Holy Day Rituals in tbe Second Holy Temple

ArLhur L llnkle

Pieface
In delving into instances oI shoIar occurrences, we have
discovered rich panoply oI rites perIormed Ior the holidays
celebrated in the Holy Temple. This article will describe some oI
these rituals that, heretoIore, may have been hidden.
With this knowledge, we can achieve a better understanding oI the
sacriIicial cult, the place oI prayer and ritual.
Speak to the children oI Israel, that they bring me an oIIering: oI
every man that gives it willingly with his heart ye shall take my oIIering. And this is the oIIering
which you shall take oI them; gold and silver and brass... (Exodus 25, 2-3).
This teaches that the Holy One showed three oIIerings: one oI tabernacle, one oI the First
Temple, and one oI the Second Temple, as it says: gold, silver and brass.
Gold - to reIlect the Tabernacle that Moshe made, which was beloved by the Holy One Blessed
be He as gold.
Silver - this is the First Temple that Solomon built oI which it is written: silver was not valued at
the days oI Solomon at all (Chronicles 9).
Brass - this is the Second Temple that was missing Iive things: the Ark, the Ark-cover,
Cherubim, (heavenly) Fire and Holy Spirit.
Descriptions do not generally include the abattoir oI sacriIices which the Temple had become
due to the method oI worship during that particular time period.
This contribution is dedicated to my wiIe, Linda oI 50 years, my children Andrew and Daniel
and my grand-children Julia and Joshua as well as to my daughter-in-law, Heather.
Inspiring me to articulate this history were my mentor Rabbi Jack Pianko, zt`l; Rabbi Seymour
Rosenbloom; and Rabbi Eric Wisnia.





1able of ConLenLs
reface 1
8osh Pashanah 4
Crlgln name and uaLe 3
1he new Moons 6
Soundlng of Lhe Shofar or 1rumpeL? 7
lurLher Confuslon 9
1he Moon of Lhe SevenLh MonLh 10
1he Mlshnah 8eglnnlng of 8epenLance 1heme 10
1he 1almud Llfe or ueaLh 10
Compromlse on Lhe Shofar noLes 1
?om klppur Lrror! 8ookmark not def|ned
Feast oI the Harvest (Sukkot) 14
WaLer LlbaLlon Ceremony 14
8ole of Lhe 1rumpeL (Shofar) 16
WaLer Speclal Slgnlflcance 18
AravoL (Wlllow 8ranch) Ceremony 19
1ranslLlon of WaLer Wlllow uance Lo Poshana 8abba
1he Crder of Lhe Poshana 8abba Servlce
assover 3
leasL of Weeks (ShavuoL) 8
1he Seven Specles of Lhe Land of lsrael 8
Pow Are Lhe llrsLfrulLs SeparaLed? 0
1he llgrlms Make 1helr Way Lo !erusalem 0
ln Lhe ClLy of Lhe Assembly Pead 1
1he Approach Lo !erusalem
8rlnglng Lhe llrsLfrulLs Lo Lhe 1emple
uecoraLlng Lhe 8askeLs


1he 8lch and oor of lsrael Clve 1hanks 1ogeLher
1he llrsLfrulLs are 8roughL CpposlLe Lhe LnLrance Lo Lhe SancLuary 4
8eclLlng Lhe 8lbllcal assages CuL Loud 4
Wavlng Lhe llrsLfrulLs 3
SeLLlng Lhe llrsLfrulLs uown 3
1he 1wln Loaves 6
reparlng WheaL for Lhe 1wln Loaves1he rocedure of 8ubblng and 8eaLlng 6
1rumpeLs lluLe and Song as Lhe 1wln Loaves Are 8roughL 8
Wavlng Lhe lesLlval Sheep Cfferlng 8efore Cd 8
1he rlesLs arLake of Lhe 1wln Loaves WlLhln Lhe SancLlfled Area 8
ShavuoL enLecosL 41
ShavuoL ln 1emple 1lmes 41
Why a 8read Cfferlng? 41
Chag PakaLslr 1he ParvesL lesLlval 4
llrsL lrulLs Ceremony aL Lhe 1emple 4
Ceremony of 8lkkurlm 4
1he Lxodus AccounL 43
nehemlahs ?om 1eruah 47
A Second 1emple WlLness 48
1he PlsLorlcal undersLandlng Cf enLecosL (ShavuoL) 48
ShavuoL and Shofars 49
Shofar 31
1he Porns of Lhe AlLar 31
1he WoodlesLlval Cf 1he rlesLs And Cf 1he eople 34






