There are a number of fellowships in my province o..

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There are a number of fellowships in my province of Manitoba that meet every other Shabbat or on Shabbat every 2 weeks. This has some advantages over meeting every Shabbat. It helps cut down on the cost of travel if the place of worship is far. It helps cut down on the cost of food if you have pot-blessing (pot-luck) lunch after services. It also gives people some "alone" time on the days they stay home. Yet, we still meet often enough to fellowship and not miss each other.

Any thoughts on Shabbat meetings every 2 weeks?

Comment

I personally appreciate it when meetings aren't every Shabbat if I have to travel a distance to them. That way I get to attend all the meetings and don't mis out if it is a series of messages and I choose not to go every meeting.

It gives me some days that I can spend to rest while I still study Scripture by myself.

It might come from all the years I had to commute to work 2 hours each way, so I have developed a dislike in driving. 😶

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I think I would enjoy a Sabbath of private rest, as well. However, what of the COMMANDMENT to have a miqra qodesh (set-apart gathering) each and every Shabbath? Do you think it is optional? Despite our personal, fleshly desires, do we know better than the Most-High and have the right to change His laws?

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The problem with that is that the Most High in his Torah said that his people are supposed to have a set of part assembly every appointed time

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I wasn't expecting controversy concerning this issue, but I guess unexpected things can happen.

I've read Lev. 23 which seems to indicate that an assembly is needed every Sabbath and Feast Day. But most places who meet on Sabbath every 2 weeks do not do it out of preference but to save on resources.

Torah doesn't command us to do things that we are not able to do. For example, we are commanded to fast for Yom Kippur, but if a person has a medical need to not fast, then that person doesn't have to do that. Torah commands sacrifices, but that cannot be done without a temple in Israel. The same thing if the cost of Sabbath services every sabbath is cost prohibited.

If you still disagree, then we will have to agree to disagree. But that's okay.

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Somethong to consider: we are not to kindle fires on shabbat. Internal combustion engines start a fire in each piston as the engine cranks around. Electric cars do not do this. We are also to let our animals rest on shabbat. Im not sayong cars are animals, even though they are our modern equivalent. What I'm saying is: should we be kindling thousands of little fires to get to a shabbat day service?

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@Rhy Bezuidenhout , three thoughts: scripture allows for a delay in Pesach til the second month if on a long journey. Exile counts as a long journey, but there is no temple to go to appear before YHWH. Third, during the babylonian exile, no journeys to jerusalem were made for 70 years.

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We meet every two weeks. I see no command to assemble on Sabbath. The root of the word translated as convocation is “to call out”. The command for Sabbath is to rest. What you do beyond that is up to you.

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"In Exodus 16:29 they were a gigantic holy convocation. They were perpetually gathered until they entered the land. Chronologically, Leviticus comes after Exodus 16 so I'm not seeing any contradiction."

In Leviticus, they werent in the land, they were still in the wilderness, so the chronology is mute. The original command in Exodus was never redacted. Leviticus even states in your dwellings. Households were to come together, not all of Israel. If they were in a perpetual gathering, there wouldnt have been a need to command them to come together. Basic language and context.

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i presume this is the verse you are referring to: Act 15:21 LSV for Moses has those preaching him from former generations in every city—being read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

This verse implies there is a custom/tradition to read Torah in the home assemblies (synagogues) on sabbath. It is not a command.

· Reply · 1723994072

This topic became larger than I first thought. Some people say that an assembly on Shabbat is commanded, some say it is not, while others say it is a tradition but not commanded. I think it is important to assemble every Shabbat. If that is not possible, then as often as a congregation is able.

I've heard of congregations that meet once a month. But I don't think that is a good idea because that isn't often enough.

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