Greetings in the name of His & Her Imperial Majesties Qedamawi Haile Sellassie I & Itege Menen Asfaw,

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I welcome you all to yet another posting in one of the many interpretations of the Scriptures from the light of Ras Tafari by, I, Lidj Yefdi (pronounced Lij, Yef-dee).

Again, this is Lidj Yefdi, wishing everyone a very blessed Sukkot!  Other names for this High Holy Day or appointed time as translated from the Hebrew language comes to us as; the “Feast of Booths,” the “Tabernacles/Festival of Tabernacles,” or as the “Ingathering.”

The Festival of Sukkot begins on the 15th, of the Hebrew month of Tishrei & is observed for seven days. (five days after Yom Kippur)  Sukkot, is in many ways very opposite to the observance of Yom Kippur, especially as ones would know and find it among peoples of today.  One reason in saying this is that Sukkot is very joyful and it is commonly referred to in modern day Jewish prayer and literature as Z’man Símcḥatéinu – זמן שמחתינו; more literally translated to the English language as: “The Season of Our Rejoicing.”  Now in a similar fashion of the celebration of Passover and Shabuot, Sukkot has a significance that is doubled in a sense, especially when pertaining to its historical and agricultural perspectives.

In a historical manner, the celebration of Sukkot commemorates the (40) forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, living in temporary shelters.  Hence, for the term “Feast or Festival of Tabernacles,” in the similar way the Tabernacle/Tent of Meeting and encampment of the children of Israel was constructed while making the Exodus with the significant role of the furnishings playing their respective parts.  Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha’Asíf – חג האסף, translating to the “Festival of Ingathering.”

[Lev. 23: 34- ; Deut. 16: 13-15]

Sukkot is the third and the culmination of the Shalosh Regalim, or commonly known as the “Three Pilgrimage Festivals of Israel.”

Sukkot is a very joyous festival/feast day, & there are various ways of maintaining observances.  In the final of day of the memorial of Sukkot, the day is referred to as HoShanna Rabbah, which is a special observance with the use of bundling willow branches.

Sukkot, in summation is the children of Israel residing in a temporary state, resembling & calling to remembrance the time in the wilderness post-Exodus but, pre-entering into the Land of Promise.

STUDY NOTES:

Leviticus 23: 33-36

Deuteronomy 16: 13-16

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/holiday5.htm

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Sukkot/sukkot.html