4




Boly Bay Rituals in the Seconu Boly Temple
Rosh Bashanah

In Leviticus, the Iirst day oI the seventh month is described as Iollows:
In the seventh month on the Iirst day oI the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred
occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall
bring an oIIering by Iire to the Lord (Leviticus 23:24-25).
In Numbers, we read:
In the seventh month, on the Iirst day oI the month, you shall observe
a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations.. You
shall observe it as a day when the horn is sounded. You shall present a
burnt oIIering oI pleasing odor to the Lord (Numbers 29:1-2).
The sacred number seven` is critical. Just as the seventh day oI the week is holy, so the seventh
month oI the year has special signiIicance. This special sacredness is commemorated by the
sounding oI the shoIar, the ram's horn.
Aside Irom sacriIice, this is the only speciIic action mandated Ior this day in the Torah. Sounding
the shoIar is mentioned in both sets oI verses, although no explanation or reason is oIIered.
Taken together, the three elements oI these verses--the lack oI a name Ior the holiday, oI a reason
Ior the celebration, and oI an explanation Ior sounding the shoIar--pose a puzzle Ior us: why
doesn't the Torah describe or emphasize this holy day any Iurther?
Although the Bible had not yet conIerred a title on Rosh Hashanah (literally, the beginning or
head oI the year), and although it had not yet connected that holiday to Yom Kippur, it is
nonetheless conceivable that the Iirst oI Tishre was thought oI, even in early times, as a time oI
"cosmic judgment. . . when the destiny oI the world was Iixed."
Why, then, this reticence on the part oI the Torah to ascribe all these meanings more explicitly to
"the Iirst day oI the seventh month"? Perhaps the pagan connotations oI this day were still too
strong. AIter all, the Babylonian celebration centered upon struggles between gods and demons
Ior dominance and was characterized by the use oI magic and incantations. Nothing oI paganism
remains, however, in the psalms. Mosaic monotheism had already transIormed this day
3

completely into the prototype oI Rosh Hashanah as we now know it. II these psalms were indeed
intended Ior recitation on the Iirst oI the seventh month, then even at this early date the Israelite
New Year Iestival celebrated the Lord as the sole creator oI the world, and as the righteous judge
who dispenses justice Ior all humankind.
The Iirst day oI the seventh month is mentioned in the Book oI Nehemiah as a holy day upon
which an important event took place in the year 444 BCE:
When the seventh month arrived, the entire people assembled in the square beIore the Temple
Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll oI the Teaching oI Moses with
which the Lord had charged Israel. On the Iirst day oI the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought
the Teaching beIore the congregation, men and women and all who could listen with
understanding. He read Irom it, Iacing the square beIore the Water Gate, Irom the Iirst light until
midday... (Nehemiah 8:1-3).
At this impressive gathering, the people oI Israel renewed their covenant with God and accepted
the Torah as their basic law. The people wept when they realized how Iar they had strayed Irom
the teachings that were in the Torah. But they were admonished not to mourn because "this day
is holy to the Lord your God" (Nehemiah 8:9). The holiness oI the Iirst day oI the seventh
month--made plain in this biblical narrative--may constitutes the reason that it was chosen Ior
this ceremony oI reading and accepting the Law. At the same time, the Bible does not describe
any speciIic New Year customs observed on that day.
OI greatest import, however, is the inIormation given in the Mishnah about the role oI judgment
on the Iirst oI Tishre, is designated as "Rosh Hashanah:" It is also the day oI Yom Terua` the
day oI the ShoIar blast.
Indeed, it is the beginning oI the religious year and the penitential season:

"The Lord looks down Irom heaven, He sees all mankind. From His
dwelling place He gazes on all the inhabitants oI the earth, He who
Iashions the hearts oI them all, who discerns all their doings" (Psalms
33:13-15) (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1.2).

Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer Entering the High Holy Days. Reprinted with permission Irom the
Jewish Publication Society,
^igin, Name and Date
In ancient times, there were Iour years in the Hebrew calendar: Religious, Coronation; GiIts and
Trees.
6

"On the Iirst day oI the seventh month you are to have a day oI rest, a sacred assembly
commemorated with trumpet blasts" (Leviticus 24:25).
It is likely that the New Year was celebrated Irom the earliest times in some special way. The
term rosh HaShanah Iirst Ezekiel 40:1 in general reIerence to the "beginning oI the year." The
Book oI Leviticus commands that "the trumpet (shall be) sounded everywhere on the tenth day
oI the seventh month" (Lev 25:9). The Iirst day oI the seventh month is set aside as a special day
in Lev 23:23-25: "On the Iirst day oI the seventh month you are to have a day oI rest, a sacred
assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an oIIering made
to the Lord by Iire." The Day oI Atonement, meanwhile was speciIied to Iollow on the tenth oI
the same month. Thus, although Rosh Hashanah may not yet have been expressly called New-
Year's Day, it was evidently already regarded as such by the Jews.
Philo oI Alexandria, in his treatise on the Iestivals, calls Rosh Hashanah both the Iestival oI the
sacred moon and Ieast oI the trumpets ("De Septennario," 22). The Mishnah contains the Iirst
known reIerence to the holiday as a "day oI judgment." It says: "Four times in the year the world
is judged
The zodiac sign associated with the month oI Fishery is a set oI scales, thought to indicate the
scales oI judgment. The taking oI an annual inventory oI accounts on Rosh Hashanah is adduced
by Rabbi Nahman ben Isaac Irom the passage in Deut. 11:12 which says that the care oI God is
directed Irom "the beginning oI the year even unto the end oI the year."
The New Noons
Edersheim cites the importance oI new moons in an agricultural and shepherd society. Indeed,
the Temple oIIicials sanctiIied the appearance oI new moon; played their trumpets and sacriIiced
an extra oIIering.

