Feast Days - Minor Festivals (Messianic)

Feast Days - Minor Festivals (Messianic)

By Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviyReligion & SpiritualityJudaism
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Feast Days - Minor Festivals (Messianic) episodes

  • Purim (Part A) - Festival of Lots - Esther 9:23-32
    Purim (Part A) - Festival of Lots - Esther 9:23-32
    Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviy
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    MIKRA’EY KODESH

    *Updated:

    December 26, 2005

     

    Minor Feasts:

    פוּרִים Purim - The Festival
    of Lots

     

    “Study to shew thyself approved

    unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word
    of Truth!” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

     

    Commentary Contents:

     

    Megillah

    (The Scroll of Ester)

    God’s

    Invisible Hand

    Anti-Semitism?

    Tikkun

    ha’Olam (Repairing the World)

    Conclusion

     

    The festival known as Purim (say “Poo-reem”) is not

    one of the biblically mandated feasts found within the listing of Leviticus
    chapter 23.  This feast and its beginnings are found within the secular
    book of Ester (Esther).  Yes, Ester is called a secular book because the
    name of HaShem is nowhere to be found within it.  To be sure, the scroll
    of Ester, also called the Megillah of Ester, is not considered a sacred scroll,
    and therefore, may be handled by “common” folk.  This scroll is often
    decorated to commemorate the festive story found within.

     

    Megillah (The Scroll of Ester)

     

    The story of Queen Esther is traditionally read on

    Purim.  I will not take the time to recount all of the events found within
    that book.  Rather, I will simply pull out a couple of verses that serve
    to summarize the story.  Esther 9:23-28 reads,

     

    “So the Jews took it upon

    themselves to continue what they had already begun to do, and as Mordekhai had
    written to them; because Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the
    Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had thrown pur
    (that is, “cast lots”) to crush and destroy them; but when Ester came before
    the king, she ordered by letters that [Haman's] wicked scheme, which he had
    plotted against the Jews, should recoil on his own head, and that he and his
    sons should be hanged on the gallows.  This is why these days have been
    called Purim, after the word pur.  Thus, because of
    everything written in this letter, and what they had seen concerning this
    matter, and what had come upon them, the Jews resolved and took upon
    themselves, their descendants and all who might join them that without fail
    they would observe these two days in accordance with what was written in [this
    letter] and at the appointed time, every year; and that these days would be
    remembered and observed throughout every generation, every family, every
    province and every city; and that these days of Purim would never cease
    among the Jews or their memory be lost by their descendants.”

     

    With the above supplied verses providing us with the

    biblical reference to Purim, let's turn to a historical background treatment of
    this holiday.  Most scholars place the incidents of the book of Ester
    around 470 B.C.E.  This coincided with the events and locations of the
    books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  Some have even suggested Ezra or Nehemiah as
    the author, although Mordekhai has been the traditional candidate.  The
    story surely takes place when the tribes of Isra'el (designated as Y'hudah)
    were exiled to Bavli (Babylon).  Thus, the people were already in despair
    as the events of the book of Ester unfold.

     

    Russel L. Resnik of the Union of Messianic Jewish

    Congregations (UMJC) makes this noteworthy statement in a commentary to Purim:

     

    The book of Esther,

    which we read during Purim, reflects the topsy-turvy world of exile. Israel's
    destiny is governed by an emperor who is more klutz than king, threatened by a
    villain who is equally laughable, and saved through the charms of an assimilated
    young Jewess who just happens to be queen. Perhaps it is such oddities that
    lead the Jewish sages to ask, where is Esther mentioned in Torah? The answer:
    in the phrase, “I will surely hide My face (haster astir panai) on that day”
    (Dt. 31:18).

     

    Esther's name

    reminds us of hester panim, the hiding of God's face, and her story unfolds in
    a day when God seems hidden. When the king issues an irreversible decree that
    all the Jews in his empire are to be destroyed, there is no divine
    intervention, no divine spokesman in the person of prophet or sage, only cousin
    Mordecai who tells Esther that she must do something. And Esther does the right
    something, which saves her people.[1]

     

    God’s Invisible Hand

     

    The events surrounding the Purim story

    have long since been attributed to divine intervention—and rightfully so. 
    For even though the name of God is not mentioned anywhere within the book,
    surely it is his mighty hand which delivers the Jews from the evil plot of
    Haman.  Consider these four “coincidences”:

     

    1.    If Amalak hadn’t aligned

    themselves against God’s chosen people, the bitter ongoing war with them would
    not have produced a people who would forever be identified as the “enemies of
    the Jews” (read Exodus 17:8-15).

    2.    If king Sha’ul had destroyed all

    of the Amalakites (whom the sages teach was completely assembled together that
    day) as HaShem had ordered him to (read 1 Samuel chapter 15), then there would
    not have even been born a Haman, descendant of that wicked King Agag (see chapter
    3:1,where we learn that Haman is a descendant of Agag).

    3.    If Ester had not have been in the

    right place at the right time, the demise of the Jews might have been certain
    (read Mordekhai’s statement in Ester 4:12-14).

    4.    If Mordekhai had not been in the

    right place at the right time, the Jews’ demise might have been certain (read
    Ester 2:21-23; 6:1-13).

     

    So we see that even though God is not specifically

    mentioned—surely he was with his people!  For, the God we serve does not
    leave circumstances to chance!  He is always leading, guiding, instructing
    and protecting those who are his own—even in the midst of disobedience
    (remember that Y’hudah was exiled for her gross idolatry; reference the entire
    book of Jeremiah)!

