• "And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head." (1 Samuel 1:11)

First fruits and first born were offerings to the Lord in any case. They could be redeemed by paying money instead. In Hannah case, she gave her firstborn son to the High Priest (Kohen) and hence to the Lord.

• "Shavuot is Hag ha-Bikkurim, festival of the first fruits. The word bikkurim is derived from the same root as bekhor, the firstborn of man and animal, which were also to be dedicated to the service of God."

"Firstborn is the term referring to a male offspring who is the first issue of his mother's womb. According to the Torah, the firstborn, known in Hebrew as bekhor, has special sanctity. Therefore, he is subject to specific Torah laws which apply to all firstborn human beings and animals of the following types: cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys. The purpose of these laws is to teach us that everything in the world belongs to God and man owns only what God has given to him. When a man has worked hard to raise a family or rear a herd of animals, and finally sees the first fruits of his labor, the Torah tells him that these first fruits belong to God. Therefore, if man wishes to own and enjoy these gifts, he must redeem them from their rightful owner."

"The ceremony of the redemption of the firstborn is of great significance. In the case of a human bekhor, this ceremony . . . consists of redeeming the child from a kohen (priest) by giving the kohen five silver coins. During the ceremony, the father presents his son, often on a specially embellished tray, to the kohen, who asks him in an ancient Aramaic formula, whether he wishes to redeem the child or to leave him to the kohen.

As to Eli's sons, their taking advantage of worshipers and thereby profiteering is still repugnant in Jewish Law. Providing religious service for money is improper. Yet one can see religious men at the Western (Wailing) Wall waiting to assist Bar Mitzvah services on Mondays and Thursdays, (not on Saturdays - Sabbaths because no money is handled on this day). The families allowing them to assist them are supposed to pay money in return. It is apparent that if the sum is not sufficient, the religious men simply demand more. One can see blessings being given with one hand while the other is cupped for a "donation."

When Jesus cleansed the temple, he was filled with reverent indignation because men were desecrating his Father's house, selling doves and lambs to be offered as sacrifice, not so much for the service but for the money they would make. He overturned the moneychanger tables and said to the sellers of doves,

• "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." (John 2:16.)

The essence of service to God instead of self-serving is evident in Jewish culture. There is special care in emphasizing the proper attention to certain principles.

Entertainment:

• "After the shivah, (mourning period at death) a modified period of mourning continues till the thirtieth (Hebrew: sheloshim) day after death. During this period the mourner should not attend places of entertainment or participate in social gatherings. A mourner may not marry during the sheloshim." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Sabbath:

• "In the course of time observance of the Sabbath became the identifying mark of the Jew. It set him apart from all other religions. According to the First Book of Maccabees (2:31--41), at the beginning of the Hasmonean revolt against Syria, the Jews would not fight on the Sabbath but let themselves be killed. Later they realized that was a mistake and that if danger to life is involved, the Sabbath is suspended."

"The rabbis of the Talmud thought that the Sabbath is the most important of all the laws of the Torah and that by itself it is equal to all the rest. One statement is that "if Israel keeps one Sabbath as it should be kept, the Messiah will come." They saw Shabbat as a special privilege; a gift that God gave His people Israel and as a foretaste of the world-to-come."

"Other biblical laws repeatedly show concern for the well being of animals. Man must rest on the Sabbath and may not work his animals either. "Thou shalt not do any manner of work, neither thy son . . . nor thy servant . . . nor thy cattle" (Exodus 20:10)."

"The Sabbath and the festivals are particularly times of joy, and indeed it is a positive commandment, often difficult to observe, to be happy on them. The joy required is not frivolity but, contradictory though it may sound, a serious happiness. The highest level of joy according to the rabbis is the simhah shel mitzvah, the joy felt at performing a commandment or doing a good deed."

"For the Sabbath, there are special candlesticks and oil lamps, Kiddush cups, hallah covers and tablecloths; and for Havdalah, special candleholders and spice containers in many shapes and sizes, some of them masterpieces of artistic workmanship. "

"Women usher in the Sabbath each week by lighting candles and blessing God "who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath light." On Saturday night, traditional Jewish families light a havdalah candle made of several wicks braided together, raise a cup of wine and sniff fragrant spices, thus bidding farewell to the Sabbath peace and beginning a new week."

"From talmudic times, it was the special duty of the housewife to bake the bread for the Sabbath. This bread, usually prepared from white flour, is also called "hallah." Two such loaves are placed on the festive Sabbath table as a symbol for the double portion of manna which the Israelites in the wilderness received every Friday, and because of the Showbread in the Temple, which was displayed each Sabbath." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

(The Hallah is baked sweeter than regular bread because the Sabbath is a "sweeter" day).

• " Funerals may not take place on the Sabbath or on the Day of Atonement . . ."

"In some communities it is customary for the father to bless his children on the Sabbath eve when he returns from the synagogue."

"In every town where there are Jews they must appoint 'charity wardens,' men who are well-known and honest that they should collect money from the people every Sabbath eve and distribute it to the poor . . . We have never seen or heard of a Jewish community which does not have a charity fund." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

It is interesting to see the similarity of young Aaronic Priesthood bearers gathering "Fast Offerings" at the beginning of the month.

Fasting is an integral part of Jewish life, yet never on a Sabbath unless it is Yom Kippur. There is a monthly Yom Kippur Katan (lesser), a day before the beginning of every month. It is a fast day, again, never on a Sabbath.

Fasting:

• "The purpose of the fast days in the Jewish calendar, such as Tish'ah Be'Av and the Day of Atonement is mainly educational and spiritual. Tish'ah Be'Av strengthens the Jew's identification with the Jewish People by remembering the catastrophe of the destruction of the Temples. The fast of Yom Kippur comes to remind us how we have used our bodies to disobey God's will and to hurt our fellow man. Both the prophets and the rabbis stressed that mere fasting without repentance for our bad deeds is valueless."

"Fasting is an act of repentance or of supplication seeking divine forgiveness or the prevention of disaster. Public fasts also commemorate catastrophic events in Jewish history."

"On fast days one neither eats nor drinks. On major fasts, other prohibitions are washing, wearing leather shoes, using ointments or perfumes, and other physical pleasures. There are special prayers and the Torah is read in the synagogue. Yom Kippur and Tishah be-Av are observed from sunset to sunset. All other fasts are from sunrise to sunset." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Morality:

• "Amos cried out against the careful observance of the Temple ritual when it ignored morality as an integral part of religion. Ritual alone does not please God, who demands that it go hand in hand with mercy and compassion."

"Judaism encourages modesty as one of the means to chastity. Thus the Jewish woman is enjoined to dress and act modestly at all times. Furthermore, a man is forbidden to be alone with a woman with whom he is not permitted to have sexual relations from considerations of both chastity and modesty." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

It should be considered that even though the Children of Israel wanted a King for their own personal reasons, God allowed them to have Kings as role models of an even greater "anticipated" King of Kings. The clothing (deep red) and the entry into Jerusalem on donkeys that have never been ridden before are examples of signs of the King of Kings.