It was also a popular Ieast, when Iamilies, like that oI David, might celebrate their special annual
sacriIice (1 Sam 20:6,29); when the king gave a state-banquet (1 Sam 20:5,24); and those who
sought Ior instruction and ediIication resorted to religious meetings, such as Elisha seems to have
held (2 Kings 4:23).Indeed, in Scripture, there is a special Psalm Ior the New Moon (in Tishri)
(Ps. 81:3).
The Determination oI the New Moon
To determine whether a new moon had appeared, the Rabbi`s convened a tribunal to ask
witnesses iI they observed a new moon. So important was it deemed to have IaithIul witnesses,
that they were even allowed, in order to reach Jerusalem in time, to travel on the Sabbath, and, iI
necessary, to make use oI horse or mule (Mishnah: Rosh Hashana 1:9(3)
7

While strict rules determined who were not to be admitted as witnesses, every encouragement
was given to trustworthy persons, and the Sanhedrim provided Ior them a banquet in a large
building specially destined Ior that purpose, and known as the Beth Yaazek.
The Blowing oI Trumpets
Two things are enjoined in the observance oI the 'New Moon' 'blowing oI trumpets' (Num.
10:10) and special Iestive sacriIices (Num. 28:11-15).

Indeed, the New Year was also called the Yom Terua (Day oI the Blowing). In Rosh Hashanah.
There is one indication in the Shulchan Aruch in R. Isserles` gloss that the shoIar was plated in
the Temple, when a gloss to 588:3 indicated that one blew the shoIar and one blew the trumpet.
In 583:5 there is also an indication that both the shoIar and the trumpets were played on
Holidays and Shabbat. In Rosh Hashanah 33b, the sages indicated that shoIars were played as the
honor guard to the trumpet. In other words, the ordinary was two trumpets and one shoIar, on
Rosh Hashsanh, there were two shoIars and one trumpet.
Sounuing of the Shofai oi Tiumpet.
II we believe archeological Iindings, the Irieze on the Arch oI Titus in Rome, depicts the
captured hatzotzerot (trumpets) Irom the Jewish Second Temple being borne in triumph among
the other sacred objects. Further, we see the symbol oI the ShoIar as a symbol oI Judaism in the
archeological record (Capernaum synagogue - 1st century CE; Ephesus 2-3rd centuries; Rome
2-5th centuries; etc.) in the early centuries oI the Common Era.

Ambiguity of Woius

There are, nevertheless, several ambiguities in whether the written words a trumpet and a ShoIar.
A case in point are the Hebrew words 'Keren (Horn) and 'Jubal (Jubilee)

The word ShoIar` comes Irom an old Semitic root (cI. Akkadian sapparum' meaning wild sheep
or goat). At Iirst, as has been indicated, the word karen` does not seem to have been used by
itselI. Later through the explanation oI the Mishnah c 200CE), a horn could become a ShoIar iI it
were constructed according to Mishnaic and later Talmudic direction.

The hatzotzerot, in contrast, seem to have been interchanged with the ShoIar. In Tractate Rosh
Hashanah, when it termed when 'duty days' were taken in turns, the ShoIar and trumpets played
the same calls.

ConIusion by PerIorming the Same or Similar Tasks

The Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 54 provides a description oI the priests lowering trumpets
during pauses in the Levitical singing in the Second Temple, signaling to worshippers to
prostrate themselves.
8


Further there is a curious reIerence in I Chron. 5:13 instructing the trumpeters and singers being
'as one, to make one sound.` It bespeaks the possibility that the trumpets played a sustained note
over which the singers chanted as opposed to the trumpets and singers having separate parts.
Moreover, one oI the common words Ior 'IanIare' is 'teruah meaning 'a shout'. Accordingly, this
IanIare could be described to have been the imitation oI a shout. Sometimes this ambiguity
between a vocal or instrumental meaning is diIIicult. A case in point is the Iamous passage in the
Vulgate edition (OIIicial early church version oI the Holy Scriptures) oI Joshua 5, where the
priests were to blow the ShoIars, while the peoples shouted: and it came to pass, when the people
heard the sound (kol`) oI the ShoIar the peoples shouted with a great shout (teruah) so that the
wall Iell down Ilat.`

The Vulgate cannot be blamed Ior glossing because , by this time, there was a lack oI distinction
between the ShoIar and trumpet.

Bistoiy of the 0ses of the Tiumpet anu Shofai Reveise Roles

1he marshallng slgnals are descrlbed ln numbers 10 Lhough ln war Lhe Shofar seems Lo have been Lhe
slgnallng lnsLrumenL par excellence All Lhese funcLlons and Lhelr calls seem laLer Lo have been approprlaLed
by Lhe Shofars 1he encyclopedlc salm 130 for example makes no
menLlon of Lhe LrumpeL Cnly laLely (ln Lhe lasL cenLury or so 8C) do LrumpeLs appear Lo come back lnLo Lhelr
former favor buL due Lo Creco 8oman lnfluence Lhelr use ls prlmarlly mlllLary lndeed Lhe roles of Lhe Lwo
lnsLrumenLs seem Lo have become reversed Lhe 1almud says whaL was called a LrumpeL has become a Shofar
and whaL was called a Shofar has become a LrumpeL (8ab 1almud ShabbaL 6a also SukkoLh 4a and 8osh
PaShanah 6a 1argum verslon of Posea 38) A passage ln Lhe Mlshnah (ClLLln 6) lndlcaLes much Lhe same
Lhlng ln saylng LhaL a LrumpeL can be made of anlmal horn So Lhe Shofar evenLually Look on Lhe ceremonlal
funcLlon orlglnally performed by Lhe LrumpeL

