Free Ten Commandments Printable for Shavuot

Free printable of the Ten Commandments | Land of Honey

Because Shavuot is a special time of celebrating both the giving of the Holy Spirit and the giving of YHWH's instructions I thought a printable of the ten commandments would be fitting. Recently I admired a simple ten commandments piece of art in a friends home and decided to make a more Hebrew version of that. My free printable uses YHWH, as well as Shabbat. The structure of the commandments is also a bit different. I studied wording in various versions and arrived at an amalgamation of my own.

Free printable of the Ten Commandments for Shavuot | Land of Honey

Did you know there is some dispute over the ten commandments themselves? For the most part, Christian teaching and translations start the list of ten commandments off in Exodus 20:3 - "you shall have no other gods before me." But the Hebrew movement would argue that the first and most significant commandment is found in the second verse. "I am YHWH your Elohim who brought you out of the Egyptian house of slavery." Because knowing the name of the God we serve is incredibly important, right? This goes along with the third commandment of not forgetting the name of YHWH or bringing it to vain emptiness and ruin.


Free Ten Commandments printable | Land of Honey

I am really happy about this new piece of art in my home! Hanging the ten commandments is a great way to learn them by heart, and keep your focus on how YHWH wants us to live. It also shows visitors that his word is important to you. While I think this is especially fitting for the Shavuot season, I plan to keep mine up year round. In a cute frame this would also make a great gift!

Click here to download my ten commandments printable. It is free for your personal use.
You can get a large print of this at a local printing place to have it as more of a statement piece. Mine was printed as an 18" by 13" for about $8.00. Or this prints great at home in a regular printer as an 11" by 8" or even smaller if you prefer.

A very happy Shavuot to each of you!

DIY Ten Commandment Gummies

How to make your own Ten Commandment Sour Gummies for Shavuot | Land of Honey

These ten commandment gummies are a perfect treat for Bible school, Passover, or any of the Biblical holidays! Made with beef gelatin, they are Biblically clean and kosher, and you can use most any type of fruit or juice to make them. Use these to teach kids about Moses and the giving of the ten commandments, or as a healthy treat to enjoy at Shavuot or the Feast of Tabernacles.

How to make your own Ten Commandment Sour Gummies for Shavuot | Land of Honey

The secret to this lies in the awesome candy mold used to make these into the commandment tablets. I found this one and love it! You'll notice that it has the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet - each letter stands for one of the ten commandments given by YHWH to Moses in Exodus 20, right near the time of Shavuot. Since we celebrate the giving of the written Word and the Ruach HaKodesh writing his Word on our hearts at Shavuot this is a perfect treat for this time of year. You could make them together as a family or surprise someone with a gift of real food, kosher sour gummies.

DIY Ten Commandment Gummies for Shavuot | Land of Honey

These are simple to make and they should work with any real food 'gummy' recipe out there, just be sure to use kosher gelatin! I used Great Lakes grass-fed beef gelatin but you could certainly experiment with agar agar as well. My candy mold holds just over half a cup of liquid. As you can see, these recipes will make for a bigger batch than that. I experimented with halving the recipes but found with that little liquid it didn't blend completely smooth in my blender, and harder bits of gelatin in my gummies are no good in my opinion. So I would recommend making the full recipe. If you have two candy molds that should work out about perfectly. If not, just pour the extra in a dish to set up. It won't be as cute but still tasty.

Recipe to make kosher ten commandment gummies | Land of Honey

Strawberry Lemonade Gummies
2/3 cup strawberries (I used frozen but fresh works too)
2/3 cup lemon juice
5 tablespoons kosher gelatin (I used Great Lakes which is kosher and grass fed)
Ten commandments candy mold

Over medium heat in a small sauce pan combine your berries and lemon juice. Cook gently for 3-5 minutes until berries are softened. Place in the blender and blend until smooth. If you want to do a taste test this is the point to do it. If it's not sour enough to your liking add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice. If it's too sour add a few strawberries or a spoonful of honey.
Once you are happy with the taste add the gelatin and blend until smooth. At this point, it is going to smell a little, uh, meaty and that's okay. I promise the smell and funkiness will go away once the gummies are set.
Pour into your ten commandments mold. If you see any large air bubbles you can poke them with a toothpick. Any extra can be poured into a ramekin or small baking dish to set.
Refrigerate one hour or until set. Use a toothpick or butter knife to loosen the tablets from one side of the mold and then peel them out. You're done!

