A New Look at the Feast of Tabernacles
The Secrets of the Sukkah!
What is the
real meaning behind the "Sukkah" or "booth"
connected with the Feast of Tabernacles? What is the awe-
some lesson God intends for us to learn from it? Why do
most all of the modern churches that "keep" the
Feast totally
ignore the "sukkah"? It's time you understood this vitally
important matter!
What God commands, men should not just
ignore! Vital
spiritual understanding and growth are at stake!
William
F. Dankenbring
I noticed one year recently that a
group of former Worldwide Church of God members conducted their own Feast of
Tabernacles, and advertised it with the slogan, "NO PREACHING," no
sermons, no ministers -- just fellowship and discussion! What an idea!
Just "do your own thing" without any ministers, or ministerial
authority, to bother with!
But is this concept really
Biblical? It reminds me of the book of
Judges, were we read of the bloodiest chapter of ancient Israeli history: "In those days there was no king [i.e.,
"authority" figure] in
The Festival of "Booths"
We read in Leviticus 23 concerning the Feast of
Tabernacles, the following statements:
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak
unto the children
of
feast
of tabernacles for seven days unto the
LORD. On the first day
shall
be an holy convocation: ye shall do no
servile work therein.
Seven days ye shall
offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD:
on
the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall
offer
an offering made by fire unto the LORD:
it is a solemn assembly;
and
ye shall do no servile work therein" (Lev.23:33-36).
Notice that a "holy
convocation" was commanded on the first day and the eighth day -- that is,
a "commanded assembly." These
assemblies were for the purpose of group worship, instruction by the spiritual
leaders, and reading and expounding the Word of God. Those who were proficient and learned in the
Scriptures were generally the rabbis and Levites.
In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, we
read that on God's Holy Day, in this case, on the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh
Hashanah), that:
"And Ezra the
scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had
made
for the purpose . . . And Ezra opened the book [of the Law]
in
the sight of all the people . . . And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah,
Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijab, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah,
Jozabad,
Hanan, Pelaiah, and the
Levites, caused the people to under-
stand
the law: and the people stood in their
place. So they read in the
book
in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them
to
understand the reading" (Nehemiah
8:4-8).
Obviously, God intended the
spiritual leaders to preach His Word to the assembled people on the Holy Days,
at the commanded assemblies, and to lead in the worship services.
Additional instruction in observing
God's festival of Tabernacles is given in verses 39-43 of this Leviticus 23 --
verses which have generally been ignored and overlooked, and never
explained. Notice what these verses add
to the festival commandment!
"Also in the
fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered
in
the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
on
the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth
day shall be a sabbath.
And ye shall take on the
first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches
of
palm trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall REJOICE before
the
LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the
LORD seven days in the
year. It shall be a STATUTE FOR EVER
in
your
generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall
DWELL IN BOOTHS SEVEN
DAYS; all that are Israelite born
shall
dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made
the
children of Israel to
dwell in booths, when I brought them out of
the land of Egypt: I am the LORD thy God" (Lev.23:39-43).
Notice that this commandment to
celebrate the Feast of Sukkot, and to
"dwell" in booths -- temporary huts built for use during the Festival
-- was "A STATUTE FOR EVER in your generations"!
In the 30 years I observed the Feast
of Tabernacles in the Worldwide Church of God, from 1958 to 1987, we were never
told about the command to take boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees,
and willows of the brook, and to use them in rejoicing before the LORD; nor
were we told how the Feast of Tabernacles relates to the journey of the Israelites
as they came out of Egypt, and dwelt in the wilderness for forty years, living
in "booths" or temporary structures, or tent-like portable
dwellings. This aspect of the Feast was
totally overlooked! And yet -- it was
commanded as a "STATUTE FOR EVER"! Amazing, isn't it! How have so many so-called churches of God overlooked
this PLAIN Biblical COMMAND?
In the Time of Nehemiah
In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, we
read, "They kept also the Feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and
offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the custom, as the
duty of every day required" (Ezra 3:4).
This observance occurred after the return of many Jews from
Babylon back to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. Ezra, a righteous scribe of God, gathered the
people and read to them from the law of God (Nehemiah 8:1-8) on the first day
of Tishri, or the Feast of Trumpets (Ezra 8:2).
On the next day, as the people were gathered to learn more of the laws
of God,
"they found written
in the law which the LORD had commanded by
Moses, that the children
of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of
the seventh month: And that they should proclaim in all their
cities,
and in Jerusalem,
saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive
branches, and pine
branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches,
and branches of thick
trees, to make booths, as it is written.
So the
people went forth, and
brought them, and made themselves booths,
every one upon the roof
of his house, and in their courts, and in the
courts of the house of
God, and in the street of the water gate,
and in
the street of the gate
of Ephraim. And all the congregation
of them
that were come again out
of the captivity made booths, and sat under
the booths: for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that
day
had not the children of
Israel done so. And there was very great
gladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the
last day, he read
in the book of the law
of God. And they kept the feast seven
days;
and on the eighth day
was a solemn assembly, according to the
manner"
(Neh.8:14-18).
Here again the Feast of Tabernacles
is described -- and the statement is made that the festival had not been
observed in this manner, with the construction of booths, since the days of
Joshua himself! Truly, in the days of
Ezra, there was a turning back to observe the laws of God among the people, and
much more attention was given to proper and correct observance.
Nevertheless, many of these features
of the Feast, as observed in modern times, have also been neglected by
thousands of God's people.
How many literally build
"booths" to sit in, to hold discussions, to pray, meditate, and to
fellowship in?
How many use the branches of various
kinds of trees to construct a "sukkah" or
"booth"? Should we follow this
example today, in celebrating God's Feast of Tabernacles ("Sukkot")?
