Sukkot is the week long festival known in English as the Feast of Tabernacles.
Sukkot is also referred to as the Festival of the Ingathering, and the Season of our Joy. Sukkah means booth or hut and during this season we live in temporary dwellings to commemorate the temporary dwellings the Israelites lived in while in the wilderness on their way to the promised land.
This festival is a celebration of God's provision for his people. It comes at the end of the harvest season when the bounty of the growing year is spread before us - not unlike the American Thanksgiving. It involves feasts and sharing with those less fortunate. The temporary dwellings remind us that in the midst of our bounty we rely only on the Lord for all our existence.
We offer thanks for the blessings of the past year and for the redemption and atonement of Yeshua (Jesus) which we memorialized over the past few weeks on Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur.
Each end of the festival is marked by a Sabbath rest - a holy gathering - with the middle days a joyful interlude.
Sukkot begins on the evening of Tishri 15 and lasts through Tishri 21 - the last day being called Hosha'na Rabbah (The Great Salvation). The following day is called Sh'mini Atzeret (Tarry Awhile). The next day is Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law).
In Biblical Times Sukkot was a pilgrimage festival. It is believed that Miryam (Mary) and Yosef (Joseph) were in Beit-Lechem (Bethlehem) dwelling in a booth when Yeshua (Jesus) was born. Yeshua tabernacled (dwelt) with us.
Yeshua (Jesus) was not born in the winter as is commonly thought.
During Yeshua's (Jesus') ministry He traveled to Jerusalem for Sukkot. In those days there was a grand Water Drawing ceremony on the last day of the festival. It was during that ceremony at the Temple that He spoke out "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Yochanan (John) 7:37-38
Today we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles by building temporary shelters out of natural materials and decorating them with fruits and vegetables. The building of the booth begins as soon as possible after Yom Kippur in preparation for our Season of Joy. We eat in our shelters and if possible sleep in them.
There are items used in the celebration which carry symbolic meanings:
The Etrog is a fruit (generally a citron) which is edible and smells good represents those people who have knowledge of Torah and do good deeds.
The Lulav (palm) - which has edible fruit but no aroma represents those people who have knowledge of Torah but no good deeds.
The Hadas (myrtle) - which has no edible fruit but smells good representing those people who have no knowledge of Torah but do good deeds.
The Aravah (willow) - having no edible fruit and no aroma representing some people who have no knowledge of Torah and no good deeds.
May we all be like the Etrog.
The Etrog is held in one had while the branches are waved up and down in the other symbolizing the resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) and then mankind (The Final Ingathering).
We offer thanks to our Father for His many blessings and eat festive meals. We look forward to the day when He will again tabernacle with us and the Season of our Joy will be everlasting.
Torah reading for the 1st day - Vayikra (Leviticus) 22:26-23:44, B'midbar (Numbers) 29:12-16
Hatarah reading for the 1st day - Z'kharvah (Zechariah) 14:1-21, Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 1:1-12:14
B'rit Hadashah reading for the 1st day - Revelation 21:1-4
Torah reading for the 2nd day - Vayikra (Leviticus) 22:26-23:44, B'midbar (Numbers) 29:12-19
Hatarah reading for the 2nd day - M'lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 8:2-21
B'rit Hadashah reading for the 2nd day - Yochanan (John) 1:10-14
Torah reading for the 3rd day - B'midbar (Numbers) 29:17-25
Torah reading for the 4th day - B'midbar (Numbers) 29:20-28
Torah reading for the 5th day - B'midbar (Numbers) 29:23-31
Torah reading for the 6th day - B'midbar (Numbers) 29:26-34
B'rit Hadashah reading for the evening of the 6th day - Yochanan (John) 7:37-44
Torah reading for the 7th day - Hosha'na Rabbah - B'midbar (Numbers) 29:26-34
B'rit Hadashah reading for the 7th day - Hosha'na Rabbah - Yochanan (John) 7:37-44
Torah reading for Sh'mini Atzeret - D'varim (Deuteronomy) 14:22-16:17, B'midbar (Numbers) 29:35-30:1
Hatarah reading for Sh'mini Atzeret - M'lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 8:54-66
B'rit Hadashah reading for Sh'mini Atzeret - Mark 12:28-33
Torah reading for Simchat Torah - D'varim (Deuteronomy) 33:1-34:12, B'resheet (Genesis) 1:1-2:3, B'midbar (Numbers) 29:35-30:1
Hatarah reading for Simchat Torah - Y'hoshua (Joshua) 1:1-18
B'rit Hadashah reading for Simchat Torah - Mattityahu (Matthew) 5-7, Mark 12:28-34, Romans 7-8, Revelation 21:1-22:5
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
Shemini Atzeret:
"On the Eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein." Numbers (B'midbar) 29:35
Tishri 22, the day after the seventh day of Sukkot, is the holiday Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret is also the holiday of Simchat Torah (together considered one long day of celebration on Tishrei 22). Outside of Israel, where extra days of holidays (two day observances) are held, only the second day of Shemini Atzeret is Simchat Torah. These two holidays are commonly thought of as part of Sukkot, but that is technically incorrect; Shemini Atzeret is a holiday in its own right and does not involve the special observances of Sukkot
Shemini Atzeret literally means "the assembly of the eighth (day)." Rabbinic literature explains this verse to imply that God is asking everyone who actually made the pilgrimage for Sukkot, to remain behind with Him one extra day. The seven day Sukkot Festival ended and it's time for us to leave, but God has enjoyed Himself so much that He asks us to stay another day. A traditional way of celebrating Shemini Atzeret is eating (of course), holding a memorial service to our God, and a special prayer for rain for the coming season. The book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) is commonly read, as a reminder that life doesn't just consist of excessive indulgences (which seven or eight days of festival may impress upon us).
Simchat Torah:
The annual cycle of weekly Torah readings is completed at this time. We read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends. This completion of the readings is a time of great celebration, as we watch the scrolls being wound back to the beginning portion readying for another yearly cycle (or three year cycle, ...).
Simchat Torah is often called the most joyous day of all, as we rejoice in the Torah! Eating, laughter, dancing, and singing all accompany this energetic festival as we rejoice in the Torah. Often times copies of the Torah are paraded around the places of gathering (synagogue). The times of parading and dancing are symbolically akin to the reception following a joyful wedding ceremony.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD. Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:33-44
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Yochanan (John) 37-39
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:3-4
And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. Nechemyah (Nehemiah) 8:14-18
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. Z'kharyah (Zechariah) 14:16-19
