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SUCCOTH: The Feast of Tabernacles
| by David W. Brown |  |
Here theSong: |
Introduction
The Feast of Succoth is the most flamboyant of the seven feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23. By that I mean that it is the most public, and noisy and joyous. Celebrated on the fifteenth through the 22nd days of the seventh month (i.e., Tishri), it is also called the "Feast of Tabernacles," or the "Feast of Booths." "Booth" and "Tabernacle" are attempts to translate the Hebrew word sukkah (plural Succoth) which means a makeshift shelter, or a hut. The Hebrews were commanded by God through Moses to commemorate this festival by "living in booths" (Leviticus 23:43) because Ha-Shem protected them as they wandered in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. As Passover commemorates the coming out of Egypt, Succoth commemorates the journey itself, and God's watchful protection over his wandering people.
The Sukkah.
When the Talmud describes the building of a sukkah, the emphasis is on its temporary nature. It is to be made of perishable things which grow from the earth (not of bricks or stone, but of branches and twigs). The roof must be of thatch, and loosely thatched enough that the sky shows through. There must not be any tree or balcony overhanging the roof. Walls need not completely enclose the sukkah, but it must have at least three partial walls. It must be large enough for a grown man to actually sit in (at least 40 inches high), but not above 30 feet (which would be extravagant), and one hand-breadth of a table. The sukkah may be decorated with fruit, hangings of paper or colored foil, pictures of Jerusalem and even colored lights. Building it is a family affair, and begins just after Yom Kippur.
Every able-bodied male is required to "dwell" in the sukkah during the festival. In modern observance, dwelling in the sukkah involves at a minimum the taking of one meal there. Some actually sleep in their sukkahs, if they live where weather permits it. By living in the sukkah -- an imperfect dwelling -- the Jew recalls how the Israelites were completely vulnerable and totally dependent on God during their wanderings in the wilderness. The fact that the thatch of his sukkah is open enough to let in the rain also means it is open enough to allow a view of heaven. (How often in our lives, when we feel secure in the world we have built for ourselves, do we lose sight of God?) Wood often represents humanity in the Bible. Plant life is also used as a picture of impermanence. Perhaps we could see in the sukkah the inadequacy and futility of mankind's attempts to create the perfect order on his own.
The Four Species (Arba'ah Minim)
The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the Feast of Harvest in Exodus 23:16 and 34:22, as it was to be observed in conjunction with the Fall harvest once the Israelites had entered the Promised Land. Leviticus 23:40 details four kinds of plant to be used in the festival. These have come to be known as the four species, and are identified in modern practice as follows:
- The requirement "choice fruit from the trees" is met in the etrog, a lemon-like fruit native to the Holy Land. To be considered usable, the etrog should be in good condition (no bruises or brown spots, not withered or punctured), be larger than a walnut, and have a complete pitum (the knobby protuberance opposite the stem).
- "Palm fronds" are called lulavim in Hebrew. Acceptable lulavim are at least two feet long, and the central spine should not be split for more than half its length.
- "Leafy branches" are represented by branches of the myrtle tree, which is characterized by leaves that grow in clusters of three. To be acceptable, the myrtle branches should have their tips intact, and the leaves should be fresh.
- What some English Bibles renders as "poplars" is aravot in Hebrew, and modern Jewish tradition uses willows. Acceptable aravot are at least eleven inches long, and not dried out.
The four species are held in the hands and waved during the Feast. The etrog is carried in the left hand, and Lulav (palm branch), myrtle and willow are tied into a bundle and carried in the right hand. Even the young children carry them.
