Major Jewish Holidays
Table of Contents
Shabbat
Rosh Ha-Shanah
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Channukah
Purim
The Passover
Shabbat
For six days you may perform melachah, but the seventh day is a complete
Sabbath, holy to the L-RD ... it is an eternal sign that in six days, the L-RD made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.
-Exodus 31:15-17
The Nature of Shabbat
Shabbat Table: Challah, Wine and Candles The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in
Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances.
People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling
restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who
observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited
throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and
devote ourselves to higher pursuits. In Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat
is described as a bride or queen, as in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat
Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath] bride). It is said "more than Israel
has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel."
Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual
observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important
special day, even more important than Yom Kippur. This is clear from the fact that
more aliyot (opportunities for congregants to be called up to the Torah) are given
on Shabbat than on any other day.
Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. The word "Shabbat"
comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest.
Shabbat is not specifically a day of prayer. Although we do pray on Shabbat, and spend a substantial amount of time in synagogue praying, prayer is not what
distinguishes Shabbat from the rest of the week. Observant Jews pray every day,
three times a day. See Jewish Liturgy. To say that Shabbat is a day of prayer is no
more accurate than to say that Shabbat is a day of feasting: we eat every day, but on
Shabbat, we eat more elaborately and in a more leisurely fashion. The same can be
said of prayer on Shabbat.
In modern America, we take the five-day work-week so much for granted that we
forget what a radical concept a day of rest was in ancient times. The weekly day of
rest has no parallel in any other ancient civilization. In ancient times, leisure was for
the wealthy and the ruling classes only, never for the serving or laboring classes. In
addition, the very idea of rest each week was unimaginable. The Greeks thought
Jews were lazy because we insisted on having a "holiday" every seventh day.
Rosh Ha-Shanah
Rosh ha-Shanah occurs on the first and second days of the first month in the Jewish
calendar and is the first holiday of the Jewish year. It is celebrated for various
purposes and is known as the day of the renewal of the Jewish calendar, the Day of
Judgement, and the Day of Remembrance. It is also known as the day of the blowing
of the Shofar (rams horn).
As the first day in the Jewish calendar, Rosh ha-Shanah marks the birthday of the
world. Although the Bible mentions Tishri as the seventh month of the Jewish
calendar, early Jewish calendar makers affirmed the first of Tishri as the birhtday of
the world. Thus the calendar year came to begin with Tishri.
Rosh ha-Shanah is the Day of Judgement. Jews believe that on this day God reviews
an individuals actions of the past year and judges his fate for the coming year. The
Talmud describes three books that are opened before God on Rosh ha-Shanah, one
for the righteous, one for the wicked, and one for those in between. The names of
the righteous are written in the Book of Life, the names of the wicked are written in
the Book of Death. The names of those in between are written in the third book.
Their judgement is reserved until Yom Kippur, allowing them time to repent.
Rosh ha-Shanah is a time of self introspection and repentance. In order to prepare
for the coming of Rosh ha-Shanah, the Shofar is blown every morning in the
preceding month, the month of Elul, except for the day before Rosh ha-Shanah. On
the night before Rosh ha-Shanah a special Selihot (forgiveness) service is held in the
synagogue, and special prayers are recited. During each of Rosh ha-Shanah, the
shofar is blown one-hundred times, sounding three different types of notes--one
long note, three short notes, or nine stacatto notes. This is done in order to call
sinners to repent.
Many people dress in white as a symbol of purification, and Rabbinical sermons are
devoted to the themes of the meaning of life, the passage of time, the ideals of
Judaism, the prayers in the Order of Worship, and other subjects of profound
content. A custom called Tashlikh is often observed in which individuals throw
bread crumbs into a stream of water as a symbol of casting one's sins away.
Rosh ha-Shanah marks the beginning of the ten days of repentance (Aseret Y'mei
Teshuvah). These presage the holiday of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) which is
on the tenth of Tishri. These days are together called the High Holidays or High Holy
Days.
The origin of this holiday is found in Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1.
Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement,Yom Kippur, is the holiest day on the Jewish Calendar. It
culminates the ten days of repentance, which are the first ten days of Tishri. On Yom
Kippur, God accepts one's repentance and seals him up for a good and bountiful
year. The two principle themes of this day are repentance and confession.
