NewsLetter 5860-027
The 1st Year of the 5th Sabbatical Cycle
The 29th year of the 120th Jubilee Cycle
The 12th day of the 7th month 5860 years after the creation of Adam
The 5th Sabbatical Cycle after the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of the Red Heifer, Famine, Captivity & The 2 Witnesses
August 17, 2024
Shabbat Shalom to the Royal Family of Yehovah,Ā
We are now in transition from the contrast of the solemnity and introspection of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement which we kept on Thursday August 15, to Sukkot, also known as the Festival of Tabernacles or the Festival of Booths, and an atmosphere of joy. This joy is reflecting the biblical command to āBe joyful at your feastāĀ (Deuteronomy16:14). That is why SukkotĀ is known as āthe time of our happiness.ā
As I prepared my PowerPoint notes for Atonement and Sukkot, I asked how Sukkot became the wedding ceremony and how Sukkot became this feast that began at Passover.
As I searched for answers, I discovered the two articles I am sharing with you this week. I have shared them with you to be a subject of discussion during Sukkot. I have not found a definitive answer yet, and I just do not have time right now as I prepare for the upcoming Holy Days. But I want to encourage you all to research and pray about the answers to this subject. Please leave your comment below this article.
Festival schedule
On Each of the Holy Days we will be teaching at 10 AM and 1 PM Eastern. You can join us on Zoom.
1st day of Sukkot is on Tuesday August 20, 2024
8th Day Feast, Shemini Atzeret Tuesday August 27, 2024.
Torah Portion
Torah Portions
We read through the entire Torah along with the Prophets and the New Testament, once over the course of 3 1/2 years. Or according to the Sabbatical Cycle which means we read it all twice over a 7-year period. This allows us to cover more in-depth rather than being rushed to cover as much as is covered on an annual basis. We allow all to comment and take part in the discussions.
Septennial Torah Portion
If you go toĀ Torah Portion in our archived section, you can then go to the 1st year, which is the 1st year of the Sabbatical Cycle, the one we are in now, as we state at the top of every News Letter. There, you can scroll down to the proper date and see that this Shabbat, we could very well be midrashing about:
Genesis 29
1 Samuel 14-15
Psalm 63
We are in the 1st Sabbatical Cycle in 2024-2025. We go through the entire bible twice in a 7 year cycle. This means we cover the entire bible once every 3 1/2 years. It gives us more time to debate and discuss each portion we read.
If you missed last weekās exciting discoveries as we studied that section, you can go and watch past Shabbats on ourĀ media section.
Join Our Sabbath Meetings
Join Our Sabbath Meetings
There are many people in need of fellowship and who are sitting at home on the Sabbath with no one to talk to or debate with. I want to encourage all of you to join us on Shabbat, and to invite others to come and join us as well. If the time is not convenient then you can listen to the teaching and the midrash after on our YouTube channel.
What are we doing and why do we teach this way?
We are going to discuss both sides of an issue and then let you choose. It is the work of the Ruach (Spirit) to direct and to teach you.
The medieval commentator Rashi wrote that the Hebrew word for wrestle (avek) implies that Jacob was ātiedā, for the same word is used to describe knotted fringes in a Jewish prayer shawl, the tzitzityot. Rashi says, āthus is the manner of two people who struggle to overthrow each other, that one embraces the other and knots him with his armsā.
Our intellectual wrestling has been replaced by a different kind of struggle. We are Wrestling with Yehovah as we grapple with His Word. It is an intimate act, symbolizing a relationship in which Yehovah and I and you are bound together. My wrestling is a struggle to discover what Yehovah expects of us, and we are ātiedā to the One who assists us in that struggle.
Today, many say Israel means āChampion of Godā, or better ā the āWrestler of Godā.
Our Torah sessions each Shabbat teaches you and encourages you to constantly challenge, question, argue against, as well as view alternative views and explanations of the Word. In other words, we are to āwrestle with the Wordā to get to the truth. Jews worldwide believe that you need to wrestle with the Word and constantly challenge Dogma, Theology, and views or else you will never get to the Truth.
We are not like most churches where āThe preacher talks and everyone listens.ā We encourage everyone to participate, to question and to contribute what they know on the subject being discussed. We want you to be a champion wrestler of the Word of Yehovah. We want you to wear the title of Israel, knowing that you not only know but are capable of explaining why you know the Torah to be true with logic and facts.
We have a few rules though. Let others talk and listen. There is no discussion about UFOās Nephilim, Vaccines or conspiracy-type subjects. We have people from around the world with different world views. Not everyone cares who is the President of any particular country. Treat each other with respect as Fellow wrestlers of the word. Some of our subjects are hard to understand and require you to be mature and if you do not know, then listen to gain knowledge and understanding and hopefully wisdom. The very things you are commanded to ask Yehovah for and He gives to those who ask.
Jas 1:5Ā Ā But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him.
We hope you can invite those who want to keep Torah to come and join us by hitting the link below. It is almost like a Torah teaching fellowship talk show with people from around the world taking part and sharing their insights and understandings.
We start off with some music and then some prayers and itās as though you were sitting around the kitchen back in Newfoundland having a cup of coffee and all of us enjoying each otherās company. I hope you will grace us with your company someday.
Sabbath services begin at 12:30 PM EDT where we will be doing prayers songs and teaching from this hour.
Shabbat Services will begin at about 1:15 pm Eastern.
We look forward to you joining our family and getting to know us as we get to know you.
Joseph Dumond is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Joseph Dumondās Personal Meeting Room
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The Perpetual Calendar
The Perpetual Calendar
We have available from our website a calendar you can use to keep track of the days of the month based on when the Barley is ripe and when the moon is sighted. ALl you have to do is download it. https://sightedmoon.com/perpetual-calendar/
With the new year about to begin, you can learn about the calendar as you record it. This is a great tool to have and it is free to anyone who wants it.
Shabbat Shuva
Shabbat Shuva
Shabbat Shuvah (āSabbath [of] Returnā ש××Ŗ ש×××) refers to the Shabbat that occurs during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Only one Shabbat can occur between these dates. Occasionally there are two. In that case, the second Sabbath is Shabbat Shuva. This Shabbat is named after the first word of the Haftarah (Hosea 14:2-10) and literally means āReturn!ā It is perhaps a play on, but not to be confused with, the word Teshuvah (the word for repentance).
Haftarah: Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27
Hos 14:2Ā Ā Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah. Say to Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive usgraciously, that we may repay with the calves of our lips.
Hos 14:3Ā Ā Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses. Nor shall we say any more to the work of our hands, Our gods, for in You the fatherless finds mercy.
Hos 14:4Ā Ā I will heal their backslidings; I will love them freely; for My anger has turned away from him.
Hos 14:5Ā Ā I will be as the dew to Israel; he shall grow as the lily and cast out his roots like Lebanon.
Hos 14:6Ā Ā His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
Hos 14:7Ā Ā They who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive like the grain, and grow like the vine. Their scent shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
Hos 14:8Ā Ā Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him and watched him; I am like a green fir tree. Your fruit is found from Me.
Hos 14:9Ā Ā Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Understanding, and he shall know them? For the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but sinners shall fall in them.
Mic 7:18Ā Ā Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not keep His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
Mic 7:19Ā Ā He will turn again; He will have pity on us. He will trample our iniquities. Yea, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Mic 7:20Ā Ā You will give faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
Joe 2:15Ā Ā Blow a trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn gathering.