     

    But Haman the Jew-hater could have learned a thing or

    two from reading the Torah of Moshe!  If he had read, he would have
    learned that to align himself against God’s chosen people is to align himself
    against God!  Indeed every single wicked nation that has plotted to
    destroy the Jews has met with the wrath of HaShem, and has consequently all but
    been wiped from the face of the earth. Bible prophecy tells us of 8 famous,
    wicked kingdoms.  Here is a summary of those kingdoms; it’s ruler or main
    leader, and the Bible reference:

     

    1.    Egypt:                   the

    Pharaoh (Exodus 1:8-16; 5:2)

    2.    Assyria:                Shalman’eser

    (2 Kings 17:1-6)

    3.    Babylon:              N’vukhadretzar

    (Jeremiah 25:9; 39:1)

    4.    Medo-Persia:      Haman

    (Ester 1:1-3; 3:10-13)

    5.    Greece:                Antiochus

    Epiphanes (Daniel 8:11; 23-25)

    6.    Rome:                  Herod

    (Matthew 2:1-16)

     

    Now these above-mentioned six are recorded for us in

    the Bible so that we might know that the word mentioned to Avraham (read
    Genesis 12:1-3) is true.  The Bible also alluded to the seventh—and even
    soon to come eighth evil empire, which both sought and will seek to destroy the
    Jews.  In Revelation 17:10 and 11 we are given a glimpse of the past,
    present, and future of the evil anti-Christ and his wicked kingdoms. 
    Verse 10 states, concerning his wicked kingdoms, that five have fallen, which
    correspond to 1-5 above; one is (that is, yet exists in John’s day), which
    corresponds to #6 above; and that one is yet to come.  I believe that, by
    using the criteria mentioned in Rev. 17:10b, that the seventh wicked kingdom
    very well might have been Nazi Germany and it’s wicked ruler Adolph
    Hitler.  Certainly this kingdom (like the previous six) persecuted the
    Jews!  Certainly this ruler (like the previous six) hated the Jews, and
    aligned himself against them!  Even though Hitler himself boasted that his
    Third Reich would last for 1000 years, this kingdom only lasted a “short space
    (KJV)”—a scant 12 years.  Thanks be unto God that the holocaust only
    lasted that long!

     

    Yet the sobering truth is that the Bible prophesies

    that yet one final empire will arise to persecute the people of God
    again!  This is the eighth mentioned in Rev. 17:11. In some mysterious
    way, he will be a composite of the original seven!  What a monster! 
    Considering the qualities of the previous seven rulers, this final evil
    ruler—this hater of God’s chosen people will be heinous indeed!  Because
    Christians are grafted into Isra’el, they will be persecuted as well!  Be
    prepared!

     

    It is easy to distance ourselves from the likes of

    this world’s “Hamans,” we suppose.  We as believers in Messiah Yeshua
    would never speak or think evil of the offspring of Avraham….or would we? 
    Have we unknowingly pitted ourselves against his chosen?

     

    Anti-Semitism?

     

    The Torah says in Genesis chapter 12, verses 1-3,

     

    וַיֹּ֤אמֶר

    יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמֹּֽולַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית
    אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃ וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְגֹ֣וי גָּדֹ֔ול וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה
    שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃ וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙
    מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת
    הָאֲדָמָֽה

     

    “Vayomer ADONAI el-Avram “Lekh l’kha me'arts’kha u’mimo-lad’t’kha umibeyt avikha el-ha'arets asher ar'ekha.

    Ve'e'eskha l’goy-gadol va'avarekh’kha va'agadlah sh’mekha v’heyeh b’rakhah.

    Va'avar-akhah m’var’khekha um’kaleh-l’kha a'or v’nivr’khu v’kha kol mishp’khot

    ha'adamah.”

     

    (Now ADONAI said to Avram, “Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and

    away from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.  I
    will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name
    great; and you are to be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you,
    but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the
    earth will be blessed.”)

     

    The

    opening monologue from HaShem, containing both directives and promises, is
    packed with some very important facts that affect every man, woman, and child
    who will be born from here on out!  To be sure, it still affects everyone
    today!  How so?  Allow me to conduct a word study.

     

    We

    have been taught many times over (hopefully), that verse three is referring to
    the ultimate blessing that Avram would be, once his ultimate righteous heir was
    born (…and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed). 
    The Torah makes it perfectly clear that this righteous heir is none other than
    Yeshua (ben-Yosef) ben-Dahvid, ben-Avraham (see Matthew chapter one)!  But
    our usual sermons focus on the latter part of that verse.  I want to call
    our attention to the first part of verse three.

     

    “I will bless those

    who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and
    by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

     

    Here

    HaShem promises to “bless” those who “bless” Avram.  The Hebrew wording
    used both times for “bless” is “the root word “barakh,” and it literally
    means to bow the knee.  This promise is understood to be extending to his
    physical offspring as well, the Jewish People.  Moreover, we have seen
    that many peoples of the world, symbolically and physically, have blessed
    Avram.  To be sure, we don’t hear of many individuals actually “cursing”
    Avram or his offspring, the Jews (a few unmentioned exceptions do exist). 
    From HaShem’s perspective, he has set up a divine sort of “cause and effect”
    here: if you (a non-Jew) bless Avram, or his offspring, then in return, I will
    bless you.

     

    But

    the really interesting fact is found in the Hebrew word translated as “curse.” 
    In the first instance, the word translated “curse” (in our above translation of
    the CJB by David H. Stern) comes from the root Hebrew word “arar.”  Here
    is what Strong’s Concordance and Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius Hebrew
    Lexicon (BDB) have to say about this word:

     

    0779 ‘arar rra {aw-rar’}: a

    primitive root - curse 62, bitterly 1; (total usage: 63)

     

    to curse…. cursed be he (participle used as in

    curses)…. to be cursed, cursed…. lay under a curse, put a curse on…. to be made
    a curse, be cursed (adaptation mine, but see footnote)[2]

     

    This

    is some heavy language!  Especially when we realize that this is the Sovereign
    Creator of the Universe speaking this promise here!  But the second word
    translated as “curse” is surprisingly not the same as the first!  The
    original word this time is taken from the root word “kalal.”  In fact, in
    our current parashah (portion), chapter 16:4 translates this word as “contempt,”
    when referring to the attitude that Sarai (Avram’s wife) had towards her
    handmaid Hagar.  Here is what Strong’s and the BDB have to say about that
    word:

     

    07043 ‘qalal llq {kaw-lal’}: a primitive root - curse 39, swifter 5,

    light thing 5, vile 4, lighter 4, despise 3, abated 2, ease 2, light 2, lighten
    2, slightly 2, misc 12; (total usage: 82)

     

    be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little

    account, be light…. be abated (of water)…. to be trifling, to be swift, show
    oneself swift…. to appear trifling, be too trifling, be insignificant…. to be
    lightly esteemed…. to make despicable…. to curse…. to be cursed…. to make
    light, lighten…. to treat with contempt, bring contempt or dishonour…. to
    shake…. to whet…. to shake oneself, be moved to and fro”  (adaptation
    mine, but see footnote)[3]

     

    I

    hope that this list is a shocker.  We usually find ourselves thinking, “As
    a believer in Messiah Yeshua, I would never meaningfully curse Avram or his
    offspring, the Jews!  I understand that my spiritual heritage is forever
    bound up in their lineage!”  I, as a Torah Teacher, hope that this is
    similar to what every well-meaning Christian might say.  But the shocker
    is that according to the word used for “curse,” many well-meaning believers are
    unknowingly “cursing” Avram and his offspring!  If I were to translate
    this verse using our newfound definitions of the word curse, it would read
    something like this:

     

    “I will [bless] those who

    [bless] you, but I will [curse] anyone who [despises, makes of little account,
    lightly esteems, thinks insignificant of] you; and by you all the families of
    the earth will be blessed.”

