'zera', which has this exact numerical value and means "seed". 'Zera' refers to the "spiritual root" of a person or a concept. Jacob's journey to Egypt is described as collecting "holy nitsotsot (sparks) lost in the dark forces of Egypt," a process of gathering and refining spiritual potential, or 'zera'.

In Kabbalah, the numerical value of 586 suggests that the spiritual meaning of "seed" is far-reaching and profound.

The destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE is a key historical marker in Judaism, but Kabbalah interprets such destructive events as being followed by greater spiritual revelation and rebuilding. The subsequent era saw the development of the Mishnah, Gemara, and Zohar, which can be seen as new "seeds" of understanding growing from the apparent tragedy.

The concept emphasizes that great spiritual growth and revelation often emerge from dark or challenging moments.

 One interpretation of 'zera' suggests that a person can cultivate this spiritual potential to reach a higher level of soul consciousness. This process elevates a person from a lower, more worldly form of awareness (nefesh) toward a more divine state. Do you see the "seed" (zera-586) in this imagery?

In gematria one can further reduce the value of the word shofar (586.) 

Gematria reduction, also known as standard gematria, is a method of interpreting Hebrew texts where the numerical value of each word is found by adding up the value of its letters, and then that sum is reduced by repeatedly summing its digits until a single digit is reached. The resulting single-digit number is then used to find hidden connections or meanings between words that share the same reduced value. 

When you add up each of these three numbers (5 + 8 + 6 = 19), and then add up those two numbers (1 + 9), our sum is 10: a significant number in Judaism (10 commandments, 10 for minyan, a prayer quorum). If you reduce 10 you get 1 + 0 = 1 (Aleph). This letter/mumber is associated to God.

Ears to Shema (Hear)  

About ten years ago I was in study about the shofar with my rabbi at that time. The rabbi asked everybody, what we were thinking or remembering when they heard the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Their were lots of answers about memories of family and food and being a temple. My answer was that, "I am at Sinai."

The blast of the shofar can transport a Jew back in time and to another place.  

Conclusion

This intertwined story of the shofar blast, genetic inheritance, and Jewish identity highlights how ritual, history, and biology converge to shape a people uniquely tied to their past, their trauma, and the eternal covenant made at Sinai and renewed each year at Rosh Hashanah.

Matthew 24:31 (NIV) "And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other". 

Epilogue:

REMEMBRANCE AND REDEMPTION

I have written about the Shofar before. 

Eyes Into the Divine Realm

Depiction of Jacob's Ladder," from the Bible (Genesis 28:10-12) of a ladder or staircase reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

The bible contains stories people of faith and vision who had glimpses beyond the veil of this world. Each journey was unique, yet their stories weave together a powerful tapestry of divine glory, awe, and transformation.

The prophet Daniel, in the dark of night, witnessed majestic thrones surrounded by angelic beings and strange beasts symbolizing earthly kingdoms. Though troubled, Daniel saw the Ancient of Days ruling with justice and a Son of Man receiving eternal dominion. This vision brought him clarity about God's sovereign plan amidst earthly turmoil.

Enoch walked so closely with God that one day, he vanished from the world, taken straight into paradise, spared the common fate of death. Elijah, too, soared on a chariot of fire into the heavens, a remarkable sign of God's favor and power.

As Stephen was being stoned to death, he saw the heavens open and Jesus standing at God's right hand. The impression is that Stephen was being welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Spirit empowered Stephen to witness faithfully until his death, making him the first Christian martyr. 

The Apostle John saw heaven opened like a door and heard the worship of countless angels surrounding the throne of God. The colors, sounds, and visions transcended human words. The Apostle Paul’s experience of the “third heaven,” a realm beyond earthly and sky heavens, left him humbled and strengthened, though he chose silence over boasting. 

Despite such profound encounters, these witnesses were often reluctant or unable to fully describe what they saw. The glory was too overwhelming, the holiness too pure, and human language too limited. Their visions were often symbolic, prophetic, and partly veiled in mystery—meant not just to marvel at, but to strengthen faith, warn, and inspire holy living.

Yet, each who saw heaven was forever changed. Their encounters deepened their faith, filled them with courage, humility, and a renewed calling. They bore witness to a realm where God's justice reigns, holiness shines, and ultimate hope is found. They walked away with a conviction that earthly trials are temporary, and God's eternal kingdom is supreme.

Lessons and Morals:

- True vision of heaven invites awe and reverence, recognizing God's holiness beyond earthly comprehension.

- Prophetic visions often carry divine messages urging faithfulness, courage, humility, and perseverance amid hardship.

- The experience of heaven transforms the heart, encouraging a focus on eternal realities over temporary struggles.

- Words fall short in describing divine mysteries; humility in sharing spiritual insight is a mark of true spiritual depth.

- Hope of heaven should inspire righteous living, confident trust in God's sovereign plan, and perseverance in faith.