Joe 2:16Ā Ā Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, gather the elders, gather the children and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber, and the bride out of her room.
Joe 2:17Ā Ā Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Have pity on Your people, O Jehovah, and give not Your inheritance to shame, for a proverb among those of the nations. Why should they say among the people, Where is their God?
The Lord Had Pity
Joe 2:18Ā Ā Then Jehovah will be jealous for His land and pity His people.
Joe 2:19Ā Ā Yes, Jehovah will answer and say to His people, Behold, I will send you grain, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with it. And I will no more make you a curse among the nations.
Joe 2:20Ā Ā But I will remove the northern army far from you, and will drive him into a barren and deserted land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his rear toward the western sea. And his stench shall come up, and his ill odor shall come up, because he was doing great things.
Joe 2:21Ā Ā Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice. For Jehovah will do great things.
Joe 2:22Ā Ā Do not be afraid, beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness grow green; for the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
Joe 2:23Ā Ā Be glad then, sons of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God. For He has given you the former rain according to righteousness, and He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month.
Joe 2:24Ā Ā And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
Joe 2:25Ā Ā And I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the locust larvae, and the stripping locust, and the cutting locust, My great army which I sent among you.
Joe 2:26Ā Ā And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of Jehovah your God, who has dealt with you wonderfully; and My people shall never be ashamed.
Joe 2:27Ā Ā And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and no one else; and My people shall never be ashamed.
It is a not so subtle reminded that now is the time to repent and return to Yehovah. With this Sabbath you have the remaining time until Yom Kippur to repent and teshuvah to Yehovah.
As we approach the final 10 Days of Awe, also known by us as the 10 Years of Awe, these verses become more and more real. They were inspired by Yehovah but they are prophetic to us today. 2030 represents the Shabbat of Shuva, the time of return when the Two Witnesses will bring Israel back to Jerusalem and then be killed as the two lambs are every day.
How and Why Sukkot Was Linked to the Exodus
How and Why Sukkot Was Linked to the Exodus
Sukka in the Desert, Zachi Dvira via the PikiWiki
The practice of sitting in booths on the Sukkot festival is commanded and explicated in only one passage, Leviticus 23:42-43:
××:××Ā ×Ö¼Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö„×Ŗ תֵּש×Ö°×Ö×Ö¼ ש×Ö“×Ö°×¢Ö·Ö£×Ŗ ×Öø×Ö“Ö×× ×Ö¼Öø×Ö¾×ÖøÖ½×Ö¶×ְרָ×Ö ×Ö¼Ö°×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ× ×ֵש×Ö°×Ö×Ö¼ ×Ö¼Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö½×Ŗ:Ā ××:×××Ö°×Ö·×¢Ö·×Ö ×Öµ×Ö°×¢Ö£×Ö¼ ×ֹרֹֽתֵ××Ö¶×Ö ×Ö¼Ö“Ö£× ×Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö×Ö¹×Ŗ ××ֹש×Ö·Ö×Ö°×ŖÖ¼Ö“×Ö ×Ö¶×ŖÖ¾×Ö¼Ö°× ÖµÖ£× ×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ× ×Ö¼Ö°××ֹצ֓××Ö“Ö„× ××Ö¹×ŖÖøÖ× ×Öµ×ֶ֣רֶׄ ×֓צְרָÖ×Ö“× ×Ö²× Ö“Ö× ×Ö°-×Ö¹×ÖøÖ„× ×Ö±×Ö¹×Öµ××Ö¶Ö½×:
23:42Ā You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths,Ā 23:43Ā in order that future generations may know that I settled the Israelite people in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I Yhwh your God.
Even though the language of this passage is clear, its meaning is not. Commentators, ancient and modern, have disagreed about the āboothsā in which God settled the Israelites when they left Egypt. To what does this refer?
Shelter in the Wilderness
One common interpretation understands the verse as referring to booths that the Israelites made for themselves for shelter in the wilderness. Ibn Ezra (1089-1167), for example, states that it is āthe way of campsā to construct booths for shelter. He further states:
××××××Ŗ ×Ŗ×©×Ø× ×××× ×עש××Ŗ ×”××××Ŗ ××¢××ר ××§×ר.
From the time of the month of Tishrei they began to set up booths for protection from the cold.
In other words, the booths were constructed by the Israelites for shelter throughout the long winter months.[1]Ā Ibn Ezra assumes that the Israelites took down their booths and reassembled them each time they moved from one station to the next. The yearly reenactment of this situation by Israel is limited to the beginning of the rainy season, when the booths of the wilderness period were first set up.
A similar position is advocated by Rashbam (c. 1085-1158), who explains that the practice of sitting in booths recalls the difficult conditions in which the Israelites lived during the forty years of wilderness wandering, so that the later day Israelites may appreciate the houses and estates that God provided for them in the land.[2]
Modern commentators also follow this approach. For example, Martin Noth writes that the booths āwere to be a reminder of the tents improvised with staves and tent-cloth by the nomadic shepherds.ā[3]
Problems with the Shelter Explanation
This popular interpretation entails several difficulties.
Tents are not Booths
First, the Israelites of the wilderness period were not said to have lived in āboothsā but in ātents.ā For example, in Numbers 11:10 we read that Moses heard the Israelite families weeping ××ש ××¤×Ŗ× ××××, each one at the door of his tent. A tent is not the same thing as a booth. Genesis 33:17 narrates that Jacob made booths for his cattle (×Ö¼×Ö°×Ö“×§Ö°× ÖµÖ××Ö¼Ö ×¢Öø×©Öø×Ö£× ×”Ö»×Ö¹Ö¼Ö×Ŗ); he certainly wouldnāt have put them in tents! Had the goal of the law been reliving the difficult living conditions of the wilderness period, it would have commanded that the Israelites live inĀ tentsĀ for seven days.
God Built the Booths
Another difficulty with this approach is that it fits poorly with the language of ××ש××Ŗ× ××Ŗ ×× × ×שר××, āI settled the Israelites.ā This sounds like it is referring to a divine act that was carried out on behalf of the Israelites. Particularly instructive is the parallel between our passage, and the command in Exodus 16:32 to preserve a flask of manna in the sanctuary.
Command to Build Booths (Leviticus)
××:××Ā ×Ö°×Ö·×¢Ö·×ÖĀ ×Öµ×Ö°×¢Ö£×ּ ×ֹרֹֽתֵ××Ö¶×ÖĀ ×Ö¼Ö“Ö£× ×Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö×Ö¹×ŖĀ ××ֹש×Ö·Ö×Ö°×ŖÖ¼Ö“×ÖĀ ×Ö¶×ŖÖ¾×Ö¼Ö°× ÖµÖ£× ×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ×Ā ×Ö¼Ö°××ֹצ֓××Ö“Ö„× ××Ö¹×ŖÖøÖ× ×Öµ×ֶ֣רֶׄ ×֓צְרָÖ×Ö“×Ā ×Ö²× Ö“Ö× ×Ö°-×Ö¹×ÖøÖ„× ×Ö±×Ö¹×Öµ××Ö¶Ö½×:
23:43Ā in order thatĀ future generationsĀ may knowĀ that I settledthe Israelite people in boothsĀ when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I Yhwh your God.
