Newsletter: The Shelter of Faith: the Feast of Tabernacles plus a FREE GIFT - JesusBoat.com

Sukkot: The Shelter of Faith Walk through any community in Israel this evening and you will be surrounded by by children playing and families greeting each other under shelters constructed from fabric and foliage. It is the festival of Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles.This celebratory occasion comes on the heels of the period of self-analysis from Rosh HaShanah to Yom Kippur known as the Yamim Nora’im (“Days of Awe”). At Sukkot, meaning ‘booths’ in Hebrew, families gather together to build a sukkah (booth) and decorate it often with handmade decorations. It is a wonderful activity to do with the kids. Community sukkot are also built at schools, kindergartens and day cares for the children to take their meals in for the duration of the holiday. Sukkot is one of the pilgrimage festivals, the only one that takes place in autumn. In Israel, it is a glorious time of year to be out in our temporary shelters meeting, eating, singing and sleeping. The holiday originated as an agricultural feast, centered on rejoicing in the bountiful harvest from the Lord as commanded in Deuteronomy 16:13-17: “For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” (verse 16) One of the important aspects of Sukkot is the commandment to rejoice: “Be joyful at your Feast” (Deut.16:14). This is a reminder to thank the Lord for his provision. Originally, Sukkot had strong ties to the land and was thus a feast to celebrate the harvest. Today, in our rich and plentiful society, the agricultural ties can have less literal meaning. Sukkot is a time to reflect upon and thank the Lord for our own “harvest,” both literally, for the food we have, and also spiritually, for the metaphysical provision from God. The temporary shelters made during Sukkot are a homage to the temporary dwellings of the Israelites in the desert after their escape from Egypt. In a similar vein to Pesach, another pilgrimage festival, Sukkot is a time to recall the Lord’s providing for and protecting His people. This has a special significance as the festival evokes gratitude and also brings to mind the times when the Lord has rescued His people from adversity. When you are removed from the safety of your home and relocated to the insubstantial sukkah, you turn towards the Lord’s strength as the Lord dwells with those who believe in Him. Therefore, Sukkot is time of reflection and celebration upon the gift of God’s dwelling with us, His faithful. We give thanks for God’s presence with us. Sukkot presents an opportunity as a time for retrospective pondering to the Biblical roots of the festival. But it is also be a time of looking forward to our ultimate redemption. Therefore, at the pilgrimage festival of Sukkot, it is important to rejoice, as we are commanded. We rejoice in God’s provision and protection. And we rejoice in all that is to come. The Four Species: The Four Species are comprised of three types of branches and one type of fruit. They are held together and waved in a special ceremony throughout Sukkot. The waving of the four plants is a mitvah prescribed in Leviticus23:40. One interpretation of the Four Species explains what while individuals express and perform their service to our Lord differently, that we are still unified in our love of God. The Etrog (citron) has both a pleasant taste and smell. It represents those who are both knowledgeable in the Torah and proficient in the observance of mitzvot (good deeds commanded by God). The Lulav is the branch (date palm), has tasty fruit, but has no scent. It represents those who are knowledgeable in the Torah, but not as accomplished in the mitzvot. The hadas (myrtle branch) is tasteless but is aromatic. It represents lac k of knowledge in the Torah, but diligently observant in the mitzvot. The aravah (willow branch) is both tasteless and scentless. It represents those who have neither knowledge in the Torah nor strong observance on the mitzvot. But who, nevertheless, does have faith in God. We bind all of these plants together, just as all faithful are bound together n God’s love no matter their “taste” or “scent.” And when bound together and shaken they are all blended together, each supporting another as one. The Four Species: lulav (date palm) aravah (willow) hadas (myrtle) etrog (citron) FREE GIFT! As a token of our appreciation we're offering this gorgeous keychain that will show off your Judaic roots for all orders over $30.00 Special for the duration of Sukkot (October 11, 2017) Click to Shop Now!

New Arrivals! Plush Sitting Bears If you want something special to always remember Israel, this plush bear would be ideal. Weighted on the bottom with beans so he will always sit. Wouldn't he look so adorable sitting on the edge of a desk or shelf? View Collection >> New Scents of Bible Land Treasures Anointing Oils Large bottle of quality oil at a great price. Manufactured on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, this is our best selling anointing oil. 7 new scents! View Collection >> Ultra-cool Keter Hats Keter hats are a premier Israeli hat brand. Worn by Israeli pop music artists, these hats are bold and hip, but always with a message View Collection >>

Copyright © 2017 Nana Gifts, All rights reserved.

The Photogenic Sukkot Festival -- 100+ Years Ago. Another Mystery Photo

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

---

The Photogenic Sukkot Festival -- 100+ Years Ago. Another Mystery Photo Posted: 24 Sep 2015  The Jewish festival of Sukkot is called by several names: the Harvest festival, the Joyous festival, and the festival of Booths.  Jewish families construct temporary huts -- Sukkot -- where they eat and some even sleep for the week-long holiday.  Jews traditionally pray during the holiday while holding a citron fruit and branches of myrtle, palm and willow branches -- called the lulav and etrog.  Jews sitting in their Samarkand Sukka (circa 1870, Library of Congress). More on Samarkand Jewry here. Bukharan family in their Jerusalem sukka (circa 1900). Note the man on the right holding the citron and palm branch (Library of Congress collection).  Compare this sukka to one photographed in Samarkand 30 years earlier And Now the Mystery Picture -- The Occasion for this Photo We recently found this photograph of Australian soldiers at the Western Wall in an Australian library archives and posted it on this site. The men fought in World War I in Palestine in 1917-1918. Australian soldiers at the Western Wall, picture taken by "R. F. Ingham, 1st L."  (Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Australia) What was going on at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City? The reason for the kittel We went back and inspected the photo closely.       The shadows suggest it was photographed around noon. Several men appear to be wearing white caftans, called a kittel, normally worn on Yom Kippur. But if the day were Yom Kippur, where were the throngs of worshippers? Another section of the picture may provide the answer.  It suggests the day was actually the seventh day of Sukkot, a day called Hoshana Rabba, when some men have a custom to wear akittel. The hour was well beyond the traditional morning prayer period so the crowd was sparse.     The lulav and etrog The woman conversing with the Australian soldier may be holding a lulav (between her left shoulder and knee); the soldier may be holding the etrog. Sukkot 1918 would have been a holiday for everyone in the picture: The Jews were liberated from the oppressive Turks, and the Australians Light Horsemen were on their way home after hard-fought battles in the Sinai, Beer Sheba, and east of the Jordan River.   The date: September 27, 1918.

lulav, etrog,