Is this a commandment for all
genuine Christians and ALL God's people?
Testimony from Josephus
The Jewish historian Josephus, writing during the first
century of the present era, a Pharisee and a priest, as well as Jewish
historian and general in the military, writes in Antiquities of the Jews about
the law of God concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, and the "booths"
that were made for the Feast:
"Upon the fifteenth day of the same
month [Tishri, the seventh month], when the
season
of the year is changing for winter, the law enjoins us to PITCH TABERNA-
CLES
in every one of our houses, so that we preserve ourselves from the cold of that
time
of the year; as also that when we should arrive at our own country, and come to
that
city that we should have then for our metropolis, because of the temple therein
to
be built, and keep a festival for eight days. . . . And this is the accustomed
solemnity
of
the Hebrews, WHEN THEY PITCH THEIR TABERNACLES" (Antiqities,
Bk.3,
chapter
10, sec.4).
What was this command enjoined by the law to "pitch
tabernacles"? What did it mean?
Says E. P. Sanders in Judaism
Practice & Belief 63 BCE-66 CE:
"The Feast of Booths (Heb., Sukkot) or Tabernacles is an autuumn
festival that begins
five
days after the Day of Atonement. For
seven days 'all that are native in Israel shall
dwell
in booths' (Lev.23:42). A festival day
(when work was prohibited) was added
(Lev.23:33-36),
in effect extending the festal period to eight days.
"The
booths were made of 'branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other
leafy
trees'
(Neh.8:15). People who lived in
Jerusalem probably built the booths on the roofs
of
their houses, while pilgrims built them outside the walls [of the city]. According to
Josephus,
the festival was "observed with special care" (Anti.15), and
it is probable that
most
families built booths. One may imagine
that children were especially enthusiastic
in
gathering branches and tying them together to make a booth" (p.139).
Let's notice the original
commandment as it is given in the book of the Law.
The
Command to Dwell in Booths
God's Word specifically links the Feast of Tabernacles, or
"Booths," with the harvest ("Ingathering"), and with the
journey of the Israelites out of Egypt, when they traveled in "temporary
shelters" or "booths."
These "booths" themselves are also linked with the harvest.
They are the central focus of this Feast of God, literally called the Ha Hag
Sukkot, that is, the Feast of Sukkot.
Alfred Edersheim
in The Temple: Its Ministry and
Services, tells us: "Three
things specially marked the Feast of Tabernacles: its joyous festivities, the dwelling in
'booths,' and the peculiar sacrifices and rites of the week" (p.215). Regarding the booths, Edersheim
says:
". . . . For its second
characteristic was, that during the seven days of its continuance
'all
that are Israelite born shall dwell in booths;that
your generations may know that
I
made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the
land
of
Egypt' (Lev.23:42,43)" (Edersheim, p.215-216).
Edersheim continues:
"The
Mishnah [Oral Law written down in the
centuries after Christ] gives most minute
details
as to the height and construction of these 'booths,' the main object being to
prevent
any invasion of the law. Thus it must be
a real booth, and constructed of boughs
of
living trees, and solely for the purpose of this festival. Hence it must be high enough,
yet
not too high -- at least ten handbreadths, but not more than thirty feet . .
." (p.216).
In The Jewish Holidays, A Guide
and Commentary, by Michael Strassfeld, the
importance of the "sukkah" is
stressed. He writes:
"The most important ritual of Sukkot (hence the name) is living in a sukkah. The
sukkah is a temporary structure usually constructed of four
walls and covered with
a
roof of tree branches. We eat in the sukkah and some people sleep in it as well.
The
sukkah is constructed before the holiday, usually
between Yom Kippur and
Sukkot, and it is used for the first time on Sukkot Eve. . . .
"The
sukkah must be a temporary structure, not a permanent
one. This is to remind
us
of the portability of the huts in the desert as the Israelites wandered from
place
to
place for forty years. It also stresses
one of the themes of the holiday -- the
impermanence
of our lives. . . .
"We
are encouraged to study, read, and talk in the sukkah,
but only if it can be done
comfortably. There is a general principle that you should
rejoice in the sukkah, not
suffer
in it. . ." (p.126-127).
The Essence of the Holy Days, by
Avraham Yaakov Finkel, tells us further:
"In the autumn of the year, after the
harvest has been gathered, when a man's thoughts
tend
to focus on the rich profits he has garnered, and his dreams of acquiring
mansions
and
estates, the Torah tells the Jew to build a sukkah,
to exchange his solid home for
a
frail, makeshift dwelling. The sukkah is a reminder of the huts in which God
made
the
children of Israel live during their forty-year journey through the wilderness
and of
the
Clouds of Glory that protected them on their wanderings. As a Jew sits in the sukkah,
under
the shelter of the s'chach, surrounded
by family and friends, he cannot help but
feel
God's sheltering Hand enveloping him.
His spirit soars as he realizes that material
possessions
offer no security, and that the shield of faith is the only protection he can
rely
on" (p.79-80).
The first lesson of the sukkah is the lesson of God's Presence and sheltering
Hand. The sukkah
reminds us of our total and complete dependence on God throughout our lives,
and our need for His divine Presence on a continual basis.
The
First Secret of the Sukkah
In Celebrate the Feasts, Martha
Zimmerman points out that "Sukkot" was the
name of a city or town -- and was the first "stopping off" place for
the Israelites as they left the land of Egypt (Exo.12:37). We also read of a place named
"Succoth" in Canaan. This was
the city where, we read, "And Jacob journeyed to Succoth; and built for
himself a house, and made booths [sukkot] for
his livestock, therefore the place is named Succoth" (Gen.33:17). Today, we might refer to such a city as
"Booth City" or "City of Booths," or "City of
Shelters."