Command to Preserve a Jar of Manna (Exodus)
××:××ā¦×Ö°×Ö¹Ö¤× ×Öø×¢Ö¹Ö×Ö¶×ØÖ ×Ö“×Ö¼Ö¶Ö× Ö¼×Ö¼ ×Ö°×֓ש×Ö°×Ö¶Öרֶת ×Ö°×ֹרֹתֵ××Ö¶Ö×Ā ×Ö°×Ö·Ö£×¢Ö·××Ā ×֓רְ×Ö£×Ö¼ ×Ö¶×ŖÖ¾×Ö·×Ö¼Ö¶Ö×Ö¶× ×ֲש×ֶ֨ר ×Ö¶×Ö±×Ö·Ö¤×Ö°×ŖÖ¼Ö“×Ā ×Ö¶×ŖÖ°×Ö¶×Ö ×Ö¼Ö·×Ö¼Ö“×Ö°×Ö¼ÖøÖר ×Ö¼Ö°××ֹצ֓××Ö“Ö„× ×Ö¶×ŖÖ°×Ö¶Ö× ×Öµ×ֶքרֶׄ ×֓צְרָֽ×Ö“×:
16:32Ā Let oneĀ omerĀ of it be keptĀ for future generations,Ā in order thatĀ they may see the breadĀ that I fedĀ you in the wildernesswhen I brought you out from the land of Egypt.ā
Just as ×××××Ŗ× (āI fedā) refers to a miraculous divine act of benevolence, so ××ש××Ŗ× (I caused you to dwell) should refer to a miraculous divine act of benevolence. The generations must forever recall Godās graciousness in the wilderness; the image of Israelites being forced to construct booths for themselves for protection from the cold does not fit with this concept.
The Clouds of Glory
The problem just noted explains why many traditional commentators understand the verse as referring to the cloud(s) that accompanied the Israelites throughout the wilderness journey, offering them protection.[4]Ā This interpretation is suggested by Rabbi Akiva (Sifra,Ā āEmorā17:11;Ā Mekhilta,Ā āBoā, 14) and is adopted by Onkelos, Rashi, Ramban, and others. Ramban cites Isaiah 4:5-6 in support of the identification between the word ×”××× (usually rendered āboothā) and ×¢× ×, cloud:
×:×Ā ×Ö¼×Öø×ØÖøÖ£× ×Ö°-×Ö¹×ÖøÖ”× ×¢Ö·×Ö© ×Ö¼Öø× ×Ö°×ÖØ×Ö¹× ×ַר צ֓×Ö¼Ö×Ö¹× ×Ö°×¢Ö·× ×֓קְרָ×Ö¶Ö×Öø ×¢Öø× ÖøÖ¤×× ××Ö¹×Öø×Ö ×ְעָש×ÖøÖ× ×Ö°× Ö¹Ö×Ö·×Ö¼ ×ÖµÖ„×©× ×Ö¶×Öø×ÖøÖ× ×ÖøÖ×Ö°×Öø× ×Ö¼Ö“Ö„× ×¢Ö·× ×Ö¼Öø× ×Ö¼Öø×Ö×Ö¹× ×ֻפָּֽ×:Ā ×:×Ā ×Ö°×”Ö»×Ö¼ÖøÖ× ×ŖÖ¼Ö“×Ö°×Ö¶Ö„× ×Ö°×¦Öµ× ××Ö¹×ÖøÖ× ×Öµ×Ö¹Ö×ØÖ¶× ×Ö¼×Ö°×Ö·×Ö°×”Ö¶×Ö ×Ö¼×Ö°×Ö“×”Ö°×ŖÖ¼Ö×ֹר ×Ö“×Ö¼Ö¶Ö×ØÖ¶× ×Ö¼×Ö“×Ö¼Öø×ָֽר:
4:5Ā Yhwh will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion a cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night.Ā 4:6Ā Indeed over all (his?) shrine shall hang a canopy, which shall serve as a ×”××× for shade from heat by day and for shelter and protection against drenching rain.
Isaiah seems to envision a time when the cloud and fire pillars of the wilderness period will function again for the Israelites, but in the city of Zion rather than the wilderness. This text thus suggests that the word ×”××× can be applied to a protective cloud.
Problems with the Cloud Explanation
In spite of the suggestive passage cited by Ramban, the interpretation is strained.
Cloud Not Described as Protective
The protective function of the wilderness cloud is hardly mentioned in the Torah texts. Usually, the cloud is said to have goneĀ beforeĀ the Israelites, leading them on their journey (Exodus 13:21ā22; Numbers 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:33), or to have hovered above thetabernacleĀ (Exodus 40:34-38; Numbers 9:15-23), not the people. Though such texts as Numbers 10:34, āand Yhwhās cloud kept above them by day, as they moved on from campā (××¢× × ×-××× ×¢×××× ×××× ×× ×”×¢× ×× ×××× ×; cf. also Numbers 14:14) might suggest that the cloud hovered over Israel, it may instead simply indicate that the cloud was āwithā them rather than āaboveā them.[5]Ā In any event, no narrative elaborates how the Israelites were shielded from sun and rain by a hovering cloud.
Booths Are not Clouds
And while the passage cited by Ramban shows that a cloud canĀ serve asĀ a protective covering, this does not indicate that the word ×”××× may be used as a synonym for ×¢× ×. Booths are not terribly evocative of clouds. It makes much more sense to assume that dwelling in booths is meant to recall dwelling in booths, not under clouds.
Dwelling in Booths that God Built
In my opinion, the commentator who came closest to the āpeshatā of our passage was Rabbi Naphtali Herz (Hartwig) Wessely (1725-1805) in his commentary on Leviticus (which appeared as part of Moses Mendelssohnās famous āBiur,ā which consisted of a German translation plus a Hebrew commentary). Wessely correctly recognizes that our passage must refer to a miraculous divine act, as indicated by the language of ××ש××Ŗ×. He also recognizes that word ×”×××Ŗ must refer to actual booths, not the wilderness cloud. Thus, the passage states that we must dwell in booths in commemoration of the gracious and miraculous divine provision of booths at the time of the exodus. When did this occur? Rabbi Wessely suggests that this is the meaning of the verses which reference the first stop on the way from Egypt during the exodus as Sukkot.
××:×××Ö·×Ö¼Ö“×”Ö°×¢Ö§×Ö¼ ×Ö°× ÖµÖ½×Ö¾×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ× ×ֵרַעְ×Ö°×”ÖµÖ×” ×”Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö×ŖÖø× ×ְּש×ֵש×Ö¾×Öµ×ÖØ×Ö¹×Ŗ ×Ö¶Ö§×Ö¶×£ רַ×Ö°×Ö“Ö× ×Ö·×Ö¼Ö°×ָר֓Ö×× ×Ö°×Ö·Ö„× ×Ö“×Ö¼ÖøÖ½×£:
The Israelites set out from Raamses to Sukkot, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. (Exodus 12:37)
××:×Ā ×Ö·×Ö¼Ö“×”Ö°×¢Ö×Ö¼ ×Ö“×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö×Ŗ ×Ö·×Ö¼Ö·×Ö²× Ö£×Ö¼ ×Ö°×Öµ×ŖÖøÖ× ×ּ֓קְצֵÖ× ×Ö·×Ö¼Ö“×Ö°×ָּֽר:
They set out from Sukkot/sukkotĀ and encamped in Eitam at the edge of the wilderness. (Exodus 13:20)
××:×Ā ×Ö·×Ö¼Ö“×”Ö°×¢Ö„×Ö¼ ×Ö°× ÖµÖ½×Ö¾×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ× ×ֵרַעְ×Ö°×”ÖµÖ×” ×Ö·Ö½×Ö¼Ö·×Ö²× Ö×Ö¼ ×Ö¼Ö°×”Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö½×Ŗ:
The Israelites set out from Rameses and encamped at Sukkot/inĀ sukkot. (Numbers 33:5)
Rabbi Wessely suggests that the place was called Sukkot because God miraculously covered the Israelites with booths on their way out of Egypt, before the clouds of glory took over the job of protecting Israel from the elements. (See appendix for the full text)
I believe that Rabbi Wessely was on the right track, but since he was still working with the idea of a unified text, he could not make what I think is the final interpretive move. In my view, it isnāt that the texts in Exodus and Numbers were speaking about booths but that the author of Leviticus 23:43 interpreted the verses this way.
