Pastor Deborah
Jewish Birthday Traditions
Everyone loves birthdays!
But what does Judaism have to say about them,
and what are some of the top Jewish birthday traditions?
A birthday is a great way to keep track of a lot more than just your age.
It is a time to reflect on all you’ve already accomplished and all you are now setting out to do.
It is a time to gather together family and friends to make a day that would have just passed by feel special.
Special Birthday Traditions
Birthdays in Judaism don’t have any set obligations or even particularly strong traditions, but there are a number of customs that people have picked up over the years:
GIVING BRACHAS / BLESSINGS:
It is a custom to give others blessings for particular things in their lives.
There is no formula for these, so just speak from the heart.
Reading your Psalm:
It is common for people to read Tehilla (Psalm) corresponding to one’s age, technically age + 1 because parents read a newborn Psalm 1.
Given that there are 150 tehillim, there should be plenty!
PSALMS 67:1 TPT
GOD, keep us near your MERCY-FOUNTAIN and BLESS US!
And when you look down on us, may your FACE beam with JOY! (Pause in his presence)
We are now in God's mercy and grace because of Jesus.
God is holy and just.
God can now smile at us because Jesus has taken our sins onto the cross.
All the children went to Jesus because He is always smiling and full of joy.
Jesus is smiling down on us.
PSALMS 67:2 TPT
SEND US OUT all over the world so that EVERYONE EVERYWHERE will discover your WAYS and know WHO YOU ARE and SEE YOUR POWER to save.
We are to show them who God is.
To see His power to save them.
We are not to show them who we are, but who we are in Christ, what He has done for us.
PSALMS 67:3 TPT
Let ALL the nations BURST forth with PRAISE; let EVERYONE EVERYWHERE LOVE and ENJOY YOU!
Everyone is enjoying Jesus.
In His presence, there is fullness of joy, at His right hand there are pleasures forever.
We are married to Jesus as our spiritual husband and we can love others (His children's children) with Jesus' love.
PSALMS 67:4 TPT
Then how GLAD the nations will be when you are their King. They will SING, they will SHOUT, for you give true justice to the people.
Yes! YOU, LORD, are the SHEPHERD of the NATIONS!
PSALMS 67:5 TPT
No wonder the peoples praise you!
Let all the people praise you MORE!
PSALMS 67:6 TPT
The HARVEST of the EARTH is HERE!
God, the very God we worship, KEEPS us SATISFIED at his BANQUET of BLESSINGS.
PSALMS 67:6 AMP
The EARTH has yielded its HARVEST [as evidence of His approval]; God, our God, BLESSES US.
God wants to satisfy His children with banquet of blessings.
When we believe, then it will happen.
We shall inherit the land because the land is blessed.
Land become fertile.
God is not against us but He approves of us.
PSALMS 67:7 TPT
And the BLESSINGS KEEP COMING!
All the ends of the earth will give HIM the HONOR HE DESERVES and be in awe of HIM!
Blessings keep coming because it is God who gives the blessing.
God, MARK us with GRACE and BLESSING!
SMILE!
The whole country will SEE how you work, all the godless nations see how you SAVE.
Children of God are marked.
How can the world see that we are the child of God? When they see the blessings of God upon our life that has nothing to do with our abilities or talents.
Children of Israel were marked out because they are blessed and not cursed.
We acknowledge God as our source of blessings.
We stand different from those who doesn't know God.
We are marked out because we receive underserving favour.
Not because we deserve it but because we are blessed by God.
God can't interfere if we want to go our own way.
Our righteousness are like filthy rags.
Without God is a godless nation.
If we worry about bills and food, what is the difference are we from the unbelievers?
Kingdom of God are righteousness, peace and joy.
When we know we are the righteousness of God, we attract all the blessings.
We do not have to worry about tomorrow.
If we seek His love, peace and understanding, we are able to rest.
We will always walk in peace.
Joy of the Lord is in the Holy Spirit.
Come to Jesus as childlike.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 14:16-17 CEB
In the past, he permitted every nation to go its own way.
Nevertheless, he hasn’t left himself without a WITNESS.
HE HAS BLESSED you by GIVING you rain from above as well as SEASONAL HARVESTS, and satisfying you with food and HAPPINESS.”
`ACTS 14:16-17 MSG
“In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their own way.
But even then he didn’t leave them without a clue, for HE MADE a GOOD CREATION, poured down RAIN and GAVE BUMPER CROPS.
When your BELLIES were FULL and your HEARTS HAPPY, there was EVIDENCE of GOOD BEYOND YOUR DOING.”
ACTS 14:16-17 TPT
In previous generations he allowed the nations to pursue their own ways, yet he has never left himself without CLEAR EVIDENCE (WITNESS) of HIS GOODNESS.
For HE BLESSES us with RAIN from HEAVEN and SEASONS of FRUITFUL HARVESTS, and he NOURISHES us with FOOD to MEET our needs.
He SATISFIES our LIVES, and EUPHORIA fills our HEARTS.”
Forgive those people and bless them.
G2167
Original: εὐφροσύνη
Transliteration: euphrosunē
Phonetic: yoo-fros-oo'-nay
Thayer Definition:
GOOD CHEER, JOY, GLADNESS
Strong's Definition:
From the same as G2165; JOYFULNESS:- GLADNESS, JOY.
JOHN 1:16 TPT
And from the OVERFLOW of his FULLNESS we RECEIVED GRACE HEAPED upon MORE GRACE!
JOHN 1:16 EASY
The WORD is FULL of EVERYTHING that we NEED.
We have ALL RECEIVED ONE GOOD THING AFTER ANOTHER GOOD THING.
GIFTS and FRUITS of the SPIRIT
1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-5 TPT
It is the same Holy Spirit who continues to distribute many different varieties of gifts.
GALATIANS 5:22-23 NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Don't despise spiritual gifts.
JOHN 1:16-18 MSG
We all LIVE off HIS GENEROUS ABUNDANCE, GIFT AFTER GIFT AFTER GIFT.
We got the basics from Moses, and then THIS EXUBERANT GIVING and RECEIVING, This ENDLESS KNOWING and UNDERSTANDING — ALL this came through JESUS, the MESSIAH.
No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse.
This ONE-OF-A-KIND GOD-EXPRESSION, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day.
We cannot outgive god.
EUPHORIA JOY of the SPIRIT when BLESSED!
