Holidays

Shabbat (Shabbos, The Sabbath, The Seventh Day)

The importance of Shabbat — in four parts:

• Part One: Shabbat: Our Hope
• Part Two: What Shabbat Is Not
• Part Three: Preparing for Shabbat
• Part Four: Observing Shabbat

Various Studies:

• Shabbat Shema Israel
• A Shema Secret
• The Shabbat Amida
• Overview of Shabbat

Greetings: Shabbat Shalom, Good Sabbath, Good Shabbos.

Yamim Noraim: The High Holy Days

The Jewish High Holy Days are: Rosh Hashanah, Tzom Gedalia, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah.

The seventh Hebrew month of Tishrei contains the New Year for several purposes. The best known being Yamim Noraim (the Ten Days of Awe), the High Holy Days. During this period we celebrate the main Jewish New Year Day (Rosh Hashanah). Yamim Noraim begins and concludes the Hebrew civil calendar as well as being the new year for the cycle of seasons. Tishrei is an autumn month comprising 30 days, usually occurring in September or October.

During this period one should do serious introspection and repentance in preparation for Yom Kippur. One should especially practice:

• Teshuvah: repentance
• Tefilah: prayer
• Tzedakah: good deeds (usually charity)

The "books" metaphorically kept by HaShem are sealed on Yom Kippur for the following year (II Chronicles 7:14).

Rosh Hashanah

When: Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first and second of Tishrei.

The name means "Head of the Year." Its Biblical names are Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance) and Yom Teruah (the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar).

The observance is instituted in Leviticus 23:23-25.

Various Studies:

• Rosh Hashanah
• Why Adam? and Our Creation

Greetings: L'shanah tovah ("Have a good year") or "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" ("May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.")

Tzom Gedalia — Fast of Gedalia

Tzom Gedaliah is an annual fast day instituted by the Jewish Sages to commemorate the assassination of Gedaliah Ben Achikam, the Governor of Israel during the days of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylonia. The fast is observed on the third of Tishrei, immediately following Rosh Hashanah.

Various Studies:

• The Fast of Gedalia

Yom Kippur — Day of Atonement

When: Tishrei 10

Instituted at Leviticus 23:26.

This is arguably the most important day of the year (excluding Shabbat). One should refrain from all work and all pleasures. One should do a full fast (health permitting), seek forgiveness for wrongs done, concluding the repentance of Yamim Noraim.

Greetings: G'mar Hatimah Tovah — "May You Be Sealed for a Good Year."

Sukkot — Festival of Booths

When: Begins on Tishrei 15

Sukkot was one of the three annual pilgrimages to the Jerusalem Temple (Exodus 34:22). It marks the end of harvest time and thus of the agricultural year in the Land of Israel (Leviticus 23:33).

Various Studies:

• Sukkot: The Festival of Booths
• Sukkot and the B'nei Noach

Greetings: Chag Sameach — joyous festival.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

When: Observed on the 22nd and 23rd day of Tishrei.

This marks the completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of the annual reading cycle (with Bereshit/Genesis 1:1). Two days of celebration with dancing and joy.

Various Studies:

• Sukkot and Simchat Torah for Noahides

Yud-Tes Kislev

When: 19 Kislev

Known as "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism" — because of the yartzeit of Rabbi DovBer, "The Maggid of Mezeritch," disciple and successor to Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov.

Various Studies:

• Yud-Tes Kislev: Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism

Chanukah: Festival of Lights

When: Eight days beginning on Kislev 25

Remembers the re-dedication of the Temple after it was defiled by the Greek Antiochus IV Epiphanes. According to Jewish tradition, there was only enough oil for one day but miraculously lasted eight days.

The Book of John records: "Then came Chanukah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo's Colonnade." (John 10:22-23)

Various Studies:

• Ana beKo'ach for Chanukah
• Chanukah: The Jewish Festival of Lights
• Chanukah and the Noahidim

Asarah B'Tevet

When: The tenth of Tevet

On Asarah B'Tevet, the armies of Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem (425 BCE). Religious Jews refrain from all food and drink from daybreak to nightfall.

