Shabbat
Shabbat literally means "to cease." It refers to the weekly, seventh-day Sabbath.
Other names:
- The Sabbath
First referenced:
Then G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which G-d had created and made. (Genesis 2:3)
First commanded: Exodus 16:23
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:1-3
Date: the seventh day of each week. It roughly corresponds to Saturday in the Western calendar, beginning at sundown on Friday and lasting until sunset on Saturday.
Event: memorial of the seventh day of creation on which G-d ceased His work of creating.
Pictures of Messiah: He is Lord of the Shabbat (Mattew 12:8). In Him, we find our Shabbat rest (Hebrews 4:9).
Notes:
Shabbat is an exceptional day. It is the very first thing in Scripture that G-d sanctified for Himself (Genesis 2:3). G-d had the Israelites honor the Shabbat (Exodus 16:23) even before they reached Mount Sinai, where He gave them the commandments. It is the only mode G-d included in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8). At Sinai, He commanded us to remember it and keep it holy.
Scripture refers to this as a brit olam: an "eternal covenant" (Exodus 31:16). Scripture also calls it an ot hu olam (an "eternal sign") between G-d and the children of Israel (Exodus 31:17).
Notes regarding observance:
The Sabbath is traditionally started and ended with candles (since G-d commanded that we should not kindle a fire on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3)), with wine (a symbol of joy), and starts with special sabbath bread (challah) and ends with special spices (so the special blessing of the Sabbath may linger in our senses until the Messiah returns).
Rosh Chodesh
Rosh chodesh means "head [of the] new moon."
Other names:
- New Moon
- Head of the Month
First referenced:
"This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. (Exodus 12:2)
Also commanded: Numbers 10:10, 28:11-14
Date: traditionally, the day when the first sliver of each new waxing moon is sighted
Event: a monthly reminder of G-d's sovereignty over all creation. This ties back to Genesis 1:14-15.
Pictures of Messiah: this renewal of the moon pictures our renewal in Messiah (Colossians 3:10)
Notes:
Rosh Chodesh is often seen as a picture of a cycle of renewal, just as women have a monthly cycle in which they are renewed.
Notes regarding observance:
Women of a congregation may gather on Rosh Chodesh for a bit of relaxation and Torah study. Because of the monthly cyclical nature of this moed, similar to a woman's monthly cycle, this moed is considered by many to be a "woman's" moed.
Yom Teruah
Other names:
- Feast of Trumpets
- Day of Trumpet Blasts
- Day of Shouting
- Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year)
- New Year
- Judgment Day
First commanded:
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation." (Leviticus 23:24-25)
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:24-25
also referenced in Numbers 29:1-11
Date: the first day of the seventh month (Tishri 1)
Event: memorial of the entrance into the Promised Land.
Traditionally, this is a day when our deeds from the past year are judged. This is not the judgment regarding our salvation but whether our past deeds merit another year of life. It pictures the coming great Day of Judgment.
Pictures of Messiah: a portrait of Messiah's future return with the sound of the great trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Notes:
You can determine when the new moon will be visible at https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/
Notes regarding observance:
Traditionally, a trumpet (usually a ram's horn) called a shofar is sounded on this day. Three types of trumpet blasts are sounded: a long single note (called tekiah), a group of 3 shorter notes (called shevarim), a group of 9 staccato notes (called teruah), and a final long blast that ascends in volume until its end (called tekia gadol). An example of these shofar blasts can be found on YouTube. The person who sounds the shofar notes is called a ba'al tekiah (master of trumpet blasts). These blasts are pictures of our relationship with G-d:
Tekiah: the long single note pictures our creation where G-d formed man from the dust of the earth and then breathed a single breath of life into him. No other creature is described as being created in this manner.
Shevarim: the three shorter notes picture our broken relationship with G-d. Because of man's sin, we do not walk steadily with G-d. Instead, we draw near, then fall away, only to draw near to Him again.
Teruah: the nine staccato notes are reminiscent of crying and weeping. We mourn because of our sins and for our broken relationship with G-d.
Tekia gadola: the longest note, which gradually increases in volume, reminds us of G-d's overwhelming love and grace that will overcome the distance between us: the work of Messiah Yeshua.
It is also traditional to run through a planned pattern of these notes to sound out 100+ notes.
According to tradition, there are three books that G-d keeps: the book of life, the book of death, and the book of in-between. Moses asks G-d to blot out his name from "Your book" if He will not forgive the sins of Israel (Exodus 32:32). This is the book of life. King David writes in Psalm 69:28 about the "book of life." Revelation 20:15 tells us that if anyone is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The other books are not explicitly mentioned in Scripture.
Yom Kippur
Other names:
- The Day of Atonement
First commanded:
"Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD." (Exodus 30:10)
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:27-32
Date: the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishri 10)
Event: when names are inscribed in the Book of Life.
Judgments are sealed, and atonement is provided.
Pictures of Messiah: a portrait of Messiah's future restoration of the nation of Israel
Notes:
Scripture refers to this moed as a chukat olam (an "eternal command"). It is called an "eternal command" three times in six verses (Leviticus 16:29, 31, 34).