To explain this point better, I must say a few words about a literary phenomenon of which Rabbi Wessely was almost certainly unaware, āinner biblical exegesis.ā[6]
Inner-Biblical Exegesis: An Excursus
We all know that commentators interpret the biblical text. What scholars today have increasingly come to recognize is that the process of interpretation can be found within the biblical text itself. In other words, a scribe or author within the biblical text can attempt to explicate or clarify an earlier biblical text. One famous example of this phenomenon is how Chronicles creatively interwove two contradictory versions of theĀ Korban PesachĀ laws, those of Deuteronomy and Exodus, and through some creative readings, made them cohere.[7]
Sometimes there can be a textual distance between the interpreted text and the interpreting text while at other times they may be found in close juxtaposition. The full significance of a biblical text can often be missed if we do not realize that it actually interprets another text.
Reinterpreting the Name of a City: Inner-Biblical Exegesis Approach
In light of this phenomenon, I would suggest that our passage in Leviticus about how God settled the Israelites in booths when he took them out of Egypt is a midrash-like exegesis of the texts in Exodus and Numbers.
The Midrashic Technique of Name Derivation
In reality, Sukkot is probably a Hebraisation of the Egyptian name Tjeku(t), the term the Egyptians used to refer to the area in the Nile Delta in which the city of Pitom was found.[8]Ā The author of Leviticus, however, related to the term as a Hebrew name with a Hebrew meaning. Although the simple interpretation of the verse is that they encamped in a place called Sukkot, in Hebrew there is no capital letter to mark the term as a geographical name. The author of the Leviticus passage understood this text to mean, āthe Israelites journeyed from RamsesĀ and encamped in booths (sukkot).ā
But that is not all. I donāt mean to suggest that the author of Leviticus thought Sukkot was not a place nameĀ at allĀ and merely a reference to booths. Rather, the author of the Leviticus passage employed the kind of exegesis that is found throughout the Bible and post-biblical literature, that of āname-derivation.ā[9]Ā The place was called Sukkot, he surmised, by the Israelites after the fact, because God provided them with booths in which to take shelter when they were fleeing Egypt.
Name Derivations in the Bible
Most name-derivations are explicit. Pharaohās daughter called Moses ××©× because she said ×× ×××× ×ש××Ŗ×××, āI drew him out of the waterā (Exodus 2:10), and Moses called his son ××Ø×©× because he said ×ר ××××Ŗ× ××רׄ × ×ר××, āI was a stranger in a foreign landā (Exodus 2:22). Often, however, the name-derivations are only hinted at. For example, the continued emphasis on the fact that Lot āescapesā from Sodom (×××××;Ā Genesis 19:17, 19, 20, 22) reflects an implicit interpretation of ××× as the escapee.
In the case of our passage in Leviticus, the name-derivation is similarly implicit. The interpreting passage in Leviticus is not linked directly to the interpreted text in Numbers 33 (and Exodus 12), and there is no explicit statement such as ×¢× ×× ×§×Ø× ×©×× ×”××××Ŗ, āthat is why the place is called Sukkot,ā a formula that is often, but not always, supplied (cf., e.g., Genesis 21:31; 25:30).
Jacob Builds a Sukkah and Names the Place Sukkot in Transjordan
In spite of this, the exegetical character of the Leviticus passage is plausible. In all likelihood, the decision to interpret the Numbers passage in this manner was influenced by Genesis 33:17 (and R. Wessely called attention to this passage as well),
×Ö°×Ö·×¢Ö²×§Ö¹×Ö × Öø×”Ö·Ö£×¢ ×”Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö×ŖÖø× ×Ö·×Ö¼Ö“Ö„×Ö¶× ×Ö×Ö¹ ×Ö¼ÖøÖ×Ö“×Ŗ ×Ö¼×Ö°×Ö“×§Ö°× ÖµÖ××Ö¼Ö ×¢Öø×©×ÖøÖ£× ×”Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö×Ŗ ×¢Ö·×Ö¾×Ö¼ÖµÖ× ×§Öø×ØÖøÖ„× ×©×Öµ×Ö¾×Ö·×Ö¼Öø×§Ö×Ö¹× ×”Ö»×Ö¼Ö½×Ö¹×Ŗ:
Jacob travelled to Sukkot and built himself a house; and for his cattle he made booths (sukkot). Thatās why he called the name of the place Sukkot.
If the Sukkot of the Transjordan was called by its name because of the building of booths ā reasoned the author of the Leviticus passage ā a similar circumstance probably accounts for the name of the Sukkot in the area of Egypt.
Of course, the passage in Leviticus not only offers a subtle interpretation of the text in Numbers concerning Israelite encampment at Sukkot. It also offers an interpretation of the practice of dwelling in booths on the festival of Sukkot. This is done, says our passage, in order to remember Israelās dwelling in boths when they left Rameses.
The Historical Impetus for the New Biblical Midrash: Expanding the Role of the Exodus
The question is, why did the author of Leviticus offer such a strange interpretation for the practice of dwelling in booths on Sukkot? No text explicitly states that God provided the Israelites with booths at Sukkot. Furthermore, the timing is off: The journey from Rameses to Sukkot occurred at the time of the exodus, in Nissan, and not in Tishrei, when we actually sit in booths. Nor can we assume that the Israelites stayed at Sukkot for seven days. Why didnāt the Leviticus passage offer a better explanation for the practice?
In a different TABS essay,Ā āExodus: Not the Only Tradition about Israelās Past,āĀ I argue that the exodus tradition was not always the central story or āmythā of ancient Israel concerning the formation of the nation that it eventually became.[10]Ā This centrality was achieved gradually, as some traditions were silenced or marginalized and others became interpreted in relation to the exodus.
One place where we see clear evidence of the encroachment of the exodus tradition is in the Torahās treatment of the festivals, as I argue in yet another TABS essay,Ā āIntegrating the Exodus Story into the Festivals.āĀ The exiles of Israel and Judah certainly contributed to this development.
Narratives about the foundation of the nation that focused on the centrality of the land or kingship or the temple would have lost much credibility and relevance at this time. The exodus from Egypt, however, was not undermined by the calamities of destruction and could serve Israelās new needs well.
Going back to the Torah to Find Meaning: Inner-Biblical Exegesis on Sukkot
Originally, the dwelling in booths during the harvest festival was likely rooted in early agricultural practices, where these booths allowed the farmers to guard their produce at night, and to begin working in the fields first thing in the morning, so that the crop could be gathered before the rainy season began (see e.g. Isa 1:8). With destruction and exile, this reason for dwelling in booths was lost. Since the exodus was becoming the major theme of the developing religion, some connection was sought between the practice of sitting in booths on Sukkot and the exodus from Egypt.
Scripture was scanned and scrutinized in search of this connection, and this led to the ingenious interpretation offered by our Leviticus passage. We must sit in booths, it was argued, in order to recall the shelter and care that God provided us with when we left Egypt, as related in Numbers 33!
