Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
Ngaba amaNgqina kaYehova aphepha ukubhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa kuba oko kwakunentsingiselo yokonqulo kumaxesha amandulo?
Ukubhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa kuvela kwiinkolo nakunqulo lobuxoki, kodwa eso asikokuphela kwesizathu esibangela ukuba amaNgqina kaYehova akuphephe.
Wambi amasiko awayekhe angawonqulo awasenjalo kwiindawo ezininzi. Ngokomzekelo, umsesane womtshato wawukhe wanentsingiselo yonqulo, kodwa kwinkoliso yeendawo namhlanje, awusenjalo. Ngenxa yoko, amaKristu okwenyaniso amaninzi ayalamkela isiko lasekuhlaleni lokufaka umsesane ukungqina ukuba umntu utshatile. Kwiimeko ezinjalo, okudla ngokuba nempembelelo kukuba loo nto yenziwayo ngoku inxulunyaniswa nonqulo lobuxoki kusini na.—Bona “Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi” kwiMboniselo kaJuni 1, 1972 nekaOktobha 15, 1991.
Noko ke, alinakukhanyelwa elokuba ezininzi zeembekiselo zityhila ukuba ngaphambili imibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa yayisekelwe kwiinkolo nakunqulo. IThe Encyclopedia Americana (uhlelo lowe-1991) ithi: “KwiYiputa, iGrisi, iRoma nePersia yamandulo kwakubhiyozelwa imihla yokuzalwa yoothixo, ookumkani nabantu abakudidi oluphezulu.” Ithi amaRoma abhiyozela ukuzalwa kuka-Artemis nosuku luka-Apollo. Ngokuchasene noko, “nangona amaSirayeli amandulo ayezigcina iingxelo zeminyaka zabemi bawo abangamadoda, akukho bungqina bokuba ayeba nemibhiyozo yesikhumbuzo ngomhla wokuzalwa.”
Ezinye iincwadi zeembekiselo zichaza ngokunzulu iinkcukacha ngemvelaphi yemibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa: ‘Amatheko emihla yokuzalwa aqala kwiminyaka emininzi eyadlulayo eYurophu. Abantu babekholelwa kwimimoya elungileyo nemibi, maxa wambi eyayibizwa ngokuba ngoohili abalungileyo noohili ababi. Wonk’ ubani wayeyoyika le mimoya, kuba yayinokumenzakalisa lowo kubhiyozelwa umhla wokuzalwa kwakhe, ibe ke ngoko wayengqongwa ngabahlobo nazizizalwana zakhe ezaziya kuthi ngeminqweno emihle, nangokubakho kwazo, zimkhusele kwiingozi ezingaziwayo zeso sihlandlo. Ukuphiwa izipho kwakukhusela ngokuthe chatha. Ukutya ndawonye kwakuzisa inkuselo kuze kuzise iintsikelelo zemimoya elungileyo. Ngoko ntlandlolo itheko lomhla wokuzalwa lalisenziwa ngenjongo yokukhusela umntu ebubini nokuze akhuseleke nakunyaka olandelayo.’—Birthday Parties Around the World, 1967.
Kwakhona le ncwadi icacisa ngemvelaphi yamasiko amaninzi enziwayo xa kubhiyozelwa umhla wokuzalwa. Ngokomzekelo: “[Ukusetyenziswa kwamakhandlela] kwaqaliswa ngamaGrike namaRoma amandulo awayecinga ukuba amakhandlela ayeneempawu zobugqi. Ayethandaza aze avakalise iminqweno eyayidluliselwa koothixo ngamalangatye amakhandlela. Babeya kwandula ke oothixo bazithobe iintsikelelo zabo baze mhlawumbi baphendule nemithandazo.” Enye inkcazelo enjalo ifunyanwa kwiphepha lama-69 nelama-70 lencwadi ethi Ukuqiqa NgeZibhalo, epapashwe yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York Inc.