Observance in Bible Times
In Bible times, when the temple still stood, the Feast of Tabernacles -- along with Passover and Shavuot -- was one of the three yearly feasts which required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the 14th of Tishri the pilgrims would arrive. When the shofar sounded at evening, the festival began. The first order of business for the priests was to cleanse the altar of burnt offering, which is what they did from sundown to midnight. Just after midnight, the temple gates were opened to the pilgrims, who came bearing their lulavim. The time from midnight to the ordinary morning sacrifice was spent examining the sacrifices which were to be brought. A musical procession led by a priest would go to the Pool of Siloam to fetch three logs of water in a golden vessel. (When the feast fell on the Sabbath, the water was brought the night before). At the same time, another procession would go to a place called Motza in the Kidron valley, from whence they would bring back willow branches to be used for building a sukkah over the altar. The water procession was so timed that it would arrive at the temple just as the other priests were bringing the sacrifice out to the altar. As the priest leading the procession reached the water gate, he was greeted by three blasts on a shofar. The priest would carry the water up the steps of the altar, in the company of another priest who would be carrying a pitcher of wine for a drink offering. The water and the wine were poured into separate basins, each with a hole in the bottom. These holes were proportionately sized so that each would be drained in the same amount of time. (After 95 BC it became the custom for the people to say at this point "Raise your hand!" in order to prove that the priest had really poured the water into the basin. This was in response to an incident in which a Sadducee named Alexander Jannaeus had poured the water onto the ground, out of spite for the Pharisees. The people then pelted him with their etrogs, and such a riot ensued that the Roman soldiers had to come in, and nearly six thousand Jews were reportedly killed. This incident gives us some hint of the seriousness of the festival, and also of the great throngs of people in attendance).
The willow branches that had been brought by the Kidron procession were used to build a sukkah over the altar, and as soon as that was done the morning sacrifice was offered, followed by the special festival sacrifices. On the first day of the festival, the sacrifices would be 13 bullocks, 2 rams, 14 lambs, and a goat, as a sin offering. During the sacrifices, the Levites would chant the Great Hallel. At three points during the chant, the people would wave their lulavs toward the altar: once when the Levites reached the phrase "Hodu L'Adonai Ki Tov" ("Thank the LORD, for he is good" Psalm 118:29), once when they sang, "O work then now salvation, LORD," and at the end when they sang again "O give thanks unto the LORD." When the chant was over, the priests marched around the altar chanting "Hosanna, O LORD, deliver us, O LORD, let us prosper." (Psalm 118:25). Finally, there came the benediction, and the people were dispersed, amid the exclamation, "How beautiful art thou, O altar!" or "To LORD and thee, O altar, we give thanks!" At night, the Court of Women was illuminated by four giant oil lamps, in which the cast-off breeches and girdles of the priests were used for wicks. In order to burn all night, the lamps required tending, so against each lamp was a ladder, and on each ladder a boy from the tribe of Levi, whose job it was to keep the fire burning. The light from these lamps is said to have illuminated the entire city. Distinguished men would dance around the lamps, carrying lighted torches and singing praises to Ha-Shem. On the fifteen steps leading into the court stood the Levites, singing psalms and playing musical instruments. This holy merriment continued until dawn.
The 16th to the 20th of Tishri, called the middle days of the feast, were half-holy days, meaning that the restriction on work was relaxed to the point that necessities could be purchased, and work required for the festival could be performed. The ritual of the first day was repeated on each of these days, except that the number of bullocks sacrificed was each day reduced by one.
Hoshanah Harabbah
The 21st, or last day of the festival is called Hoshanah Harabbah, or the Great Hosanna day. This day was distinguished by the fact that the priests would march around the altar seven times, instead of just once, and the people would take hold of the willows that formed the canopy over the altar and shake it so vigorously that all of the leaves would fall in a pile on the ground. People would also bring palm branches and beat them against the altar. When this was over the children would throw away their lulavs and eat their etrogs. On the afternoon of this day, the people would remove the furnishings from the Succoth. On the day after the festival, called Shemeni Atzeret, there would be a holy convocation and a Sabbath of rest. They people no longer lived in the sukkahs,, there was only a simple sacrifice, and the court of women was no longer lit by night. The drawing of water also ceased.
