To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com> Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 00:10:17 +0000 Subject: All about the Feast of Tabernacles
>From Uri Marcus To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: The Feast of Tabernacles.
Shalom from Israel and Hag Samay'ach (Holiday Greetings) to all,
The 15th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei has once again arrived, thanks be to G-d, and in accordance with the command we are to go out from our homes and dwell in Tents or Succot (flimsy Tabernacles). All over Israel you see in every neighborhood, creative succot of very variety, everywhere... on lawns, on rooftops, on balconies, on sidewalks, even in the middle of parking lots!
As for me and my family, we take it quite literally, as we traditionally travel to the east of Haifa for a few days, and camp out on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret). There we dwell in our tents, along with a whole host of mosquitos and flies. The temperature here in Israel is still a warm 28+C, and so it still at the edge of summer, at least for the insects anyway. I spoke to a friend of mine in Norway yesterday, and he wasn't too thrilled about the concept of sleeping in Tents at this time of year. This is understandable!
Nevertheless, I still hold that all Believers, Jewish or otherwise must come to a deeper understanding of the "appointed Seasons" of our G-d, for they were not given because we needed a vacation or holiday. They were given because they outline G-d's magnificent plan of redemption for the world over a seven thousand year time span. Each reflects and portrays specific aspects of that redemption, and to know about each and even practice them is not only an act of trust and obedience, but the sign of a servant eager to ascertain when his Master is returning home. The feasts as they are outlined in the Torah (Viyikrah [Lev] 23) are not a "Jewish," thing only, nor do they belong to "Judaism" exclusively. They are part of a contract between those who have been called out and set apart (sancified) from the world (i.e. the redeemed community), and their G-d. These same are invited to participate in the Joy of their salvation.
The outcome of this will cause the nations who do not know or practice His decrees to become envious of our relationship with the Creator, the G-d of Israel (into whose commonwealth Gentiles have been grafted-in). This is why Moshe states in the Torah:
"See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my G-d commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our G-d is near us whenever we pray to Him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (D'varmim [Deut] 4:5-8).
So, lets look at some questions about Succot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Why is Succot celebrated? ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Succot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, is observed on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, and lasts for 7 days. This year, it begins on the evening of October 15th. During this time, we construct booths or huts (a succah [singular]) which are essentially 3-sided dwellings with a curtain in front, which are then decorated inside. The roof is made of a leafy covering so that the stars are visable at night. They are supposed to simulate the hastily constructed quarters we dwelt in as we crossed the desert and they remind us of our 40-year sojourn and the fact that G-d dwelt with us in our midst, leading us by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The idea is to make the succah comfortable enough to eat and sleep in, for the Torah instructs us in ViYikra (Leviticus) 23:42-43 to "live in booths seven days in order that future generations may know that I made "Am Israel" (the nation of Israel) live in booths when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. There is a ceremony at the end of Succot called "Simchat Beit HaSho'eva," or The Water Libation Ceremoney. What is its significance and where do we see it in the Gospel accounts? ------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the Holy Temple was standing, there was an event of great joy that took place during the festival of Succot. During the evenings of the Succot Holiday, water was brought in a golden flask with great ceremony and procession from the Gihon Spring (the Pool of Shiloach [Siloam]) south of the Temple Mount to the Temple. The water was poured on the Altar as a prayer and supplication that the rainy season would begin. The recognition was that the Almighty was the author of all "Living Water" and that His arm alone could save, and provide the earth with the rain it needs. This was expressed through the chanting of the Psalm 118, in which we find the words, Hoshanna Adonai (Save us, O Lord!), along with dancing and processions with torches. The water then would descend to the depths of the earth.
At night, the water-drawing ceremony was accompanied by music and dancing of incomparable joy. Massive candelabra, taller than a house, shone out into the night. There was not a courtyard in Yerushalyaim that was not bathed in their light.
The chapter of the Talmud which describes this celebration is HaChalil - `The Flute.' And the people danced, on and on. And who was it that danced? Everyone from the ordinary folk to the greatest of Torah sages that it might be directed to the service of G-d.
The Talmud tells us that if you never experienced the joy of the Simchat Beit HaSho'eva, you had no idea what real joy was.
Y'shua, drawing off the obvious implications of the ceremoney, used the opportunity to teach his talmidim (disciples) about the source of all "Living Waters" which was the Mashiach, who not only made pure the unclean, but brought satifaction in all of life's needs by the power of the Spirit which He would provide; "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."" (Yochanan [John] 7:37)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Why is Succot one of the "Pilgrim Festivals" and what significance does it have after Mashiach returns? ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shemot (Exodus) 23:17 commands men to appear three times a year before the Lord in the place where His Name dwells - i.e. the Temple in Jerusalem. Those three holidays are Pesach, Shavu'ot and Succot, all of which were agricultural holidays where the Isarelites would bring the first crops of the season to the Temple.
