Last night (this should automatically post around 6 am on Thursday) started a most unusual holiday. This is the last one that requires me not to work until April. (Good. Now, I can make some money!) The bible gives us very little clue about this holiday. It’s called the Eighth Day of Assembly (Shmini Atzeret).
Some folks consider it the eighth day of Sukot (the holiday I discussed a week ago). My family never considered that definition correct. We stop eating in Sukah (again, discussed a week ago) as soon as this day began. (Note: The bible says, “It was evening, it was morning”; all “days” begin in the evening.) It’s a new holiday. And, the only requirement that exists for this holiday is that we celebrate life and our religion.
Of course, we also add a special prayer to our service today- Geshem or the Prayer for Rain. It’s the start of the rainy season in Israel, and the prayers ask the Supreme Being to insure that there is sufficient rain afforded for plentiful crops. (On Passover, we substitute this prayer for one of Dew, since the rainy season ends at that time of year.)
It also coincides with another holiday observance called Simchat Tora. (This is a celebration we created.) We normally read from the Tora (the bible), the Five Books of Moses [the first five books of the bible] every week. On this holiday, we have completed the cycle of reading all five books, with its description of the death of Moses- and immediately begin reading from the very first part of the bible, the story of creation.
May this new cycle bring you everything you need- but especially health, happiness, and peace.