Tu B'Shevat

When: Shevat 15

Instituted at Leviticus 19:23. The "new year" for calculating the age of trees.

Purim

When: Adar 14-15

Instituted at Esther 9:20-21. Purim is the Festival of Lots

Purim remembers the defeat of a plot to exterminate the Jews of Persia (modern Iran). It has been called the Jewish Halloween due to the costumes, public celebrations, and festivities.

Things to Ponder: Purim Katan, Ta'anit, Fast of Esther, Purim and Shushan, Purim Spiels.

Various Studies:

• The Feast of Purim
• The Magilla of Esther
• A Purim Dream

Pesach (Passover), Feast of Unleavened Bread

When: 8 days beginning on Abib/Nisan 15 (sunset 14th)

"Why is this night different from all other nights?" Instituted at Exodus 12:14. Celebrates the Exodus from Egypt.

During Pesach all chametz (leaven) is removed from the home. Ashkenazi Orthodox Jews also avoid rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes (kitniyot).

Various Studies:

• "A Pesach Tale" — Fun video reenactment by Rabbi Shlomo and friends

Greetings: Chag Sameach — joyous festival.

Counting the Omer

When: Connects Pesach to Shavu'ot

The Torah commands counting the days from Pesach to Shavu'ot. This period is known as the Counting of the Omer. Traditions of partial mourning apply — weddings, haircuts, and celebrations are forbidden during the count.

Various Studies:

• What is an Omer and Why Do We Keep Counting it?
• Sefirat HaOmer
• Lag B'Omer
• Tikkun HaKlali: The Universal Remedy

Lag B'Omer

When: 33rd day of the Omer count

Lag B'Omer connects Pesach to Shavu'ot. On this day the mourning rules are suspended for a single day of joy and the remembrance of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi).

Various Studies:

• What is an Omer?
• Sefirat HaOmer
• Lag B'Omer

Shavu'ot — Pentecost

When: Conclusion of 49 days from Pesach

Also called the Festival of Weeks or Hag Matan Torateinu (Festival of the Giving of Torah). It is an ancient tradition to stay up all night on the first night of Shavu'ot for Torah study. Dairy meals are part of the traditional observance.

Various Studies:

• Shavu'ot: the Giving of the Torah
• The Shavuot All-Nighter
• Derech Noahide And Shavuot

Greetings: Chag Sameach.

The Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av

When: Av 9, for 25 hours

A day for remembering major Israelite tragedies. Tisha B'Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples (both destroyed on the ninth of Av). From the first to the ninth of Av, tradition says to refrain from eating meat or drinking wine (except on Shabbat) and from wearing new clothing.

Various Studies:

• Baseless Hate: The Story of Tisha B'Av
• The Events of Tisha Ba'av

Tu B'Av — the fifteenth of Av

When: Av 15

According to the Mishna, Tu B'Av was a joyous holiday marking the beginning of the grape harvest. Unmarried girls of Jerusalem dressed in white garments and danced in the vineyards. Josephus refers to it as the Feast of Xylophory ("Wood-bearing").

Elul — The Month When G-d Walks Among Us

When: The entire month (August-September)

Jewish Tradition reserves the month of Elul for preparation for the High Holy Days. It is said that during this month HaShem walks among us looking for souls to forgive and restore. Elul is the month of teshuvah or repentance.

The shofar is sounded each day of Elul.

Various Studies:

• Teshuvah: Repentance
• An Odd Dream For Elul!
• The Month of Elul

Rosh Chodesh — "Head of the Month"

When: Monthly on the sighting of the New Moon

Rosh Chodesh marks the first day of any new month. In biblical times this was a significant holiday. Today observance mainly consists of slight changes in the daily prayer recitations.

Some Jewish women still take the day off in memory of their refusal to participate in the incident of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:2).