Due to the serious nature of Yom Kippur, normal activities are not allowed. One
should abstain from five forms of physical pleasure: eating and drinking, washing
and bathing, applying lotions, wearing shoes containing leather, having marital
relations. The sacrifice of these pleasures imitates the state an individual would be
in if God had not forgiven them.
Yom Kippur begins with the Kol Nidre (all vows) service. In this service a prayer is
recited that cancels all unfulfilled vows made during the year. Jewish traditions
teach that one must seek forgiveness from God for transgression to God's laws, but
forgiveness from an offended individual must be sought directly from that person
first, and then secondly from God.
The traditional reading from the Torah on Yom Kippur is from Leviticus 16, which
describes the ancient sacrifices made on this day. Traditional Yizkor
(Remembrance) prayers are recited in memory of loved ones who lived as examples
and teachers. The book of Jonah is also read, reminding those present that if a nation
could repent and escape the punishment of God, so to can the worshipers be
forgiven.
The Ne'ilah (Closing) prayers are chanted in the final service. The service is
concluded with the repetition of the Shma Yisrael (Hear O Israel). Well after sunset
the shofar is blown one more time, marking the end of Yom Kippur. Worshipers
proclaim to each other, "Next Year in Jerusalem", reflecting the hope for the end of
exile and the return to the land of Israel. Families often share a meal together to
break their fasts, ending the solemn period of repentance.
Sukkot
Jews observe the pilgrim festival of Sukkot (Booths) four days after Yom Kippur.
Sukkot is an agricultural festival which celebrates the fall harvest. Anciently it was
one of the three festivals for which pilgrimage to Jerusalem was required. It reminds
Jews that their ancestors lived in small, flimsy huts in the fields during the fall
harvest. Ever since the Diaspora Jews have built Sukkot to celebrate this holiday.
The Succah (Booth) should be a structure strong enough to last the holiday, but also
fragile enough to remind one of its temporary nature. A main symbol of Sukkot is
the Lulav (sprout) made of four species of plants: palm, myrtle, willow, and citron.
The Lulav is held in the hand and waved to the four corners of the earth and sky,
symbolizing the all-encompassing nature of Judaism, and suggesting that God is
everywhere throughout the natural world.
Succot also marks the beginning of the yearly cycle of the reading of the Torah.
Simchat Torah (the Rejoicing of the Torah) celebrates this event on the twenty-third
of Tishri, and is the ninth day of the Succot festival. On the morning of this day
everyone is invited to stand before the Torah and recite blessings over its reading.
Each person can thus participate in the commandment of starting and ending the
annual Torah reading cycle.
The last day of Succot has come to be known as the Hoshana Rabba, or the Great
Hossana. On this day God seals up the individual's names in the book of life after
their repentance Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur.
Perhaps the primary theme of this holiday is man's reliance upon God for all forms
of sustenance, both physical and spiritual. For the Jews, Succot is a reminder that
God is the source of spiritual sustenance and forgiveness. The theme of the harvest
is also a reminder of one's physical reliance on God. Succot has become a day of
thanksgiving for both the physical and spiritual gifts of God.
Channukah
Channukah is the only ancient Jewish holiday that is not mentioned in the Bible.
Known as the "Celebration of Lights, " it has come to commemorate two related
events in Jewish history--the liberation of the land from Seleucid domination, and
the miracle of the oil during the rededication.
When the Greek empire fragmented after the death of Alexander the Great, the land
of Israel fell under the rule of the Seleucid kingdom which ruled from Syria. In the
second century B.C. Antiochus IV became king and began reforms to strengthen the
kingdom from within. One of these reforms was the total Hellenization of all culture.
Antiochus replaced the priests that served in the temple at Jerusalem, and
prohibited the observance of Jewish religious rituals. A statue of Zeus was placed in
the temple and the temple itself was desecrated.
These changes brought opposition from various groups. At first the small groups of
resistance fighters could not match the Seleucid troops in battle, so they resorted to
tactics of guerilla warfare. The resistance movements led by the family of Mattathias
the Hasmonean defeated the Syrian troops in successive skirmishes. Enboldened by
their success, they turned their attention to the city of Jerusalem and took it city
with little resistance.
