III. Names Given To This Feast
IV. The Succoth Mussaf Sacrifices:
VI. The Sabbatical Year Torah reading
VII. The Services In The Synagogue
XI. Yeshua celebrated Succoth:
XV. Yeshua begins His Ministry
The four days between Yom HaKippurim (the Day of Atonement) and Succoth (Ashkenaz = Succos) (The Feast of Tabernacles) are days marked by a festive spirit. We do not fast, even if we would normally fast for a yartzeit (the anniversary of the passing) of a parent. During this time there is a frenzy of activity as we prepare to fulfill the mitzvot of Succoth. We are busy building and decorating our succah, our temporary dwelling, that we will be living in during the feast of Succoth. We are busy selecting our etrog and our lulav. These are the festive preparation days.
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Etrog |
Lulav |
On the eve of Succoth we eat a little less in the afternoon so as to increase our appetite for the first meal of the feast.
After the last forty days of repenting and fasting, the upright of heart merit the feast of joy. This is alluded to in:
Tehillim
(Psalms) 97:10-12 Let those who
love HaShem hate evil, for he guards the lives of his
faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in
HaShem, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Hag HaSuccoth (The Feast of Tabernacles / Feast of Booths) was detailed in:
Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:34-44 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the
fifteenth day of the seventh month HaShem's Feast of Tabernacles begins,
and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days
present offerings made to HaShem by fire, and on the eighth
day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to HaShem by fire.
It is the closing assembly; do no regular work. ("'These are
HaShem's appointed feasts, which you are to
proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to HaShem by fire--the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and
drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are in addition to those
for HaShem's Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts
and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill
offerings you give to HaShem.) "'So beginning with the fifteenth day of
the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the
festival to HaShem for seven
days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day
of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the
trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before HaShem
your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to HaShem 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. I am HaShem your God.'" So Moses
announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of
HaShem.
The "sacred assembly" is a rehearsal meeting (mik-raw), according to Strong's:
4744 miqra', mik-raw'; from 7121; something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal:-assembly, calling, convocation, reading.
The "closing assembly" is NOT a rehearsal meeting (mikra).
The Feast of Tabernacles is a
seven day feast with an assembly on the eighth day. The first day is a Sabbath and the eighth day is a Sabbath. Outside of
In Eretz[1]
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Tishrei 15 |
Sabbath |
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Tishrei 16 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
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Tishrei 17 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 18 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 19 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 20 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
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Tishrei 21 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 22 |
Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah This is a Sabbath |
Outside Eretz
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Tishrei 15 |
Sabbath |
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Tishrei 16 |
Sabbath and Chol HaMoed |
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Tishrei 17 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 18 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 19 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 20 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
|
Tishrei 21 |
Chol HaMoed, intermediate day. |
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Tishrei 22 |
Shemini Atzeret. This a Sabbath |
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Tishrei 23 |
Shemini Atzeret (second day), Sabbath, and Simchat Torah. |
Why does a seven day feast have an "eighth day" rehearsal meeting? See also II Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles) 7:9, 1 Melakim (Kings) 8:66, and Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:35.
The first seven days of the feast are called Succoth (booth plural), because we dwell in a succah (booth singular) during this time. The eighth day is called Atzeret, assembly, or Shemini Atzeret, the eighth assembly. The first and the eighth days are Sabbaths in which work is forbidden. The five days in between these two Sabbaths are called chol hamoed, the intermediate feast days. During these intermediate days certain kinds of work are permitted.
Shemot (Exodus) 23:14-17 Three times a year
you are to celebrate a festival to me. Celebrate
the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made
without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed
time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came
out of Egypt. "No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
"Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the
firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. "Celebrate the Feast of
Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops
from the field. "Three times a year all the men
are to appear before the Sovereign HaShem.
Why just three times? Why not at every rehearsal-meeting?
"year" here can mean "whole age", or "cycle", as well as "year", according to
Strong's:
8141 shaneh (in plur. only), shaw-neh'; or (fem.) shanah, shaw-naw'; from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time):-+ whole age, X long, + old, year (X -ly).