In essence, this development is similar to that which is found with regard to other practices, such as the Sabbath. Only at a late stage was the Sabbath interpreted as a reminder of the divine grace of the exodus from slavery (Deuteronomy 5:15). Here, too, the new exegesis was based on an earlier biblical text that already emphasized that workers are to rest on the Sabbath (cf. Exodus 23:12).
A Late Passage: Limited Changes
Scholars have long noted that the passage about building a sukkah is particularly late. It is the second in a series of two addenda to the holiday list in Lev 23 (the first has to do with the four species).[11]Ā Its lateness is clear both from textual clues, as well as from a story in Nehemiah in which Ezra reads this passage of the Torah to the people and they react with shock.[12]Afterwards, when they buildĀ sukkot, the text relates that nothing like this had ever been done since the time of Joshua. In other words, the people had never heard of this practice before.
The lateness of the passage helps explain why Scripture offers no hint of this miracle elsewhere. The scribes who came up with the midrashic miracle came too late to make multiple major changes in the text. Just as Second Temple and rabbinic authors did with the miracles they discovered through midrash in the text, such as Miriamās wandering well, or the hundreds of plagues that were said to have taken place at the sea (cf. the famous passage in the Passover Haggada), these scribes needed to rely purely on the midrashic process and the verses upon which they hooked their new understandings.[13]
Do Midrashic Miraculous Booths Need an Explanation?
How did the author of the Leviticus passage conceive the miracle of the divine provision of booths at Sukkot? Rabbi Wessely raises the possibility that the verse indicates that God miraculously provided a wealth of vegetation in the area with which to shade the Israelites; similar to Jonah and theĀ kikayonĀ plant but on a massive scale.
This may be what Leviticus envisions, but I donāt think we were meant to ponder just how God manufactured the booths. If God could make houses for the midwives in Egypt (××עש ××× ××Ŗ××; Exodus 1:21), or greet the twelve tribes and seventy elders of Israel with twelve springs and seventy palm trees at Elim (Exodus 15:27), he could surely manage to prepare huts for the Israelites at Sukkot. In any event, utilizing a midrashic approach, the scribes who appended this law to the end of the holiday rules in Leviticus 23 produced a new significance for the practice of dwelling in booths on Sukkot: commemoration for Godās miraculous provision of booths at Israelās first stop in their exodus from Egypt, the Egyptian city of Sukkot.ā
Appendix
Rabbi Wessely Commentary in theĀ Biur
××××× ×× ××¢×Ŗ×, ×××¢× × ×©××Ø× ××Ŗ××Ø× ×הפ×ר×× ×קצר ×××§×× ××× ××פרש ×××§×× ××ר. ××ש××Ŗ× ×©×××× ×¦××Ŗ צ××××Ŗ ×ā ××©×¢× ×××Ŗ ××צר×× ×××× [×]פ××ר×× ×××§××××Ŗ ר×××Ŗ ×××©× ×××צר×× ××× ××× ××©× ××§×× ×¢× ×¤× ×ā ××Ŗ××”×¤× ×©×× ××× ××× ××¤× ×××× ×פ×, ××××§×× ×××× ××× ×”×××Ŗ.
I will tell you my opinion. We know that the Torahās way is to be terse in one place and detailed in another. I think that on the night when God came out for one hour, and [the Israelites] were spread out in many places throughout Goshen and Egypt, Moses, in Godās name, gathered them all in one place that they could all be together, some from here and some from there, and that place was Sukkot.
×¢× ×× ××Ŗ×× ā×××”×¢× ×רע××”×” ×”××Ŗ× ×שש ××××Ŗ ×××£ ר××× ×××ר×× ××× ×××£ā (ש×××Ŗ ××:××), ××©× ×¢× ×”××Ŗ× ×× ××©× × ×”×¢× ×××, ××××× ×©×××ר×× ××Ŗ×× ā×××”×¢× ××”×××Ŗ ×××× × ××××Ŗ× ×××’ā ××× × ××ר ā××ā ×××× ××¤× ×××ā (××:××, ××)
This is the meaning of the verse (Exod 12:37): āAnd the set out from Rameses towards Sukkot, around six hundred thousand male foot soldiers not including minors.ā And it references Sukkot because that is where they all went, and on the next day it says āand they set out from Sukkot and encamped in Etamā¦ā And then it says āand God walked before them.ā
××× ×××”×¢ ×ר×ש×× ××××× ×ש×× ××¦× ×”×××Ŗ, ×××× ×¤×רש ×××ר ā×× ××”×××Ŗ ××ש××Ŗ× ××Ŗ ×× × ×שר××ā ××××ר ××××Ŗ× ×××Ŗ× ×××Ŗ, ×××ר ×××צ××× ×××Ŗ× ××רׄ ×צר×× ×××× ×× ×ש×צ××, ×× ××××ר ×× ×©× ××× ××¢× × ×¢××××, ×××× ×”××Ŗ× ×©× ××§×× ×× ××ר ××××× ×Ŗ ×צר×× ××× ×× × ×¢× ×¤× × ×ש×× ×××©× ×§×ר×× ×”×××Ŗ ×¢× ×©× ××”×××Ŗ ×©× ××× ×©×,
In their first trip, however, they sat in the shade of booths (sukkot). This is the meaning of the phrase āfor I placed Israel in booths,ā and it explains when this happened, for it says āwhen I took them out of Egypt,ā on the night of the fifteenth when they left, not in the wilderness, for there they had the cloud upon them. Thus, Sukkot is not the name of a place or a district in the land of Egypt, rather they encamped on the fields, and Moses called it Sukkot because of the booths they built there.
××××× ×× ā×××¢×§× × ×”×¢ ×”××Ŗ× ×××× ×× ×××Ŗ ××××§× ×× ×¢×©× ×”×××Ŗ (×ר×ש××Ŗ ××:××) ×× × ×¢× ×¤× × ×ש×× ××××Ŗ×× ×§×Ø×× ×”×××Ŗ ×¢× ×©× ××”×××Ŗ ×©×¢×©× ×©× ××¢×§×, ×ר××× ā×¢× ×× ×§×Ø× ×©× ×××§×× ×”×××Ŗ.āā¦
Similar to this we have, āJacob set out for Sukkot and he built himself a house and for his cattle he built boothsā (Gen 33:17). He encamped upon the field but scripture called the place Sukkot because of the booths he built there, and the proof for this is in the verse itself, āfor this reason he called the name of the place Sukkot.āā¦[14]
××× ×©×ש ×ש××× ×××× ××× ×”×××Ŗ ×××× ×× ××Ŗāר ×××£ ×× × ××× ×××× × ×©×× ××××£? ×××× ×××¢×Ŗ ×”××××Ŗ ×©×¢×©× ××× ×”×××Ŗ ××××× ×××Ŗ ××××ר × ×”×¢× ××©× ××××Ŗ×! ×××× ×”×××Ŗ ××××× ×¦×ר×? ××¢×× ×××× ××× ×××§×× ×××× ×× ×× ×¦×××× ×××”××Ŗ ××× ×”××××Ŗ ×ר×× ××××?
But we must ask: where did these booths come from that night, that there were enough to cover six hundred thousand men, not including women and children? It makes no sense that they would have built these booths for one night only and the next day continue on to Etam! For what purpose were these booths made? Moreover, where would they get enough vegetation in that place to make so many booths?