This conIusion oI usage makes the task oI reconstructing the trumpet and ShoIar calls simpler rather
than the reverse, Ior the instruments and their traditional signals may be treated summarily. Since the
ShoIar calls themselves are the subject oI some diIIerences in our own times and were disputed in
Talmudic times.

The ShoIar had speciIications according to the Mishnah. For example, it could not have holes; it could
be not be valid iI there was a split in the horn. The horn should be Irom a preIerably kosher animal but
never a cow (reminding one oI the worship oI the Golden CalI during Moses` journey to receive the
Ten Commandments Ior the Iirst time.) It should be sounded Irom the small end oI the horn. Horns
could not be placed inside other horns; and there were restrictions as to decorations on the ShoIar
itselI. (See Rosh HaShanah Mishnah and Talmud)
9

Further it is not clear whether the ShoIar was used originally Ior ritual (as Leviticus 25 suggests)
or Ior war purposes (Joshua 6). We do know, however, that Tractate Shabbat 35b provides that
the ShoIar sounded six times to prepare Ior the Sabbath.
Eventually, aIter the destruction oI the second Temple, the ShoIar was identiIied with Rosh
HaShanah (the beginning oI the religious year, sometimes known as Yom Teruah (Day oI the
blast) or Chag HaShoIorot (the ShoIar Iestival).

In addition, no minor authority, Cyrus Adler, indicated that cornet (a type oI trumpet) and ShoIar
were used interchangeably.
uithei Confusion

In 'Sound The ShoIar - "Ba-Kesse" Psalm 81:4, Solomon B . FreehoI, a proIessor at Hebrew
Union College, Iollows the strange history oI translation. The preponderance oI traditional
(Jewish) commentators agree on one translation oI it and all the non-traditional commentators
(non-Jewish) unanimously agree on another. One partial exception to this strange lineup is Rashi
(11
th
century commentator), who translates "Ba-Kesse" as here` and in Proverbs 7:20 as the
special day,` or the appointed day.` But he, too, in his commentary to Rosh Hashanah 8a-b,
agrees with all the traditional commentators, beginning with the Talmud and the Midrash,
Leviticus Rabba 29:6, taking the word to be a synonym oI the word "Chodesh" in the Iirst part oI
the sentence, meaning: The New Moon.

However, the non-traditional commentators oI the 19th century, Wellhausen in Proverbs, Duhm
in Psalms, and Briggs and Toy in the International Critical Commentary, and our modern English
translation, all agree to translate the word "Kesse" not as "New Moon" but as Full Moon.

Accordingly, the evidence seems to be on the side oI the traditional commentators who
legitimized the appearance oI the New Moon in the Seventh month as the Rosh HaShanah
(Beginning oI the Religious New Year)

See ReIerences: Cyrus Adler, The ShoIar - It's Use and Origin Published in 1893, Government
Printing OIIice (Washington) , pp 287-311; Solomon B. FreehoI, 'Sound the ShoIar: Ba-Kesse`
Psalm 81:4, The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 64, No. 3 (Jan., 1974), pp. 225-228,
University oI Pennsylvania Press; Sidney B. Hoenig, 'Origins oI the Rosh Hashanah
Liturgy.The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 57, The Seventy-FiIth Anniversary
Volume oI the Jewish Quarterly Review (1967), pp. 312-331, University oI Pennsylvania Press;
David Wulstan, 'The Sounding oI the ShoIar, The Galpin Society Journal, Vol. 26 (May, 1973),
pp. 29-46, London: Galpin Society.


The Saciifices of the New Noon
Besides the 'blowing oI trumpets,' certain Iestive sacriIices were ordered to be oIIered on the
New Moon (Num. 28:11-15).
10

