Day#6: Leviticus 23:33-44 (Study Notes)
Parsha: Emor
Day#6: Leviticus 23:33-44
(Study Notes)
(Leviticus 23:33-36)
Eight days after the Day of Atonement and self-affliction for 24 hours, we celebrate Sukkot. Sukkot is referred to here in Leviticus 23:34 as “the Feast of Booths to the LORD.” AKA “The Feast of Tabernacles.”
HaKadosh Baruch Hu communicates through Moshe Rabbeinu that the set time for this High Holy Day is from the 15th day of the 7th month and is to be a 7 day celebration. This means Sukkot begins on 15 Tishrei, which is to be a sacred occasion when no work is performed. Then, for seven days we are to bring “offerings made by fire to the LORD”.
On the 8th day, another sacred occasion is held, which is celebrated through Shabbat-like rest. This 8th day is marked by a solemn assembly (Atzeret). The root word, atzar, can mean to extract oil. When we consider what Sukkot symbolizes, the meaning of Atzeret on the 8th day becomes clearer.
When HaKadosh Baruch Hu brought the Hebrews out of Mitzrayim, one of the first stops after the Exodus was in a town called Sukkoth. This town is likely not the Sukkoth in the North, where Yaakov Avinu went to settle after meeting his brother Esav, but HaKadosh Baruch Hu is asking us to see the parallel.
When Yaakov Avinu had served his father-in-law, Laban, for 7 years and an additional 7 years, he had had enough of the changed wages, false pretenses and deceptions of Laban. He defiantly left Laban’s home with his two wives, two concubines, and his 12 children.
On his way out, Yaakov Avinu met his brother Esav. After reconciling with him, Yaakov Avinu wrestled with HaKadosh Baruch Hu in a tent, came out limping, had his name was changed to Yisrael by HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
After this whirlwind of events, Yaakov Avinu then went to settle in a land that he later named Sukkot. This name was given to the town by Yaakov Avinu because of the sukkahs he built for his flocks and herds. These shelters indicated that Yaakov Avinu intended to stay a while in the land.
When HaKadosh Baruch Hu took His people out of Mitzrayim, He had us to live in sukkahs as well. As the flock of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s pasture, this Holy Day of Sukkot is therefore symbolic as the celebration of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s desire to settle down and dwell amongst His people.
Later, after a year of wilderness wandering, on the first Rosh Chodesh, HaKadosh Baruch Hu commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to build the LORD’s Tabernacle.
If we recall the 7 day anointing and consecration period that we studied in Leviticus chapter 8, the seven day celebration of Sukkot begins to take on more meaning. While the first Rosh Chodesh could mean 1 Nisan, in the Jewish tradition, we have several New Years—Rosh Hashanah, discussed above is also a New Year that begins in the 7th month of the Holy Day Calendar.
While we suggested above that perhaps Rosh Chodesh celebrates Joshua’s victory at Jericho, we now consider the possibility of The Feast of Trumpets is a fixed day to celebrate the building of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s Tabernacle.
If we take the First of Tishrei to be the first Rosh Chodesh discussed for when HaKadosh Baruch Hu had His Tabernacle built, then celebrating its consecration with an 8 day festival of Sukkot (after the day of Atonement) is fitting.
Like the seven day anointing and consecration ceremony in Leviticus 8, the consecration ceremony of Sukkot would commence after atonement, Yom Kippur. Then, for 7 days, we all dwell inside our own Tabernacles as HaKadosh Baruch Hu dwelt (and again will dwell) in His—similar to the priests not leaving the Tent of Meeting during their consecration period.
On the 8th day, the consecration ceremony is completed with additional burnt offerings, as is commanded here.
The term Atzeret (root: atzar—“extract oil”) is significant when we consider the ties to Hanukkah and the miracle of the 8 days of oil, which was produced from one small vile, allowing the full 7 day re-consecration period to be completed when the Jews recaptured the Temple from Greece. The extra day, the 8th day, provided enough oil to last beyond the scope of consecration and allowed for the 8th day offerings to be completed as well.
