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Sukkot
3 Oct
2009
Leviticus 22:26-23:44
Numbers 29:12-16
Zechariah 14:1-21
Book Ecclesiastes
Revelation 22 : 1-21
Leviticus 23:39 begins with, “on the fifteenth day of the seventh month,
when you gather in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate HaShem’s
festival for a seven-day period; the first day is a rest day and the
eighth day is a rest day. You shall take for yourselves on the first day
the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date palms, twigs of a plaited
tree and brook willows, and you shall rejoice before HaShem, your G-d, for
a seven-day period.”
Sukkot is the last of the three festivals during which the Jewish people
were to come up to Jerusalem and rejoice before Him. All three represent
G-d’s love for Israel as a nation and for all nations.
Passover is remembered as the day of our freedom. On Shavuot we are
reminded of the giving of the Torah. Sukkot reminds us of our miraculous
passage in the wilderness where G-d preserved us in the “booths of glory”
(cloud of glory). Also, Sukkot is the harvest festival celebrating the
end of the agricultural year before winter is upon us.
In ancient days, seventy bulls were sacrificed during the holiday as a way
to bring blessings to the other nations. Moreover, Zechariah wrote that
in the Messianic age, all nations would make an annual pilgrimage to
Jerusalem to observe this Feast of Tabernacles or they would have no rain
for the coming season (Zech 14:16).
There are many symbols of the Feast of Sukkot:
Booths, Sukkot, are to built and we are to “dwell” in them.
The four species (Leviticus 23:40) are the lulav (palm branch), which
represents the spine, the myrtle representing the eye, the willow that
represents the mouth and the citron (etrog) representing the heart.
All these together represent one united people who say, “All my bones
shall say, Lord who is like you!” (Psalm 35:10).
The sages say that these four species not only represent parts of the
body, but different attitudes and degrees of observing G-d’s commandments.
All these types of people though, are enjoined to “sup” with G-d in His
Sukkah. There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the
heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a cover from the storm and from
rain (Isaiah 4:6).
One tradition during this season is called ushpizin, in which
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Aaron are invited to come into
the sukkah.
We are enjoined to invite our neighbors, the public, to our synagogues to
show G-d’s love, for it was His love, (clouds of glory) which brought us
forth through the wilderness.
Now Yeshua, our living water (mayim chayim), is available to all.
The King is inviting all who would come to sup and drink freely from the
well of salvation, which will never run out (Luke 14:16-23, John 4:14).
Hag Sameach and Shavua Tov
Rabbi Z.
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