SPECIAL SABBATH DAYS

THE WEEKLY SEVENTH DAY SABBATH

although being the most imporant Shabbat celebrated by Yahuweh`s Set-Apart People is only one of several deeply important Shabbats held in honour of Yahuweh!!

All of these Shabbats were commanded to be held by Yahuweh`s people to endess generations (le Olam Va-ed/forever) and so to help us obey and follow the Living and Unchanging Word of Elohim we include a little information on these Special Shabbaton.

Four Special Shabbats

and

Other Ultra Important Shabbat Days:

On the usual Seventh Day Shabbat, the Torah Portion of the Week (Parshah) is publicly read during the Synagogue Service.

If the weekly Shabbat occurs during a Festival, then an additional Section named Aliyah is recited from a Different Torah Scroll during the Service.

Additional ceremony is required during this extra reading.

The Four Shabbaton

There are four Special Shabbats throughout the year which although not co-inciding with any Holy Days, nevertheless require readings from two different Torah Scrolls.

Also the additional Ceremonies attached to these Four Special Shabbats also require extra readings from these Torah Scrolls.

All Four of these Special Shabbats occur just before the First Day of Nisan, the start of the Biblical Year and just before the Passover Festival.

Together, we call these Annual Special Sabbaths, `The Four Shabbaton.`

1. Shabbat Shekalim - `Sabbath of the Shekels.`

read on Shabbat before the 1st. Day of Adar (Feb/March).

The Additional Reading (Maftir) is from Shemoth (Exodus) ch.30 vs.11-16, and describes the census taken for all the Children of Israel and the Ransom Offering of Half a Shekel all were obligated to give.

The rich were not allowed to give more than the poor.

All were obligated to give exactly the same for the Ransom Offering - one Half-Shekel only.

In the process of time this Ransom Offering became the Temple Tax used for the upkeep of the temple and during Yahushua`s earthly ministry equated to 2 days wages, (Mattityahu/Matthew ch. 17 vs. 24).

Today, in Israel, this chapter 30 of Exodus is read a Sabbath before Rosh Chodesh Adar (The New Moon) and the Jewish peoples give half of the Standard coin of the country in which they live.

Yahushua paid this tax as we find in Matthew ch. 17 vs 25-27.

2. Shabbat Zachor - `Sabbath of Remembrance`

The additional reading from the Torah taken from Devarim (Deuteronomy) ch. 25 vs. 17-19 calls us to remember (zachor) the enmity and hatred of the Amali-kites towards the Children of Israel by attempting to kill the weak, and weary, the old and the young who made up the tail-end of the Multitude of Israel coming out of Mitzrayim (Egypt). Read on Shabbat before Purim.

3. Shabbat Pahrah - `Sabbath of the Red Cow`

The additional Torah reading for this Special Sabbath recalls the sacrifice of the Red Heifer as read in (Bamidbar/Numbers ch. 19) and the providing of it`s Ashes for the Purification Ritual.

The Red Hefeir was to be without spot or blemish, taken outside the Camp and sacrificed.

A perfect picture of Yahushua our Spotless Sacrifice, who also died outside the Camp. (Ivrit/Hebrews 13 vs 11-13). Read on Shabbat after Purim.

4. Shabbat HaChodesh - `Sabbath of the Month`

The Shabbat Day before the 1st. Day of the month of Abib/Nisan, the start of the Biblical year.

This is the season of The Passover (March/April) and Torah reading is from Shemot/Exodus ch.12 vs 1-20.

OTHER SPECIAL SABBATHS:

In addition to the above Four Special Sabbaths, there are other special Sabbath Days that call for additional readings from Torah to call to remembrance Special Events in the History of the Children of Israel.

1. Shabbat HaGadol -

`High Sabbath` occurs on the 15th day of the month of Abib which is one day after the annual Passover Day when the Sacrificial Lamb was slain at evening.

The Additional Reading is from Malachi ch. 3

This High Shabbat ALWAYS OCCURRED ON THE 15TH. DAY OF THE MONTH OF AVIV. EXODUS CH. 12 vs.15-16 AND LEVITICUS CH.23 vs. 5-7

and ALWAYS ONE DAY AFTER THE PASSOVER DAY..... LEVITICUS CH 23 vs. 1-7

And was also called the `FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD `Chag HaMatzot` LEVITICUS CH 23 vs.6

A `HIGH` / SPECIAL SABBATH DAY (A HOLY CONVOCATION) LEVITICUS CH. 23 vs. 7 AND ST.LUKE CH. 23 vs. 53-56

And was the Special High Sabbath referred to in the Gospel of Luke ch.23 vs.56, which occurred during this Passover Week when Yah`shua was slain.

This was the High Sabbath Day when the women-folk (who planned to come with spices) rested on.

It was a Thursday.

They then returned to the Tomb on Friday which was not a Sabbath Day.

So therefore during this Passover Week there are 2 Sabbath Days.

The Shabbat HaGadol held from Wednesday Sunset to Thursday Sunset and the usual weekly Seventh Day Shabbat beginning at Sunset on Friday to Sunset on Saturday Evening.

Yah`shua was impaled on Wednesday and laid in the tomb at even-time and rose from death towards the sunset of the Saturday Shabbat, thus fulfilling His prophecy that He would be in the heart of the earth 3 days and 3 nights.

2. Shabbat Chazon `The Sabbath of Vision`

This Special Shabbat is held before the Fast of Av (Tishah B`Av) during the `3 Weeks of Sorrow`and is called `Chazzon` ie `The Vision` because the Haftarah Reading (reading from the prophets) is taken from Yeshayahu/Isaiah ch. 1 prophesying the coming destruction of the Beit HaMikdash (Temple)

3. Shabbat Nachamu `The Sabbath of Comfort`

This Special Sabbath occurs after the Tisha`v B`av and the Haftarah Portion read is from Yeshayahu/Isaiah ch. 40, which speaks forth YHWH`s comfort to Israel after their Exile.

4. Shabbat Shuvah `The Sabbath of Repentance`

This Special Shabbat occurs between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. The Haftarah Reading is from Hosea ch. 14. vs. 2.

5. Shabbat Beresheith `Sabbath of Beginning`

This Special Shabbat follows the Feast of Sukkot - `Simcha Torah` and begins the First Parsha (Portion) of the Annual Torah-Reading Cycle. Beresheith/Genesis ch. 1

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