The Noon of the Seventh Nonth
Quite distinct Irom the other new moons, and more sacred than they, was that oI the seventh
month, or Tishri, partly on account oI the symbolical meaning oI the seventh or sabbatical
month, in which the great Ieasts oI the Day oI Atonement and oI Tabernacles occurred, and
partly, perhaps, because it also marked the commencement oI the civil year, always supposing
that, as Josephus and most Jewish writers maintain, the distinction between the sacred and civil
year dates Irom the time oI Moses.
Lev 23:24 designated the New Moon as the 'memorial blowing' or 'the day oI blowing' (Num.
29:1), because on that day the trumpets, or rather, as we shall see, the horns were blown all day
long in Jerusalem. It was to be observed as 'a Sabbath,' and 'a holy convocation,' in which 'no
servile work' might be done. The prescribed oIIerings Ior the day consisted, besides the ordinary
morning and evening sacriIices, Iirst, oI the burnt-oIIerings, but not the sin-oIIering, oI ordinary
new moons, with their meat- and drink-oIIerings, and aIter that, oI another Iestive burnt-oIIering
oI one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs, with their appropriate meat- and drink-
oIIerings, together with 'one kid oI the goats Ior a sin-oIIering, to make an atonement Ior you.'
Tbe Misbnab: Beginning of Repentance Tbeme
The Mishnah, which devotes a special tractate to this Ieast, remarks that a year may be arranged
according to Iour diIIerent periods; the Iirst, beginning with the 1st oI Nisan, being Ior 'kings' (to
compute taxation) and Ior computing the Ieasts; the second, on the 1st oI Elul (the sixth month),
Ior tithing Ilocks and herds, any animal born aIter that not being reckoned within the previous
year; the third, on the 1st oI Tishri (the seventh month), Ior the Religious year and 1st oI Shevat
(the eleventh month) Ior trees. Similarly, continues the Mishnah, there are Iour seasons when
judgment is pronounced upon the world: at the Passover, in regard to the harvest; at Pentecost, in
regard to the Iruits oI trees; on the Feast oI Tabernacles, in regard to the dispensation oI rain;
while on 'New Year's Day all the children oI men pass beIore Him like lambs (when they are
counted Ior the tithing), as it is written (Ps. 33:15), "He Iashioneth their hearts alike; He
considereth all their works."'
The Talmuu: Life oi Beath
To this we may add, as a comment oI the Talmud, that on New Year's Day three books were
opened oI liIe, Ior those whose works had been good; another oI death, Ior those who had
been thoroughly evil; and a third, intermediate, Ior those whose case was to be decided on the
Day oI Atonement (ten days aIter New Year), the delay being granted Ior repentance, or
otherwise, aIter which their names would be Iinally entered, either in the book oI liIe, or in that
oI death. By these terms, however, eternal liIe or death are not necessarily meant; rather earthly
well-being, and, perhaps, temporal liIe, or the opposite. It is not necessary to explain at length on
what Scriptural passages this curious view about the three books is supposed to rest. *
AlIred Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services,
The New Moons: The Feast oI the Seventh New Moon, or oI Trumpets, or New Year's Day,
11


Although the Mishnah cites the origin Ior the sounding oI the ShoIar based in the Hebrew
Scripture, the actuality is that the Mishnah and Talmud regularized and legitimatized the
ShoIar`s predominance at both Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur aIter the destruction oI the
Second Temple.
Mishnah Rosh HaShanah 3:3 cites that the ShoIar is played on Yom Teruah (Day oI Blasting or
Rosh HaShanah) because it was sounded at the special sacriIice at Rosh HaShanah. Additionally,
it was sounded on Yom Kippur to announce to Jubilee Year (every 50 years, Jews could reclaim
their sold lands; Jewish slaves were Ireed; debts Iorgiven; etc.). Mishnah Rosh HaShanah 3:3
says in part:
The ShoIar |blown in the Temple| at the New Year was |made Irom the horn| oI the wild goat,
straight, with its mouthpiece overlaid with gold. And at the sides |oI them that blew the ShoIar|
were two (that blew upon) trumpets. The ShoIar blew a long note and the trumpets a short note,
since the duty oI the day Iell on the ShoIar.
The Mishnah thus emphasizes that in Rosh HaShanah symbolized the ShoIar; the trumpets, the
other special days.
However, Hoenig does not trace a speciIic sacriIice relating to the sound oI the ShoIar at the
Temple ritual Ior Rosh HaShanah.
Zeitlin traces the history oI prayer as essential Ior history oI religion because it traces the
evolution oI humankind`s relationship to God.
He indicates that, biblical horns blasts indicate a plague or another calamity. In many cases such
blasts called an assembly, blew the ShoIar and Iasted, (Joel 2.15-16.)
Indeed, we learn that the Holiness Code that set apart a sacred occasion commemorated with
loud blasts (Lev 24) as Zikhron teruah (commemoration by blasting) Also Iound in Num. 29:1.
The sounding oI horns had various Iunctions in Ancient Israel, as well as elsewhere in the
Middle East. Usually, it was a method oI assembling the people beIore moving on to a new
location or oI mustering troops Ior battle. Cultic uses as well. Here it is hint that there is a
pilgrimage day at Iull moon (Sukot) (JPS Torah Commentary, Leviticus, p 160.)
The later prophets, however, preached the universality oI God. They ceased calling the Temple,
the house oI God. Indeed, the universality bespeaks omnipotence and omnipresence. Isaiah
declares: 'Thus, said God, the heaven is My throne, and the earth is My Iootstool; where is the
house that ye may build unto Me? Where is the place that may be My resting place? (Isa. 66.1).
In the Book oI Psalms repentance is connected with prayer. In the Books oI Daniel, Ezra and
Nehemiah conIession was already a part oI prayer. (Ps. 32.5; 41.5; 51.3-7).
1

