A hush falls over the crowd

[simchat_torah]

*cricket cricket*

[Matthew23]

I still come just about every day to check for new messages- I just haven't had any ideas for a new thread lately.

matt

[Matthew23]

Say, why don't you tell us a little about yourself.

[hyssop]

Well,

Over the past several weeks, I've suffered a system harddisk crash and visited my folks in Florida for spring break . . . and I've missed NOTHING on the board . . . bummer.

Regarding my harddisk: I went out and purchased 2 - Maxtor 120 Gb drives ($79 each--what a deal) to replace the IBM 40 Gb drive (one of 2 originally installed) that failed, so I should have enough space to last quite a while--280Gb. I also loaded Windows XP Home Edition to replace Windows 98 that went with the bad drive. Now, I've got problems running some of the multiplayer games that worked so well with W98. I've got more time to spend trying to get this blasted computer working as well as it used to--I remember when that used to be fun.

Regarding nothing to talk about: With Passover quickly approaching, perhaps it would be timely to post a topic or two under the Holy Days forum . . . hey, wait a minute, what is this that I see there already? . . . Matt, we started a conversation, and I rudely left you hanging. Sorry, I'll see what I can do about that.

[Matthew23]

What's up with that?! Everybody's getting awesome computers now 'cept for me! Poor little ol' me. I've only got 4 GB to work with , and the "red" is going out on the monitor . We're thinking about a whole new system...

[hyssop]

--- editted to correct the tentative dates (which have now been set) ---

Matt,

I spent all last night trying to get the board back the way it was when I started at 11pm, so I've not made a lot of headway in the posting department.

Rosh Chodesh (Heb. head of month) should be Wednesday night. If so, the L_rd's Supper will be on Tuesday night, 4/15, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread on Thursday (sunset Wed to sunset Thurs), 4/17, and the last day of the Feast on Wednesday (sunset Tues to sunset Wed), 4/23.

Now's your chance to actually see a new moon that establishes a holy day . One, however, must often be "watchful" in order to see the new moon.

Peace,

[simchat_torah]

HOLY COW!!!! 120 gig drives for 79 bucks?
heh, where can I get these ken??????????????

Anyway, I appologize for not spicing up the boards recently. I was just kinda waiting on someone else to bring up the next topic, heh, probably what everone else was doing too! lol...

Well, I've got some REAL interesting threads to post soon, and after I've gotten some information from my Rabbi I'll begin posting. Just waiting on his end to give me some talmidic and midrashic texts, then I'll be ready to share some new ideas I've had floating around in my head (not new, but new to me).

Alas, Matthew did ask about me...
Matt (can I call you Matt?), there's a few posts on these boards that tell a bit about who I am, and that's kinda what led me to become the moderator of the Jewish section (shame on me for not being as involved wholeheartedly lately). So you can check those posts out, but I'll share a bit of new news with Ya'all....

I've recently lost my job a couple of weeks ago. I've been looking for a new position in Champaign/Urbana area and I've got quite a few leads, and within a week or two I'll have more definate news on that matter. I'm not sure if I mentioned on these boards that I moved in January to Urbana (central Illinois) for 1-2 years (I have reasons for that specific length). But since then I've been attending a Conservative Synagouge and it's been absolutely wonderful.

Hyssop invited my wife and I to come visit just before the turn of the new year, but I was moving at the time, so I postponed that. Now that I'm totally moved in, I have no excuse... and I should be fined 100 posts over the next week for blowing him off like this.
Achi, I deeply appologize. Granted, things have been hectic, and weekends are my only time to get away. It seems that nearly every weekend since I moved I've been busy to the MAX! I had birthday parties, graduation parties, a Bar Mitzvah, 2 weddings, ect ect ect...
My wife and I have only had a couple of weekends to ourselves, and we've been selfish in that we spent time alone. It was hard on us because the job I just lost I was working nights, and she was working days, so we never saw each other but for half an hour between our shifts a day... so weekends were about our only time to be together.
Well, that's ended, and now I'm out of a job... hopefully not for too long.