     

    Wow! 

    That seems to explain the verse in a whole different light!  And so it
    should!  For that is what I really believe the verse is alluding to. 
    Allow me to elaborate.

     

    In

    the fourth century, when the organized Church decided to divorce herself from
    her spiritual mother, Judaism, she unwittingly planted the seeds of anti-Judaism. 
    Anti-Judaism is not to be confused with Anti-Semitism.  The former is the
    dislike or disinterest of Jewishness and Judaism specifically; the latter
    is the dislike or disinterest in the Semitic race altogether.  By the way,
    both fall into the category of violating the verse in examination and both
    are disrespectful to Father Avram and displeasing to HaShem!  Over the
    centuries, this seedbed has blossomed into a full-grown weed called Replacement
    Theology.  This heretical belief fosters the mistaken idea that “God gave
    up on the Jews when they corporately rejected his Son Yeshua, and instead,
    adopted the newborn Gentile Church as his chosen people.  The unfortunate
    Jews were left to face the curses of the Torah, and the Wrath of an angry
    Father, while the Church inherited (spiritually of course) most of the
    blessings and promises to the Jews, as pronounced in the Torah.” 
    Fortunately, this theological framework is neither blatantly taught to
    Christians, openly favored by the same, nor endorsed by HaShem!

     

    But

    the damage has been done.  Bad habits are hard to change.  Our
    Christian community today is lacking of real spiritual depth, many so-called
    believers have a superficial relationship with Yeshua, and we owe a significant
    part of all of this to the teachings that have been passed down from one anti-Jewish
    generation to the next.  Consequently, many Christians are either, passive
    and ignorant, when it comes to the Jewish people and communal support, or they
    are outright opposed to it!  The Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings
    (TaNaKH) have been relegated to the status of “Old Testament,” while the Gospel
    enjoys the status of “New Testament.”  This has a way of causing the Jews
    to appear to be “old,” “outdated,” and “replaced,” while the Church is defined
    as “new,” “fresh,” and “current.”  Is this not the prevalent attitude of
    many non-Jews within the Body today?  “Your people prove difficult to
    positively influence, with regards to the Good News and Jesus,” many
    quip.  As a result, Jewish evangelism is weak, understaffed, or (in the
    few cases where churches have tried) eventually abandoned.  Even if not
    intentional, this type of spiritual ignorance still feeds the Replacement
    Theological bias, in that, no one is made aware enough to put an end to
    it.  In other words, this ignorance has gone on for far too long.

     

    Tikkun ha’Olam (Repairing the World)

     

    What

    can be done to undo some of the damage, and help repair the split between
    Avram’s offspring and the Church?  Since most of my readership is likely
    composed of Christians and Messianic Jews, I will focus my energies in those
    camps.  More information than I can post in this limited format is
    available to anyone who is serious in answering this timely and important
    question.  I’m sure you will agree the following suggestions are a start
    in the right direction (from Christian to non-Messianic Jew):

     

    • Begin
      • to pray about getting actively involved in the current move of the Ruach
      HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), to bring about a genuine, heartfelt love for
      Avram’s offspring, oriented from the Church and flowing outwards.
    • Ask
      • HaShem to reveal to you your heart, and to forgive you if you have
      unknowingly harbored these types of thoughts towards Avram’s
      offspring.  God is still in the business of forgiveness!  What
      my brothers according to the flesh (traditional Judaism, unsaved Jews,
      non-Messianic Jews, secular Jews, etc) need is to experience the mercy of
      HaShem, displayed through our honest concern and support!
    • Ask
      • HaShem to begin to reveal to you your spiritual heritage traced through
      faithful Avram and continuing through to his offspring, the Jewish
      People.  You will find that according to Romans chapter 11 (just to
      name a good starting point), you also have some obligations to the “root
      that supports you.”

       

      Even

      after this genuine call for restoration, some people will yet refuse to change
      their conventional ways of thinking.  To be sure, I don’t expect Gentiles
      to begin flooding my e-mail with letters asking me to forgive them for “lightly
      esteeming the Jews.”  No, this type of heartfelt change is not
      accomplished overnight, and it can only make a difference if the Ruach HaKodesh
      is genuinely involved.  As a Torah Teacher, I expect that it will take
      some time for human nature to readjust its mindset, and line up with what
      HaShem wants us to be.  To be sure, the change must start with this
      author.  After all, which one of us is perfect?  Only the man Yeshua
      from Natzeret was.  Please feel free to drop me a line, in care of this
      web site, if you still have questions or comments in this area.  You may also
      e-mail me personally.  My address is provided at the end of this teaching.

       

      Conclusion

       

      I do

      want to say this, however: because of the example that the Torah records Avram
      to have been, any man willing to do so is eligible to become an heir of this
      great father!  Because of Avram’s trusting faithfulness to HaShem’s
      command, he subsequently became the father of the many righteous followers that
      would come after him.