Noko ke, njengoko sekukhankanyiwe imbambano apha asingombandela kuphela wokuba ukubhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa kwakukokonqulo okanye kusekokonqulo kusini na. IBhayibhile iyalumkisa ngombandela wemihla yokuzalwa, yaye amaKristu akhulileyo ngobulumko ayiphaphele nayiphi na imigaqo ephuma kuyo.
Abakhonzi bakaThixo bamandulo babewaphawula amaxesha okuzalwa kwabantu, nto leyo eyayibenza bakwazi ukubala iminyaka. Siyafunda: “UNowa ebeminyaka imakhulu mahlanu ezelwe; uNowa wazala ooShem noHam noYafete.” “Ngomnyaka wamakhulu amathandathu wokudla ubomi kukaNowa . . . yagqabhuka yonke imithombo yamanzi enzonzobila enkulu.”—Genesis 5:32; 7:11; 11:10-26.
Kwananjengokuba uYesu wakhankanyayo, phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo ukuzalwa komntwana yayisisihlandlo esisikelelekileyo nesonwabisayo. (Luka 1:57, 58; 2:9-14; Yohane 16:21) Sekunjalo, abantu bakaYehova abazange benze isikhumbuzo somhla wokuzalwa; bazigcina ezinye izikhumbuzo kodwa abazange benjenjalo ngemihla yokuzalwa. (Yohane 10:22, 23) IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi, “Ukubhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa akwaziwa kwinkqubo yesithethe yamaYuda.” Incwadi ethi Customs and Traditions of Israel ithi: “Ukubhiyozelwa kwemihla yokuzalwa kuthatyathwe kumasiko ezinye iintlanga, njengoko eli siko lingakhankanywa phakathi kwamaYuda kwanaseBhayibhileni, kwiTalmud, okanye kwimibhalo yamaNyange awaphila kamva. Eneneni, kwakulisiko lamaYiputa amandulo.”
Le mvelaphi yaseYiputa icaca kumbhiyozo womhla wokuzalwa ekuthethwa ngawo eBhayibhileni, owawungagcinwa ngamaKristu okwenyaniso. Yayingulowo kaFaro owayelawula ngoxa uYosefu wayekwintolongo yaseYiputa. Abanye babo bahedeni kusenokwenzeka ukuba babonwabe gqitha kweso sidlo, kodwa sasinxulumene nokunqunyulwa kwentloko yomphathi waboji bezonka bakaFaro.—Genesis 40:1-22.
Esinye isiganeko esingathandekiyo esifana neso saphinda sehla kwisikhumbuzo somhla wokuzalwa esikhankanywe eZibhalweni— esikaHerode Antipas, unyana kaHerode Omkhulu. Esi sikhumbuzo eBhayibhileni asichazwa njengombhiyozo nje omsulwa. Kunoko, saba sisihlandlo sokunqunyulwa kwentloko kaYohane uMbhaptizi. Ngoko, “bafika abafundi bakhe, basithabatha isidumbu, basingcwaba; baya babikela uYesu,” owathi ‘wemka waya endaweni eyintlango eyedwa.’ (Mateyu 14:6-13) Ngaba ucinga ukuba abo bafundi okanye uYesu baziva bethabathekile yimibhiyozo yemihla yokuzalwa?
Ekubeni eyiqonda imvelaphi eyaziwayo yokubhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa, ibe okubaluleke ngakumbi, indlela engentle ekuchazwa ngayo eBhayibhileni, amaNgqina kaYehova anezizathu ezivakalayo zokuzinxwema kuko. Akuyomfuneko ukuba alandele eli siko lehlabathi, kuba anako yaye ayazenzela izidlo zolonwabo ngalo naliphi na ixesha enyakeni. Ukuphana kwawo izipho akusosinyanzelo okanye akwenziwa nje ngenxa yokuba kukho itheko lomhla wokuzalwa; kukuphana izipho kokuzithandela okwenziwa nangaliphi na ixesha ngesisa nangokuqhutywa luthando lokwenyaniso.—IMizekeliso 17:8; INtshumayeli 2:24; Luka 6:38; IZenzo 9:36, 39; 1 Korinte 16:2, 3.