Email us for help
Loading...
Premium support
Log Out
Our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy have changed. We think you'll like them better this way.
Sukkot (Shabbat)
Torah Reading Haftarah (Prophet's Reading) New Testament
Exod. 33:12-34:26 Ezek. 38:18-39:16; Ecclesiastes(k) John 7-8
Overview
The seventh (and final) feast given to Israel is called Sukkot (???????) or the "Feast of Tabernacles."During this time many Jewish families construct a sukkah (??????) The sukkah is used to remember the huts [plural: sukkot] Israel lived in during their 40 year sojourn in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. Later, after Israel entered the land of promise, Sukkot was associated with the fall harvest and came to be known as Chag ha-Asif (??? ???????), the "Festival of Ingathering" (of the harvest) at the end of the year. From an agricultural perspective in ancient Israel, Pesach [Passover] corresponded to the planting season, Shavuot [Pentecost] corresponded to the grain harvest, and Sukkot corresponded to the fruit harvest. When you planted your crops in spring, you do not yet rejoice because you were uncertain about how the harvest will turn out. And when you harvested your grain at the start of summer, you might have rejoiced that you now had bread in hand, but you would still be uncertain about the success of your fruit crops. Total joy would come after you had harvested all of your crops in the fall, and thereby received sustenance and provision for the coming year from the LORD.