×××× × ×¢×©× ×××§×× ×××× ×”×××Ŗ ××××× ×¦×ר×, ×פשר ×××××××Ŗ×× ×©× ××× ×©××”×Ŗ××¤×¤× ×Ŗ××Ŗ××× ×§××× ×××, ×× ××× ×פשר ש×צ×××× ××©× ×××Ø× ×¤×× ××××Ŗ× ××××× ×©×× ××× ×××××× ×Ŗ××Ŗ×××, ×××× ××× ××× × ×¦×××× ×× ××Ŗ× ×× ×Ø×× ×©×ר×× ××××¦× ××¢×Ŗ ×××”××£.
Perhaps the booths were there already for some purpose, maybe the kings soldiers would sit underneath them for shade. Or, perhaps, God grew them from the ground in some marvelous way that night so that the redeemed could rest beneath them. And they were made of all different kinds of good-smelling plants,[15]Ā which generally grow during harvest season.
××××ר × ×” ×× ×צ××Ŗ ×”××× ××¢×Ŗ ×××”××£ ×©× ×צ××× ××¢×Ŗ ×××× ×× ××× × ×¦×××× ×פה×××Ŗ ××Ø× ×××§×, ××”××× ××ש×× ××ש××Ŗ× ××Ŗ ×× × ×שר×× ×©× ××¤× ×¢× × ×” ×©×¢×©× ××©× ×¢×××, ×× ×§× ××¢×× × ×ā ×עש××Ŗ ××, ××§××§××× ×©× ××× × ×××××, ××××××× ×××ר×× × ×פ×רש, ā××Ŗ× ××××ר ××Ø× ×©×× ×××ā (×שע×× ××:××).
In memory of this miracle, the commandment to build the sukkah falls in during the harvest season, for it is then that all different types of plants are available, and the waste of grain and wineries. This fits well with the language āand I caused them to dwell in booths,ā which implies something miraculous that God did for them, and it would be easy in Godās eyes to do this, and the story of Jonah and theĀ kikayonĀ plant amply demonstrates this point, and in reference to the final redemption scripture states (Isa 41:19), āI will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias, etc.ā
××× ×× × ××ר × ×” ×× ××Ŗ××Ø× ×¢× ×צ×××Ŗ ×צר××, × ××ר ××× ×פ×רש ā×× ××”×××Ŗ ××ש××Ŗ× ×××ā,ā ×××××× × ×¤×Ø×ש ā×”××Ŗ×ā ××××ר ××××. ××× ×ר×× ×©× ×Ŗ×ר×, ש××Ø× ×××Ø× ×הפ×ר ××ר×× āש×××Ŗ× ×× ×××Ŗ× ××¢××× ×ר××× ×× ××¦×§× ×× ×ר××¢×× ×©× ×ā (××ר×× ×:×). ××× × ××ר ×§××× ×××.
And even though this miracle is not mentioned in the Torah (explicitly) as part of the exodus from Egypt story, it is referenced here (in Leviticus) explicitly, āfor I caused them to dwell in booths, etc.,ā which explains to me the meaning of the term ātoĀ sukkotā that appears later. And this is the way of the Torah, for as [Moses] tells the story [of the wilderness, he says (Deut 8:4)]: āThe clothes upon you did not wear out, neither did your feet swell these forty years.ā But this was not referenced previously.
The Sukkah and Its Symbolism
https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-sukkah-and-its-symbolism
Prof. Rabbi Jeffrey L. RubensteinĀ is Skirball Professor of Talmud and Rabbinic Literature at New York University. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and ordination from JTS. His books include,Ā The History of Sukkot in the Second Temple and Rabbinic Periods;Ā Talmudic Stories: Narrative Art, Composition and Culture; Rabbinic Stories;Ā The Culture of the Babylonian Talmud;Ā andĀ Stories of the Babylonian Talmud.
The Sukkah and Its Symbolism
The Mitzvah of Sukkah in Leviticus
In the description of the observance of the Festival of Sukkot in Leviticus 23, the Torah ordains two rituals apart from the sacrifices and prohibition on labor, the four species (Lev 23:39-41) and theĀ sukkahĀ (Lev 23:42-43). The commandment of the ritualĀ sukkahĀ reads:
××Ā ×Ö¼Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö„×Ŗ תֵּש×Ö°×Ö×Ö¼ ש×Ö“×Ö°×¢Ö·Ö£×Ŗ ×Öø×Ö“Ö×× ×Ö¼Öø× ×ÖøÖ½×Ö¶×ְרָ×Ö ×Ö¼Ö°×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ× ×ֵש×Ö°×Ö×Ö¼ ×Ö¼Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö¹Ö½×Ŗ:Ā ××Ā ×Ö°×Ö·×¢Ö·×Ö ×Öµ×Ö°×¢Ö£×Ö¼ ×ֹרֹֽתֵ××Ö¶×Ö ×Ö¼Ö“Ö£× ×Ö·×”Ö¼Ö»×Ö¼Ö×Ö¹×Ŗ ××ֹש×Ö·Ö×Ö°×ŖÖ¼Ö“×Ö ×Ö¶×Ŗ ×Ö¼Ö°× ÖµÖ£× ×֓ש×ְרָ×ÖµÖ× ×Ö¼Ö°××ֹצ֓××Ö“Ö„× ××Ö¹×ŖÖøÖ× ×Öµ×ֶ֣רֶׄ ×֓צְרָÖ×Ö“× ×Ö²× Ö“Ö× ×Ö°-×Ö¹×ÖøÖ„× ×Ö±-×Ö¹×Öµ××Ö¶Ö½×:
42Ā You shall live inĀ sukkotĀ for seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live inĀ sukkot,Ā 43Ā in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live inĀ sukkotĀ when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God.
In contrast to the ritual of the four species orĀ lulavĀ andĀ etrog, the Torah here provides an explanation for the commandment. At first glance nothing could be more straightforward. The Israelites are commanded to reside inĀ sukkotĀ (literally āboothsā) to recall theĀ sukkotĀ in which their ancestors resided during the exodus. We today dwell inĀ sukkotĀ just as they dwelled inĀ sukkotĀ in the wilderness wanderings.
The Meaning of the Mitzvah in Rabbinic Tradition
The rabbis, however, debated the meaning of these verses:
“×××¢× ×××¢× ××ר××Ŗ××× ×× ××”××××Ŗ ××ש××Ŗ× ××Ŗ ×× × ×שר×× ×××צ××× ×××Ŗ× ××רׄ ×צר××ā ā ר×× ××××¢×ר ×××ר: ā×”××××Ŗ ××ש ×××.ā ר×× ×¢×§××× ×××ר: ā××”××××Ŗ ×¢× × × ×××× ×××.”
In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in sukkot (Lev 23:43.R. Eliezer says: āThey were realĀ sukkot.ā R Akiba says: āThey were the clouds of glory.ā (SifraĀ 17:11, ed. I. Weiss, 103a-b)[1]
In R. Eliezerās view the Israelites dwelled in realĀ sukkotĀ when they came forth from Egypt, and the annual ritual observanceĀ reenactsĀ this dimension of the Exodus. For R. Akiba, the Israelites did not build and live in booths made of wood and vegetation. Rather they resided in booths formed of the supernatural āclouds of glory,ā and the ritual observance todayĀ commemorates, but does not reenact, this dimension of the Exodus. The sukkot we construct and inhabitĀ symbolizeĀ the very different kind of sukkah that sheltered our ancestors in the desert.