Why does God command that we build
make-shift, fragile, temporary "booths" or "huts" during
the Feast? What is the lesson in
this? There is a very special, deep, and
profoundly meaningful lesson in the sukkah. Notice!
Martha Zimmerman writes:
"While the Israelites were wandering
the desert with nothing -- not even the ability
to
provide for their own basic needs -- they had to recognize and rely on God as
the
means
of their survival. He provided manna for
food (Exo.16:4-16), clouds for
shelter
(Exodus 33:4-17; Numbers 9:15-23), water to drink (Exodus 15:22-25; 17:5-7;
Num.20:7-12),
and conditions to prevent their clothing from deteriorating (Deut.29:5).
His
sukkot -- protection -- inspired in
them the faith that they would reach the designated
Land,
as promised.
"Once
they arrived, they planted and harvested foodstuffs, built houses, dug wells,
and
wove
and sewed garments. But they were not to
then feel that they were self-sufficient.
All
they created and enjoyed, while developed through their own efforts, was no
less
provided
by God than the desert sustenance had been.
Though much more obvious in
times
of want, the booths they lived in for a week each year were reminders of how
they
began,
and that regardless of their state, whatever they had came from the Supreme
Pro-
vider and Protector.
As Torah warned when this was readily recognized, 'When you later
have
prosperity, be careful that you do not say to yourself, "It was my own
strength and
personal
power that brought me all this."
You must remember that it is God your Lord
Who
gives you the power to become prosperous' (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)" (Celebrate
the
Feasts,
p.216).
The lesson of the "sukkah"
is that God is our true eternal shelter.
His protection and providence is a daily need for each one of us. He is the canopy over our heads, and our true
protection from the vicissitudes of life.
God is our Protector.
True protection does not come from
four walls, whether they are concrete or wood, or steel-reinforced. The solid walls of the homes of the Jews in
Germany or the Warsaw ghetto did not protect them from the ravages of Nazi
persecution and Hitler's death camps. In
one moment, fire, flood, hurricane, or tornado can rip apart a solidly built
construction, and deal death to its inhabitants.
Zimmerman goes on:
"It was an important lesson. Generations after the Israelite settled the
Land,
their
'permanent' homes were destroyed because they failed to keep the conditions
of
the covenant . . . and they again became homeless wanderers. The shelter they
'owned,'
wherever in the world they went, was the feeling of protection, a belief
in
God's guardianship that provided a sense of security much stronger and much
more
durable than any tangible structure. . . .
"Likewise,
living in a sukkah today teaches us
that the firmest foundation is not
cinder
block or stone but faith in God. Did a
wall ever stop a Crusader, or Cossak?
Is
real security sitting shut up in a house, insulated from problems around
you -- like
the
Jews of South Africa today, behind barbed wire and walls guarded by killer
dogs?
In
one instant, fire, flood, earthquake or hurricane can destroy what we think of
as
shelter. Despite barbed windows, deadbolted
doors, and alarm systems, intruders can
enter
our homes and walk out with all our valuables -- including our lives. At best,
the
roofs over our heads and walls around us are temporary physical safeguards.
"When
we realize how transient material possessions are, how fragile life situations
can
be, we gain a profound appreciation for whatever we have received and how much
we
owe for those blessings. . . .
"A
Jew, with blessings for every aspect of life, is someone constantly aware of
God's
role
and grateful for what He provides and, whether viewing it as good or bad,
believing
it
is ultimately for the best. In the sukkah, sitting under its airy branches of s'khakh (its
covering),
we look (sahkah) up and out, 'seeing' God's
provision for us, a model for
our
own responsibilities in the world" (p.216-217).
True security comes only from God in
heaven.
Therefore, the sukkah
built during the Feast of Tabernacles is to remind us of the true "sukkah" of God's protection, and our dependence and
reliance upon Him for safety and survival.
God delivered His people from Egypt in fragile, flimsy, sukkahs (literally, sukkot -- the
Hebrew plural), built of branches of trees and leafy boughs -- teaching us and
reminding us of the transitory fragility of human life, and how utterly
dependent we truly are upon the living God.
God's
Sukkah -- Our Divine Shelter
Mitch and Zhava
Glaser in The Fall Feasts of Israel declare:
"The impermanent, vulnerable, leafy
shelters were to remind the Israelites of God's
faithfulness
during their forty years of wandering in the desert. The booths symbolized
man's
need to depend on God for His provision of food, water and shelter. . .
"In
ancient Israel, booths were in common use throughout the land. The Hebrew word
sukkah originally meant 'woven.' Temporary shelters were woven together from
branches
and
leaves to protect livestock (Gen.33:17), to provide resting places for warriors
during
battle
(II Samuel 11:11), to shelter watchers in the vineyard (Isaiah 1:8), and to
protect
the
people from the incessant heat of the merciless Middle-Eastern sun. During harvest
time,
Israelite fields were dotted with such booths, woven hastily together as
temporary
homes
for the harvesters" (p.157).
Rabbi Irving Greenberg declares in
his fascinating book The Jewish Way:
"The sukkah,
the booth, is the central symbol of the ancient Israelites' trust and hope
for
forty years in the desert. The Hebrews
left the protection of man-made thick
walls
to
place themselves under the protection of God.
Exposed to dangerous natural conditions
and
hostile roving bands, they placed their confidence in the divine concern, which
is
the
only true source of security. . . .
"The
halachic requirements for the construction of a sukkah attempt to capture the
fragility
and openness of the booths. . . By deliberately giving up solid construction,
Jews
admit their vulnerability and testify that the ultimate trust is in the DIVINE
shelter
[that
is, in God Himself]" (p.99).