Recipe for kosher sour gummies | Land of Honey

Blueberry Rhubarb Gummies
2/3 cup of blueberries (I used frozen but fresh works too)
1/3 cup rhubarb juice (see below)
1/3 cup lemon juice
5 tablespoons kosher gelatin
Ten commandments candy mold

To make rhubarb juice: place approximately 1 cup of fresh or frozen rhubarb into a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Simmer 15 minutes or until the rhubarb loses it's color. Strain and use the liquid for this recipe.
Over medium heat in a small sauce pan combine your berries with the rhubarb and lemon juice. Cook gently for 3-5 minutes until berries are softened. Place in the blender and blend until smooth. If you want to do a taste test this is the point to do it. If it's not sour enough to your liking add an extra tablespoon of lemon or rhubarb juice. If it's too sour add a tablespoon or two of blueberries or a spoonful of honey.
Once you are happy with the taste, add the gelatin and blend until smooth. You can see adding the gelatin turns the mixture opaque.
Pour into your ten commandments mold. If you see any large air bubbles you can poke them with a toothpick. Any extra can be poured into a ramekin or small baking dish to set.
Refrigerate one hour or until set. Use a toothpick or butter knife to loosen the tablets from one side of the mold and then peel them out. You're done!

Recipe for kosher sour gummies | Land of Honey

Grape Juice Gummies
1-1/3 cups grape juice
5 tablespoon kosher gelatin
Ten commandments candy mold

You don't need a blender for this one. Whisk your gelatin into 2/3 cup of grape juice. Meanwhile bring the other 2/3 cup of juice to a simmer. Whisk the heated juice into the gelatin mixture until smooth.
Pour into the mold and let set in the refrigerator about one hour until hardened.
Use a toothpick or butter knife to loosen the tablets from one side of the mold and then peel them out. You're done!

Recipe to make kosher ten commandment gummies | Land of Honey

I think this might be a new Shavuot tradition at my house. Has anyone used a ten commandment candy mold? I think I'm going to try chocolate next! :)

Recipe to make kosher ten commandment gummies | Land of Honey

Recipe for kosher sour gummies | Land of Honey

What I'm Reading - The History of the American Indians

The History of American Indians by James Adair Overview and Quotes | Land of Honey

American Indians have a ton in common with ancient Hebrew culture.

Before I came across this book that was an unknown idea to me. As you guys know I've spent some time studying and considering the Lost Tribes of Israel, and even heard of a few mentions of Hebrew culture showing up in South America, but never here in my own country. I've even read about the possibility of King Solomon sending out workers to what is now Michigan's Upper Peninsula to harvest enormous amounts of copper (see 1 Kings 10:22), but I hadn't really thought about Hebrews staying here. If you grew up being told that Native Americans had somehow arrived in North America from Asia, it is startling to realize, as Adair points out, the Native tribes have almost no similarities to the cultures of Asia. What is even more shocking is just how many strong connections some of these tribes have to the culture of ancient Israel

Who is James Adair?
Born in Ireland around 1709, Adair lead an adventurous life coming to the American colonies where he traded and practiced medicine. He spent something like forty years of his life living among Native American tribes in the south, primarily the Chickasaw. He clearly was convinced that the tribes he interacted with descended from the tribes of Israel, devoting about half the pages of his notes to his observances on this. The book was supposed to teach the English how to interact with the Indians.

According to Adair, American Indians:
-do not bow to others, but bow in religious practice
-call deceitful people snakes
-do not consider the bear as clean as the deer
-priests wear breast plates, a wreath around the head, and an ephod
-paid 10% of their produce to rainmakers
-have a celebration called 'feast of the new-sanctified fruits'
-insult others with the phrase, "you resemble those beaten in Canaan"
-observe ritual washings, even in cold water
-practice marital separation during the woman's menstrual cycle
-married couples stay have a separation of forty days after the birth of a child
-are separated from the tribe for three days after funeral duties
-separate wounded warriors from the camp the same way YHWH instructed Israel to separate the lepers
-had the unmarried brother of the husband marry the widow
-refered to rabbits with a form of the word, "not to meddle with"

Are these tribes observing the instructions of YHWH or are all of these things just coincidental? Perhaps the people living in this country when the Europeans arrived were not as pagan and heathen as we have been told to believe. According to Adair, "The American Indians are so far from being Atheists....that they have the great sacred name of God that describes his divine essence, and by which he manifested himself to Moses." He confirmed that tribes refer to the Deity as Yo He Wah and that name is used in their religious ceremonies. Isn't that incredible?!
Similarities between Native Americans and Hebrew Israelites | Land of Honey

