Culture
Miriam's View on Sukkot, Jewish Feast of Tabernacle
Miriam Abramov (SNN, Rishon LeZion) - explains her view on Sukkot, Jewish Feast of Tabernacle.
Today we will look together at the festival of Booths, or tabernacles known as succa booths. This Fall feast of Israel is a biblical feast or appointed time found in Lev. 23.
Succoth or the feast of tabernacles is one of the 3 major feasts or biblical holidays. In Verses 33 and 34 we can read as well as 39-42. The Feast of tabernacles is the last of the seven feasts. It is the final. It is the culmination of all the feasts on the Jewish calendar. This day is also the final ingathering of the harvest, hag ha asif.
On the 15th day of the seventh month this feast begins and it is to last for 7 full days. On the first day choice fruit tree and leafy palm branches are waved inside a succa booth which we build, it’s a temporary hut, or tent.
We shake these four branches as we turn to each direction of the world, we acknowledging God is all around us as we are commanded to rejoice.
There is the lulav palm family etrog or citron, myrtle hadas and willow arava. All native Israelites are to live in booths for seven days.
This generation may only sit for an hour or so and drink some tea with family of friends Others eat every meal for 7 days in the dwelling booth.
The tabernacles are decorated with pomegranates and hanging fruit inside the booths. In Israel the children will draw pictures at school and families will hang them on the walls of the temporary dwellings during the celebration.
A most important key issue is to have an open roof on your tabernacle which one can see into heaven. Placing palm trees over the roof makes the heavens visible. We are to reflect on the God of Israel, the one true God and how he kept us, the Jewish people clothed and fed for 40 years in the desert. He guided us too by a cloud in the day and pillar of fire by night into the promised land. So every year we celebrate, rejoicing and remembering our God.
SNN, Space Network News (www.spacenetworknews.com)
Stories for you more +