The Sukkah -- A Symbol of Faith
Avraham Yaakov Finkel in The Essence
of the Holy Days: Insights from the
Jewish Sages, tells us more about the sukkah
experience. He relates --
"The sukkah
is a reminder of the huts in which God made the children of Israel
live
during their forty-year journey through the wilderness and of the Clouds of
Glory
that protected them on their wanderings.
As a Jew sits in the sukkah, under
the
shelter of the s'chach [roof],
surrounded by family and friends, he cannot help
but
feel God's sheltering Hand enveloping him. His spirit soars as he realizes that
true
happiness is found only in the eternal values of Torah and mitzvot,
that material
possessions
offer no security, and that THE SHIELD OF FAITH is the only protection
he
can rely on. He is aware that, like his
stay in the sukkah, life on earth is
unstable
and
transitory. Gazing at the stars
shimmering through the greenery of the s'chach,
he experiences a closeness to God that is
almost palpable. This nearness to God is
the
source
of his simchah, the exhilarating
gladness that is the hallmark of Sukkot" (p.80).
The primary purpose of building the Sukkah
during the Feast of Sukkot, and to "dwell"
in it, is to teach us the lesson of LIVING BY FAITH -- faith in God as our
shield, guardian, protector, sustainer, and provider! He is the God who both sees and comprehends
our situation, our needs, our utter and complete dependence upon Him! Literally, in the Hebrew to "dwell"
in the sukkah means to "sit" in it. To spend time in it, meditating on God and
His Providence!
In The Jewish Holy Days: Their Spiritual Significance, by Moshe A.
Braun, we are told that God spreads over us His sukkah
of peace.
"The sukkah
is God's refuge. It brings us back to
fulfillment, wholesomeness,
harmony,
and peace, all of which are found in God.
God is the fountainhead
of
all the good that exists in the world.
He also placed in each of us a drop from
that
holy fountain. Though only a mere drop,
it is still infinite as the fountain
itself.
. . .
"What
happens when a man errs or sins? He
blocks the holiness of his soul from
purifying
all his parts. . . .
"Similarly,
when we go astray and do sinful acts, we block the life-giving waters
from
our spiritual wellsprings. The outer
edges of our being dry up and wither.
If
we continue on the path of falsehood, we block the waters at our very roots,
and
we totally wither away.
"Then
God sees our sorrowful state and helps us experience an encounter with
Him. The intensity of this closeness breaks through
all barriers and clears all the
debris
strewn in the path of the 'spring of life.'
We are then alive once more. We
have
returned to God and to His refuge. This
occurs in the days of Rosh Hashana
and
Yom Kippur. As it is written, 'Peace to those
who are far, and those who are
near'
(Isaiah 57:19). Thus, peace is
experienced when the soul revitalizes our
physical
being.
"The
arrogant evildoers do not allow their debris to be cleared, and they remain
cut
off from their source of life. As it is written, 'And the evildoers are
as the
tumultuous
sea' (Isaiah 57:20). They cannot
experience tranquility and peace.
"Therefore,
after God opens our wellsprings on Yom Kippur, we are reconnected
to
our roots and source of life. We go directly
into the 'sukkah of peace.' When
we
sit in the sukkah, we can open our
hearts to the spring of life that bubbles forth
from
us. We can revitalize every cell in our
body, every utterance of our speech,
and
every concept and image of our thoughts.
In the sukkah we can experience
harmony
and peace, coming from the infinite roots of our Creator" (p.100).
The sukkah experience, therefore,
is a powerful tool to "reconnect with God," to draw close to Him, and
to abide with Him -- to rest with Him.
It is a powerful image, and a powerful truth. Our thoughts and our being can become
purified as we obey God's command to "dwell" in the sukkah for the seven-day period of the Feast!
It is a great time to spend
meditating and thinking on the things of God, drawing closer to Him in palpable
ways, with heightened senses, with great joy and inner peace.
As God said to Joshua, "This
book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
mediate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe
to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for
the LORD thy God is with thee, whithersoever
thou goest" (Joshua 1:8-9).
Paul also declared: "Rejoice in
the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all
men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God. And the peace of God
which passeth understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Paul went on, "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be
any praise, think on these things" (Phil.4:4-8).
Doing this kind of thinking, and
meditating, in the sukkah, is a profound and
incredibly wonderful spiritual experience!
Don't miss out on it! Too many
people are thinking negatively these days, finding fault, criticizing,
impugning motives, thinking the worst of others, and becoming very negative and
full of doubts and spiritual gangrene as a result of this kind of wicked and
evil thinking. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," says one of the
Proverbs of Solomon (Pro.23:7).
But in the sukkah
of God, the sukkah of peace, you can find true peace
of mind -- the very peace of Jesus Christ.
As Christ said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light" (Matt.11:28-30).
The apostle Paul adds,
"Meditate upon these things; give yourself wholly unto them; that thy
profiting may appear unto all. Take heed
unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt
save both thyself, and them that hear thee" (I Tim.4:15-16).
The Shelter of Faith
The sukkah is
referred to as the "SHELTER OF FAITH" in the Ohel
Torah. Finkel
quotes the Kotzker rabbi:
"The sukkah
is called tzila dimehemenuta,
the shelter of faith. It teaches you
to leave
behind
all your worldly concerns and to dedicate yourself to God with total
self-effacing
faith
in His mercy and compassion. If you have
attained this level of self-negating faith,
you
feel no pain or discomfort. That is why
a person who feels discomfort is exempt
from
the mitzvah of eating in the sukkah. Feeling discomfort proves that he has not
reached
the point of total self-nullification.
"Because
he has not grasped the meaning of the sukkah,
any further stay there is
of
no benefit to him. Therefore, he is
exempt from the obligation" (p.83).
Rabbi Chanoch of Alexander, in
the Zohar, points out that the sukkah is also looked upon as the "shade
of faith." This is because the
walls and roof of the sukkah are so
fragile and impermanent and unstable and precarious, that it expresses our
complete and total dependence on God, and our boundless trust in His
protection.