One of the downsides of this book is that it is tough to read. It is written in a more formal, academic way and the 200+ years it's been since the book was written make some passages difficult to understand. He seems to use 'Indian' as a blanket label for the Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Muskogee tribes, but it is not always clear which specifically he is talking about. Something else to be aware of is the word 'Jew' is used incorrectly in place of 'Hebrew.' Since this type of reading is not everyone's cup of tea I thought I would share a few of quotes from the book that I found most interesting as an introduction to a couple of things. Firstly, that the Lost Tribes of Israel are not lost at all to YHWH. He has been faithful to preserve his people through the ages. And also that true history is more connected with Scripture than we realized in middle school social studies.

Quotes from The History of the American Indians:

They flatter themselves with the name hottuk oretoopah, "The beloved people," because their supposed ancestors, as they affirm, were under the immediate government of the Deity who was present with them, in a very particular manner, and directed them by prophets; while the rest of the world were aliens and out-laws to the covenant. -89

The Indian language, and dialects, appear to have the very idiom and genus of the Hebrew. -93

They say, "Yah" at the beginning of their religious dances, with a bowing posture of body. -101

Let us now turn to the copper colour American Hebrews. 141

While dancing they never fail to repeat those notes; and frequently the holy train strike up Halelu, Halelu; then Haleluiah, Halelu-Yah, and Aleluiah and Alelu-Yah. -142 (Whoa! Native Americans knew the phrase hallelujah and used it to praise YHWH!)

And may we not reasonably suppose, that they formerly understood the psalms, or divine hymns? at least those that begin with Halelu-Yah. -142

After which, they go to some convenient deep water, and there, according to the ceremonial law of the Hebrews, they wash away their sins with water. -143

The Indians formerly observed the grand festival of the annual expiation of sin, at the beginning of the first new moon, in which their corn became the full eared. -144 (Compare that with Leviticus 23:39, which tells us celebrate Sukkot to YHWH after the corn has been gathered in.)

...annually observed their festivals, and Neetak-Yah-ah, "days of afflicting themselves before the Deity." -144 (Sounds like Yom Kippur)

He charges them to be sure not to give the children a bad example of eating any unsanctified, or impure food. -150

When the Indians meet at night to gladden and unite their hearts before Yohewah, they say Yohewa-shoo, Yohewa-shoo, Yohewahshee Yohewashee, and Yohewahshai", with much energy. -156 (Very similar to our modern pronunciations of Yahusha or Yahushua.)

That these red savages formerly understood the radical meaning, and emblematic design, of the important words they use in their religious dances and sacred hymns, is pretty obvious, if we consider the reverence they pay to the mysterious divine name Yo He Wah. -156

Indian women always throw a small piece of the fattiest of the meat into the fire when they are eating. -157

They commonly pull their new-killed venison (before they dress it) several times through the smoke and flame of the fire, both by the way of a sacrifice, and to consume the blood, life, or animal spirits of the beast, which with them would be a most horrid abomination to eat. -159

Robert Williams, the first Englishman in New England, who is said to have learned the Indian language, in order to convent the natives, believed them to be Jews...that their language bore some affinity to the Hebrew. -227

Indian women of Canada purify themselves after travail, thirty days for a male child and forty for a female. -238

Isn't it amazing to think that the Native Americans knew the god of Israel? It's important to know that Adair wasn't saying any of these tribes did everything perfectly or had it all of Scripture figured out. Throughout the book he pointed out that some tribes had compromised and defiled themselves by eating unclean animals and so on. He was saying that there is a lot of evidence that suggests these tribes descended from the Twelve Tribes of Israel. 1 Kings 10:22 tells us that King Solomon sent people very far out to collect fine things from all over the world, and it even mentions these journeys took three years, so there is a possible hint of this in Scripture as well.

Have you ever heard of Israelites settling in North America? Which of the quotes really strikes you?
The American Indians knew the set apart name of YHWH! | Land of Honey

My Matzah Week: What Celebrating Unleavened Bread Looks Like

DIY Matzah Pinata | Land of Honey
A unique element to the Feast of Unleavened Bread (and Sukkot) is the duration of it: one whole week. That's something Western culture is not familiar with. Holidays, from birthdays to weddings to Christmas are one and done. There is anticipation building up to one special day and then it's over. This can create a lot of pressure to make that day spectacular. One of the great things about these Feasts is that since they are so long there is less pressure to have a big blowout day. But this can also seem a little underwhelming. A few times I have come out of Matzah Week thinking that it wasn't terribly different from any other week.