       

      Nearly

      1900 years ago, the Apostle Paul (a.k.a. Sha'ul) found himself being challenged
      by the risen Yeshua on a most important mission.  Our LORD chose to
      commission this Pharisaic Jew with an urgent message to the Gentiles:

       

      “However, to

      those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to
      the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work… But if some of the
      branches were broken off, and you - a wild olive - were grafted in among them
      and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't
      boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember
      that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” (Romans
      11:13, 17, 18)

      A

      most wonderful truth is being discussed here.  What does it mean for
      Sha'ul to say that the ‘wild olive tree’ (the Gentiles) is grafted into the
      ‘cultivated olive tree’?  The plain sense of the text should not be easily
      confusing:

       

      • Through
        • the efficacious ministry of the Messiah Yeshua, Gentile believers are
        covenant-bound to ‘Father Abraham’s Olive Tree’—Isra'el—thereby making
        them fellow citizens and full-participants with the Commonwealth of
        Isra'el (Eph. 2), thus granting them the divine privilege of following the
        whole of the Torah.
      • We
        • believe that YHVH has written this very same Torah upon the hearts of
        those, Jews and Gentiles, who have placed their trusting faithfulness in
        Yeshua (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:7-12).
      • We
        • believe that this same Torah is a foundational revelation of the
        righteousness of HaShem and serves as a description (along with the rest
        of the Scriptures) of the lifestyle of the Redeemed Community (James
        1:16-27).
      • Furthermore,
        • ‘grafted in’ bespeaks of our affirmation to our true identity as a
        people—Jew and Gentile—that is securely rooted in the Finished Work of
        Yeshua HaMashiach.

         

        Haman made a terrible mistake when he pitted himself against

        God’s chosen people.  HaShem turned the tables and the very gallows that
        Haman expected to hang Mordekhai on, he himself was hung on!  With joy and
        gladness we can celebrate the goodness and mercy of our Loving, Heavenly
        Abba!  Why, even many of those in that day became Jews because of fear
        (admonition) of this wonderful people of the Living God (read Ester 8:16, 17)!

         

        As grafted-in believers Gentile Christians are God’s

        chosen ones!  Woe to the one who would pit himself against us!  He
        just might find himself fighting against the Living God of the Universe (Acts
        5:38-39)!  For in Messiah we can victoriously declare—just as the Psalmist
        declared:

         

        “ADONAI, how many enemies I

        have!

        How countless are those

        attacking me;

        how countless those who say of

        me,

        “There is no salvation for him

        in God.”

         

        But you, ADONAI, are a shield

        for me;

        you are my glory, you lift my

        head high.

        With my voice I call out to

        ADONAI,

        and he answers me from his holy

        hill.”

        (Psalm 3:3, 4)

         

        “Chag Purim Sah-meach!”

        (Happy Festival of Purim!)

         

        It

        is customary to recite this Hebrew blessing upon the conclusion of the reading
        of the Megillat Ester:

         

        “Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam,

        sheh-heh-chehyanu, v'ki-y'manu

        , v’higyanu

        latz’mahn hazeh!”

         

        (Blessed are you, O’ LORD, our God, King of the Universe,

        Who has kept us alive, sustained us

        And brought us to this place!)

         

        Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviy [email protected]


        [1] http://www.umjc.net/content/view/239/40/

        [2] Brown, Driver, Briggs (BDB), rra.

        [3] Ibid, llq.

        26 min
      • Chanukkah (Part A) - Festival of Dedication - 1 and 2 Maccabees; John 10:22-39
        Chanukkah (Part A) - Festival of Dedication - 1 and 2 Maccabees; John 10:22-39
        Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviy
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        pdf
        Chanukkah

        *Updated:

        December 25, 2005

         

        Minor Festivals: חֲנֻכָּה Chanukkah - The Festival of Dedication

         

        “Study to shew thyself approved

        unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word
        of Truth!” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

         

         

        Commentary

        Contents:

         

        History Lesson

        K’dushah (Holiness)

        Walking in K’dushah

        Excursus: Grafted Into

        Isra'el

        The Righteousness of God

        Law vs. Grace?

        Conclusion

        Excursus: Sukkot-Chanukkah

        Connection

         

        The

        Hebrew word “chanukkah” (say “chah-noo-kah) literally means “dedication.” 
        It is from this word that the minor holiday known as Chanukkah gets its
        name.  This festival is not one of the seven festivals found in Leviticus
        chapter 23, but in its original concept, it is free from pagan trappings. 
        The familiar 9-branched candlestick that so many of you are used to seeing is
        known as a “chanukkiah.”  I don’t claim to be an historian, and the story
        of how Chanukkah came to be is somewhat familiar to most folks anyway, so I
        want to avoid retelling the entire story and instead shift my teaching to focus
        on the meaning of “dedication.”  I believe just a small background briefer
        is necessary.

         

        History Lesson

         

        During

        the few hundred years prior to the Common Era (C.E.), the Hellenistic (Greek)
        armies of Alexander marched throughout the Middle East in a conquest to control
        the civilized world.  For the most part, they were successful, as their
        rule spanned approximately 330 B.C.E (Before the Common Era) until they were
        finally defeated themselves by a stronger and more militant army known as the
        Romans in 63 B.C.E.  It was during this time period that the Land of
        Palestine (Isra'el) was caught up in the middle of these intense power
        struggles.

         

        The

        Hellenistic armies, led by prominent General Antiochus Epiphanies IV, sought to
        eliminate all traces of alien culture (alien to Hellenism) by fierce methods of
        assimilation.  They enforced strict anti-Torah policies, particularly, the
        forbidding of circumcision and public and private Torah reading.  As could
        be expected, the Judeans resisted, and conflicts with the Hellenists were
        frequent.  As it came to pass, Antiochus eventually seized complete
        control of the Temple itself, and in a public display of triumph and mockery,
        he decided to sacrifice a swine upon the altar itself, pouring swine urine on
        the Temple furniture and holy things.  He also enforced the strict
        Hellenization of Palestine by setting up a gymnasium in Yerushalayim,
        compelling Jews to attend.  Eventually the proverbial straw broke the
        camel's back and a resistance led by the Maccabean family (of the Hasmonean
        Dynasty) began to fight back.

         

        When

        the Temple was eventually recaptured by the Judeans, it was in shambles. 
        Apart from being ritualistically defiled by Antiochus' armies, it was in a
        horrific state of disuse.  During the three years that he occupied it, the
        Temple priests were forbidden to perform their proper duties, therefore, it
        would take quite a bit of work to repair the once beautiful structure.  It
        was decided that before any reconstruction and repair could commence, the House
        itself had to be rededicated back to HaShem.  This was an act to signify
        that the Judeans wanted the Holiness of the Holy One to return to his Holy Temple.