----------------- Dictionary Trace ---------------
8138 shanah, shaw-naw'; a prim. root; to fold, i.e. duplicate (lit. or fig.); by impl. to transmute (trans. or intrans.):-do (speak, strike) again, alter, double, (be given to) change, disguise, (be) diverse, pervert, prefer, repeat, return, do the second time.
Hag
HaSuccoth - Feast of The Tabernacles
Vayikra (Leviticus)
Vayikra
(Leviticus) 23:39-41 "'So
beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered
the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the HaShem for seven days; the
first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the
first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy
branches and poplars, and rejoice before the HaShem your God for seven days.
Celebrate this as a festival to the HaShem for seven days each year. This is to
be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh
month.
Hag
HaAsif - Feast of The Ingathering
Shemot (Exodus) 34:22-23 "Celebrate the Feast
of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of
Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a year all your men
are to appear before the Sovereign HaShem, the God of Israel.
Z'man simchateinu - The time of our joy
Devarim (Deuteronomy)
The seventh day = Hoshanah
Rabbah
( The Great Hoshanah)
Yochanan (John) 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua 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 Yeshua
had not yet been glorified.
The special sacrifices which are offered on Succoth in addition (mussaf means "additional") to the regular daily offerings, are detailed in:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:12-40 "'On the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular
work. Celebrate a festival to HaShem for seven days. Present an offering
made by fire as an aroma pleasing to HaShem, a burnt
offering of thirteen young bulls, two
rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With each of the
thirteen bulls prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine
flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; And with each of
the fourteen lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin
offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering
with its grain offering and drink offering. "'On the second day prepare twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a
year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their
grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include
one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the
regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and
their drink offerings. "'On the third day prepare eleven
bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With
the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings
according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in
addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink
offering. "'On the fourth day prepare ten bulls,
two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the
bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings
according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in
addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink
offering. "'On the fifth day prepare nine bulls,
two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the
bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings
according to the number specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in
addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink
offering. "'On the sixth day prepare eight bulls, two rams and fourteen
male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs,
prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number
specified. Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular
burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering. "'On the
seventh day prepare seven bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old,
all without defect. With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain
offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include one
male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its
grain offering and drink offering. "'On the eighth day hold an assembly
and do no regular work. Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing
to HaShem, a burnt offering of one bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year
old, all without defect. With the bull, the ram and the lambs, prepare their
grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. Include
one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with
its grain offering and drink offering. "'In addition to what you vow and
your freewill offerings, prepare these for HaShem
at your appointed feasts: your burnt offerings,
grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.'" Moses told
the Israelites all that HaShem commanded him.
Notice that the sacrifices are different for the future Succoth. Why? (see Future Celebrations)
Succoth is called the feast of our joy. It is to be celebrated joyfully! All of the other requirements of the feast are suspended if they can not be done joyfully. For example: If it is raining, you do not have to sleep in your succah. Notice how often the scriptures associate joy with this feast:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:13-17 Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles
for seven days after you have gathered the produce of
your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast--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 HaShem your God at the
place HaShem will choose. For HaShem your God will bless you in all your
harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be
complete. Three times a year all your men must appear
before HaShem your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast
of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before
HaShem empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way
HaShem your God has blessed you.
Moshe, just before he died,
taught the Children of Israel the mitzvah of Hakhel: That every seven years
on the first day of the intermediate days of Succoth, the entire nation,
including small children, is to gather together at the Temple
to hear the King read from the Book of Devarim
(Deuteronomy). The sections that he reads, deal with faithfulness to HaShem,
the covenant, and reward and punishment.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:10-13 Then Moses commanded them: "At the end
of [every] seven years, in the year for canceling debts,
during the Feast of Tabernacles, When all Israel
comes to appear before HaShem your God at the place he will choose, you shall
read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the
people--men, women and children, and the aliens
living in your towns--so they can listen and learn to fear HaShem your God and
follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know
this law, must hear it and learn to fear HaShem your God as long as you
live in the land you are crossing the
Solomon celebrates Succoth:
I Melakim (Kings) 8:1-65 Then King Solomon summoned into his
presence at Jerusalem the elders of