The Hebrew Scriptures note that the Iirst day oI the seventh month shall be one oI remembrance
by sounding the blast oI the horn (teruah). Though the practice oI blowing trumpets is generally
associated with the oIIering oI sacriIices, as recorded in Numbers 10: 10: 'And in your day oI
gladness and in your appointed seasons and in your new moons, ye shall sound with the trumpets
(hatzotzerot) over your burnt oIIerings and over the sacriIices oI your peace oIIerings, and they
shall be to you Ior a memorial beIore your God,
The Scriptures are support that 'the blast oI the horn (tekiat shoIar) is singled out on the Iirst
day oI the seventh month (Rosh HaShanah) as an exceptional rite. Nevertheless, there are
numerous verses that cite hatzotzerot (trumpets) associated the sacriIicial cult, perIormed by
Hezekiah, hatzotzerotin deed play a signiIicant role. 4 Yet the Bible generally associates 'blasts
oI sound with ShoIar, announcing assembly, travel or war. (Num. 10:1 II.; 1 Chron. 15: 24.
Apparently hatzotzerot were the usual Temple musical instruments whereas ShoIar was only Ior
special occasions. CI. 'Musical Instruments, Interpreter`s Dictionary oI the Bible, p. 472.
See ReIerences: Arthur L. Finkle.. Easy Guide to ShoIar Sounding, LA: Torah Aura, 2002;
Sidney B. Hoenig, Origins oI the Rosh Hashanah Liturgy, The Jewish Quarterly Review, New
Series, Vol. 57, The Seventy-FiIth Anniversary Volume oI the Jewish Quarterly Review (1967),
pp. 312-331, University oI Pennsylvania Press; JPS Torah Commentary Leviticus,
Commentary Baruch A. Levine, Philadelphia: JPS, 1989; David Wulstan, The Sounding oI the
ShoIar Author(s): Source: The Galpin Society Journal, Vol. 26 (May, 1973), pp. 29-46,Galpin
Society; Solomon Zeitlin, An Historical Study oI the First Canonization oI the Hebrew Liturgy,
The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Jan., 1946), pp. 211-229, University
oI Pennsylvania Press
The Mishanic Tractate with Talmudic interpretation oI Rosh Hashanah` speaks, among other
things to the ShoIar; the ShoIar, aIter destruction oI Temple,( RH. 137I.; ShoIar, announcing
Messiah, (San. 654); ShoIar and the Bet Din ( RH. 137II.); ShoIar blessings over, (RH. 120);
children; its physical composition oIIerings; kosher shoIar; order oI the blasts; practicing; and
other ShoIar matters.
Compiomise on the Shofai Notes
We do, however, know that the Sages discussed the conIiguration oI the notes as they were
played in the Temple. They knew what the tekiah note was (a blast). However, these Sages
whose Iathers had probably heard the ShoIar soundings in the Temple. Then Sages could not
remember the correct playing oI the teruah (whether it was three sobbing sounds or nine staccato
sounds). Accordingly, to accommodate each school oI thought, they compromised by inventing
the shevarim and played both the teruah and shevarim to be certain the sound was correct. See
Mishneh Berurah 590:2


1

Unlike the first day of the seventh month [which became known as Rosh
Hashanah], the 10th day has a specific designation and purpose in the
Torah, with elaborate rites connected to it:

"Mark, the 10th day oI the seventh month is the Day oI Atonement. It
shall be a sacred occasion Ior you; you shall practice selI-denial, and
you shall bring an oIIering by Iire to the Lord; and you shall do no
work throughout that day. For it is a Day oI Atonement, on which
expiation is made on your behalI beIore the Lord your God... Do no
work whatever; it is a law Ior all time, throughout the generations in
all your settlements. It shall be a Sabbath oI complete rest Ior you,
and you shall practice selI-denial; on the ninth day oI the month at
evening, Irom evening to evening, you shall observe this your
Sabbath" (Lev. 23:27-32).
The designation of this day is reiterated in Numbers:

"On the 10th oI the same seventh month you shall observe a sacred
occasion when you shall practice selI-denial. You shall do no work"
(Num. 29:7).
Self-denial--inui nefesh in Hebrew (literally, afflicting one's soul)--
traditionally has been understood to refer to fasting. For the Israelites, this
Day of Atonement was therefore a day for fasting and complete cessation of
work, observed by individuals in their homes and settlements.

While observed today as a time for individual atonement, the biblical Yom
Kippur is primarily a priestly institution:

"The priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as priest in
place oI his Iather shall make expiation. He shall put on the linen
vestments, the sacral vestments. He shall purge the inmost Shrine; he
shall purge the Tent oI Meeting and the altar; and he shall make
expiation Ior the priests and Ior all the people oI the congregation "
(Lev. 16:29-33).
the High Priest performed Yom Kippur in the sanctuary. His presence so
important that he was given a red string from which to pull him out of the
Holy of Holies should he die. He also have a conditional divorce to his wife,
should he die. And there was a High Priest in waiting should the High Priest
succumb so as not to perform the sacred Yom Kippur ritual to expiate the
sins of the community of Israel. Tractate Yoma, Ch. 1-8.
14


Five times, the High Priest changes his clothes after ritual purification of holy
water in the ritual bath (mikva).