         

        They

        set out to accomplish this task, but when it came time to rekindle the Menorah
        (the seven-branched lamp-stand that resided in the Temple) they discovered that
        the olive oil supply had been depleted.  It usually took up to eight days
        to manufacture enough oil to keep the lamp properly lit.  According to
        tradition, miraculously they also discovered one container of oil with enough
        supply to light just a single lamp (think of it as just one candle of the
        seven).  The miraculous took place when upon lighting the menorah during
        the rededication ceremony, instead of it lasting only a few hours, it lasted
        for the duration of the eight days that it took to produce more oil!  The
        Judeans interpreted this as a supernatural sign the Holy One, Blessed be He,
        was well pleased that they had defeated the Greek Armies for now, and that he
        was ready to “move back into his home.”

         

        Whether

        or not the all the elements in the above story are factual or not, history does
        record that the Temple was rededicated unto HaShem after the defeat of
        Antiochus Epiphanes IV, by the family known as the Maccabees.  In fact,
        the story is somewhat recorded for us in the Apocryphal books known as the
        Maccabees (found in a Bible containing the Deuterocanonicals, usually a Catholic
        version).  Because the festival of Chanukkah originated from a remembrance
        of this historic occasion, we can read about it also in our New Covenant book
        of John, chapter 10, verse 22.

         

        K’dushah (Holiness)

         

        Chanukkah is about holiness.

         

        It has been stated that holiness is not metaphysical; our

        concept of holiness does not define what is holy.  Only the Holy One
        himself can fully define—as well as embody holiness.  To be sure, the
        phrase ‘I am ADONAI,’ or its equivalent ‘I am ADONAI your God’ appears sixteen
        times in Leviticus chapter nineteen alone!  Chapter twenty sees another
        four uses of these phrases.  The lesson is obvious:

         

        ADONAI alone defines holiness among men; only he has the

        power and authority to set the standard of holiness—for he alone is the fullness
        of holiness—for he alone is ADONAI!

         

        So what happens when humanity meets holiness?

         

        HaShem is intimately interested in our redemption. 

        Likewise, he is our deliverer from the unholy. That is why he masterfully
        planned for one man to become the perfect embodiment and display of his
        holiness.  Only this man would be able to showcase the fullness of the
        holiness of God to such a degree that to look at this man was to look at
        God!  Only this man would be able to perfectly imitate God—for only this
        man was and is perfectly God.

         

        Yeshua is his name!

         

        And he sets the standard!

         

        Because of our new life in Messiah, we have inherited the

        holiness that HaShem intended for us to possess all along.  When we place
        our trusting faithfulness in the perfect Man of God, our holiness (or lack
        thereof) becomes the holiness of the Father!  Our constitution changes and
        we are no longer deemed ‘unholy’, for his riches in glory—which includes his
        holy standard of being—are transferred to our account!  We must grasp this
        central truth and begin to live according to it!

         

        We are holy because Yeshua has made us holy!

         

        Just as unrighteous Avraham became righteous when he placed

        his complete faith in HaShem, so we too inherit the righteousness and holiness
        of the Holy One when we place our unreserved trust in his Son.  But
        holiness is also a duty.  What do I mean?

         

        Walking in K’dushah

         

        Apart from being an attribute of God—one that we inherit

        intrinsically with our trusting faithfulness in the Messiah, holiness is also
        meant to be a lifestyle. This is why I like to use the phrase ‘trusting
        faithfulness’ rather than simply ‘faith’.  The latter implies a one-time
        action on our part, which forever sets into motion a spiritual truth that will
        be fully actualized at the return of our LORD.  Notice the candor of the
        phrase, “I place my trust in Yeshua.”  However, the former carries the
        aspect of a daily motion, which permeates every movement of our new-creation
        lives!  “I place my trusting faithfulness in Yeshua.”  Do you notice
        the subtle difference?  To live by ‘trusting faithfulness’ rather than
        just by ‘faith’ alone characterizes our moment-by-moment thought process as
        well as our actions.  The former carries our faith into action!  In
        other words, this new life in Messiah is an ever constant, ever-growing
        relationship with the Holy One of Isra’el; a demonstration of the miraculous on
        a level that can and should be measured in even the smallest areas of our
        lives.  Trusting faithfulness is ongoing!  It is not some unmoving,
        monumental event which took place sometime in our lives—it is the ongoing
        monumental process that overtakes our lives—for the rest of our lives—which was
        enacted when we first had a genuine encounter with the divine holiness!

         

        Holiness implies dedication and “set-apart-ness.”

         

        To dedicate something is to consecrate it for a set-apart

        function. To be set-apart unto HaShem is the fullest meaning of the word
        dedication. Along with the word “chanukkah,” is the familiar word “kadosh,”
        meaning “holy.” This also conveys the sense of something being “separated” from
        the ordinary, “separated” unto the Holy. If something is not set aside unto the
        holy, then it is not properly set aside. One more word that will help to
        clarify these concepts is the word “shuv,” meaning to “return.” We get the
        Hebrew word “t'shuvah,” meaning “repentance” from this word. Torah-true
        repentance involves turning from that which is unrighteous and returning to
        that which is righteous. Like chanukkah, and kadosh, t'shuvah implies both
        functions.

         

        The Temple represented the seat of HaShem's dwelling with

        mankind. It was here that the “Ah-ron HaKodesh” (Ark of the Covenant) dwelt; it
        was in the Temple that the “Sh'khinah” (manifested Glory of God) resided.
        Therefore it was necessary to consider this place Holy unto God and separated
        for a specific purpose. When the Temple became defiled with pagan influences
        and pagan rituals, it had to be rededicated in order to be considered “clean.”

         

        The New Covenant Scriptures indicate that, as believers in

        Messiah Yeshua, our bodies are now (since the Second Temple has now been
        removed) the Temple of the Holy Spirit of HaShem (the Ruach HaKodesh). We have
        become his dwelling place in the earth today. As his dwelling place, we need to
        keep his “temple” cleansed. How does it become defiled?

