A brief note about this period of Jewish Holidays.
The High Holidays are two different holidays, separated over the course of 10 days. The first is Rosh Hashanah, a two-day celebration of the Jewish New Year*. Eight days after that, we have the most sacred one, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah starts on the night of Wednesday September 24 this year, and Yom Kippur starts Friday night October 3.
The greeting “L’Shana Tovah” means “"May you be inscribed and sealed (in the book of life) for a good year." Often is added in English “a peaceful and healthy”.
The phrase about the “Book of Life” comes from a prayer said
on both Holy Days is about life and death. Part of it reads: "On Rosh
HaShanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed, how many will leave
this world and how many will be born into it, who will live and who will die...
But penitence, prayer and good deeds can annul the severity of the decree."
Sukkot is the ancient festival of giving thanks for the fall
harvest starts five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot lasts for seven days.
It also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the
giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai, and is marked by several distinct
traditions. One, which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally, is
to erect a sukkah, a small, temporary booth or hut. Sukkot (in this case, the
plural of sukkah) are commonly used during the seven-day festival for eating,
entertaining and even for sleeping.
Sukkot is followed immediately by a Biblical Jewish holiday Shemini Atzeret, meaning "the
eighth day of assembly," and marks the beginning of the rainy season
following the harvest in Israel. The next day Simchat Torah celebrates the completion of the
annual reading of the Torah.
On Monday this blog should return to its usual format.
However I would hope that at any time in the future that members of other religions
or ethnic groups would contact me to post information about traditions, worship
and customs. Until we are knowledgeable about each other we cannot avoid
bigotry and even violence.
*Many Reformed Jews only celebrate the first day of Rosh HaShanah
*Many Reformed Jews only celebrate the first day of Rosh HaShanah
L'shana Tova Doc!
ReplyDeleteHi Doc. I remember seeing a special on the PBS channel about a man who had studied all the great religions. What he found is every great religion had the same fundamentals. Even more interesting -- all had similar great events in the religious history.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was raised Methodist -- at this point in my life I believe the different religions are permutations of the same basic ideas - love being the most important.
Like fashion, food, culture and style. We all have it, just different. Difference makes life interesting and beautiful!
I believe when people fight over "religious differences" -- it's really about power, and they are using religion as an excuse.