Most important was symbolic expiation of sins for the community of Israel as
represented by a goat (Scapegoat). Actually, there were two young goats.
One was sacrificed by the High Priest, while the other was sent to his death
over a cliff and attested to by Temple. Officials

Theodor Gaster points out that the purification transformed its pagan
antecedent. Carried out "before the Lord," it is no longer "a mere mechanical
act of purgation. The people had to be cleansed not for themselves but for
their God: 'before the Lord shall you be clean' (Lev. 16:30). Sin and
corruption were now regarded as impediments not merely to their material
welfare and prosperity but to the fulfillment of their duty to God" [Festivals
of the Jewish Year, 1952, p. 144].

The priest brought a sin offering that would "make expiation for himself and
his household" (Lev. 16:11), to enter the Holy of Holies and place sacrificial
blood on the cover of the ark, known as the "atonement seat" (Lev. 16:12-
14), and thus to "make expiation in the Shrine" (Lev. 16:17).

See Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer, Entering the High Holy Days. Reprinted with
permission from the Jewish Publication Society, 1998.

On Yom Kippur, the Shofar heralded the Jubilee Year (Lev 25:8). In this
special 50
th
years, there was no work on the land, all slave went free; and all
land returns to its original owners.

The Talmud mentions that the Left horn of Yitzchak story was sounded by
God; the Right horn will be blown by the Messiah.

Feast of the Harvest (Sukot)
Sukkot expressed gratitude of the harvest of the past year and the petition
for a good harvest in the succeeding year. There ceremonies were joyous;
the rituals, elaborate.
Watei Libation Ceiemony

13

The Water Libation Ceremony was performed each day of Succot. The
rationale teaches the Jewish people to bring water before Him on Succot,
petitioning for adequate rains, paramount to the success of an agricultural
society. (Succah Bavli 37; and RH 16a). Another interpretation from the
Midrash is that the lower waters were sad when God separated the waters to
upper and lower. Their distress was noted by God that the lower waters
would be elevated during this season. (Rabbaynu Bachya to Lev 1:13)
The Water Libation ceremony was an elaborate ritual emitting great joy, in
fulfilling of Is. 12:3: "You shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of
salvation.
The Water Libation ceremony, however, was a joyous celebration during the
holiday of Succot. We find a minute description of this water libation
ceremony in Talmud Yerulshalmi 30a, wherein two priests stood by the
Upper Gate that; led to the Israelites courtyard. When the crier called out,
the Kohanim sounded a series of tekiah, teruah and tekiah. They sound the
shofar series again - only longer - according to Rashi as they went to the
East. The procession went to the gates, facing the Nicanors Gate, bowing
toward the sanctuary OF God, faces to the East. They then turned to the
West and said: our forefathers who were in this place but as for us out eyes
are toward God (*and Yuh - close the ineffable name) was spoken to
betoken God.
Thereafter, the trumpet sounders arrived at the tenth step (the Rabbis
come to no conclusion as whether this was the tenth step from the bottom
of the tenth step from the top - there are fifteen steps in all). (Succah
Yerush. 31a)
The Jewish Encyclopedia cites the elegance of primacy of the elaborate
Water Libation Ceremony:

To express their contempt oI the Sadducees on the one hand and to
strengthen their own position on the other, the Rabbis embellished the
libation oI water with so much ceremony that it became a Iavorite and
distinctive rite on these occasions. On the night oI the Iirst day oI the
Feast oI Tabernacles the outer court oI the Temple was brilliantly
illuminated with Iour golden lamps, each containing 120 logs oI oil,
in which were burning the old girdles and garments oI the priests
(Bavli. Shab. 21a; Bavli. Yoma 23a). These lamps were placed on
16

high pedestals which were reached by ladders; and special galleries
were erected in the court Ior the accommodation oI women, while the
men below held torches in their hands, sang hymns, and danced. On
the IiIteen steps oI the Gate oI Nicanor stood the Levites, chanting the
IiIteen "songs oI degrees" (Ps. 120-124.) to the accompaniment oI
their instruments, oI which the most important was the Ilute,
although it was used neither on the Sabbath nor on the Iirst day oI the
Ieast (Suk. v. 1).
The illumination, which was like a sea oI Iire, lit up every nook and
corner oI Jerusalem, and was so bright that in any part oI the city a
woman could pick wheat Irom the chaII. Whosoever did not see this
celebration never saw a real one (Suk. 53a). Hillel the Elder
encouraged general rejoicing and participated in the celebration that
all might Iollow his example, while R. Simeon b. Gamaliel juggled
with eight torches, throwing them in the air and catching them again,
thus showing his joy at the Ieast. R. Joshua b. Hananiah states that the
Iestival was celebrated throughout the night with songs, music,
shouting, clapping oI hands, jumping, and dancing.



Role of the Tiumpet (Shofai)

Succah 31b (Palestinian) give a social history of the role of the shofar in the
Holy Temple, with particular emphasis on Succot.
Indeed, the shofar was sounded in the Temple every day from 21 to 48
times: three times to accompany the opening of the Temple Courtyard
Gates; 9-blasts to accompany the morning offering; another 9-blasts to
accompany the afternoon sacrifice; 9 for the musaf offering.
On days when there was an additional sacrifice (Musaf), commemorating
New Moons, festivals, and other special days, another 9-blass were added.
Prior to the Sabbath, on Friday, the shofar sounded 6-blasts. The first three
blasts for cessation of labor to prepare for the Sabbath. The latter three
sounds to separate the sacred from the profane in order to officially begin
the Sabbath.
17

If a Friday fell during the Succot festival, there were a total of 48 blasts.