         

        When we allow our activities to put us into the kinds of

        situations that the Torah forbids, when we use our temple in ways that are
        unethical, immoral, indecent, unjust, unloving, unkind, and just plain
        unscriptural, we defile his Temple! Lying, cheating, stealing, adultery,
        fornication, deceiving, backbiting, jealousy, quarrelling, lack of self
        control, lack of moral fortitude—these are some of the things that render our
        temple unusable to HaShem, and consequently, these are the things that will
        remove us from being “holy.” Ultimately, these are the types of things that
        will destroy us. How do we rededicate ourselves?

         

        Holiness is not something that we should just “put on and

        off” when it is convenient to us. It is a state that we should be constantly
        existing in! How do we do what HaShem expects us to do? By faithfully trusting
        in his Power and in his Word to work in and through our lives to produce a
        temple that is useable and dedicated. We do what the Torah tells us to do, and
        allow HaShem to make good on his promises that as we are doing what the Torah
        tells us to do, he is reshaping our thoughts and desires to conform to the
        image of his Holy Son. Holiness is not just something that we sit around and “dream”
        about; it is more than a “revelation” or a feeling! It is a call to action!

         

        What I have been discussing here is not some new and modern

        twist on religion. It is the standard that HaShem has expected since the
        creation of man. We in the twenty-first century are geared towards wanting the
        latest and the greatest, but sometimes the “old wine is better.” This year as
        Chanukkah takes place, take a moment to reflect on the reality of “who you are
        in Messiah.” You don’t need to be some hyper-spiritual person to accomplish the
        task of holiness! You are a dedicated, holy temple, set apart from the ordinary
        (the world and its system), and set apart unto a life of praise and obedience
        to God Almighty! This is an identity of preeminence! This is a position of
        honor! And the greatest reality is that this was accomplished, not because you
        or I deserved to be called “holy.” Rather, it was because the Father chose to
        demonstrate his intense love for us by sending his Son to become the means of
        attaining holiness in the first place! Our holiness finds its purpose and
        meaning in the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of our LORD Yeshua!
        His Ruach (Spirit) empowers us to live a life that is pleasing to HaShem, and
        at the same time, gives us the boldness and opportunity to share our testimony
        with those who do not yet know Yeshua personally.

         

        Dedication

        and holiness should not strike you as unattainable character traits that only
        the “super spiritual” should possess. Simply placing your trusting faithfulness
        in Yeshua, and consequently allowing him to have control of your thoughts,
        actions, emotions, and your will, accomplishes the purposes of HaShem. You can
        start today. You should pursue it until the Messiah returns to take you unto
        himself! After all, “chanukkah” is not just for the Jews.

         

        Excursus: Grafted Into Isra'el

         

        Nearly

        1900 years ago, the Apostle Paul (a.k.a. Sha'ul) found himself being challenged
        by the risen Yeshua on a most important mission.  Our LORD chose to
        commission this Pharisaic Jew with an urgent message to the Gentiles:

         

        “However, to

        those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to
        the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work… But if some of the
        branches were broken off, and you - a wild olive - were grafted in among them
        and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't
        boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast,
        remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.”
        (Romans 11:13, 17, 18)

        A

        most wonderful truth is being discussed here.  What does it mean for
        Sha'ul to say that the ‘wild olive tree’ (the Gentiles) is grafted into the
        ‘cultivated olive tree’?  The plain sense of the text should not be easily
        confusing:

         

        • Through
          • the efficacious ministry of the Messiah Yeshua, Gentile believers are
          covenant-bound to ‘Father Abraham’s Olive Tree’—Isra'el—thereby making
          them fellow citizens and full-participants with the Commonwealth of
          Isra'el (Eph. 2), thus granting them the divine privilege of following the
          whole of the Torah.
        • We believe that YHVH has
          • written this very same Torah upon the hearts of those, Jews and Gentiles,
          who have placed their trusting faithfulness in Yeshua (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb.
          8:7-12).
        • We
          • believe that this same Torah is a foundational revelation of the
          righteousness of HaShem and serves as a description (along with the rest
          of the Scriptures) of the lifestyle of the Redeemed Community (James
          1:16-27).
        • Furthermore,
          • ‘grafted in’ bespeaks of our affirmation to our true identity as a
          people—Jew and Gentile—that is securely rooted in the Finished Work of
          Yeshua HaMashiach.

           

          The Righteousness of God

           

          In

          his letter to Rome, Sha'ul wrote in 3:28 that God considers a person righteous
          on the grounds of trusting, which has nothing to do with the Torah (or as in
          KJV “deeds of the Law”).  On the surface this seems problematic for my own
          teachings that consider Torah observance to be of great significance. 
          Yet, the problem here is really more a matter of hermeneutics than of
          theology.  What Sha’ul is really talking about when he employs the Greek
          phrase “ergon nomou,” translated here as “works of Law” is in actuality a
          technical phrase that the Judaisms of Sha’ul’s day employed to speak of the
          halakhah, that is, the proper way in which a Jew is to walk out Torah. 
          Indeed, the prevailing view of the sages of the 1st Century held to
          the common belief that Isra'el and Isra'el alone shared a place in the world to
          come.  Thus, if a non-Jew wished to enter into HaShem’s blessings and
          promises, such a person had to convert to Judaism first.  To be sure, this
          is one of the primary arguments delineated in the letter to the Galatians.

           

          But

          for Sha’ul no such ‘man-made” conversion policy existed in Scripture!

           

          By

          contrast, Sha'ul taught most assuredly that Gentiles were grafted into Isra'el
          the same way that Avraham was counted as righteous by God in B’resheet
          (Genesis) chapter 15: faith in the promised Word of the LORD.  Thus, the
          phrase “works of Law” has a Hebrew counterpart: ma’asei haTorah.  What
          meaneth ma’asei haTorah?  The Dead Sea Scrolls used this phrase as well,
          and since the discovery of those manuscripts we have now come to know that it
          refers to “some of the precepts of the Torah,” as adjudicated by the halakhah
          and by the particular community wielding the most influence.  To be sure,
          the halakhah that teaches Gentile inclusion only by way of conversion (read
          most often as “circumcision” in Galatians) was naturally at odds with the True
          Gospel of Gentile inclusion by faith in Yeshua plus nothing!  If we
          understand that quite often Sha'ul’s use of the term circumcision in Galatians
          is actually shorthand for “the man-made ritual that seeks to turn Gentiles into
          Jews” then the letter begins to make more sense Hebraically and contextually.

