Wednesday, September 24, 2025
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
A fence
Slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life
to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins,
and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”
Happy New Year! So many Jewish holidays are upon us as we enter the autumn season, one after the other.
Rosh Hashanah (which means “Feast of Trumpets”), celebrated September 22-24, 2065 commemorates the creation of the world and God’s judgment. We are asked to look within ourselves and turn away from the sins of the last year. When we hear the sound of the shofar, it’s a wake-up call.
On the afternoon of the first day, find a natural body of water and cast off your sins (tashlich). Use bread crumbs to represent the sins, or even get in the water yourself, which is actually a ritual a thousand years older than tashlich called a mikvah. Also do no work, eat no black or bitter foods. And I especially appreciate the “Ten Days of Awe,” which culminate in the next holiday.
Yom Kippur (October 1-2, 2025) begins on the evening of the tenth day of “awe.” This is the holiest day of the year in Judaism, the Day of Atonement marked by a 25 hour fast in memory of Moses receiving the second set of Ten Commandments and announcing God’s forgiveness, following the Israelites’ building and worshiping of the golden calf.
That year in the desert the people built the tabernacle, God’s portable home, according to specific architectural instructions given to Moses. Yesterday we read about the tabernacle’s mixed history as a place of worship and purification. Not every Israelite listened closely to Yahweh. After Solomon’s and then Ezra’s temple replaced the tabernacle, Jews from all over the world gathered at the temple to experience the sight of the High Priest performing the required sacrifices, thus obtaining forgiveness for all of Israel. After the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. the Yom Kippur service continued in synagogues and communities, and in temples of the hearts of the faithful.
Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths, celebrated this year from October 6-13, commemorates the forty years when the Israelites had no permanent homes. It also represents freedom within the shekinah glory of God, an understanding that finds its roots in the celebration of Ezra and the Israelites when the rediscovered Torah was read to them as the Second Temple was completed.
When the people of Israel dwell in Jerusalem across from the Temple, when they occupy themselves with the Torah and accept it upon themselves anew – as they had done at Mount Sinai – the Shekhina rests around them and upon them. At that time, dwelling in the sukka serves as a reminder of the clouds of glory that were in the wilderness, of the Shekhina that rested upon Israel during their journeys in the wilderness.
In a few weeks Hannukah will arrive, and because its timing associates it with Christmas, we think of it as a major holiday for the Jewish nation. However, no fasts or other obligations attend these eight days and nights, and compared to the Day of Atonement in Yom Kippur or Passover, Hannukah becomes more a time for parties and fun. Light the candles of the menorah – one more each day – sing the songs, play the games, and eat great food.
And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;
thus our God has brightened our eyes
and given us relief in our servitude.
As his people returned from Babylon, Ezra the scribe and priest fell flat on the ground repenting of his people’s inability to follow God faithfully. Ezra’s story as told by Jewish historians fascinates me. His commitment to faithfulness from childhood to old age resulted in many accomplishments and a recommitment by the people to celebrate Sukkot and honor the weekly Shabbat. He is the author of the book of Ezra, but also the book of Malachi and much of the book of Chronicles. “It is due to his diligence that Torah scrolls have remained invariably and remarkably accurate until today.” The “fence” God granted his people has stood strong.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
   and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
   and exalt the King of ages.
(Ezra 9, Tobit 13, Mark 1, Luke 9)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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