Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
Ingabe oFakazi BakaJehova bagwema ukugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa ngenxa yokuthi lomkhuba wawunencazelo ethile engokwenkolo ezikhathini zasendulo?
Ukugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa kusuka ekukholelweni ezeni nasenkolweni yamanga, kodwa lokho akusona isizathu okuwukuphela kwaso noma esiyinhloko sokuthi kungani oFakazi BakaJehova begwema lomkhuba.
Amanye amasiko ekuqaleni ayenesimo senkolo awasenjalo ezindaweni eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo, indandatho yomshado ekuqaleni yayinokubaluleka okungokwenkolo, kodwa ezindaweni eziningi namuhla ayisenakho. Ngakho, amaKristu amaningi eqiniso ayalamukela isiko lendawo lokufaka indandatho yomshado ukuze inikeze ubufakazi bokuthi umuntu ushadile. Ezindabeni ezinjalo, okuthonyayo ngokuvamile ukuthi ingabe umkhuba uhlangene yini nenkolo yamanga manje.—Bheka “Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi” kuNqabayokulinda kaSeptember 1, 1972 nekaOctober 15, 1991.
Nokho, akunakuphikwa ukuthi izincwadi eziningi zembula imisuka engokwenkolelo-ze nengokwenkolo yokugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa. IEncyclopedia Americana (uhlelo luka-1991) iyaphawula: “Amazwe asendulo aseGibithe, eGrisi, eRoma, nasePheresiya ayegubha izinsuku zokuzalwa zawonkulunkulu, amakhosi, nezikhulu.” Ithi amaRoma agubha ukuzalwa kuka-Artemis nosuku luka-Apollo. Ngokuphambene, “nakuba amaIsrayeli asendulo ayegcina imibhalo yobudala bezakhamuzi zawo zesilisa, abukho ubufakazi bokuthi aba nanoma imiphi imikhosi yokukhunjulwa kosuku lokuzalwa.”
Ezinye izincwadi ziningiliza kakhulu impela ngokuqondene nomsuka wemikhosi yosuku lokuzalwa: ‘Imicimbi yosuku lokuzalwa yaqala eminyakeni eminingi edlule eYurophu. Abantu babekholelwa emimoyeni emihle nemibi, ngezinye izikhathi eyayibizwa ngokuthi otokoloshe abahle nababi. Wonke umuntu wayeyisaba lemimoya, ukuthi yayingalimaza lowo ogubha usuku lokuzalwa, ngakho wayezungezwa abangane nezihlobo ezizilokotho zazo ezinhle, nakho kanye ukuba khona kwazo, kwakuzomvikela ezingozini ezingaziwa eziphethwe usuku lokuzalwa. Ukuphana ngezipho kwakuletha isivikelo esikhulu ngisho nangaphezulu. Ukudla ndawonye kwakunikeza ukulondeka okuqhubekayo futhi kusiza ekuletheni izibusiso zemimoya emihle. Ngakho umcimbi wosuku lokuzalwa ekuqaleni wawuhloselwe ukuvikela umuntu ebubini nokuqinisekisa unyaka omuhle ozayo.’—Birthday Parties Around the World, 1967.
Lencwadi ibuye ichaze nomsuka wamasiko amaningi osuku lokuzalwa. Ngokwesibonelo: “Isizathu [sokusebenzisa amakhandlela] sihlehlela emuva kumaGreki nakumaRoma akuqala ayecabanga ukuthi izimbaqa noma amakhandlela ayenezimfanelo ezingokomlingo. Ayengakhuleka futhi aveze izifiso ezazizoyiswa phezulu konkulunkulu amalangabi amakhandlela. Onkulunkulu babeyobe sebehlisa izibusiso zabo futhi mhlawumbe baphendule imikhuleko.” Okunye ukwaziswa okunjalo okuyisizinda kuhlanganiswe emakhasini 69 no-70 encwadi Ukubonisana Ngemibhalo, eyanyatheliswa iWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
Nokho, njengoba kushiwo, kuningi okuhilelekile kulombuzo kunokuthi ingabe ukugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa kwakungokwenkolo noma kusengokwenkolo yini. IBhayibheli liyakhuluma ngendaba yezinsuku zokuzalwa, futhi amaKristu avuthiwe ngokuhlakanipha asheshe athinteke kunoma isiphi isiboniso elisinikezayo.
Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zasendulo zaziphawula lapho abantu bezalwa, okwazenza zakwazi ukubala ubudala. Siyafunda: “UNowa wahamba iminyaka engamakhulu ayisihlanu; uNowa wazala oShemi noHamu, noJafete.” “Ngomnyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha wokuhamba kukaNowa, . . . imithombo yonke yotwa yabhoboka.”—Genesise 5:32; 7:11; 11:10-26.
Ngisho nanjengoba uJesu asho, phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuzalwa kwabantwana kwakuyisenzakalo esibusisekile, nesijabulisayo. (Luka 1:57, 58; 2:9-14; Johane 16:21) Nokho, abantu bakaJehova abazange benze isikhumbuzo sosuku lokuzalwa; bazigcina ezinye izinsuku zezikhumbuzo kodwa hhayi izinsuku zokuzalwa. (Johane 10:22, 23) IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa akwaziwa emikhubeni yemvelo yamaJuda.” ICustoms and Traditions of Israel iyaphawula: “Ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa kuye kwatshelekwa emikhutsheni yezinye izizwe, njengoba kungakhulunywa ngalelisiko phakathi kwamaJuda eBhayibhelini, noma kuTalmud, noma emibhalweni yezazi zamuva. Eqinisweni, kwakuyisiko laseGibithe lasendulo.”
Lokho kuxhumana neGibithe kuyacaca emkhosini wosuku lokuzalwa olandiswe eBhayibhelini, lowo abakhulekeli beqiniso ababengawugubhi. Kwakuwumkhosi wosuku lokuzalwa kukaFaro owayebusa lapho uJosefa esetilongweni laseGibithe. Kungenzeka ukuthi amanye alawomaqaba ayejabulile ngalomkhosi, nokho lolusuku lokuzalwa lwaluhlangene nokunqunywa ikhanda kwenduna yabaphekizinkwa bakaFaro.—Genesise 40:1-22.
Isimo esifanayo esingathandeki siyavezwa komunye umkhosi wosuku lokuzalwa ochazwe emiBhalweni—lowo kaHerode Antipase, indodana kaHerode Omkhulu. Lomkhosi wosuku lokuzalwa awuvezwa neze eBhayibhelini njengomkhosi nje omsulwa. Kunalokho, waba nesenzakalo sokunqunywa ikhanda kukaJohane uMbhapathizi. Khona-ke, “kwafika abafundi bakhe, bathabatha isidumbu, basimbela; baya bambikela uJesu,” ‘owamuka lapho waya endaweni eyihlane eyedwa.’ (Mathewu 14:6-13) Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi labobafundi noma uJesu bazizwa bekhangwa umkhuba wemikhosi yosuku lokuzalwa?
Ngenxa yomsuka owaziwayo wokugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa, futhi okubaluleke ngokwengeziwe, isimo esingathandeki esivezwe ngayo eBhayibhelini, oFakazi BakaJehova banesizathu esanele sokuba bawugweme lomkhuba. Abadingi ukulandela lelisiko lezwe, ngoba baba nakho ukudla okujabulisayo nganoma isiphi isikhathi phakathi nonyaka. Ukuphana kwabo izipho akukhona okubophayo noma okungaphansi kokucindezela komcimbi; kuwukwabelana ngezipho okuzenzekela nganoma isiphi isikhathi kuphuma ekuphaneni nasothandweni oluqotho.—IzAga 17:8; UmShumayeli 2:24; Luka 6:38; IzEnzo 9:36, 39; 1 Korinte 16:2, 3.