The Greatest Mystery

Heaven remains so mysterious and glorious that it defies our imagination and description. Even biblical visionaries struggled to convey its fullness, speaking of overwhelming light, radiant glory, and divine otherness—realities that words and images cannot capture. While painters across history have labored to portray the heavenly realm, using gold, supernatural light, and idealized figures to suggest divine majesty, every canvas is ultimately limited by earthly materials, human imagination, and cultural understanding. These artworks point to spiritual truths and inspire longing, but they necessarily fall short of the true beauty, holiness, and perfection of God’s dwelling place. The greatest art can only gesture toward heaven's awe, reminding us that faith rests not in what can be depicted, but in the promise of a reality greater than anything we can see or conceive.

Eye Witness Accounts

People who claim to have died, gone to heaven, and returned often describe leaving their bodies and moving through a dark tunnel toward a radiant, loving light. They report encountering a beautiful, peaceful place filled with vibrant colors, gardens, and an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance, sometimes meeting beings of light or deceased loved ones. Many feel freed from pain and physical limits but are told it’s not yet their time, so they return to life with a renewed sense of purpose. These experiences emphasize a loving divine presence, eternal peace, and reunion beyond human understanding.

My Personal Vision

At my mother-in-law's funeral I had a heavenly vision that blew my mind and overwhelmed me with emotion.  The assurance that I felt was unlike anything I have ever experienced and it has never left me. 

Conclusion:

In some sense, I think it is this motivation to understand and commune with our Creator that drives the entire bible. It is sad to think that this world is all there is. We want to believe that we are more the body and that our soul has a future. A vision of heaven give us hope. 

In Joshua 2:17-21, the prostitute Rahad hides the spies in Jericho. She is told to put a scarlet cord (a Tikva in Hebrew) out her window during the Battle of Jericho so Joshua (Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), meaning "Yahweh saves" or "The LORD is salvation") could find and rescue her and her family. The scarlet cord was her hope that Joshua would return for her. The story of Rabad at Jericho is the first time we find the word "hope" (Tikva) in the bible. 

The journeys into heaven recorded in scripture remind us that God's divine realm is both magnificent and mysterious, radiant with holiness and full of hope. Though few can grasp it fully, these glimpses assure believers that beyond life's trials awaits a kingdom prepared by God Himself. The stories inspire a life lifted above fear and doubt—rooted in the certainty of God’s eternal presence. Faith thus becomes a bridge between earthly shadows and heavenly light, inviting all to walk in hope, strengthened by the vision of the divine.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV) -- "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

LEARNING FROM OUR MISTAKES

1 Samuel 8:21-22 -- When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

The biblical history of Israel is not pretty. To the contrary, it is down right brutal and idolitrous at times. But it is rich with lessons and messages for us. 

I recently finished an excellent historical book by Barry Strauss about the Jews and Rome. It covered about 200 years of Jewish history. There was tremendous strife and violence in Israel's past, marked by enormous internal conflicts and violence.

This video presents a longer period of time from a biblical perspective. 

When you look at the difficulties with uniting just 12 tribes in a tiny parcel of land, it is a wonder that any nation as large and diverse as a America exists. Uniting the 13 original colonies, let alone all 50 states, is remarkable. We united without internal battles. The colonies and states didn't wage war against one another. We had no King. The glue that bound us together was the love of freedom, a belief in biblical principles, strong resentment of taxation and conflicts of interest by our leaders and rights guaranteed in our Constitution. 

America put into action the lessons and principles in the bible. I think it can be said that if there wasn't either the Hebrew Bible or the Gospels, there wouldn't be America.

Both the Hebrew Bible and the Gospels provided foundational principles and models for our young nation’s laws, values, and vision. Without these cornerstone texts, the unique character of America’s founding and it's conception of liberty, justice, and human dignity would likely not have emerged as it did.

Key founding symbols like the Liberty Bell bear direct quotations from Leviticus (“Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof” – Leviticus 25:10). Revolutionary leaders, regardless of their personal faith, frequently invoked stories like the Exodus as metaphors for breaking oppression and creating a new people under God. The structure of American self-government, including ideas like the separation of powers, can be traced to warnings against centralized power in passages like 1 Samuel 8 and principles of justice and equality found throughout the Torah.

The Gospels and Christian teachings saturated both the private lives and public institutions of early Americans. The overwhelming majority of early Americans and their leaders identified as Christian, and the Bible (including the "Old" and "New Testament") was the most-read and most-quoted book of the era. Christian moral teachings heavily influenced concepts such as forgiveness, charity, and civic virtue, which were seen as essential for self-government and a just society. Colonial documents and state constitutions openly declared the necessity of Christian moral principles for ordering society and sustaining liberty. Jews made great contributions directly and indirectly. 

Ironically, Jews by & large refuse to study the Gospels. Here we are living in a nation that cherishes our Hebrew scriptures, and which has sheltered us from antisemitism for centuries, yet we have scales in front of our eyes when in comes to the words and teachings of the New Testament. We have no problem reading about Marx or Buddah, yet heaven forbid we open the Book of Matthew, the first book in the Gospels. It makes no logical sense. It isn't natural.

The story of Israel isn't natural. It is supernatural. It promises a messiah from the line of David.  "The Hope of Israel is 2000 years old." So it says so in Israel’s national anthem. Jews and Christians, with faith, both believe in The Hope. Come.