The process of purifying the city and temple from Greek influence began. The Greek
idols were destroyed, and the temple areas and objects were again purified. Plans
were made for the rededication. However, only one small cruse of oil was found
with the seal of the high priest unbroken. This was enought to light the candlestick
for just the first day of the dedication. Tradition states, though, that the candles
burned for the entire eight days of the dedication, during which time more oil could
be prepared.
The festival of Hannukah celebrates both the victory of the Hasmoneans and the
miracle of the oil. To commemorate miraculous aspect of the story, the festival lasts
eight days instead of one. A cenetral feature of the holidy is the Chanukiah, of nine
branched candelstick. For each of the eight nights, family members gather around
the candlestick and light the Hannukah candles. One the first night one candle is lit,
two are lit on the second, three on the third, and so forth. They are lit in a certain
order using the central candle on the candlestick. The family recites special
blessings as they light the candles.
It is customary to give gifts on Hannukah. Hannukah Gelt (Hannukah money) is
usually given to the children. Games include playing with the dreidel, a multi sided
top with the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hay, shin, inscribed on the sides
representing the phrase "A great miracle happened there.
Despite the festive nature of Hannukah, it is a minor holiday. Usually celebrated
around the time of Christmas, it has no connection with the Christian holiday.
Purim
Purim is a holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jews in the Persian
empire from their enemies. It was not instituted as a commantment, but as a
memorial. The story of Purim is described in the book of Esther in the Bible, and the
entire book is read in the Synagogue every year at Purim.
The story took place in the reign of Ahasherus, the king of Persia. It begins with an
incident in which the queen disobeyed the king. Displeased with her conduct,
Ahasherus banished the queen and began the search for a replacement.
Esther, a Jew, lived with her cousin Mordecai. At his urging, Esther entered the
contest to become the new queen, and after the lengthy process of preparation, she
was chosen as the new queen. She did not reveal her Jewish heritage to anyone.
Mordecai was accustomed to sitting outside the gates to the king's palace. One day
as he sat there he overheard a plot to kill the Persian King. Mordecai revealed the
plot to Esther, who in turn told the King, and the conspiritors were taken and
executed. This act was written in the histories of the king.
King Ahasherus had a high official named Haman. Proud of his power, Haman
ordered everone to bow down to him as he passed. Mordecai refused, maintaining
that he would bow down only unto God. This infuriated Haman, who initiated a plan
to have all of the Jews killed. Informing the king that the Jews would not obey the
law of the land and should be killed, Haman had a declaration passed that allowed
for the slaughter of the Jews on a certain day. To choose the day, Haman cast lots,
hence the name Purim for the holiday (lots = Purim).
Mordecai heard of Haman's plan and spoke with Esther. He advised her to intercede
with the King on behalf of her people, stating that God had raised her to her position
to be able to do this. All of the Jews fasted as Esther prepared to talk to the King. She
invited both Haman and King to a feast that she was preparing, at which she planned
to petition the King for the welfare of her People.
That evening King Ahasherus could not sleep. He asked that the histories be brought
and read before him. The scribe read the history of how Mordecai had revealed the
plot against the king and had not been rewarded. Pleased with Mordecais service,
the king ordered Haman, who hated Mordecai, to arrange a parade in Mordecai's
honor.
At the banquet, with the king and Haman attending, Esther revealed that she was a
Jew, and asked for help from the king for her people. Being informed of the nature of
Haman's intentions against the Jews, the King commanded that Haman and his
family be hung from gallows which they had prepared for Mordecais instead. The
king then issued an edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their
enemies on the day previously designated for their destruction.
During the reading of the story of Esther in the synagogue, it is customary to dress
up as one of the characters in the story of Esther when attending the service. As the
Rabbi reads, he personifies each of the characters in the story. Whenever the name
of Haman is read, all in attendance make enough noise so that the name cannot be
heard. Needless to say, the festival of Purim is a loud and Joyous one. It has also
been said that people should drink enough wine to not be able to tell the difference
between the name of Haman and the name of Mordecai.
Purim is one of the few truly Joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar, celebrating the
victory of the Jews over their enemies.