None the less, I've had no excuse in at least not calling you Ken... I am deeply sorry that I haven't kept in touch like I should.... that will all change.


This is probably more than you wanted to hear about me, and too much whining... blah blah blah... sorry Matthew.

Anywho... I had better get busy on my 100 posts this week as my punishment for being a bad friend and moderator.

ok, 1 down, 99 to go.

-Yafet

[hyssop]

Well, I've just now got Windows 98 back on-line (barely). I've got a bunch of drivers, software, etc. to go . . .

However, I do have IE back up and running.

Yafet,
Welcome back! I know what you mean about always having something come between you and the board. BUT, since you've posted more that anyone on the forum and have been a member for only half as long as it's been up, you're no slacker.

I look forward to speaking with you. If you've still got my number, give me a call at your convenience. I will be home on Friday night (obviously), and if you call about 8:30pm CST or so we'll be done with dinner for sure.

[simchat_torah]

I think that I should be able to do that...

I just have to ask the boss if we have plans to be home on Friday night, or go to synagouge, etc... but I should be able to give you a ring...

Talk to you then.

-Yafet.

[simchat_torah]

boss = wife

fyi.

[Matthew23]

Yafet,

Thanks for the reply. And, yes, please call me Matt.

[hyssop]

Rosh Chodesh

The new moon was sighted Wednesday night, 4/2. As a result, we now know when Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread will fall.

I was a bit confused the other night when I posted the tentative dates, so I've updated the post above to reflect the correct days.

Were there any other "watchful" souls out there that saw the new moon on Wednesday?

[Matthew23]

Re: Rosh Chodesh

Originally posted by hyssop
Were there any other "watchful" souls out there that saw the new moon on Wednesday?

I'm no science whiz, so I'm wondering, "isn't it impossible to see a 'new moon' since the sun is shining on the other side of it?" I don't know, maybe it's possible around sunset or sunrise

I'm looking forward to Passover. Since speaking with some of you, and with others at Lo-ammi, I have come to understand it more fully, and I have an appreciation for it that I've never had before. We're going to have a Seder dinner at church on Wednesday evening, the 16th. I'm looking forward to it!

matt

[hyssop]

New Moon

Good question, Matt:<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE=1>The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 11, 1959</font><HR>When the moon is almost on a line between the earth and sun, its dark side is turned toward the earth. At this time, the moon is almost invisible. Astronomers consider this dark moon the <I> new moon</i>. Within about 24 hours, a slim crescent begins to appear. The crescent also is called the new moon.<HR></blockquote>The new moon to which I refer is the crescent. Last night, the new moon set about one hour after sunset and was visible in the western sky for far less than an hour. Being so small and not very bright, it takes a relatively long time after sunset to become visible. Since it is so low when seen, it quickly slips into the haze just above the horizon. When sighted by two independent witnesses, the new month is instantly established and one then knows when the Holy Days will fall. But, only the watchful (and a small group of people that were randomly looking into the sky in the right place and the right time) are early witnesses to the heavenly body that will ultimately grow to rule the night.

[Matthew23]

Originally posted by hyssop
Rosh Chodesh (Heb. head of month) should be Wednesday night. If so, the L_rd's Supper will be on Tuesday night, 4/15, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread on Thursday (sunset Wed to sunset Thurs), 4/17, and the last day of the Feast on Wednesday (sunset Tues to sunset Wed), 4/23.

I'm confused !
Matthew 26:17-21 tells us that Yeshua and His disciples ate the L-ord's Supper on the "first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread". This whole thing confuses me. Is Passover considered the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread? When was He crucified? Before the evening the Passover was to actually begin? Or on the day in which Passover would end at nightfall? I'm trying to understand which days are which, and the days (3) that lead to the "morrow after the Sabbath".

sincerely,
matt