But why did G-d choose Jerusalem as a place for His name to dwell? Well, that is the subject of another study, but suffice to note now that Jerusalem resides at the center of the Land of Judah -- Yehuda in Hebrew -- whose name is comprised of five Hebrew letters which are: Yud-Heh-Vav-Daled-Heh. If we remove the Daled, then that which remains is the name of G-d, as revealed to Moshe Rabbenu at Har Sinai. From the word "Yehuda" we get the word "Yehudi" or "Jew." It is therefore no coincidence that the Land of Yehuda later became synonymous with the Land of Israel.
Add to this the fact that "Yehuda" forms the path to Mashiach for "The scepter will not depart from Yehuda, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."
In this one name then, we have
1) The Name of G-d; 2) a People; 3) a Land, and 4) a Redemption.
Is it any wonder how, with the greatest of clarity, the Lord can weave them together and announce to Shlomo HaMelech (King Soloman) before the split of his nation, the encouraging decree that "if MY PEOPLE, who are called BY MY NAME, will humble themselves and pray and seek MY FACE and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will FORGIVE THEIR SIN and will HEAL THEIR LAND"? (2 Chr 7:14)
Succot holds an additional significance with regard to after Mashiach returns. The feast in the Mishnah (part of the Talmud) is called "The Feast of the Nations" and for good reason. All the sacrifices which were perscribed in the Torah during Succot week, add up to the number 70. This is no accident. It fits well within the theme of Succot because, it is said, the animal sacrifices are done not only for Israel but for the Goyim (nations). In D'varim (Deuteronomy) 32:8, Moshe says:
"When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.
>From this Scripture we know that G-d totals all the nations of the earth by the number of the sons of Israel and we are told there are 70 of them not including the nation of Israel. This is why the angel of the L-rd could say to the shepherds in the field:
...Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. (Luke 2:10)
Like the season of joy at Succot, this too is a direct allusion to the Feast of the Nations at Succot, when... "the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. (Zechariyahu 14:16ff)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. How is the Succah (booth) built and what do we do there? ------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems this question is a freebie since the answer to question #1 also answers this question. The only thing I can add is that the covering of the succah can be made from easy-to-gather branches, shrubs, straw or palm branches. Fruits, vegetables and other food products for the covering should not be used. As I mentioned above, we eat and (for the brave) sleep in the succah, although this is not recommende for those who live is snow-country. In Israel, at this time of year, the temperature still hovers at about 85+ degrees F.
Take heart if you venture to live in a succah during Succot. If you feel insecure, then you will have G-d right where He wants you. Our Rabbis have suggested that the feelings of insecurity helps us to better identify with bnei Israel (the Children of Israel) when they were in the desert.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. What is the most famous Jewish historical event that occured in the Succah, and why? ------------------------------------------------------------------------
The birth of Y'shua HaMashiach. Because of the themes of the holiday, and because of customs that Jewish people have always performed, there could be no other day in the Jewish Calendar, in my opinion, in which this event would be played out, from a Jewish perspective.
The terms used by the angels in Luke 2 to the Shepherds were: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the peoples."
The first part of the phrase is good news of great joy. The season of our Joy is Succot. We are commanded to rejoice at this time.
With Yeshua's birth at Succot, we also can set His circumcision on Simchat Torah, which is the eigth day after Succot began. Today, this is a day of great joy. And why not, since Yeshua was the living Torah? What better time to enhance His link to the Torah than have His circumcision occur on Simchat Torah, the day of rejoicing in the Torah when we parade around with the Torah scroll. He too (Yeshua) was paraded around in the Temple and put into the hands of Simeon at His circumcision and there Simeon would have given his testimoney about the consolation of Israel.
Now, for those of you have stamina and want to follow some very interesting comparisons between NT passages and the Artscroll Machzor (Jewish prayerbook) for Succot, you will note some amazing parallels:
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1. From the Artscroll Machzor for Succot, Shacharit service, Second day, Chazzan's repetition, page 293, under "GOD'S MIGHT"
"With an offering of seventy bulls, I made peace on this Festival with the seventy nations..."
Compare with: Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
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2. From the Artscroll Machzor for Succot, Shacharit service, Shabbot Chol HaMoed, under the Shema and its Blessings, p. 501 with the responsive reading in the grey box:
"They stand at their watches, in morning's light and evening's watch, resonantly singing out praise, cheer and trumpet-like voices growing ever stronger, and the Chayot (animals) running to and fro like the appearance of a brilliant flash... Kaftziel the master, sounds out the tidings (good news) that the bow** will not be diminished... The multitudinous legion, establis