The Secret of "Change"
Joel Ziff in Mirrors in Time, describes
the "sukkah" in terms of "change"
in our lives. He shows how the
experience of the "sukkah" leads to our
changing, and transformation, as human beings.
He asserts:
"For the Israelites in the desert,
the sukkah provided a new home after they left
slavery
in Egypt. The sukkah
links us to that arche-typal experience of
CHANGE.
In
this spirit, we begin to build the sukkah immediately after the end of Yom Kippur.
We
move out of the permanent shelter which we habitually regard as home. We
move
into a new home and establish it as a center for the activities of daily life .
. .
We
set aside a full week for prayer, celebration, and community.
"In
some respects, the image of the sukkah evokes
the wandering in the desert
associated
with the counting of the omer. However, there are significant
differences.
After
Pesach, we are thrust into an alien environment; we are confused and dependent.
. .
On
Sukkot, we experience our competence, autonomy, and
power as we build our own
shelter. Our joy is built on a solid foundation as we
celebrate our achievements. The
image
of the sukkah as a symbol of CHANGE
helps us become aware of how we have
been
TRANSFORMED as a result of the process of self-reflection which has just been
completed"
(p.236).
Says Joel Ziff, "We not only change, but we also enjoy
the change. The rituals [of Sukkot] emphasize sensual pleasure and enjoyment. They are performed with a focus on joy and
celebration. We are encouraged to select
a lulav and etrog
which are especially beautiful so as to enhance our pleasure" (ibid.).
Ziff goes on, showing how the Feast
of Sukkot relates to "change":
"The experience of joy and
celebration on Sukkot helps us discover and express
our
own
positive feelings. In the process of
self-development, it is important not only that
we
change; we must also experience those changes as positive, pleasurable, and satis-
fying. As we change
our coping responses, we also experience a change in the results.
We
are better able to resolve the problem that previously overwhelmed or
frustrated
us. Our self-confidence and self-esteem is
enhanced because we feel more power and
competence
as well as the satisfaction of being able to make changes and take more
control
of our lives. The pleasure and
satisfaction we feel reinforces our commitment
to
the process and enhances our motivation and our energy. This joy is more mature and
dependable
than the joy we experience at the time of liberation from slavery or the giving
of
the Torah because it is grounded in the reality of human failure and the
capacity to
learn
from our mistakes" (p.237).
Thus, the Feast of Sukkot pictures our moving from faithlessness to believing,
from joyless to being joy-filled, from spiritual shakiness to spiritual
strength, solid confidence and security.
The Feast of Sukkot is a time to solidify and
strengthen the spiritual CHANGES that God is working in our nature -- putting
on the New Man in Christ, and putting off the Old Man with the lusts and sins
of the flesh!
Sukkot: Reenactment of the Sinai Journey
The sukkah is the
central symbol of the "Feast of Tabernacles" or "Sukkot."
It pictures the hope, trust and reliance upon God of the Israelites
for forty long years in the wilderness.
By living in the sukkah for
forty years, they placed their faith in the divine hand of God. He was their support and their continual
source of security. During their
wilderness trek, we read:
"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God
led thee these forty
years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to
prove thee, to know what
was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest
keep his commandments,
or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered
thee to hunger, and fed
thee with manna, which thou knewest not,
neither did thy fathers
know; that he might make thee know that man
doth not live by bread
only, but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of the LORD
doth man live.
"Thy raiment waxed
not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these
forty years"
(Deut.8:2-4).
God took care of His people; He
provided for them. But He also tested
and proved them, to see if they would keep His commandments, despite trials and
adversities!
The Secret of Vulnerability
Writes Irving Greenberg in The
Jewish Way,
"The halachic
requirements for the construction of a sukkah attempt
to capture the
fragility
and openness of the booths. The sukkah may not be too impressive a home;
its
total height may not exceed twenty cubits [30 feet] -- about ten yards. Nor may
it
be lower than what is reasonably high enough to enter and live in, that is, ten
handbreadths
or forty inches. Similarly the sukkah should be built well enough to
withstand
normal winds but not so solidly that it withstands winds of unusual force.
By
deliberately giving up solid construction, Jews admit their vulnerability and
testify
that the ultimate trust is in the divine shelter."
Greenberg goes on, expanding on the construction of the sukkah:
"The most important part of the Sukkah, halachically, is the s'chach, materials of
vegetable
origin such as evergreen branches or marsh rushes that form the roof. For
support,
these coverings may be laid across wooden slats or bamboo poles; heavy
boards
or beams that offer solid support should not be used, nor should any of the
roof
materials be nailed down permanently.
Though completely covering the top,
the
materials should be loosely spread so as to be open to the perfect expression
of
divine protection. God is not a
mechanical shield that protects from all evil;
God
is the Presence who gives the strength to persevere, to overcome.
"The
fragility of the sukkah borders on the playful. What is the minimum sukkah
one
can build? It need not have four walls,
that is, be fully enclosed. The minimum
is
two walls plus part of a third. . .
"The
sukkah is meant to teach something about the true
nature of protection. Human
beings
instinctively strive to build solid walls of security. People shut out life; they
heap
up treasures and power and status symbols in the hope of excluding death and
disaster
and even the unexpected. The search
for solid security all too often leads to
idolatry,
to the worship of things that give security.
People end up sacrificing values
and
even loved ones to obtain the tangible sources of security. The sukkah urges
people
to give up this pseudo-safety" (Greenberg, p.99-100).
The
Secret of "Sukkah Consciousness"
Says Greenberg, "Often
self-deception and the desire to claim permanent roots led Jews to deny what
was happening until it was too late to escape" (p.101). We could have the same problem, ourselves, in
our modern lives -- living too close to the "present," and refusing
to face or being blind to the serious problems happening all around us -- so
that we are not ready when the time comes to escape!