Sukkot
Other names:
- Feast of Tabernacles
- Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16, 34:22)
First commanded:
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. (Leviticus 23:34-36)
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:34-36
Date: the 15th through the 23rd of the seventh month (Tishri 15-23)
Event: a memorial of when Israel dwelt in tents (sukkot) during our wandering in the desert.
A picture of the future when G-d will spread His tabernacle over us (Revelation 7:15)
Pictures of Messiah: a portrait of Messiah's birth when He tabernacled among us (John 1:14) and when we will tabernacle with Him again (Revelation 21:3)
Notes:
Scripture refers to this as a chukat olam, an "eternal command" (Leviticus 23:41).
Scriptural commands:
"Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage [literally "fruit"] of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days." (Leviticus 23:40)
Traditionally, the "fruit of beautiful trees" has been taken to mean the fruit of the citron tree known as the etrog. The palm branches, called lulav, are bundled together with leafy branches from the myrtle tree (the "leafy trees" known as hadass) and branches from the brook willow (known as aravah).
These "four species" (arba minim) are waved in 6 directions as part of the morning prayers recited during the festival:
- East: towards Yerushalayim and G-d's dwelling presence
- South: towards Mitzraim (Egypt)... the land from which G-d freed us
- West: towards "the ends of the earth" since G-d is sovereign over all places on the earth
- North: the last point of compass...towards the nations that G-d used to judge the nation of Israel
- Up: because G-d is sovereign in heaven above
- Down: because G-d is sovereign on the earth below
'You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' (Leviticus 23:42-43)
The "booths" are temporary structures called sukkot (singular sukkah). They are generally constructed of natural materials like wood frames and palm branches for the roof, although some individuals use tents made from natural fibers.
It is traditional to have guests (Hebrew: ushpizin) in the sukkah to remember the guests that Abram entertained in Genesis 17.
Pesach
Other names:
- Passover
First referenced:
'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover. (Exodus 12:1)
First commanded: Exodus 12
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:4,5
Date: the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan 14)
Event: memorial of being "passed over" by G-d as He struck down the firstborn of Egypt
Pictures of Messiah: the death of the "Lamb of G-d" as our Pesach offering: marking us and setting us apart as G-d's people
Notes:
Scripture refers to this as a chukat olam, an "eternal command" (Exodus 12:14).
Chag HaMatzot
Other names:
- Festival of Unleavened Bread
First commanded:
"For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. (Exodus 13:6-7)
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:6-8
Date: the fifteenth through the twenty-second of the first month (Nisan 15-22)
Event: delivery from slavery in Egypt
Pictures of Messiah: He is the unleavened (i.e., sinless) Bread of Life (John 6:35).
Notes:
Scripture refers to this as a chukat olam, an "eternal command" (Exodus 12:17).
Yom HaBikkurim
Other names:
- Feast of First Fruits
- First Fruits
First commanded:
Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; (Exodus 23:16)
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:10-20
Date: the first day of the week following Passover
Event: thanksgiving for the first fruits of the Land
Pictures of Messiah: The resurrection of Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah. By His resurrection, He is the "first fruits" of those who are asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Notes:
Scripture refers to this as a chukat olam, an "eternal command" (Leviticus 23:14).
Shavuot
Other names:
- Feast of Weeks
- Counting the Omer
- Pentecost
First commanded:
'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. (Leviticus 23:15-16)
Leviticus 23 reference: Leviticus 23:15-21
Date: the eighth "first day of the week" after Yom HaBikkurim
Event: memorial of covenant establishment of the people of G-d
Pictures of Messiah: The giving of His promised Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2)
Other Days
Other special days mentioned in Scripture are not explicitly commanded by G-d but are observed as significant due to their inclusion in Scripture.
Tish B'Av
Other names:
- The Ninth of Av
First referenced:
"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.' (Zechariah 8:19)
The fifth month in the Hebrew calendar is the month of Av.
Date: Av 9
Event: a day of mourning and fasting because of the repeated tragedies that have befallen the people of Israel on this day.
Chanukah
Other names:
- Festival of Lights
- Feast of Dedication
First referenced:
At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. (John 10:22-23)
Date: the eight days between Kislev 25-Cheshvan 4
Event: memorial of the re-dedication of the Temple under the Maccabees and G-d's miraculous work of making one day's worth of oil last for eight days. (See 1 Maccabees 4:36-60)
Pictures of Messiah: as the "light of the world" (John 8:12), Messiah was likely conceived around this time.
Purim
Other names:
- Festival of Lots
- Feast of Esther
First referenced:
Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (Esther 9:20-22)
Date: Adar 14
Event: memorial of the triumph of the Jews over their enemies
Notes regarding observance:
Some groups dress up as characters from the story of Esther. Other groups dress up in various costumes unrelated to the story. There is also a custom to recite the Haggadah [story/account] of Esther and make a great deal of noise whenever Haman's name is mentioned to "blot out his name."
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