Modern Observance
In modern Jewish observance, the sukkahs are still built, and the four species are still used. There are no sacrifices, of course, as there is no temple. Jewish worshippers carry their etrogim and lulavim with them to the synagogue for a holy convocation on the eve of the festival. A blessing is pronounced over wine, and everyone goes home to his booth, which is decorated with leaves and fruit and festive adornments of paper and foil. The head of the family pronounces the sanctity of the festival over a cup of wine. Each member of the family ceremonially washes his hands, pronouncing the prescribed benediction while drying them, then they begin to eat the first festive meal in the booth. In the morning they return to the synagogue, carrying the etrogim and lulavim in their hands. They put these down during the 18 benedictions, but take them up again before reciting the Great Hallel, holding the lulav in the right hand and the etrog (citron) in the left. Then they recite the following beracha: "Blessed art thou, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctioned us with thy commandments, and hast enjoined us to take the palm branch." Then each turns his citron upside down, and waves the lulav three times toward each point of the compass. The legate (reader) pronounces the benediction, the Hallel is chanted, and appropriate Scripture is read. There can be no sacrifice without a temple, so a Musaf prayer is said. Whenever the prayer reaches the expression "priests" the Aaronites and Levites in the congregation rise. The Levites wash the feet of the Aaronites, and the priests pronounce a blessing on the congregation, which are veiled behind their talitot, or prayer shawls. The elders march around the ark (where the Torah scrolls are kept), in the center of the synagogue, with the legate carrying the Torah and the rest carrying palm branches and saying "Hosanna." This imitates the ancient practice of the priests circling the altar. When the morning service is concluded, the people return to their booths to eat a festival meal with the poor and the stranger. Around evening they return to the synagogue to recite the Minchah prayer, which stands in for the daily evening sacrifice in the temple. The second day is similar to the first, but the reading is from I Kings 8:2-21.
Chol Hamoed
The third through sixth days, called Chol Hamoed, are fairly ordinary. The seventh day is called Hoshanah Harabbah, or the Great Hosanna. It is supposed that on this day God determines what the weather will be for the future harvest. Each participant brings a bundle of willows. The procession around the ark, as was done on the first and second days, is repeated now, but it is done seven times, in imitation of the ancient processions around the altar. After the seventh time, the palms are laid down and the willows beaten. The beating of the willows is associated with the Geshem, or rain prayers. (Here is an example of the genius of God's holidays, for using the natural to figure the supernatural. Succoth is a time of harvest, so literal rain is sorely needed. A great spiritual harvest is also coming, for which we must pray for the rain of God's spirit upon our lives.) The processions around the altar are reminiscent of Joshua's processions around Jericho -- once each day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day. This was the first great conquest in the Promised Land, and prefigures the opening of Messiah's kingdom when he returns.
Shemeni Atzeret and Simchat Torah
The end of the seventh day is technically the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. But an eighth day of services was added in the time of Ezra, and a ninth in the Middle Ages. The eighth day is called Shemeni Atzeret, "the eighth day of solemn assembly". On this day the prayers of the first two days are offered again. The Scripture for the day is read, and a Musaf, or additional prayer, is offered. On this day the people cease from eating in the booths.
In Israel, Shemeni Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which means "Rejoicing in the Torah," are celebrated on the same (eighth) day. Elsewhere it is observed on the ninth day. The eighteen benedictions are recited on this day. All the scrolls are taken from the ark, and a lighted candle is placed inside. A procession of distinguished elders, lead by the legate, marches around the reading desk carrying the scrolls. One is left on the reading desk; the rest are returned to the ark. From the scroll left on the reading desk, the last chapter of Deuteronomy is read. Everyone in the synagogue is called up to read, even the children. When the service is over, the children leave the service in a procession, carrying banners with Hebrew inscriptions. When someone is "called to the Torah," that is, called up to read, it is called an aliya. One of these aliyot is called Kol HaNe'arim, which means "all the children." In this aliya, all the children come forward, and adults form a canopy over them by holding up their talitot, or prayer shawls, over their heads. Then the blessing of Jacob (Genesis 49) is recited over them. As a symbol of the blessings falling upon the children of Israel, the children are showered with candy while the people sing. Another aliya is called Hattan HaTorah, or the Groom of the Torah. Someone who exemplifies love and practice of the Torah is called to the Torah with a proclamation of his good deeds. In some synagogues, he is escorted to the Torah under a chuppah, or canopy, as is used to cover the couple in a Jewish wedding. Some congregations go all out with the wedding imagery. The last chapter of Deuteronomy is read, to show that the reading of the Torah is finished, but immediately afterward the first chapter of Genesis is read, lest anyone should think that the Torah is ever done with. The Hattan BeReshit, or Groom of Genesis, is someone who has given outstanding service to the community of Israel. The creation story is read responsively, with the congregation responding "And the evening and the morning were the first day," and the second day, and so on. The Hattan Maftir, is the groom of the prophetic reading. For this, someone is chosen to be honored for service or exemplary living. The prophetic portion tells how Joshua succeeded Moses, with the point that there will always be a leader for Israel.
