Preparation for Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles
16-0924
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Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh
month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy
convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. 36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the
LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.
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‘These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire
to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— 38 besides the
Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give
to the LORD.
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‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the
feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.
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And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the
boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
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You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations.
You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites
shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I
brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.’” Leviticus 23:33-43 (NKJV)
1. The Structure of the Sukka
“The sukkah is the central symbol of this holiday of journeys. It is a temporary shelter in which we are to dwell for one
week. Most people today decorate it with pictures and hangings, place a table and chairs in it, invite guests and eat
there. Some rugged souls sleep there. The structure of the sukkah, as determined by the rabbis of the Talmud, must
follow certain rules. It can’t be higher than 30 feet, for if it were, it would look permanent. It must have at least
three walls, or else it would look too flimsy. The roof, called the sechach, must be made of cut branches or leaves,
to remind us of the harvest. The covering can’t be too thin or too full. In the daytime, the roof must offer more
shade than sun. In the nighttime, the stars should be seen through the branches and leaves.”
“Sukkot is also a time of harvest and thanksgiving, when we show our gratitude to God for sustaining us on our journey
through life. Every day during Sukkot, except on Shabbat, we are asked to take four symbols of earths bounty – the
lulav (a palm branch) adorned with myrtle and willow, and an etrog (a citron) – and shake them in six directions, as
if we are showering the earth with the dew of God’s kindness.” (Cardin, 87)
2. The Meaning of Tabernacles
“Tabernacles is a feast designed to foster hope… Tabernacles represents divine protection across the desert on the way
to freedom and promised land.” (Bacchiocchi, 207)
“Passover and Sukkot are week long celebrations spaced six months apart…both are observed on 15th day of the month,
Passover marks the attainment of the end of bondage and religious freedom, Sukkot marks the attainment of
national and territorial independence, the essential ingredients of sovereignty.” (Bacchiocchi, 207-208)
3. Transition from Yom Kippur
“Fasting on Yom Kippur prepares us for the feasting on Sukkot. Abstaining from the physical pleasures of this world on
Yom Kippur is only meant to heal us from the sickness of overindulgence. But, once we take control of ourselves
and free ourselves from our transgressions, addictions, and obsessions, we are free to enjoy the pleasures of this
world on Sukkot.”
“On Yom Kippur we leave this world and experience union with God by transcending nature and abstaining from
physical pleasures. However, on Sukkot we experience union with God through nature and through physical
pleasures. This is the journey of holiness.”
“When we experience no conflict between the physical and the spiritual, the natural and the supernatural, the eternal and
the temporal, then we experience the epitome of holiness. We enjoy perfect harmony, synergy, and wholeness.”
(Aaron, 128)
4. Sukkot - Security and Permanence in the Transient
“Sukkot teaches us how to find security and permanence in what seems transient. We embrace the perishable four
species and dwell in a makeshift hut covered with biodegradable materials, as we acknowledge that happiness and
security are based not on what we possess but on who we are in relationship to God. When we serve God here and
now, we infuse the finite world with infinite meaning and connect the fleeting moment to eternity.”
“We often do wrong and sacrifice our integrity in the present because we are anxious to secure our future. Sukkot,
however, teaches us that we can find security even in the temporal and transient when we focus our attention on
serving God here and now.” (Aaron, 131)
“Sukkot sets us off on the right foot into the new year by teaching us how to protect ourselves from sadness and evil;
trust in God, humble yourself before Him, and only concern yourself with fulfilling His commandments – here and
now.” (Aaron, 132)
5. Learning to Trust in God’s Provision
“When the Israelites left Egypt on their trek to freedom, they took with them only enough food and water for a few
days. When their provisions ran out, so did their trust in God. And so did their desire for freedom…what good is
freedom if we are dead?” they said, shouting at Moses and, through him, at God. “If freedom means starvation,
we’d rather be slaves to Pharaoh. At least in Egypt, we had food”. (Cardin, 83)
Reflection - How similar we are when we mismanage our lives and drift away from God, or when the going gets rough;
God seems to be the first thing we throw overboard! Let’s guard against that.
6. The Libation of Water
“A golden pitcher holding three logs was filled by a priest with water from the Siloah, and brought through the watergate, the multitude reciting Isa. xii. 3. Amid trumpet-blasts the water was poured simultaneously with a libation of
wine into a tube in the altar, through which it flowed, mingling with the libation of wine, by an underground
passage to the Kidron (Suk. iv. 9, 10; Tosef., Suk. iv.; the Sadducees seem to have opposed this practice [see Yer.
Suk. v., beginning; Suk. 55a], perhaps because it was a popular innovation); and the officiating priest was required
to lift up his hands, so that the assembled worshipers might see that the function had been properly discharged.
Alexander Jannaæus, who failed to do so, was pelted with etrogim by the multitude (Suk. iv. 9; "Ant." xiii. 13. § 5).
(Malmonides, see ‘Libation of Water’)
Reflection: Consider the parallel from the gospel of John - 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,
and immediately blood and water came out. John 19:34 (NKJV)
Just as blood and water poured out of the side of the temple into the Kidron valley, so did blood and water pour out of
the side of the temple of the Living God. Yeshua fulfills all things.