He adds a lesson we should all heed
carefully: "The precious
capacity not to deceive oneself when change takes place is made possible by sukkah consciousness."
Living and dwelling -- that is,
"sitting" -- in a home-made, makeshift, fragile sukkah
for seven days, during the Feast of Tabernacles, drives home the lesson of
our own fragile impermanence, our own human frailty, and our need -- our
desperate need -- for the protection of God in our lives. It also helps us to remain vigilant -- aware
-- and undeceived as to the "permanence" of our surroundings, or the
lack of real permanence in our illusion-filled lives. The sukkah helps
give us the power and insight to avoid deception -- spiritual deception and
physical deception.
We are living in times of incredible
great deception. Many are falling away
from God's truth. I have never seen so
many fall away so quickly, and seemingly so easily and painlessly, in all my
forty plus years in God's Church!
The apostle Paul warned, "This
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come" (II Tim.3:1),
and "there would be men "ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth" (v.7), but would be "evil men and
seducers" who "shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived" (v.13). He warned
also, that some in God's true Church would even fall away -- "For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine . . . And they shall
turn away their ears from the truth, and shall turn unto fables" (II
Tim.4:3-4).
The deception would be SO BAD,
Christ declared, that, "There shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you [warned you] before
[in advance!]" (Matt.24:24-25).
But the sukkah
protection of God will safeguard His true people, who obey His commandments,
and who "dwell" in the sukkah during the
Feast of Sukkot!
The Secret of "Portable,
Mobile Faith"
The sukkah
also teaches us that our "faith" must be "portable." It must not be rooted in the around, but in
God who is everywhere, and everywhere able to protect us.
As David wrote, "Whither shall
I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I
flee from thy presence? If I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there: if I make
my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of
the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold
me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall
cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth
not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the
darkness and the light are both alike to thee" (Psalm 139:7-12).
God is indeed everywhere. We are never out of His sight, or out of His
grasp. He is always able to save us, to
deliver us, to lift us out of danger or trouble. We should trust in Him no matter where we
are, or what our circumstances. Nothing
is too difficult for Him!
Says Irving Greenberg:
"Mobility undercuts idolatry. Wandering weakens fixed categories,
challenging the
belief
that there is a measurable way to program (read: control) divine behavior. . .
.
"As
Jews moved into exile, they understood what the sukkah
had always taught them:
God
is not fixed; God is everywhere. One
can go elsewhere and find God present there.
After
the Exodus, Israel went into the desert to meet its Lord. Later, the favor was
returned
by God, who went with them into exile, into the travail of history. Jews
learned
that the Sheckinah (Divine Presence) is
with them in eras of wandering as well
as
during the triumphant return to the Holy Land. . .
"The
sukkah taught Jews that they could root deeply into
particular cultures but that
their
faith was portable. . . . Then the sukkah
reminded them to push on. There
were
miles
to go, further along the Exodus way, and promises to keep -- until the whole
world
becomes a Promised Land" (Greenberg, The Jewish Way, p.102-103).
How To Make A Sukkah
Granted that we should make a sukkah, then, to properly celebrate the Feast
of Tabernacles, where and how should we do so?
The "where" is simple
enough. Most of us can make one in our
own back yard. Some people who have flat
roofs, can make one on their roof. In
some cases, we can make one in a park, or camping ground. Once made, we should spend some time in it --
"dwell" in it -- during the Feast of Tabernacles. Having built a sukkah
in one's back yard, and fellowshipping and entertaining friends and family
in and around it, with beverages, wine, fruit juice, snacks, and food, is a
most enjoyable pastime during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Writes Greenberg:
"Building can involve the whole
family. Over the years people have shown
great
imagination
in both construction and decoration of the sukkah. For those less handy,
there
are reasonable and attractive pre-fabricated models with easy directions for
putting
them together. Many prefabs come
complete with bamboo stick s'chach. If
there
is no forest in your area, evergreen or perishable s'chach
can be purchased from
a
nursery or landscape contractor. An
evergreen roof will add welcome fragrance to
the
sukkah. When
gathering s'chach from local forest or riverbank
areas, one must be
sure
not to destroy public property and not to take s'chach
belonging to a private
person
without permission. Jewish law rules
that a mitzvah is not validly performed
if
goods used in its performance are stolen" (The Jewish Way, p.104).
Sukkah
building can be great fun, and should involve the entire family! If your church or local fellowship group can
make a sukkah for your group, that would be
wonderful!
It is an experience you will never
forget -- a true spiritual "high" can be experienced when we obey
God's simplest commandments!
More insight into the basic rules of
sukkah building are provided by Leslie Koppelman Ross in the book, Celebrate! The Complete
Jewish Holiday Handbook:
"Although there are regulations
regarding the minimum size, maximum height, and
acceptable
dimensions for its walls, the element that makes a sukkah
more than an
agricultural
shed is its 'roof': a canopy made from
stalks or branches arranged to provide
more
shade than sunlight and allow you to see the stars through it. In other words, it
is
something that originally grew from the earth through which we can look up and
see
heaven. In fact, the word sukkah
is derived from the word for the roof -- s'khakh,
mean-
ing 'covering' -- indicating the most important
element of the structure. It's a reminder
that
during the Israelites' forty years of wandering, God 'covered' all their needs.
. . .
"It
is a mitzvah for every Jew to participate in building and decorating a sukkah. (A
sukkah decorating party for the immediate family, or for an
extended group including
friends,
is a great way to get into the spirit of the holiday" (p.221).
How can you make a sukkah
for your own home? Here's the
answer! Just do it! Gather together enough building materials,
rope, twine, safety pins, branches from trees, palm trees, banana trees, and
leafy plants from your own back yard, or from other people's yards (with
permission, of course).