Messianic Significance
Now, of course, no-one has ever exemplified more love or a more perfect practice of the Torah than Yeshua the Messiah. He is worthy to read the scrolls (see Revelation 7) in a way that no-one has ever been before. He is the Groom of the Torah, who said that nothing would disappear from the Torah until everything was fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18) He is the true Groom of Genesis, who was in the beginning (John 1:1), and by whom all things were made (John 1:3), he is the Groom of Prophecy, who is the true successor of Moses. When on the mount of Transfiguration, Yeshua stood in his glory with Elijah and Moses, and Peter suggested they build "tabernacles" (i.e., Succoth) for the three of them, the voice of the Father in Heaven set Yeshua above the rest when he said, "This is my beloved son." (Matthew 17:5)
During the last year of his earthly life, Yeshua made aliya to Jerusalem for Sukkot. On "the last and greatest day of the feast" Yeshua stood and proclaimed "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." (John 7:37)
Sukkat Shalom, the Tabernacle of Peace
You may already have noticed the resemblance between some of the Succoth ritual and Yeshua's "triumphal entry" (as it is called) into Jerusalem as recorded in John 12, Mt. 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19. In both cases the atmosphere was very joyous, and the people were waving lulavs and shouting "Hosanna!" (which means, significantly, "Save us"). And this is appropriate, since this event was prophesied by Zechariah (Zech. 9:9), who is singularly preoccupied with Sukkoth. Note, however, that it was not time for the Feast of Tabernacles. The triumphal entry was made a week before Passover, in the Spring. Tabernacles is a Fall holiday! The first coming of Messiah was to work the work of Passover: to ward off the Mal'akh ha-Mawet, the angel of death. The fulfillment of Succoth is yet to come, when he returns in glory to reign in Jerusalem and extend his canopy over the whole world. The triumphal entry was just a preview, a way of identifying himself as the same Messiah who would come to rescue Israel and all the world from all forms of evil and oppression. The Succoth liturgy talks of God spreading his "Sukkat Shalom," or Tabernacle of Peace over the whole world. This Messianic concept emerges in the New Testament also. Take a look at Revelation chapter 7. Note especially verse 15. Someday God will stretch over the earth a sukkah to cover the whole world. That will be the Kingdom of Messiah. According to Zechariah, in Messiah's Kingdom every nation in the world will come up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16) Verse 17 says that rain will be withheld from any nation that does not keep this feast. Recall that prayers for rain are an integral part of the Succoth services. To keep the Feast of Tabernacles is to acknowledge one's own inadequacy, and the inadequacy of human systems in general. It is to depend instead on God, whose grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Even in Messiah's Kingdom, life is to be found only under God's grace. Those nations that refuse to come up for Tabernacles are rejecting God's grace, and they will not prosper. To reject grace is to reject life. For as many as accept God's free invitation to dwell under his Sukkat Shalom, the Feast of Tabernacles is a time for great rejoicing. For them tabernacles is not a somber time for lamenting one's inadequacies, but a time of great rejoicing and merriment, because they have allowed God to do for them what they could not do for themselves.
Printer Friendly VersionThen one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." -- Revelation 7:13-17
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