Eliezerās opinion is readily understandable. We know what a sukkah is, and if the Torah states that the Israelites dwelled in sukkot throughout their desert sojourn, then so be it, though that tradition is found nowhere else in the Bible. R. Akibaās view, however, seems to require explanation.
Understanding Rabbi Akibaās view as an attempt atĀ Peshat
At first Rabbi Akivaās position appears to be a type of fancifulĀ midrashĀ that opposes theĀ peshatĀ articulated by this colleague. Nevertheless, a case can be made that R. Akiba provides us with an attempt atĀ peshat, or at least a competingĀ peshatĀ explanationāa contextual explanationāof the meaning of the verse.[2]Ā To interpret the āsukkotā of Lev 23:43 as realĀ sukkotĀ is not as simple as it may seem.
According to the Torah: The Israelites did not Dwell in Sukkot
The Torah, in fact, never refers to the Israelites residing inĀ sukkotĀ apart from this passage. Throughout the narrative of the exodus recounted in the rest of the Torah, the Israelites are described as living in tents, as is indeed typical of desert travelers and dwellers. Thus when Bilaam surveys the camp of the Israelites he states, How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings O Israel! (Num 24:5),[3]Ā and not āHow goodly are your sukkot, O Jacob.ā Likewise, the Torah relates that when Moses would go into the āTent of Meeting (××× ×××¢×),ā the Israelites would ārise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Mosesā (Exod 33:8),[4]Ā and not āeach at the entrance of hisĀ sukkah.ā The prophet Hosea (12:10) speaks of Israel dwelling in tents in the wilderness.[5]
Why does Lev 23:43 refer to the Israelitesā dwellings asĀ sukkotĀ when the rest of the Torah knows nothing about this?
What does it mean that God Caused Us to Dwell in Sukkot?
It is also possible that R. Akiba was influenced by the curious formulation of Lev 23:43, āI made the Israelite people live inĀ sukkot,ā using the verb in theĀ hiphilĀ conjugation (××ש××Ŗ×), with God as the verbās subject, rather than theĀ qal (×ש××), with Israel as the subject. We might have expected āin order that future generations may know that the Israelite people livedĀ (×ש××) inĀ sukkotā but the Torah states that God āmadeā or caused them to dwell inĀ sukkot. This wording suggests that God provided theĀ sukkot, and therefore, they were not mundane and ordinary booths.
Sukkah as āCloudsā in the Bible
Now the Bible occasionally uses the termĀ sukkahĀ to refer to clouds or to Godās celestial dwelling-place as manifested among clouds. The Psalmist describes his vision of the divine: āHe made darkness his screen; dark thunderbolts, dense clouds of the sky were hisĀ sukkahĀ round about himā (Ps 18:12).[6]Ā Both meanings devolve from the base meaning of the root ×”××, āto cover,ā as both clouds and booths provide shade and covering from the sun.
And divine clouds routinely appear around the camp of the Israelites in the desert, namely the āpillar of cloudā that guides the Israelites on their way (e.g. Exod 33:9-10), and the cloud in which God reveals himself within the Tabernacle (Lev 16:2). R. Akiba probably asked himself which meaning ofĀ sukkotĀ best fits the usage in Lev 23:43 and concluded that it made better sense to understand the term as āclouds (of Godās glory)ā then as ā(real) booths,ā since the Torah does record the Israelites being surrounded by clouds but never mentions booths anywhere in the story.
A Historical-Critical Angle: From Harvest Days to Historical Remembrances
Akibaās interpretive dilemma can also be appreciated from another perspective. As is well known, Judaism offers both agricultural and historical explanations for the three pilgrimage festivals. The Torah connects the spring festival, the time of the barley harvest, with the Passover sacrifice and the Exodus from Egypt in detailed and multifaceted ways. But the Torah āfailsā to associate the summer harvest festival, also known as the Festival of First-Fruits (bikkurim) and later known as Shavuot, with any historical event. Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism later connect Shavuot to the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai to provide a historical explanation.[7]
The Torahās conception of the Festival of Sukkot, the fall harvest festival of ingathering (hag haāasif;Ā Exod 23:16), stands at an intermediate stage of this process of historicizing the festivals. Leviticus 23:43 connects the harvest festival to the exodus and the wilderness sojourn through the notion that the Israelites dwelled inĀ sukkot, although this idea appears nowhere else in the Torah.
From a source or redaction critical perspective, this may be understood as the strained effort of a late author trying to fit the ritual of a harvest holiday into the rubric of the exodus-wilderness story, where it didnāt originally fit,[8]Ā but Rabbi Akiba could not have understood the passage this way. Thus, the complicated and confusing reference toĀ sukkotĀ perplexed R. Akiba, and led to the understanding of thoseĀ sukkotĀ as the clouds of glory, not the realĀ sukkotĀ in which agricultural workers take shelter and in which harvest celebrations take place.
The Symbolism of the Sukkah in Rabbi Akibaās Interpretation
In the rabbinic imagination, the āclouds of gloryā formed a protective force-field around the Israelites as they moved through the wilderness. Some rabbis imagined seven clouds, one on each side of the Israelite camp, one above, one below, and oneāthe Bibleās āpillar of cloudāāgoing before them and blazing the path (ToseftaĀ SotahĀ 4:2).[9]Ā These clouds protected them from the hot sands below, the burning sun above, scorpions and snakes and even the assaults of their enemies. The clouds thus symbolize Godās consummate protective presence, care and love for his people. In this respect, theĀ sukkotĀ evoke the āhoneymoonā view of the relationship between the Israelites and God during the wilderness sojourn.
As opposed to the main narrative of the Torah, which recalls a fraught relationship where the Israelites constantly complained, disobeyed, and sinned, some prophets remembered this time as a harmonious, āhoneymoonā period when the Israelites faithfully and devotedly followed their God in a trek to the Promised Land. Thus, Jeremiah prophesies: āI remember for you the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride; how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sownā (Jer 2:2).[10]Ā In return, God sheltered them within the intimate presence of the clouds of glory, almost a nuptial chamber where bride and groom coexisted intimately.
For R. Akiba, the ritual of dwelling in theĀ sukkahĀ evokes this sensibility through its symbolism of the clouds of glory and the experience of theĀ sukkahās shade, which connects more tangibly to the protective shade bestowed by clouds. In the hot, Mediterranean sun, shade was the outstanding symbol of protection. Psalms 91 opens: āO you who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and abide in the shade of Shaddai (tsel shaddai); I say of the Lord, my refuge and stronghold, my God in whom I trust.ā[11]Ā Divine protection from the sun is the major theme of Psalm 121,especially, v. 5: āThe Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.ā[12]Ā In thisĀ sukkahās shade, we experience the divine shade, the āshade of Shaddai,ā and feel the consummate protection of Godās sheltering presence.
The Symbolism of the Sukkah in Rabbi Eliezerās Interpretation
But what about R. Eliezer? If our annual dwelling inĀ sukkotĀ reenacts the realĀ sukkotĀ in which the Israelites resided in the wilderness, then the conception of the commandment and its experience works differently. A realĀ sukkahĀ is a fragile and impermanent structure, a ātemporary dwellingā as rabbinic halacha would later define it. The Israelites, in this view, were vulnerable and insecure throughout the years of wandering, exposed to the elements and susceptible to attack. On Sukkot, we move out of our solid and enduring houses to reenact this experience of vulnerability and instability.