"You can use just about any materials
to make the walls: cinder blocks, scrap lumber,
old
doors, bamboo shades, canvass or nylon sheeting attached to a frame of wood or
metal
piping [try PVC pipe -- it is easy to use!] with nails or grommets and rope.
"Beams
can be placed across the top to support the s'khakh. In Israel, authorities trim
the
palm trees in time for the holiday and leave the branches in piles on the
streets for
people
to take home. In this country, parks
departments often oblige with the by-
products
of fall pruning. If you cannot obtain
leafy branches, bamboo, straw, reeds,
and
thin boards may be used.
"Our
enjoyment of the mitzvah is enhanced when we consider its aesthetics, so
it is
appropriate
to make the sukkah as beautiful as
possible. Gourds, fruits, birds made
from
hollowed egg shells, cranberry garlands, popcorn strands and paper chains,
pictures
and wall tapestries, along with representations of the seven species
that
grow in Israel (wheat, barley, grape, fig, date, pomegranate, olive), are
all
traditional. . . .
"Pre-fab sukkot are
available through Jewish book stores and sometimes syna-
gogues. . . ." (p.220-221).
One of the best materials you can
use is PVC plastic pipe (solid 3/4 inch is good, with proper fittings, which
can be obtained at a local plumbing or Home Depo type
store. Once you put the framework
together, using enough PVC to make three and one half sides (leaving room for
an entrance in one side), you can cover the walls with white sheets, drapes,
rugs, tapestries, and then decorate them with balloons, crafts, pictures drawn
of the harvest season, and any number of ideas.
Place a small table inside, a few chairs, and place a dish of fruits,
apples, oranges, a pumpkin or two, grapes, raisins, and cookies, for
entertaining guests and friends, on the table.
You can also obtain a "lulav" from a local Jewish store, or through a local
synagogue, or obtain a telephone number to order one from a Jewish supplier --
or you can make your own, for rejoicing before the Lord. (See our article on the "Mystery of the Lulav.")
When you enter the sukkah each day, you should recite the "Blessing of
the Sukkah," which goes like this:
Blessing of the Sukkah
"Baruch Attah Adonai, Melek Ha Olam,
Asher Kidshanu B'Mitzvotav,
V'tzivanu Leisheiv Basukkah.
"Blessed Are You, O Lord, King of the Universe,
Who Has
Sanctified Us by His Commandments,
and
Commanded Us to Dwell in the Sukkah."
Let's recite the "blessing" of the Sukkah -- and then enter your Sukkah
and commune with God, our Father, and reflect on the tremendous and deep
meaning of this wonderful Feast of Tabernacles, as you have never done before
-- in peace, and happiness, sitting in our sukkah,
under God's divine protection, and in His divine Presence. And, this coming Feast of Tabernacles, really
enjoy your "sukkah" experience, as you
spend seven days in unique and wonderful fellowship with Almighty God, and His
Son, Jesus Christ -- Yeshua the Messiah!
The
Feast of Booths in the Millennium
The day is soon coming when the
entire world --all nations -- will observe the Feast of Tabernacles, or booths,
as God commanded. They will come up to
Jerusalem, and make fragile, flimsy booths, and dwell in them for seven days,
during the Feast.
The prophet Zechariah foretells that
after the return of the Messiah, to put down all rebellion around the world,
and to inaugurate the Kingdom of God on the earth, a startling thing will
happen. Notice!
"And every one that is left of all
the nations which came against Jerusalem shall
even
go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, AND TO
KEEP
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES OR BOOTHS.
And it shall be, that
whoso
of the families of the earth shall not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King,
the
Lord of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt do
not
go up to Jerusalem and present themselves, upon them there shall be no rain,
but there shall be the plague with which
the Lord will smite the nations that go not
up
to KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. This
shall be the consequent
punishment
of the sin of Egypt, and the consequent punishment of the sin of all the
nations
that do not go up to keep the feast of Tabernacles" (Zech.14:16-19,
Amplified
Bible).
Obviously, as the prophet points out, the Feast of Tabernacles
is a TEST -- a test upon ALL NATIONS!
Writes Michael Strassfeld,
in The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary,
"An important and underlying theme of
Sukkot is its messianic and universalist
character. Coming at the end of the agricultural year and the end of the
pilgrim-
age
cycle, Sukkot marks the end of a passage of
time. It thereby anticipates the
MESSIANIC
END OF DAYS for all people. During Sukkot a total of seventy
sacrifices
were brought into the temple, corresponding to the tradition's count of
the
number of nations in the world . . . .
"This
vision of universal brotherhood is reflected in the sukkah,
whose door and
roof
are open to all. The sukkah,
in turn, evokes a vision of God's sukkah as a house
of
prayer for all nations. In that future,
God will spread a sukkah shalom -- a
sheltering
cover made of peace and harmony. Even as
we remember the desert
period
of old, having reached the end of time, we eagerly await the redemption, the
crossing
over into the promised land" (p.146-147).
But as the prophecy of Zechariah, shows, the passage from
this age of strife and wickedness into the new world of peace and utopia will
not be an easy one. At first, the nations will not be willing to come up to
Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and to dwell in sukkot,
worshipping the King, the Lord of hosts.
They will rebel. Some, like
Egypt, will be hard to convince. God
will have to use the threat of drought, and even plagues, to bring some of the
nations to their senses!
For the nations of the world, the
observance of the Feast of Tabernacles will be a divine test!
But is God now beginning to give this
"test" to His end-time people, today?
As the apostle Peter wrote:
"For the time is come when judgment must begin at the house
of God: and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where
shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (I Pet.4:17-18).
A
New TEST Upon God's People!
