A New Look at the Feast of Tabernacles

8/8/2019 A New Look at the Feast of Tabernacles

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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 domost all of the modern churches that "keep" the Feast totallyignore the "sukkah"? It's time you understood this vitallyimportant matter! What God commands, men should not justignore! 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," nosermons, 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 thebloodiest chapter of ancient Israeli history: "In those days there was no king [i.e., "authority" figure] inIsrael: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). This concept of nominister, no authority, no sermons or Bible studies as such, also brings to mind the warning of theapostle Paul: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their ownlusts [desires] shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away theirears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (II Tim.4:3-4).

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 childrenof Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be thefeast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first dayshall 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 shalloffer 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

New Look at the Feast of Tabernacles http://www.triumphpro.com/sukkah-secrets.htm

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spiritual leaders, and reading and expounding the Word of God. Those who were proficient and learnedin 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 ofTrumpets (Rosh Hashanah), that:

"And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they hadmade 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 thebook in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused themto 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 thisLeviticus 23 -- verses which have generally been ignored and overlooked, and never explained. Noticewhat these verses add to the festival commandment!

"Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gatheredin 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, branchesof palm trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall REJOICE beforethe 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 inyour 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 theFeast of Tabernacles relates to the journey of the Israelites as they came out of Egypt, and dwelt in thewilderness 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 FOREVER"! Amazing, isn't it! How have so many so-called churches of God overlooked this PLAIN Biblical COMMAND?


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In the Time of Nehemiah

In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, we read, "They kept also the Feast of tabernacles, as it iswritten, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the custom, as the duty of everyday required" (Ezra 3:4).

This observance occurred after the return of many Jews from Babylon back to Jerusalem and theland of Israel. Ezra, a righteous scribe of God, gathered the people and read to them from the law ofGod (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 byMoses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast ofthe seventh month: And that they should proclaim in all their cities,and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olivebranches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches,and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So thepeople went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths,every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in thecourts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and inthe street of the gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of themthat were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat underthe booths : for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that dayhad not the children of Israel done so. And there was very greatgladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he readin 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 themanner" (Neh.8:14-18).

Here again the Feast of Tabernacles is described -- and the statement is made that the festival hadnot 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, andmuch more attention was given to proper and correct observance.

Nevertheless, many of these features of the Feast, as observed in modern times, have also beenneglected by thousands of God's people.

How many literally build "booths" to sit in, to hold discussions, to pray, meditate, and tofellowship 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


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The Jewish historian Josephus, writing during the first century of the present era, a Pharisee anda priest, as well as Jewish historian and general in the military, writes in Antiquities of the Jews about thelaw 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 theseason 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 tothat city that we should have then for our metropolis, because of the temple thereinto be built, and keep a festival for eight days. . . . And this is the accustomed solemnityof 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 shalldwell 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 leafytrees' (Neh.8:15). People who lived in Jerusalem probably built the booths on the roofsof their houses, while pilgrims built them outside the walls [of the city]. According toJosephus, the festival was "observed with special care" ( Anti. 15), and it is probable thatmost families built booths. One may imagine that children were especially enthusiasticin 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 "temporaryshelters" or "booths." These "booths" themselves are also linked with the harvest. They are the centralfocus 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 speciallymarked the Feast of Tabernacles: its joyous festivities, the dwelling in 'booths,' and the peculiarsacrifices 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 thatI made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the landof Egypt' (Lev.23:42,43)" (Edersheim, p.215-216).

Edersheim continues:


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"The Mishnah [Oral Law written down in the centuries after Christ] gives most minutedetails as to the height and construction of these 'booths,' the main object being toprevent any invasion of the law. Thus it must be a real booth, and constructed of boughsof 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 witha 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 andSukkot, 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 remindus of the portability of the huts in the desert as the Israelites wandered from placeto place for forty years. It also stresses one of the themes of the holiday -- theimpermanence of our lives. . . .