7. The Eighth Day
Shemini Atzeret is known as the eighth day – and is a holy convocation (meaning no work, and gathering together as a
congregation).
Shemini Atzeret is similar to Shavout in that Shavout (a 1 day festival) concludes Passover (a 7 day festival), Shemini
Atzeret (a 1 day festival) concludes Sukkot (a 7 day festival). Also, both 1 day festivals lack specific rituals.
Atzeret is celebrated by Kiddush, candle lighting, no work. Prayer for rain, but not until end of day cause don’t want to
get rained out of sukka (for those who keeps sukkas up through 8th day, which all do not). (Strassfeld, 149-151)
There is no intervening time between Sukkot and Shemini as there was between Passover and Shavout – each week
ends with the seventh day, seven signifies a perfect number in Judaism, a complete unit of time – thus the eighth
day is the day after time. God says “Remain with me (Atzeret) an extra day”, a time beyond time. (Strassfeld, 158)
Reflection: This portends of the entrance into Eternity. Eternity. Eternity. Put that in your philosophical pipe and
smoke it.
8. Simhat Torah – The Ninth Day?
“Shemini Atzeret at first consisted only of tefillat geshemm, the prayer for a bountiful rainfall in the coming winter
months. Because it was not directly tied to the temple, the prayer for rain remained Shemini Atzeret’s sole distinct
ritual. However, beginning round the tenth century, Shemini Atzeret (actually the second day of Shemini Atzeret),
as Shavout had earlier, began to take on the character of a festival of Torah.” (Strassfeld, 150)
Brad Strong’s Preparation for Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles (16-0924)
-2-­‐ Reflection: Thus Simhat Torah is a ninth day, added by the rabbis, in which the Torah is celebrated by having the
leaders, and then the people, carry the Torah scroll around in the sanctuary.
9. ‘Marriage’ on Simhat Torah?
After everyone who wants has had an aliyah, the last verses of the Torah are read. The person honored with that aliyah
is given the title hatan Torah (Bride or Bridegroom of the Torah). Why bride or bridegroom? These words conjure
up images of devotion and love. They remind us of the metaphor of God and the people of Israel as lovers. They
inspire visions of Mount Sinai, when God and the Israelites pledged to be true to each other. (Cardin, 92)
10. One Day All Nations Will Keep Sukkot!
Sukkot’s halftorah from Zechariah describes how in the future all nations will go up to Jerusalem in peace to worship
the Lord on the holiday of Sukkot. (Strassfeld, 158)
We also read the first book of Joshua - in a sense we are not going back to Genesis, but entering into the next book, the
book of Joshua, whence we ENTER the promised land. (Strassfeld, 159)
Reflection: Be strong and very courageous… do not let this Law depart from your mouth, meditate day and night…
11. Application
• One book tied to Sukkot is Ecclesiastes. Read the book of Ecclesiastes to gain a full sense of the futility of life
and, in the final analysis, that what’s important is to worship God and obey His commandments.
• Relax, enjoy your blessings and the fellowship of the family of God, and endeavor to feel the gentle loving hug
of your Father God who made you and sent His Son to redeem you at great personal cost to them both.
• But don’t relax too much – read the first chapter of Joshua – we’re supposed to retain that strong, courageous
attitude and diligence of meditating on God’s commandments. Let’s beware of getting too comfortable and
thinking we stand, lest we fall.
• 1 Corinthians 10:12,13 cautions us to not relax too much: 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed
lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will
not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be able to bear it. • What way of escape did Yeshua use when tempted (for 40 days!)? Maybe we could learn something… read
Luke 4:1-13. Yeshua had the Words of God in His heart! Find key verses that relate to temptations you struggle
with, and memorize them, meditate upon them; prepare yourself.
• Ultimately, Tabernacles is about God tabernacling with us, which is a foreshadowing of one day when He will
be with us forever as a bridegroom with the bride. That’s romantic in the highest sense; that’s what we were
made for and long for. It’s a marriage, a union, the ultimate, to be married to God. Let us rejoice in that sacred
union that beckons us each year and indeed each day, if we but give it room to breathe and grow.
• On that eighth day, meditate on Eternity. Eternity. Eternity with the King of the Universe beckons, and is more
real and more compelling than anything this earth has to offer. No thought could be more worthy for the final
day of the final festival of the year.
Bibliography
Aaron, David. Inviting God In – Celebrating the Soul-Meaning of the Jewish Holy Days. 2006.
Bacchiocchi, Samuele. God’s Festivals in Scripture and History – Part 2 – the Fall Festivals. 2002.
Cardin, Nina Beth. The Tapestry of Jewish Time. 2000.
Edidin, Ben M. Jewish Holidays and Festivals. 1940.
Maimonides, Yad, Aruk, Shulḥan, Maḥzor, Vitry, and Herzog-Hauck. "Tabernacles, Feast of."
Jewishencyclopedia.com. The Kopelman Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
<http%3A%2F%2Fjewishencyclopedia.com%2Farticles%2F14103-sukkot-feast-of>. Data taken from the 1906
Jewish Encyclopedia
Strassfeld, Michael. The Jewish Holidays – A Guide and Commentary. 1985.
Brad Strong’s Preparation for Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles (16-0924)
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