The Passover
Passover is a festival that commemorates two major themes. First, it commemorates
the exodus of the Israelites from the land of Egypt. Second, as springtime festival it
celebrates the rebirth of the earth after the winter. However, the story of the exodus
from Egypt is most central to the Holiday.
After the people of Israel had lived in Egypt for many years, a Pharaoh came to
power that began to oppress them. Forcing the people to participate in extensive
building projects, the Jews began to suffer under the oppression. Finally, fearing the
growth of the Hebrew population, the Pharaoh decreed the death of every newborn
male Hebrew child. In order to save her son, the mother of Moses placed him in a
basket of reeds and hid him in the Nile. The daughter of the Pharaoh found Moses
and called for a servant to find someone to raise him. The servant found his mother
and who then raised him.
Though raised in the court of the Pharaoh, Moses still grieved for the suffering of his
people. One day he killed a taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave. Fleeing from Egypt,
Moses tended the flocks of Jethro, and married one of Jethro's daughters. One day
while tending the flocks of Jethro, God spoke to Moses and called him to free his
people from Egypt.
Moses returned with his brother Aaron to the court of Pharaoh and demanded the
release of the people of Israel. Hardening his heart, Pharaoh refused to let the go. In
response, God pronounced through Moses a series of plagues that afflicted Egypt.
After the ninth plague passed Pharaoh still would not allow the people to go, so God
pronounced one final plague.
The Lord instructed people of Israel to take a lamb without blemish, no more than a
year old, and kill it on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. They were
commanded to take the blood of the lamb and mark the two doorposts and the
crossbeam of the door of the house. Finally, they were to eat the meat of the lamb,
roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Nothing was to remain of
the lamb by morning. Anything left over was to be burnt with fire. They were to eat
it fully clothed, prepared to leave in haste.
The Lord continued, saying that he would "pass through the land of Egypt ... and
smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast... And the blood shall
be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will
pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the
land of Egypt." (Ex. 12:1-14) He further commanded the Israelites to keep this day
for a memorial for ever.
The children of Israel went and did according ot the commandment of the Lord. "And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the
captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. (Ex12:29)"
Pharaoh arose in the night and called for Moses and Aaron and commanded them to
take their people and leave. "And the people took their dough before it was
leavened," and left, taking their flocks and herds with them. Pharaoh again hardened
his heart and pusued the people of Israel. But the Lord parted the waters of the Red
Sea and the Israelites crossed on dry land while Egyptians drowned as they
attempted to follow.
The festival of Pesach was instituted to remember the deliverance of the Jews from
the Egyptians. For most Jews, the Passover is both an historic and religious event. It
is a strong reminder of God freeing them from slavery. It has also become a
sanctifying event, reminding them that they were brought out of Egypt to serve God.
Unlike Christian belief, it is not seen as a type or foreshadowing of the coming
Savior.
The Passover Seder service is a re-enactment of the exodus. It happens on the
fifteenth of the month of Nissan, on the date of their deliverance from the Egyptians.
Many customs surround the preparation for and the execution of the seder. For
example, all hamatz(yeast) must must be removed completely from the house
before the passover. In addition, any cooking utensils that may have come into
contact with a food that contained hamatz had to be purified. Any possesions that
can not be purified are written in a bill of sale and sold to non-Jewish neighbors for
the duration of the passover. This is all in accordance with the command that there
shall not "be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters (Ex.13:7)."
The head of the family leads the passover seder. One of the purposes of the Passover
is to teach the children about the deliverance of the Israelites from the hands of the
Egyptians. Accordingly, during the seder a child will ask the following four
questions:
1. On all the nights we eat either leavened bread or unleavened matzah; on this
night why only matzah?
2. On all other nights we eat herbs of any kind; on this night why only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once; on this night why do we
dip them twice?
4. On all other nights we eat our meals in any manner; on this night why do we sit in
a reclining position?
It is customary to leave a place for Elijah. A place is set and reserved for him, and the
door is left open on the east. This recalls the belief that Elijah wil come and usher in
the millenial age, preceeding the messiah.
Another important custom is fasting of the firstborn son on the day before the
Passover. Most Jews today observe this fast even if they are not religious. It is a
reminder of the firstborn of the Egyptians that were slain, and that the Lord spared
the firstborn of the Israelites.