"We are encouraged to study, read, and talk in the sukkah, but only if it can be donecomfortably. There is a general principle that you should rejoice in the sukkah, notsuffer 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 mansionsand estates, the Torah tells the Jew to build a sukkah, to exchange his solid home fora frail, makeshift dwelling. The sukkah is a reminder of the huts in which God madethe children of Israel live during their forty-year journey through the wilderness and ofthe 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 butfeel God's sheltering Hand enveloping him. His spirit soars as he realizes that materialpossessions offer no security, and that the shield of faith is the only protection he canrely 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 Hisdivine 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 ortown -- 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 hislivestock, 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


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the Feast? What is the lesson in this? There is a very special, deep, and profoundly meaningful lessonin the sukkah. Notice!

Martha Zimmerman writes:

"While the Israelites were wandering the desert with nothing -- not even the abilityto provide for their own basic needs -- they had to recognize and rely on God as themeans of their survival. He provided manna for food (Exo.16:4-16), clouds forshelter (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 designatedLand, as promised.

"Once they arrived, they planted and harvested foodstuffs, built houses, dug wells, andwove 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 lessprovided by God than the desert sustenance had been. Though much more obvious intimes of want, the booths they lived in for a week each year were reminders of how theybegan, 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 laterhave prosperity, be careful that you do not say to yourself, "It was my own strength andpersonal power that brought me all this. " You must remember that it is God your LordWho gives you the power to become prosperous' (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)" ( Celebrate theFeasts, 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 protectionfrom 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 conditionsof the covenant . . . and they again became homeless wanderers. The shelter they'owned,' wherever in the world they went, was the feeling of protection, a beliefin God's guardianship that provided a sense of security much stronger and muchmore durable than any tangible structure. . . .

"Likewise, living in a sukkah today teaches us that the firmest foundation is notcinder 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 -- likethe 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 asshelter. Despite barbed windows, deadbolted doors, and alarm systems, intruders canenter 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.


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"When we realize how transient material possessions are, how fragile life situationscan be, we gain a profound appreciation for whatever we have received and how muchwe owe for those blessings. . . .

"A Jew, with blessings for every aspect of life, is someone constantly aware of God'srole and grateful for what He provides and, whether viewing it as good or bad, believingit is ultimately for the best. In the sukkah, sitting under its airy branches of s'khakh (itscovering), we look ( sahkah ) up and out, 'seeing' God's provision for us, a model forour 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 deliveredHis people from Egypt in fragile, flimsy, sukkahs (literally, sukkot -- the Hebrew plural), built ofbranches of trees and leafy boughs -- teaching us and reminding us of the transitory fragility of humanlife, 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'sfaithfulness during their forty years of wandering in the desert. The booths symbolizedman'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 branchesand leaves to protect livestock (Gen.33:17), to provide resting places for warriors duringbattle (II Samuel 11:11), to shelter watchers in the vineyard (Isaiah 1:8), and to protectthe people from the incessant heat of the merciless Middle-Eastern sun. During harvesttime, Israelite fields were dotted with such booths, woven hastily together as temporaryhomes 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 hopefor forty years in the desert. The Hebrews left the protection of man-made thick wallsto place themselves under the protection of God. Exposed to dangerous natural conditionsand hostile roving bands, they placed their confidence in the divine concern, which isthe only true source of security. . . .

"The halachic requirements for the construction of a sukkah attempt to capture thefragility 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


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us more about the sukkah experience. He relates --

"The sukkah is a reminder of the huts in which God made the children of Israellive during their forty-year journey through the wilderness and of the Clouds ofGlory that protected them on their wanderings. As a Jew sits in the sukkah, underthe shelter of the s'chach [roof], surrounded by family and friends, he cannot helpbut 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 materialpossessions offer no security, and that THE SHIELD OF FAITH is the only protectionhe can rely on. He is aware that, l ike his stay in the sukkah, life on earth is unstableand 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 thesource 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, ourutter 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 fountainheadof all the good that exists in the world. He also placed in each of us a drop fromthat holy fountain. Though only a mere drop, it is st ill infinite as the fountainitself. . . .