I decided to intentionally make this week a little bit different. I didn't take off work entirely but I did take a few days off. I also spontaneously decided to limit my internet consumption, and didn't read the handful of blogs I check regularly. I put zero thought into this decision but it worked out super well, as when I caught up with them the following week I realized many of the posts centered around easter preparation. I'm happy to have missed that, particularly during a set  apart time of YHWH. Spiritually, I focused on the final days and statements of Yahusha.  A couple of things I did weren't really feast themed but they were things that I enjoy that make the week a little more special, like picking fresh flowers and reading a new book.  Another thing I'm glad I did was to jot down a few of the Feast centered things that I did each day. It's cool to see that not only was I taking steps to celebrate a Feast of YHWH but that this week really was different for me.

I'm sharing with you what my week was like not because I think everyone should copy my schedule, but because the first few times I celebrated Unleavened Bread I kept wondering, but what should we do? So here is what Matzah Week was like for me this year. I think we don't have more instructions on this holy day because YHWH doesn't want us to be carbon copies of each other. We have a few guidelines, the no-work days, not consuming anything leavened, and celebrating but we also have a little creative wiggle room in how we choose to honor him this week.


Chocolate Seder plate | Land of Honey

Monday was a no-work day. My husband and myself took the day off from our professional jobs and also set aside the perpetual to do list for the day so that we could rest and enjoy YHWH's feast.
-We read the Exodus story together.
-The house had some decorations up already but we set out the decorations I brought back from our Pesach celebration. Including my matzah pinata, chocolate Seder plate, coasters, and lots of printables.
-We ate leftovers from the Passover meal, including matzah.
-We watched The Prince of Egypt.
Cucumber tabbouli matzo sandwich | Land of Honey
My Matzah Week | Land of Honey

Tuesday:
-Made a fresh batch of homemade matzah.
-Read the Prince of Egypt story.
-Watched the Joshua episode of Stories from the Bible (since it happened right after Passover).
-I got my flair omer counter set up and ready to go.
-Made spaghetti squash with marinara for dinner.
My Matzah Week | Land of Honey
My Matzah Week | Land of Honey

Wednesdays I run errands with my grandmother. Our tradition is visiting a coffee shop at the end of our outing. This time we had to be mindful of not consuming leavened treats.
-Wore my matzah socks!
-Read a new cookbook from the library.
-Matzah for lunch and dinner. Homemade matzah can be soft like a pita or tortilla, so I used mine to make 'tacos' of roasted root vegetables from the Passover meal. Great with cream cheese and a sprinkle of tabbouleh.
My Matzah Week | Land of Honey
My Matzah Week | Land of Honey

Thursday I worked most of the day. I made it a point to still be mindful of this being a special time.
-Read a verse related to Unleavened Bread every few hours.
-Listened to some Passover music throughout the day.
-Wore my clay matzah ring.
-Watched Torah to the Tribes' Passover.
DIY Clay Matzo Ring | Land of Honey

Friday:
-Made plenty of fresh matzah to prepare for the back to back Shabbats this week.
-Listened to Torah to the Tribes' Unleavened Bread teaching while cooking and getting ready for Shabbat.
-Finally assembled my clay matzah picture frame for an extra decoration.
Homemade matzah recipe | Land of Honey
Homemade matzah recipe | Land of Honey
DIY matzah picture frame | Land of Honey

Shabbat:
-Attended congregation.
-Had a family lunch of black bean soup with matzah.
-Read the Last Supper accounts in the Besorah.
-Got a card around to send to friends also celebrating Matzah Week.
-More Passover music.
DIY matzah picture frame | Land of Honey

Sunday was the other no-work day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
-We slept in.
-Began our omer counting. (There are many different theories on when to start this, so don't feel bad if you started another day.)
-Went for a walk in beautiful weather.
-Picked a few flowers. The first of the year for me.
-Read the remaining Scriptures from this list.
Dandelion Menorah | Land of Honey

How do you like to spend your Matzah Week? Again, please don't feel like your week needs to be just like mine. Hopefully this gave you some visual inspiration for keeping this feast. More ideas for Unleavened Bread can be found here.
How do celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread?