- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Sept 25, 2023 14:26:26 GMT -8
Sukkot D’rash- this is a short teaching I was asked to give during Sukkoth this year.
“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. Leviticus 23:2
feasts- מוֹעֵד mô‛êd- an appointment; a time or season; festival; assembly; a signal
convocations- מִקְרָא miqrâ’- something called out; a public meeting; a rehearsal
The moedim, and especially the High Holy Days have connotations of a dress rehearsal. They, like the Spring moedim which so accurately prophesied the coming of Moshiach Ben’Yoseph (The Suffering Servant, Is 52-53),are prophetic of the coming of Moshiach Ben’Dovid (The Conquering King, Dan 7).
Think of the time of the harvest coming to an end; a time when the Master will take inventory of the seasons work and then close the books. Then those who have kept the faith will enter into His great joy forever.
Sukkot is called Z'man Simchateinu, a time of great joy. It is also the Festival of the Nations- a time for others to celebrate with us. The holiday is about dwelling with God. It is also about being thankful, and is possibly where our tradition of Thanksgiving comes from.
But while Sukkot is for all people, Sh'mini Atzeretz (the Eighth Day) andSimchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah), done congruently by most Meshiachim, are only for the Torah Observant.
That day could also be called Gillat Torah:The Vilna Gaon explained the difference in Simchah and Gilah:
"Simcha is reflected in the thrill of quick accomplishment. Gilah is the joy that comes with the completion of a long process. Where simchah is instantaneous, gilah is beyond the moment. Ultimately it is a far more fulfilling joy."
Elul 1 to Tishre 10 is part of a special time: 40 days of introspection and seeking God. The twelfth and last month of the Hebrew calendar, it is known as the month of teshuvah- repentance, returning to God.
Elul is usually seen as an acronym, the Hebrew letters
א
ל
ו
ל
representing the words "ani l'dodi v'dodi li,” meaning "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine.” (Song of Songs 6:3). "My Beloved (ani)“ refers to God, and "li" to His people. HaShem wants us to become His beloved and enjoy communion and fellowship with Himself. This is reflected in Sukkot.
The last 10 days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are known as Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Also known as "Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance.” This is a time for serious introspection; a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur ends. If we’ve been thinking on this for the last month, our time here should be productive. These days follow the principle stated in Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." So we make a special effort to renewal of our commitment to Him during this time when tradition says He is "closest" to us.
As we “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12c), we need to keep Simchah and Gilah in mind. It's good to get that quick feeling of closeness to Hashem when we worship. But most of what we experience takes effort, particularly during Yamim Nora'im (the Days of Awe) when we are looking back on our sins and shortcomings and repenting of them, askinghelp from Elohim to overcome them. We are working towards the ultimate experience of gilah- that when we are gathered to Elohim and experience the joy of being in the presence of Yeshua; hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful … Enter into the joy of your master." (Mat 25:21)
Now we know God draws closer to us whenever we are seeking Him. But this is a special time when all His people should be seeking His face, drawing close as we seek and extend forgiveness of and to others, and of God. Asking forgiveness is necessary for repentance, a closer walk with God, and to successful relationships. Without forgiveness, we are anchored by our past and kept from moving on with God's plan for our lives.
Yom Kippur (10 Tishri) is the holiest day of the Jewish year; the Day of Atonement when the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies to atone for the nations’ sins.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will possibly take place on Yom Kippur, when Yeshua comes for His Bride. A Jewish wedding is known by some sects as a private Yom Kippur. I tend to see this season as being a a time of “renewal of our wedding vows” with God. A time we set aside to purge ourselves of sins and draw closer to God.
Biblically the number 40 represents:
* waiting,
* preparation,
* testing,
* punishment,
* or the number which can start a new chapter of the history of salvation.
It’s also the time of a generation.
Hebrew engagements were a time of waiting and preparation before the couple were to consummate the relationship. This started a new chapter in their lives during which they would raise up the next generation.
Moshe was with Elohim for two periods of forty days and nights. The first was recorded in Exodus 24:18-31:18. At the end of this time He gave Moshe the first set of tablets: the 10 Commandments, written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18).
This set was destroyed when Moshe cast them down upon seeing the people worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:19), and committing sins around the idol. In Jewish tradition, the 30 days of Elul plus the first 10 days of Tishre is the time Moshe was on Mt. Sinai after the golden calf was destroyed, preparing the second set of tablets (Ex. 32; 34:27-28). He prayed God would forgive the people for worshipping the calf so that God would spare His people and return His full presence to be among them.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke." Exodus 34:1 God responded favorably to Moses’ prayers by commanding him to prepare a new set of tablets for the same Ten Commandments. Then tradition has it he descended on 10 Tishri, at the end of Yom Kippur. The time of repentance would have then been complete.
When Moshe ascended the mountain the second time the Israelites blew the shofar in the camp to remind themselves all was well. The first time they thought him dead, and they had lost their conduit to their God. Having spent most of the last 400 yrs as slaves in Egypt, they reverted to what they had learned there. They made an idol, a physical representation and conduit to the deity.
However their Deity had told them “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.’” (Deu 5:8)
They did not want to once more fall into idolatry. So the Jews in later generations adopted the custom of blowing the shofar each day, beginning with Rosh Chodesh Elul (1st of Elul) as a reminder that the people of Israel in the desert had: sinned, repented, and been forgiven by God, thus being restored to holiness. Blowing the shofar should awaken in our hearts both the importance andeffectiveness of true teshuvah.
“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. Leviticus 23:2
feasts- מוֹעֵד mô‛êd- an appointment; a time or season; festival; assembly; a signal
convocations- מִקְרָא miqrâ’- something called out; a public meeting; a rehearsal
The moedim, and especially the High Holy Days have connotations of a dress rehearsal. They, like the Spring moedim which so accurately prophesied the coming of Moshiach Ben’Yoseph (The Suffering Servant, Is 52-53),are prophetic of the coming of Moshiach Ben’Dovid (The Conquering King, Dan 7).
Think of the time of the harvest coming to an end; a time when the Master will take inventory of the seasons work and then close the books. Then those who have kept the faith will enter into His great joy forever.
Sukkot is called Z'man Simchateinu, a time of great joy. It is also the Festival of the Nations- a time for others to celebrate with us. The holiday is about dwelling with God. It is also about being thankful, and is possibly where our tradition of Thanksgiving comes from.
But while Sukkot is for all people, Sh'mini Atzeretz (the Eighth Day) andSimchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah), done congruently by most Meshiachim, are only for the Torah Observant.
That day could also be called Gillat Torah:The Vilna Gaon explained the difference in Simchah and Gilah:
"Simcha is reflected in the thrill of quick accomplishment. Gilah is the joy that comes with the completion of a long process. Where simchah is instantaneous, gilah is beyond the moment. Ultimately it is a far more fulfilling joy."
Elul 1 to Tishre 10 is part of a special time: 40 days of introspection and seeking God. The twelfth and last month of the Hebrew calendar, it is known as the month of teshuvah- repentance, returning to God.
Elul is usually seen as an acronym, the Hebrew letters
א
ל
ו
ל
representing the words "ani l'dodi v'dodi li,” meaning "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine.” (Song of Songs 6:3). "My Beloved (ani)“ refers to God, and "li" to His people. HaShem wants us to become His beloved and enjoy communion and fellowship with Himself. This is reflected in Sukkot.
The last 10 days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are known as Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Also known as "Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance.” This is a time for serious introspection; a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur ends. If we’ve been thinking on this for the last month, our time here should be productive. These days follow the principle stated in Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." So we make a special effort to renewal of our commitment to Him during this time when tradition says He is "closest" to us.
As we “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12c), we need to keep Simchah and Gilah in mind. It's good to get that quick feeling of closeness to Hashem when we worship. But most of what we experience takes effort, particularly during Yamim Nora'im (the Days of Awe) when we are looking back on our sins and shortcomings and repenting of them, askinghelp from Elohim to overcome them. We are working towards the ultimate experience of gilah- that when we are gathered to Elohim and experience the joy of being in the presence of Yeshua; hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful … Enter into the joy of your master." (Mat 25:21)
Now we know God draws closer to us whenever we are seeking Him. But this is a special time when all His people should be seeking His face, drawing close as we seek and extend forgiveness of and to others, and of God. Asking forgiveness is necessary for repentance, a closer walk with God, and to successful relationships. Without forgiveness, we are anchored by our past and kept from moving on with God's plan for our lives.
Yom Kippur (10 Tishri) is the holiest day of the Jewish year; the Day of Atonement when the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies to atone for the nations’ sins.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will possibly take place on Yom Kippur, when Yeshua comes for His Bride. A Jewish wedding is known by some sects as a private Yom Kippur. I tend to see this season as being a a time of “renewal of our wedding vows” with God. A time we set aside to purge ourselves of sins and draw closer to God.
Biblically the number 40 represents:
* waiting,
* preparation,
* testing,
* punishment,
* or the number which can start a new chapter of the history of salvation.
It’s also the time of a generation.
Hebrew engagements were a time of waiting and preparation before the couple were to consummate the relationship. This started a new chapter in their lives during which they would raise up the next generation.
Moshe was with Elohim for two periods of forty days and nights. The first was recorded in Exodus 24:18-31:18. At the end of this time He gave Moshe the first set of tablets: the 10 Commandments, written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18).
This set was destroyed when Moshe cast them down upon seeing the people worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:19), and committing sins around the idol. In Jewish tradition, the 30 days of Elul plus the first 10 days of Tishre is the time Moshe was on Mt. Sinai after the golden calf was destroyed, preparing the second set of tablets (Ex. 32; 34:27-28). He prayed God would forgive the people for worshipping the calf so that God would spare His people and return His full presence to be among them.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke." Exodus 34:1 God responded favorably to Moses’ prayers by commanding him to prepare a new set of tablets for the same Ten Commandments. Then tradition has it he descended on 10 Tishri, at the end of Yom Kippur. The time of repentance would have then been complete.
When Moshe ascended the mountain the second time the Israelites blew the shofar in the camp to remind themselves all was well. The first time they thought him dead, and they had lost their conduit to their God. Having spent most of the last 400 yrs as slaves in Egypt, they reverted to what they had learned there. They made an idol, a physical representation and conduit to the deity.
However their Deity had told them “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.’” (Deu 5:8)
They did not want to once more fall into idolatry. So the Jews in later generations adopted the custom of blowing the shofar each day, beginning with Rosh Chodesh Elul (1st of Elul) as a reminder that the people of Israel in the desert had: sinned, repented, and been forgiven by God, thus being restored to holiness. Blowing the shofar should awaken in our hearts both the importance andeffectiveness of true teshuvah.