"What happens when a man errs or sins? He blocks the holiness of his soul frompurifying all his parts. . . .

"Similarly, when we go astray and do sinful acts, we block the life-giving watersfrom 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 withHim. The intensity of this closeness breaks through all barriers and clears all thedebris strewn in the path of the 'spring of life.' We are then alive once more. Wehave returned to God and to His refuge. This occurs in the days of Rosh Hashanaand Yom Kippur. As it is written, 'Peace to those who are far, and those who arenear' (Isaiah 57:19). Thus, peace is experienced when the soul revitalizes ourphysical being.

"The arrogant evildoers do not allow their debris to be cleared, and they remaincut off from their source of life. As it is written, 'And the evildoers are as thetumultuous sea' (Isaiah 57:20). They cannot experience tranquility and peace.

"Therefore, after God opens our wellsprings on Yom Kippur, we are reconnectedto our roots and source of life. We go directly into the 'sukkah of peace.' Whenwe sit in the sukkah, we can open our hearts to the spring of life that bubbles forth


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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 experienceharmony 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. Ourthoughts 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 Himin 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 shaltmediate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: forthen thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not Icommanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for theLORD thy God is with thee, whithersoeverthou 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 byprayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peaceof 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 thingsare 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 thesedays, finding fault, criticizing, impugning motives, thinking the worst of others, and becoming verynegative 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 peaceof Jesus Christ. As Christ said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will giveyou rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall findrest 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 thyprofiting may appear unto all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for indoing 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 quotesthe Kotzker rabbi:


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"The sukkah is called tzila dimehemenuta, the shelter of faith. It teaches you to leavebehind all your worldly concerns and to dedicate yourself to God with total self-effacingfaith 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 exemptfrom the mitzvah of eating in the sukkah. Feeling discomfort proves that he has notreached the point of total self-nullification.

"Because he has not grasped the meaning of the sukkah, any further stay there isof 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 impermanentand unstable and precarious, that it expresses our complete and total dependence on God, and ourboundless trust in His protection.

The Secret of "Change"

Joel Ziff in Mirrors in Time, describes the "sukkah" in terms of "change" in our lives. Heshows 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 leftslavery 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. Wemove 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 desertassociated 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 ownshelter. Our joy is built on a solid foundation as we celebrate our achievements. Theimage of the sukkah as a symbol of CHANGE helps us become aware of how we havebeen TRANSFORMED as a result of the process of self-reflection which has just beencompleted" (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 ourpleasure" ( 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 ourown positive feelings. In the process of self-development, it is important not only thatwe 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 frustratedus. Our self-confidence and self-esteem is enhanced because we feel more power andcompetence as well as the satisfaction of being able to make changes and take more


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control of our lives. The pleasure and satisfaction we feel reinforces our commitmentto the process and enhances our motivation and our energy. This joy is more mature anddependable than the joy we experience at the time of liberation from slavery or the givingof the Torah because it is grounded in the reality of human failure and the capacity tolearn 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 Feastof 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 thesukkah for forty years, they placed their faith in the divine hand of God. He was their support and theircontinual source of security. During their wilderness trek, we read:

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy Godled thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and toprove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldestkeep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and sufferedthee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not,neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that mandoth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out ofthe mouth of the LORD doth man live."Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, theseforty years" (Deut.8:2-4).

God took care of His people; He provided for them. But He also tested and proved them, to seeif 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 thefragili ty 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 mayit be lower than what is reasonably high enough to enter and live in, that is, tenhandbreadths or forty inches. Similarly the sukkah should be built well enough towithstand normal winds but not so solidly that it withstands winds of unusual force.

By deliberately giving up solid construction, Jews admit their vulnerability andtestify 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


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support, these coverings may be laid across wooden slats or bamboo poles; heavyboards or beams that offer solid support should not be used, nor should any of theroof materials be nailed down permanently. Though completely covering the top,the materials should be loosely spread so as to be open to the perfect expressionof 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 sukkahone can build? It need not have four walls, that is, be fully enclosed. The minimumis two walls plus part of a third. . .

"The sukkah is meant to teach something about the true nature of protection. Humanbeings instinctively strive to build solid walls of security. People shut out life; theyheap up treasures and power and status symbols in the hope of excluding death anddisaster and even the unexpected. The search for solid security all too often leads toidolatry, to the worship of things that give security. People end up sacrificing valuesand even loved ones to obtain the tangible sources of security. The sukkah urgespeople 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 denywhat 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 tothe serious problems happening all around us -- so that we are not ready when the time comes toescape!

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, ourown human frailty, and our need -- our desperate need -- for the protection of God in our lives. It alsohelps us to remain vigilant -- aware -- and undeceived as to the "permanence" of our surroundings, orthe lack of real permanence in our illusion-filled lives. The sukkah helps give us the power and insightto avoid deception -- spiritual deception and physical deception.

We are living in times of incredible great deception. Many are falling away from God's truth. Ihave never seen so many fall away so quickly, and seemingly so easily and painlessly, in all my fortyplus 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 beingdeceived " (v.13). He warned also, that some in God's true Church would even fall away -- "For thetime will come when they will not endure sound doctrine . . . And they shall turn away their ears fromthe 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


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false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possibl e, they shalldeceive 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 thearound, 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 thewings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, andthy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be lightabout me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and thelight 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 alwaysable to save us, to deliver us, to lift us out of danger or trouble. We should trust in Him no matter wherewe are, or what our circumstances. Nothing is too difficult for Him!

Says Irving Greenberg:

" Mobility undercuts idolatry. Wandering weakens fixed categories, challenging thebelief 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 wasreturned by God, who went with them into exile, into the travail of history. Jewslearned that the Sheckinah (Divine Presence) is with them in eras of wandering as wellas during the triumphant return to the Holy Land. . .

"The sukkah taught Jews that they could root deeply into particular cultures but thattheir faith was portable. . . . Then the sukkah reminded them to push on. There weremiles to go, further along the Exodus way, and promises to keep -- until the wholeworld 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 peoplewho have flat roofs, can make one on their roof. In some cases, we can make one in a park, or campingground. Once made, we should spend some time in it -- "dwell" in it -- during the Feast of


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Tabernacles. Having built a sukkah in one's back yard, and fellowshipping and entertaining friends andfamily in and around it, with beverages, wine, fruit juice, snacks, and food, is a most enjoyable pastimeduring the Feast of Tabernacles.

Writes Greenberg:

"Building can involve the whole family. Over the years people have shown greatimagination in both construction and decoration of the sukkah. For those less handy,there are reasonable and attractive pre-fabricated models with easy directions forputting them together. Many prefabs come complete with bamboo stick s'chach. Ifthere is no forest in your area, evergreen or perishable s'chach can be purchased froma nursery or landscape contractor. An evergreen roof will add welcome fragrance tothe sukkah. When gathering s'chach from local forest or riverbank areas, one must besure not to destroy public property and not to take s'chach belonging to a privateperson without permission. Jewish law rules that a mitzvah is not validly performedif 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 weobey God's simplest commandments!