           

          With

          this knowledge at hand we are now prepared to better interpret Sha'ul’s pasuk, “a
          person is considered righteous by God on the grounds of trusting which has
          nothing to do with the Torah…” as really saying, “a person is considered
          righteous by God on the grounds of trusting which has nothing to do with the
          conversion policy that seeks to make Gentiles into Jews first!”

           

          Law vs. Grace?

           

          God

          is the God of both Jews and Gentiles!  One need not change his station in
          life before God can accept him.  What is more, the real change that takes
          place in a person’s life is effected by the Ruach HaKodesh when, because of
          Yeshua’s bloody, sacrificial death, the sinner takes on the status of
          righteous!  Man cannot add to that which God perfects.  A conversion
          to Judaism (a.k.a. circumcision), in Sha'ul’s mind, added nothing to those
          wishing to be counted as true Israelites in the Torah Community.  To
          Sha'ul, their genuine faith in the Promised Word of HaShem, as evidenced by the
          genuine working of the Spirit among them, was all the “identity” they would
          ever need!  Once counted as righteous by the Righteous One Himself, all
          the new [Gentile] believer needed to do was begin to walk in that
          righteousness, a walk already described in the pages of the Written Torah, a
          walk formerly impossible due to the deadness of flesh and bondage to sin.

           

          Biblical

          “freedom” is not a license to walk away from Torah!  Biblical “freedom” is
          liberation to walk into Torah and into the righteousness that HaShem envisioned for
          us all along!  Thus, positional righteousness always results in behavioral
          righteousness.  Put plainly, Torah submissiveness is the natural result of
          being set free from sin and set free unto Yeshua!

           

          The

          ages-old “Law vs. Grace” argument is a dead argument.  Truthfully, there
          exists no incongruity between God’s Law and God’s Grace.  The two are
          complimentary.  To be sure, God’s grace is what actually empowers the
          saint to walk into Torah obedience!

           
          Conclusion

           

          Failure

          to continue in genuine trusting faithfulness for either Jew or Gentile
          participants invited God to place them in a position that Sha’ul called “broken
          off.”  In other words, natural branches (Jews) could be broken off because
          of lack of trust, and grafted-in branches (Gentiles) could also be broken off
          due to lack of trust (read Romans chapter 11)!  Far from purporting that
          some “ethnic-driven” halakhah secured one’s place in the ‘olam haba (Age to
          Come), the native born Jew, the convert Jew, and the good old fashioned
          Gentiles all faced the same penalty for remorseless lack of faith: spiritual
          death.

           

          So

          we see that the Torah is the universal document for both peoples and it
          outlines God’s plan for all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles.

           

          The “mystery of

          the Gospel” is that Isra'el is actually comprised of both Jews and
          Gentiles!  To be grafted into the family of God is to join oneself to a
          Jewish Olive Tree without having to succumb to any kind of man-made conversion
          policy whatsoever!  To this end, one becomes submissive to the
          instructions and righteousness of God, and inherits the blessings of God,
          whether he is of Gentile or Jewish stock!

           

          To

          walk in disobedience and lack of trust is to invite God’s punishment and
          withholding of blessing.  To belong to the family is to mentally,
          spiritually, and physically accept the family rules.  To this end, both
          Jews and Gentiles are expected to practice Torah submissiveness within their
          hearts and within their communities.  To submit to God is to desire and
          allow his Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) to continually mold a person’s life into
          the example of the Son of God, who vividly displayed a Torah-obedient and
          submissive life!  This is the responsibility of a believer.

           

          To

          suppose that faith outside of resulting action alone is pleasing to God is to
          misunderstand the valuable lesson explained by Ya’akov.  Such faith is
          barren and of no value to God.  Conversely, to mistakenly replace the
          genuine faith that the Torah teaches with halakhic rules designed to regulate
          one’s identity with God, is to misunderstand Sha’ul’s valuable lesson. 
          Such actions also prove to be displeasing to God and unacceptable as righteous.

           

          “Baruch

          atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam,

          asher

          natan Toraht-emet,

          uv’suraht-yeshu-ah

          l’amo Yisra’el

          ul’chol

          ha-amim al-yadey bano Yeshua HaMashiach, Adoneinu.”

           

          (Blessed are you O’ LORD, our God, King of the

          Universe,

          who gives the Torah of truth,

          and the Good News of salvation to his people Isra’el

          and to all the peoples through his son Yeshua the

          Messiah, our Lord.)

           

           

          Torah

          Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviy [email protected]

           

          ------------

           

          Excursus: Sukkot-Chanukkah Connection

           

          *Ariel’s note:  I cannot recall exactly where I

          obtained this excursus… perhaps another e-friend sent it to me.  However,
          the information contained herein is fascinating.  To be sure, the
          composition is not my own.  I have, nonetheless, decided to attach it as
          an excursus onto the end of my commentary to Chanukkah.  Enjoy.

           

          We've

          all heard the story of Chanukkah about Judah Maccabee and his army liberating
          the temple but finding just the single jar of oil that was only enough to last
          for 1 day, when somehow “miraculously” the oil lasted for 8 days. So where does
          this story come from? And what else do we know about the “Festival of Lights”?

           

          First off, a number of historians believe that the reason

          for the eight-day celebration was that the first Chanukkah was in effect a
          belated celebration of the festival of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. During
          the war the Jews were not able to celebrate Sukkot properly. Sukkot also lasts
          for eight days, and was a holiday in which the lighting of lamps played a
          prominent part during the Second Temple period (Suk.v. 2-4). Lights were also
          kindled in the household, and the popular name of the festival was, therefore,
          according to Josephus. It has been noted that Jewish festivals are connected to
          the harvesting of the Biblical seven fruits, which Israel was famed for. Pesach
          is a celebration of the barley harvest, Shavu’ot of the wheat, Sukkot of the
          figs, dates, pomegranates and grapes, and Chanukkah of the olives. The olive
          harvest is in November and olive oil would be ready in time for Chanukkah in
          December. The origins of Chanukkah are probably even earlier and more basic.
          Three main religions have festivals immediately after the winter solstice: The
          Christian Christmas, the Hindu Diwali and the Jewish Chanukkah are all
          celebrated with lights.