For Sukkot, HaKadosh Baruch Hu communicates that on the 8th day, (on the Day of the solemn assembly or Shemini Atzeret) we must also bring an offering of fire to the LORD, meaning a burnt offering. If we consider Sukkot to celebrate both the flock’s dwellings and the Tabernacle dwelling of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, then the oil of the 8th day is the celebration of the divine presence of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, which we know appeared after the consecration of Aaron and His son’s (see Leviticus 9).
The divine presence of HaKadosh Baruch Hu is celebrated on Sukkot as do we celebrate His choice to dwell amidst His beloved and chosen Israelite Jews, which He proved by commanding that we (His flock) dwell in sukkahs. In the wilderness, these Sukkahs were set in a specific arrangement of four groups, creating 4 sides, with HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s sukkah—His Tabernacle—at the center. This signified that not only did He wish to dwell among His people, his desired to be the center of our lives.
One day, prayerfully soon, HaKadosh Baruch Hu will again have a Temple to return to and dwell in. In that day, moshiach will also arrive and all Jews globally will be gathered back to Zion—may it be speedily in our days! In that day, HaKadosh Baruch Hu will reign and He again will be at the center of all life. From this singular focus will come unity of purpose and therefore global shalom.
(Leviticus 23:37-38)
In the middle of communicating the rules and laws of Sukkot, HaKadosh Baruch Hu communicates to Moshe Rabbeinu again that, “these are the set times of the LORD that you (the plural Jews) shall celebrate as sacred occasions.”
HaKadosh Baruch Hu then clarifies that “sacred occasion” means a day that is celebrated through His people bringing offerings by fire to HaKadosh Baruch Hu These offerings by fire are various burnt offerings, meal offerings, sacrifices, and their libations.
In our studies of Leviticus chapters 1-2 and 6-7, we learned that burnt offerings are “pleasing aromas to HaKadosh Baruch Hu.” These types of offerings by fire do not atone for sin. They are offerings of peace, thanksgiving, and general praise to HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
We mentioned previously that these offerings keep the fires of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s altar always ablaze. Offered in the morning and at dusk, these offerings also provide the necessary oil for the sin offerings of the poorest people to be accepted.
Thus, these types of offerings are all good. If they were the only type of offerings for the rest of eternity (after moshiach’s arrival, HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s return, and the removal of all sin when mitzvot keeping and righteousness will reign), these burnt offerings would be sufficient to keep the fires of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s altar ablaze for all eternity.
Furthermore, HaKadosh Baruch Hu communicates that just as each Holy Day is a set of fixed time in the eternal calendar and time clock of HaKadosh Baruch Hu (which is beyond physical space and time), so too does each Holy Day have a set or fixed prescription ordained by HaKadosh Baruch Hu regarding the specific burnt offerings that are required as pleasing gifts and aromas to HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
(Leviticus 23:38)
HaKadosh Baruch Hu communicates to Moshe Rabbeinu that the specified offerings are in addition to:
The extra lamb brought every Shabbat and
Any Votive and free-will offerings brought by His people.
Meaning the set burnt offerings hold their own significance.
They are not substitutes for other offer.
They are not brought in place of other offerings.
They are brought in addition to—so, when we feast, so too does HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
Though He has no form of body, and therefore no stomach for actual eating, time and again He calls the offerings by fire of us Jews His food.
These gifts of food to the LORD are consumed on the altar, which we know was started by fire that came forth from HaKadosh Baruch Hu and consumed all of the offerings on the altar (Leviticus 9:24).
(Leviticus 23:39)
After the interlude discussion about the definition of sacred occasions, HaKadosh Baruch Hu continues to provide further instructions for the celebration of Sukkot. HaKadosh Baruch Hu again repeats the start date as the 15th of the 7th month (15 Tishrei) and is to be celebrated 7 days (until 21 Tishrei in Israel, 22Tishrei outside of the land).
HaKadosh Baruch Hu notes that the start date is to be the day “when you (the plural Jewish population) have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the festival of the LORD.”
So, this means that Sukkot is also called the FEAST of Tabernacles because it is also the time when we gather the FEAST produced by our fields (when we live and settle in the land of Zion).
If we connect this to spiritual truths, we can glean a deeper spiritual meaning.
In Jeremiah 2:9, the Jewish people are called the first fruit of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s harvest. When HaKadosh Baruch Hu brought His people out of Mitzrayim, He first brought the first fruit of His harvest to a town called Sukkot (as mentioned previously).
So beyond being a celebration of HaKadosh Baruch Hu dwelling amongst His flock, Sukkot is also a celebration of every ingathering of Jews into our promised land—from the first entrance with Joshua as our leader, to the second return under Nehemiah and Ezra, to the re-establishment of our nation in a single day after the Holocaust in 1948, to the final ingathering that promises not to leave a single Jew behind, Sukkot celebrates every reaping of the Harvest of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s beloved Jewish people. We see the connection most clearly at the end of today’s portion in Leviticus 23:43.
(Leviticus 23:43)
HaKadosh Baruch Hu declares that all citizens in Israel must dwell in Sukkahs for 7 days during Sukkot SO THAT “future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of Mitzrayim, I the LORD your God.”
These booths, as mentioned previously, are and were a sign of the flock of HaKadosh Baruch Hu dwelling in the settled land of HaKadosh Baruch Hu —the land of Zion—just as Yaakov Avinu made sukkahs for his flock when he chose to settle down in Succoth.
Furthermore, these booths are like marriage hopahs—the ceremonial booths for Jewish weddings—THROUGH which HaKadosh Baruch Hu promises to hang “over all the glory” which “will serve as a pavilion for shade from heat by day and as a shelter for protection against drenching rain.” This hopah is promised to be made by HaKadosh Baruch Hu over “the whole shrine and Meeting Place of Mount Zion.” The hopah will consist of “cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night”—ie the hopah will be the presence of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. (Isaiah 4:5-6).
Thus, it is in these small booths of Sukkot where the most intimate relationship is created between HaKadosh Baruch Hu and each of His Jewish people individually.
(Leviticus 23:40)
When citizens of Israel build Sukkahs, they are to dwell, eat, and sleep in these booths for the duration of Sukkot.
Additionally, HaKadosh Baruch Hu repeats that on the first and eighth days of Sukkot, we are to celebrate a Shabbat-like rest, when no work is to be performed.
Furthermore, on the first day, we (particularly the men of Israel), are to take:
The fruit of a hadar (citron) tree,
Branches of a palm tree,
Bows of leafy trees and
Willows of the brook.
With the above species, we are commanded to “rejoice before the LORD for 7 days.”—this daily celebration includes elevating the 4 species and waving them daily in a special manner before HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
(Leviticus 23:41)
HaKadosh Baruch Hu then again repeats to Moshe Rabbeinu :
“You (the plural Jewish people” shall observe (Sukkot) as a Festival of the LORD 7 days in the year.”
You shall observe it in the 7th month (of the Holy Day calendar)—Tishrei.
Sukkot shall be celebrated as a law for all time.
Sukkot shall be celebrated as a law throughout the ages.
These last two commands indicate that Sukkot is a mitzvot—beyond a thing to do or not to do, Sukkot is part of the set of vows, which HaKadosh Baruch Hu has made eternally with His beloved Jewish people. These vows are like the ketubah, or marriage agreement, that is agreed to when the Jewish people chose to take upon themselves the yoke of Heaven and so unite themselves unto HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
These vows, when kept, create an intimate and close relationship between the individual Jew and HaKadosh Baruch Hu. As a result, blessings are provided by HaKadosh Baruch Hu to His wife, the individual Jew. As we keep Torah and draw closer to HaKadosh Baruch Hu (in the correct manner), we (like Moshe Rabbeinu) can begin to radiate the glory of HaKadosh Baruch Hu to the world around us. By this light, even goyim can live if only the too choose the yoke of heaven and HaKadosh Baruch Hu to serve alone.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis