CHAG haSUCCOT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

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Succot or Sukkot, is the term which describes the 7-day feast of Leviticus 23:33-41, which was the command of God to keep the feast by dwelling in boothes or shelters. The reason God gives for the command is that succeeding generation, might know and understand the Lord, and His faithfulness. This truth, echoes, that "These things are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come," is found in Leviticus 23:43

"So that your generations will know that I caused the sons of Israel to dwell in boothes, when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." (Lev. 23:43)

Why is it important that we remember that the children of Israel dwelled in boothes when God brought them up out of the land of Israel? It points to the eternal truth of God's protection and the abiding care of His people. The psalmist sang: "For in the day of evil he shall hide me in His shelter, in the secrecy of His sanctuary, He shall hide me, He shall set me on a rock." (Psalm 27:5)

Chag haSuccot, is known by 5 names:

1) The Festival of Succot, meaning "The Feast or Festival of Boothes." 2) Chag Ha'asif, meaning "The Festival of Ingathering," In this, we see the aspect of it as a harvest celebration, a time of thanksgiving, for the last of the fall fruits and produce which have been brought to harvest and are gathered in." 3) He-Chag, "The Festival" 4) Chag haShem "The Festival of the Name" (The Festival of The Lord) 5) Zeman Simhateinu-"The Time of Our Rejoicing." (Deut. 16:15)

Succot falls in the first month of the Jewish calendar year, in the month Tishrei, at the time of the full moon. It is currently celebrated from Saturday October 11-Friday October 17, 2003. During this feast, Jewish people set this time aside, to spend 7 days living, and eating meals in a booth, like their ancestors did, as a commemoration of the time in which the Israelites wandered, following their miraculous release from Egypt in the Exodus, living in temporary huts or boothes in the open field. It was during this Old Testament period, that shelters, or boothes were made of branches, to shield God's people from the harsh conditions.

BACKGROUND:

From ancient times, Israelites have celebrated the autumn harvest festival of Succot. After the years final harvest was gathered, the children of Israel made the journey to Jerusalem to offer thanks for the fruit and grain harvest, and to share with the poor as God commanded. Solomon's Temple was dedicated during Succot. After the destruction of the second Temple, (70 c.e.) and the dispersion of the Jewish people, the emphasis shifted from that of Succot's mostly agricultural origins, to Succot as a historical holiday, commemorating the Israelite wanderings, and God's protection on the way to the promised land.

The biblical origin of the Festival of Sukkot is mentioned in the following Old Testament verses:

Leviticus 23:33-35 The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work.

Leviticus 23; 41-43

Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 16;13-16

Celebrate the Feast of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SUCCOT

Here are some facets of Succot:

1) It is a reminder that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, after the Lord led them out of Egypt, pitching tents or building temporary huts.

2) The booth speaks to us of the fact that life on earth is temporal, and Jesus is our eternal abiding place! (Rev. 21:21-23)

3 The traditional Thanksgiving Day celebration grew out of this harvest festival. (Leviticus) 23:39.

4 The observance of Sukkot came as a result of God's command.

SHEMINI ATZERET-SIMCHAT TORAH

The second day of Sukkot is an incredibly joyous day called Shemini Azeret, or Simchat Torah, when the Torah is treated like a bride at her wedding. The children wave flags and carry apples and candles. Everyone is called to Torah and given an honour called aliyah. As the final verses of Torah are read, the honour of an aliyah is given to a worthy person known as Hatan Torah, "Groom of the Torah." This is followed by Hatan Bereshit, the "Groom of Genesis," reading the opening verses of Torah.

In one final aliyot, called Kol Hane'arim, all children younger than Bar and Bat Mitzveh age, are called to Torah, and a tallit or prayer shawl is held over the heads of the children, like a canopy.

There are 7 hakafot or circles or processions with men and women carrying the Torahs, which have been removed from the ark.

HOSANNAH RABBAH

The 7th day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabbah, "The Great Hosannah," and also as Yom Aravah, "The Day of the Willow." Worship times are characterized by 7 processions of the worshippers. These circuits are symbolic of those of the Old Testament priests around the Temple's altar.

TAKE OF THE FOUR SPECIES

The Children of Israel are commanded in Leviticus 23:40 to take the four species:

"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, the branches of date palms, twigs of a plaited tree, and brook willows."

The phrase goodly trees is from the term hadar, meaning "pleasant, or that which dwells." So it's interpreted to mean what which stays on the trees for a good long while.

The etrog is a fruit which remains a long time on the tree.

The four species are:

a) Lulav, or Date Palm branch

It takes 3 decades to mature a palm, which may live for 200 years. The palm reaches 90 feet in height, and is identified by it's long straight trunk topped with bunched feathery branches.

In biblical times, the date palm was valued for it's sweetness. Leaves provided roofing for homes. The crown was woven into rope.

b) Etrog, which is the citron, the fruit of the goodly tree

The etrog fruit is yellow in color and shaped like a large lemon, with a fragrant smell. When ripe, the etrog tree may also have buds and blossoms at the same time.

c) Hadas, or Myrtle, twigs of a plaited tree

The myrtle is an evergreen that grows beside streams and well-watered areas of Galilee. It reaches a height of about 30 feet. It's appearance is small green leaves, delicate flowers and berries. The branches being cut to make boothes.

d) Arava, the Willow

The willows, grow along streams and lakes, and have flexible branches, with long straight leaves. The particular species identified by the Hebrew word ereb, is uncertain.

Yeshua/Jesus celebrated Succoth

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Yeshua/Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Therefore Yeshua/Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?"

Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"

Yeshua/Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?" "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"

Yeshua/Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." Then Yeshua/Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, But I know him because I am from him and he sent me." At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"

The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Yeshua/Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?" On the last and g reatest day of the Feast, Yeshua/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." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet." Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can haMashiach/the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"

Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?" "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared. "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"

They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee." Then each went to his own home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives."

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