More insight into the basic rules of sukkah building are provided by Leslie Koppelman Ross inthe book, Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holiday Handbook:

"Although there are regulations regarding the minimum size, maximum height, andacceptable dimensions for its walls, the element that makes a sukkah more than anagricultural shed is its 'roof': a canopy made from stalks or branches arranged to providemore 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 seeheaven. 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 reminderthat 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. (Asukkah decorating party for the immediate family, or for an extended group includingfriends, 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, bananatrees, 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 ormetal 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 trimthe palm trees in time for the holiday and leave the branches in piles on the streets forpeople to take home. In this country, parks departments often oblige with the by-


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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 isappropriate to make the sukkah as beautiful as possible. Gourds, fruits, birds madefrom hollowed egg shells, cranberry garlands, popcorn strands and paper chains,pictures and wall tapestries, along with representations of the seven speciesthat grow in Israel (wheat, barley, grape, fig, date, pomegranate, olive), areall 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 theframework together, using enough PVC to make three and one half sides (leaving room for an entrancein one side), you can cover the walls with white sheets, drapes, rugs, tapestries, and then decorate themwith balloons, crafts, pictures drawn of the harvest season, and any number of ideas. Place a small tableinside, 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 rejoicingbefore 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," whichgoes 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 ofTabernacles, 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, reallyenjoy your "sukkah" experience, as you spend seven days in unique and wonderful fellowship withAlmighty 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 ofTabernacles, or booths, as God commanded. They will come up to Jerusalem, and make fragile, flimsy


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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 rebellionaround 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 shalleven go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, AND TOKEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES OR BOOTHS. And it shall be, thatwhoso 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 donot 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 notup to KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. This shall be the consequentpunishment of the sin of Egypt, and the consequent punishment of the sin of all thenations that do not go up to keep the feast of Tabernacles " (Zech.14:16-19, AmplifiedBible ).

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 theMESSIANIC END OF DAYS for all people. During Sukkot a total of seventysacrifices were brought into the temple, corresponding to the tradition's count ofthe 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 houseof prayer for all nations. In that future, God will spread a sukkah shalom -- asheltering cover made of peace and harmony. Even as we remember the desertperiod of old, having reached the end of time, we eagerly await the redemption, thecrossing 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 tocome 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 usethe 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 apostlePeter wrote: "For the time is come when judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first beginat us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely besaved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (I Pet.4:17-18).


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A New TEST Upon God's People!

Many THINK they are observing the Feast of Tabernacles -- by going away to a swank orholiday resort, and having "fun," and listening to a number of sermons, and living in motels and livingit up with pleasures, gourmet dining, visiting museums, etc. BUT THE LAW OF GOD NOWHEREsays 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 theMillennial reign of the Messiah, will suffer PUNISHMENT! No rain will fall, drought, and consequentfamine, 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 nationswill 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 whereveryou 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 Hisinstructions 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 sukkahduring the Feast of Sukkot. Some think it is "too Jewish" -- but the truth is, it is simply ACOMMANDMENT 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 unboundedand running over? Isn't it time we celebrate His Festival in the manner in which HE commands, withtremendous JOY, and total commitment, and 100% obedience?

Says Leslie Koppelman Ross, further:


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"For joy reflects a feeling of optimism about the future, and no matter what theimmediate 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 perfectfaith in the coming of the Messiah, and though he may tarry, daily I will wait forhis 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 moreimportant 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, andcelebrate 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 joyof 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 divinecommandments -- including the precious "little" ones, that are meant to increase our joy and depth offeeling 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 weobey God, and do what He commanded -- or not? Will you PROVE your loyalty and obedience to Godby 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"! ThankGod 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 "partway" out of sin -- but still remained with one foot in the world! We have sinned, as Malachi says: "Butye are departed out of the [true] way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law . . . as ye have not keptmy ways, but have been PARTIAL in the law" (Malachi 2:8-9).


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" 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 andvile," says the Tanakh! "Despised and humiliated," says the NIV. Says the Septuagint: "But ye haveturned aside from the way, and caused many to fail in following the law . . . And I have made youdespised and cast out among all the people, because ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial inthe law. "

But what about you? Now that you know and understand the truth, will you obey it? Will youbuild a sukkah or "booth" next year? It is entirely up to you. Is a "word to the wise" sufficient? Godwill surely bless those who obey Him -- from the heart!


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Documents

A New Look at the Feast of Tabernacles