           

          In

          reality, the historical tale of Chanukkah is not nearly so “magical.”  The
          “miraculous” story of the Chanukkah oil, with which we are so familiar, comes
          straight from the Babylonian Talmud (tractate Shabbat, page 21b). It is
          important here to recall that the Babylonian Talmud dates to about 550CE. But
          Chanukkah is mentioned at least two other times in pieces of Jewish holy
          literature that precede the Talmud.

           

          Important

          facts you will need to recall to follow this story:

           

          • Chanukkah
            • begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev.  Kislev is
            toward the beginning of winter.
          • The
            • pilgrimage festival of Sukkot is 8 days long, and is the only one of the
            three pilgrimage festivals that is celebrated for 8 days.
          • The
            • Apocrypha is the set of holy books that were canonized into the Catholic
            Old Testament, but were not canonized into the Hebrew Bible (and therefore
            not into the Protestant Old Testament, which follows the Hebrew Bible).
          • The
            • Book of Antiquities is a book purportedly written by Josephus Flavius, a
            Jew who worked for the Romans as a historian during the time of the
            destruction of the 2nd Jerusalem Temple (73CE). This book was not
            canonized into any Bible, but remains an important source of historical
            information.

             

            OK,

            here we go:

             

            First

            we find reference in the Second Book of Maccabees, which is part of the Apocrypha,
            (chapter 10, verses 1-8) to an event on the 25th of Kislev, in the year 165BCE,
            which sounds extremely familiar:

             

            When Maccabeus and his companions under the leadership

            of God, had recovered the temple and the city, they destroyed the altars erected
            by the Gentiles in the marketplace and the sacred enclosures. After purifying
            the temple, they made a new altar. Then, with fire struck from flint, they
            offered sacrifice for the first time in two years, burned incense, lighted the
            lamps, and set out the holy bread. When they had done this they bowed down and
            begged God that they might never again fall into such misfortunes, and that if
            they should sin at any time, God might chastise them with moderation and not
            hand them over to the blasphemous and barbarous Gentiles. On the anniversary of
            the day on which the temple had been profaned by the Gentiles, that is, the
            25th of the Kislev, the purification of the temple took place.

             

            The

            Book of Maccabees then continues with a description of what happened during
            this “purification” of the temple:

             

            The Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the

            feast of Booths, remembering how, a little while before, they had spent the
            feast of Booths living in caves on the mountains like animals. Carrying rods
            entwined with leaves, green branches, and palms, they sang psalms of grateful
            praise to the one who had brought about the purification of The Holy Place.

             

            Whoa!

            Wait a second! What's this description? There's nothing here about lighting
            menorahs or playing dreydl! Celebrating as on the Feast of Booths? The Feast of
            Booths is the fall pilgrimage festival of Sukkot! Carrying rods with green
            branches and palms? That's a lulav, the most sacred ritual object of Sukkot!
            And psalms of grateful praise? That's Hallel, the set of psalms Jews sing only
            on pilgrimage festivals and on the first day of each month! So what are we
            reading here? The Jews celebrated the re-dedication of the Temple by
            celebrating Sukkot 3 months late! Why? The text tells us, ‘because they were
            stuck living in caves on Sukkot, and couldn't celebrate the holiday properly
            (which would involve sacrifices at the Temple and the whole bit)’. Why was it
            so important to celebrate Sukkot? Well, Sukkot was called “HeChag-The Holiday,”
            probably because it was the holiday when prayers for rain were issued in
            anticipation of the coming rainy season.

             

            The

            section concludes:

             

            By public edict and decree they prescribed that the

            whole Jewish nation should celebrate these days every year.

             

            The

            Book of Maccabees also contains a letter dated forty years later than the
            above, in 125BCE:

             

            The Jews in Jerusalem and in the land of Judea send

            greetings to their brethren, the Jews in Egypt, and wish them true peace!…We
            are writing to remind you to celebrate the feast of Booths in the month of
            Kislev.

             

            The

            second historical reference comes to us from the Book of Josephus-Jewish
            Antiquities, chapter 7 (75 CE):

             

            And so Judah and his fellow citizens celebrated the

            restoration of sacrifices in the temple for eight days, omitting no form of
            pleasure, but feasting on costly and splendid sacrifices. And while honoring
            God with songs of praise, the playing of harps at the same time delighted them.
            So much pleasure did they find in the renewal of their customs and in
            unexpectedly obtaining the right to have their own service after so long a time
            that they made a law that their descendants should celebrate the restoration of
            the temple service for eight days. And from that time to the present we observe
            this festival, which we call the festival of Lights: giving this name to it, I
            think, from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we
            hardly dared hope for it.

             

            Well!

            Now the festival has a name! The “Festival of Lights.” Josephus seems unsure
            where this name originated, but he seems to confirm the story about the 8 days
            of Chanukkah reflecting a celebration Kislev of the renewed opportunity to
            offer the sacrifices of the Sukkot holiday. Josephus' phrase “omitting no form
            of pleasure” is another confirmation that the holiday reflects a pilgrimage
            festival, since “omitting no form of pleasure,” though it sounds somewhat lewd
            to our modern ear, likely refers to the accepted halakhah that on festival
            days, mourning on other somber customs and laws are prohibited.

             

            One

            unsubstantiated editorial note: On the last day of Sukkot, there is a practice
            called Simchat Bet HaShoeva-the Water-Drawing Festival. In ancient times, at
            the end of the last day of Sukkot, water was carried from the storage pools at
            the lowest part of the ancient City of David (the Shiloam pool, if you visited
            Jerusalem) up to the Temple Mount and was poured on the altar as part of the
            prayers for rain. I offer that during the winter, if one were recreating
            Sukkot, it would be dark by the time the Water-Drawing Festival occurred. Those
            who have been to Jerusalem will recall that the City of David lay on a “camelback,”
            the ridge of a hill that leads up to the Temple Mount. This “camelback” can be
            seen from all around. I can just picture a parade from the Shiloam pool up to
            the Temple Mount in the middle of December in the dark, trudging up this
            camelback, guided now by torches.  I could easily envision someone calling
            that “the festival of lights.”

             

            34 min

          About Feast Days - Minor Festivals (Messianic)

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          The Feasts of ADONAI are dress rehearsals of Messianic Redemption. Our LORD Yeshua has literally and prophetically fulfilled the first four of the seven feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23; it is my…