Many THINK they are observing the
Feast of Tabernacles -- by going away to a swank or holiday resort, and having
"fun," and listening to a number of sermons, and living in motels and
living it up with pleasures, gourmet dining, visiting museums, etc. BUT THE LAW OF GOD NOWHERE says THAT is the
way to "KEEP THE FEAST!"
The
"Feast of Booths" is to be observed by BUILDING OR CONSTRUCTING
BOOTHS -- JUST AS THE "NAME" OF THE FEAST IMPLIES! Those nations who will not do this,
during the Millennial reign of the Messiah, will suffer PUNISHMENT! No rain will fall, drought, and consequent
famine, will erupt! And if that doesn't
bring them around, then disease epidemics, and the plague!
Do
we get the point, today? What about
us? If WE don't observe this Feast of
God properly, won't we also "reap the consequences"? Will God be pleased if we continue to ignore
His commands, and celebrate His feasts in a manner that only pleases
us, in a way He never commanded?
Think about it!
Says Avraham
Yaakov Finkel, in The
Essence of the Holy Days,
"Sukkot is a TEST of man's attachment to God, and the
nations
will observe Sukkot to prove their newfound loyalty to Him"
(emphasis mine, p.89).
What about you and your family? Are you "passing the test"? Or are you in danger of "flunking
out"?
Will you observe Sukkot
properly this coming year, as God intended, and as He commanded? Will YOU "wave the lulav"
in joyous celebration, worshipping God, as you dwell in your "temporary
dwelling" -- your make-shift, rickety, fragile, homemade BOOTH that you
have constructed wherever you keep the Feast?
Whether in a camp ground, park, or festival gathering -- or in your own back yard, or balcony, or
roof-top?
Isn't it time therefore that we really,
with all our heart, began to OBEY God and follow His instructions and commands?
It
is strange indeed how some just do not want to perform these simple little
commandments -- they will argue, twist, strain at gnats, and set their jaws --
in refusing to obey God and build a sukkah during the
Feast of Sukkot.
Some think it is "too Jewish" -- but the truth is, it is
simply A COMMANDMENT OF ALMIGHTY GOD!
Isn't it time we get our bearings
straight, and begin to "live by EVERY word of God"? (Matt.4:4;
Luke 4:4; Deut.8:3). Isn't it time we
perform and obey God's Law, in its entirety, with JOY unbounded and running
over? Isn't it time we celebrate His
Festival in the manner in which HE commands, with tremendous JOY, and total
commitment, and 100% obedience?
Says Leslie Koppelman
Ross, further:
"For joy reflects a feeling of
optimism about the future, and no matter what the
immediate
situation, a Jew [that is, a true Jew, or true believer in the Messiah --
see
Romans 2:26-27] believes in the promise of redemption: 'I believe with perfect
faith
in the coming of the Messiah, and though he may tarry, daily I will wait for
his
coming' (Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith).
"It
is an attitude that, along with the teachings of Torah, sustained the Jewish
people.
The
rabbis said that in the world to come, we will be REWARDED FOR THE JOY
we
felt in performing mitzvot
[the commandments], rather than for the actual obser-
vance of the commandments. In
other words, indication of motivation is seen as more
important than going through the motions"
(p.218).
So let's put on a 'happy face" -- and at the Feast of
Tabernacles, serve and worship God with JOY bubbling over and irrepressible and
exploding forth in dazzling radiance and brilliance! Let's REJOICE during this Feast, as we
have never rejoiced before, as we BUILD OUR BOOTHS, and celebrate the Feast, in
sheer ecstatic worship of the One True God!
Says Ross:
"Since the sukkah
is a memorial to God's protection, it is meant to enhance the joy
of
the festival. If you do not feel joy,
you cannot appropriately fulfill the mitzvah
of dwelling in the sukkah"
p.226).
So let's serve our God with joy and happiness, and be
thankful for every one of His divine commandments -- including the precious
"little" ones, that are meant to increase our joy and depth of
feeling and worship!
Isn't it time we REALLY "contend
for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude
3)? The Greek word for
"contend" here is #1864, epagonizomai,
meaning "to struggle for, earnestly contend for." How well are we doing?
The Feast of Tabernacles time is not
mere "vacation" time. It is a
TESTING TIME -- will we obey God, and do what He commanded -- or not? Will you PROVE your loyalty and obedience to
God by keeping this Feast as He commanded -- lulav,
sukkot (booth), and all?
Or are you going to miss out on
the true joy, and lessons, of this fantastic Feast of God --called "the
Feast" in Scripture?
What about you?
Praise God for this deeper and
awesome understanding of the meaning and significance of His holy Feast of
Tabernacles! Praise God for revealing to
us the manifold "secrets of the Sukkah"! Thank God for His mercy and lovingkindness!
How much we have missed out on true,
vital spiritual understanding, in the years gone by, because we did not
literally fulfill this plain Scriptural commandment! It is as if we had only come "part
way" out of sin -- but still remained with one foot in the world! We have sinned, as Malachi says: "But ye
are departed out of the [true] way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law .
. . as ye have not kept my ways, but have been PARTIAL in the law"
(Malachi 2:8-9).
"PARTIAL in the
law"! What an indictment! God says He will make end-time ministers and
pastors "contemptible and base before all the people," because of
this sin! (verse 9). "Despicable
and vile," says the Tanakh! "Despised and humiliated," says the
NIV. Says the Septuagint: "But ye have turned aside from the way,
and caused many to fail in following the law . . . And I have made you despised
and cast out among all the people, because ye have not kept my ways, but
have been partial in the law."
But what about you? Now that you know and understand the truth,
will you obey it? Will you build a sukkah or "booth" next year? It is entirely up to you. Is a "word to the wise"
sufficient? God will surely bless those
who obey Him -- from the heart!