We are ending this holiday season with a big finish! Yesterday was Hoshana Rabba (the 7th day). Today is Shemini Atzeret (the 8th day), and beginning tonight and tomorrow is Simchat Torah. In Israel, the ending is today in which Simchat Torah takes place on Shemini Atzeret.
During the Second Temple Period, the 7th day had grand significance. Hoshana Rabba translates as “Save Us Very Much” and means “Save Now”. The lulavs and etrogs were paraded around the altar 7 times, like the march around Jericho. By the end of the Second temple Period, which coincides with the time of the Gospels, the priests would parade to the Pool of Siloam (Shiloach) with silver pitchers, gather water, and march back to the altar to pour the water along with wine over the altar. This represented prayers for victory, overall wellbeing, rain, and the coming of the Messiah.
According to Rabbinic sources, Isaiah 12:3 was the backdrop for these prayers: “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” It was on this day that Yeshua made His famous statement in John 7:37–38, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let that one come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from their innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” (This is not the first time Yeshua offers living water. He also offered it to the “woman at the well” in John chapter 4).
John tells us in the next verse that the living water is a reference to the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) whom we receive when we embrace Yeshua. After Yeshua made this declaration, the response of the people was one of astonishment and a recognition to a certain degree that he must be the Messiah. But overall, there was confusion because He was not the one they expected!
The next day, the 8th day or Shemini Atzeret, we read that Yeshua identified Himself as the “Light of the World” (John 8:12). At this time, the Temple was lit up and could be seen from all around because giant vats of oil would be placed in various locations and the old garments of the priests would be used as wicks to light up the temple. This day became known over time as the day when we accentuate prayers for rain. It was understood by our ancestors as an additional day that God desired to spend with his people.
It is amazing that Yeshua chose these “man-made” traditional moments to identify himself as the Messiah via “Living Water” and “Light.” Conventional wisdom of the day was that “Living Water” and “Light” represented the presence of God (See Jeremiah 2:13 and Psalm 27:1 for just one example of each). Yeshua was making a very bold statement about Himself!
There is an important lesson here for us. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people complain to us at Beth Messiah and say, “We just want to be Biblical; we are not interested in man-made Jewish traditions.” Well, Yeshua valued these traditions and applied them to His life. He lived within the traditional Jewish world of His day—and naturally valued and identified with these traditions! We live within the traditions of the Jewish people in a normative way and fill them up with Yeshua!
This brings us to the final day of the season, Simchat Torah (Joy of Torah). This day was added by our ancient rabbis who lived approximately 1000 years ago. They decided that this would be a wonderful time of year to end the yearly cycle of Torah readings and begin again. The Torah represents not only the words of Moses, but the presence of God dwelling with us. That is why we march around the sanctuary every week in the Shabbat service with the Torah.
On this day, we do it to the extreme! Almost anyone may hold the Torah Scroll and rejoice in the neverending love of God. We will complete the reading of Deuteronomy, roll the Torah Scroll back to Genesis, and then read the beginning of Genesis—because we never want to come to the end of the Torah! This day brings together the entire journey from Rosh Hashanah to the end of Sukkot, including repentance, restoration, celebration, living water, light, and the Word of God.
We are living in exceedingly challenging and chaotic times that are changing every day. There is much uncertainty in the U.S., Israel, and around the world. The one thing that remains the same and gives us a living hope is the Water, the Light, and the Word of God all manifested in Messiah Yeshua. May we be able to rejoice with the Water, the Light and the Word in a thirsty, dark world that has lost its way.
If that is not enough, we have one more “simcha” (joyous event) this week! On Shabbat, we will begin the yearly reading cycle once again. May it be a new beginning for all of us in 5785! In addition, it is the Bar Avraham of James Cornett. James has been at Beth Messiah his whole life! I remember the day he was born. Now we are going to join the Cornett family in celebrating this wonderful, rich rite of passage. I hope you will join us for these great moments along the journey of life in Messiah! Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Howard
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