Rabbi Eliezerās view fits with the feeling of the holiday in its pre-historicized form as well. At the conclusion of the agricultural year, following the fall harvest, there is a danger of feeling overconfident and secure. At this point we are liable to āforget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt the house of bondage⦠and say in your heart āMy power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealthāā (Deut 8:14, 17).[13]Ā Specifically at this time of year we stay inĀ sukkotĀ to reenact and re-experience the ultimate precariousness of human life and our dependence on God.
Conclusion
Powerful rituals and symbols have multiple meanings. The ritual experiences entailed in the interpretations of R. Akiba and R. Eliezer are not necessarily mutually exclusive, especially over the course of a seven or eight day festival, where we have time to focus more than one theme. On this Festival of Sukkot, may we merit experiencing theĀ sukkahĀ both as a symbol of the clouds of glory and as a reenactment of the realĀ sukkotĀ of the exodus.
Very interesting I think I’m going to do more research on this Thank you Joe Blessings to you
I would say that there is no argument as both arguments are speaking of the same thing. When we dwell in booths or whether we are under his cloud, places us out of our comfort zone and place our trust in Him to take care of us. Having built a sukkah I can say that it does not give one much cover from the elements and thereby placing and trusting in our Creator to provide a safe weather environment for us to celebrate the festival in.
Passover. Harvest time. Booths to shelter a plethora of harvesters? But the harvests may have been decimated by the plagues so left vacant. The miracle, like so much of God’s provision, is the right thing in the right place at the right time. Feasible?
This is going to be a slightly long comment, but Iām going to attempt to explain why this focus on Sukkahās is a bit like not seeing the forest for the trees (the Sukkah being the ātreeā)ā¦
Three times a year we are to appear before Yehovah at the various Feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16, Exodus 23:14-17). One can ādebateā whether that appearance is in-person three times a year in Jerusalem or not, or just to appear before Yehovah or just once a year in Jerusalem at the Feast of Ingathering (also called the Feast of Harvest/Sukkot/Tabernacles/Etcetera). From Luke chapter 2, it appears that Mary & Joseph travelled to the appointed Feasts at various times of the year.
But, Iām not going to debate anything about any other Feast or time of year, and just focus on this particular 7-day fall feast that we are celebrating now, because⦠if nothing else, it is abundantly very clear that in the coming Kingdom, ALL nations will at least come up to Jerusalem at this Fall Feast of Ingathering/Harvest/Sukkot/Tabernacles (whatever you prefer to call this 7-day feast that we are speaking of):
Zechariah 14:16-19
And it shall come to pass, that 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. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
If one does a little deeper study into the actual dimensions (convert units in scripture to modern units) of the holy city of Jerusalem and the throne of Yehovah, our King of Kings, you will find that it is incredibly HUGE and is easily visible from outer space (picture in your mind touching a sugar cube to a golf ball⦠thatās about the scale of this Holy City of the new Jerusalem in proportion to the Earth). Further reading will show that this holy city will be equipped with structures to accommodate all of Yehovahās people. But, Iāll leave this exciting study to you.
What Iām trying to show is that we all have an appointment, in the very least, to appear in Jerusalem each year at this particular feast. We are to go there, and find temporary accommodations to dwell in. If you are a person who is natively living there, you are to dwell outside of your home and dwell in a temporary dwelling (Leviticus 23:42 instructs those who are living in Israel as “natives” to live in booths), as you although natively living there are a sojourner like everyone else. This temporary dwelling is your Sukkah/Booth/Personal-Tablernacle/Etcetera. If one travels to Jerusalem today, this temporary dwelling might be a Hotel, Hostel, or something else. If one is living there as a native, that person will most likely build a temporary dwelling outside their own home (traditionally, a Sukkah). Itās a bit like when everyone stands before the king in the movies⦠even if you work and live in the palace, you must stand before the king⦠natives to the palace are not exempt from honoring the King.
note: Strongs Number H249 – ×Ö¶×Ö°×ØÖø× ā ezrach ā ānativeāhttps://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/strongs-number-H249/
So⦠what point am I making?
I said that this focus on Sukkahās is a bit like not seeing the forest for the trees. The Sukkah is the tree. The forest is in Jerusalem. Our top priority is that we should ALL be gathering (ie: Ingathering) in Jerusalem for this Feast. Sukkahās are a very, very secondary focus.
Confession(s):
Do I travel to Jerusalem each year? No. I have a bit of a phobia about travelling⦠drives my wife nuts. I literally cancelled a large trip today to various destinations because of this phobia. Itās just something that I deal with. I absolutely hate to travel. But, I know that I should go to Jerusalem each year. I pray for forgiveness, and that Yehovah will get me there eventually.
Do I make a Sukkah of palm leaves each year and camp out in it? No. I once watched a friend, who keeps the holy days a month or so later, drag his family camping in his palm leaf Sukkah in the high altitude snows of Colorado ā I found it unnecessary and did not go along, but it worked for him, I guess.
My hope is for the Restoration of All Things through the Spirit of Yehovah once given to Elijah (note: somebody should really write a book with a title like this). We have a lot to get fixed, and Iām not apart from needing fixed in this area. Regardless of how I am currently keeping this Feast… I’m not currently doing it in the proper place: Jerusalem.
I don’t have all the answers… but, i do ask this… please pray for the Restoration of these things as we strive to grow in our understanding and obedience to our Kingās instructions given to us in His Word.
Brother Mike
Touching open letter
I regard you as one of the more learned and inspired “Talmudim” in the gathering of sighted moon zoom …
And even in you weakness you are teaching and inspiring …
Blessed are the poor in spirit for there is the kingdom of Heaven
In prayer for you
The cloud/ fire is the chuppah, and the chuppah is the sukkah:
Isa 4:5 And Jehovah will create over all the site of Mount Zion, and on her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for on all the glory shall be a defense (Chuppah).
Isa 4:6 And there shall be a booth (Sukkah) for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge, and for a hiding place from storm and rain.
Chag Sameach Sukkot/ Chuppot!
The cuppa was I understand back in the 1500ās in Poland. It was conceived as Abrahamās tent open on all sides. The Sukkoth was conceived as providing shade for the children of Isreal and which we remember once a year Lev 23:40.
Joe taught on Shemini Atzeret:
“Technically, the Jewish wedding process has two distinct stages. The first, Kiddushin (Hebrew for “betrothal”; sanctification or dedication, also called erusin) and nissuin (marriage), is when the couple start their life together. It is at the first stage (kiddushin) when the woman becomes prohibited to all other men, requiring a get (religious divorce) to dissolve it, while the second stage permits the couple to each other. The ceremony that accomplishes nissuin is also known as chuppah.”
Exo 6:6Ā Ā Therefore say to the sons of Israel, I am Jehovah, andĀ
I WILL bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, andĀ
I WILL rescue you out of their bondage. AndĀ
I WILL redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments.
Exo 6:7Ā Ā AndĀ
I WILL take you to Me for a people, andĀ
I WILL be to you a God. And you shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exo 6:8Ā Ā AndĀ
I WILL bring you in to the land concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. AndĀ
I WILL give it to you for a heritage. I am Jehovah!
Hello, I heard you on Gordon today. I too am an ex World Wide.
1.) I hope we can to say nothing regarding marriage to two sisters, address the tendency to in breed. Genetically it seems to emphasize certain characteristics and has been used universally in cattle breeding.
2. What or why did Laban mean by , such is not done in our placeā.
3) Why did Rachel steal the terrapin? A- because she wanted them for herself or B- she wanted to prevent her father from commenting idolatry.