3=opening of the Courtyard Gates
3=Upper Gate
3=Lower Gate
3=for the filling of water from the spring of Siloam
3=when the water willow branches were placed by the altar
9=morning tamid offering
9=afternoon offering
9=additional offering for special days
3=to tell people to cease labor
3= distinguish between the Sacred and profane.

Notes in the Talmud tells us that blowing the trumpets at a sacrificial
services is derived from Num. 10:10
And a day of your joy and on your festivals and on your
Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) days, you shall sound the
trumpets over your olah (burnt sacrifice) offerings and
over your shelamim (peace sacrifices) offerings, etc.
After the procession marched to the Lower Gate, it drew water for the
libation from the well spring of Siloam. See Rashi. The Rabbis interpret this
verse to include the daily sacrifice (Zevech Todah to Tamid, Ch 7; Minchas
Chimnuch 384:7)
The Rabbis also point out that 3-blasts were omitted, when climbing down
the steps to the Womans Courtyard.
In the next Gemora, the Rabbis explain that the writer of the prior Mishnah
was different from the writer of the second Mishnah. Accordingly there is an
unresolved dispute. It turns out that one Tanna cites three blasts on the
18

tenth step in Mishnah; the second, the three blasts are at the side of the
altar. Nevertheless, they agreed on the 48 blasts. (Succah, Yersush. 31a)
The Rabbis then discuss the implications of Num. 10:8 "they shall blow
teaches that these blasts sound during the additional service. Then the
Rabbis debate whether these blasts are in addition to the already mentioned
blasts. They indicate that there may be more shofar blowers but no more
blasts than originally decided.
This elaborate Water Libation ceremony pictured Assistants to the Priests
(Levi'im) playing various musical (flutes, copper air pipes, different types of
harps and percussion).Levites are descendants of Aaron.
The Kohanim ("Priests") had the special role as priests in the Tabernacle in
the wilderness and also in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The remaining Levites (Levi'im in Hebrew), divided into three groups (the
descendants of Gershon; the descendants of Kohath, and the descendants of
Merari) filled different roles in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple
services.
Watei: Special Significance
Why was a special offering of water brought on Succot?
The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 16a) writes that as the world is judged for water
on Succot, we bring a water offering so that the rains for the coming year
should be blessed.
Another reason is that the holiday of the harvest moon (on which Succot
begins) occurs five days after Yom Kippur in the harvest season. During the
harvest season, a person may become haughty and forget God. The Rabbis
reflect that haughtiness affects not only farmers, of course. The wise may
take credit for their knowledge and those of fine character may take credit
for their graces. The bottom line is that all we get, whether it be money,
wisdom, or respect comes from God
19


Aiavot (Willow Bianch) Ceiemony
1he Mlshnah (Sukkah 43) lndlcaLes LhaL Lhe cusLom was Lo clrcle Lhe
alLar one Llme on each day of Succos and seven Llmes on Lhe sevenLh
day (slmllar Lo !oshua's clrcllng of !erlcho) So Loo we clrcle Lhe 8lmah
one Poshana each day of Succos and seven Posannas on Lhe SevenLh
day
!onaLan Adler dlscusses Lhls ceremony as he descrlbes anclenL colns
whlch deplcLed Lhls ceremony 1he deplcLlon shows Lhe golden vessel
used Lo gaLher Lhe waLer from Lhe well of Slloam a wlllow branch
WhaL was Lhe rlLe of Lhe wlllowbranch? 1here was a place below
!erusalem called MoLza 1he 1almud lndlcaLes LhaL 8avll 1almud clLes
LhaL clLy Lo be kalonla 8ecause lL was LaxexempL Lhe Lrees were
ownerless Lhus Lhere was no LalnL of LhefL lnvolved See Melrl 8avll
43a
1hey wenL down Lo Lhere and collecLed young wlllow branches and
Lhen came and seL Lhem uprlghL along Lhe sldes of Lhe alLar wlLh Lhelr
Lops benL over Lhe Lop of Lhe alLar afLer whlch Lhe LrumpeLs made a
long blasL a quaverlng noLe and a prolonged blasL 1hese LrumpeLs
were sounded by kohanlm (rlesLs) See num 108 9 and Mlshnah
Succos 36
wltb tefeteoce to wbot we bove leotot vety Joy tbey wolkeJ toooJ tbe oltot
ooce ooJ oo tbot Joy tbey weot toooJ seveo tlmes yoot fotbet cltloq k
leozot stoteJ 1bls wos Jooe wltb tbe lolov (81 5okkob 4Jb 5oocloo
ttooslotloo) 1bls stotemeot wos cbolleoqeJ by cootempototy soqes wbo belJ
tbot tbe oltot wos eocltcleJ wblle bolJloq wlllowbtoocbes ooJ oot tbe foot
specles (lblJ) 5ee olso 1 l kobeostelo 1be nlstoty of 5okkot lo tbe 5ecooJ
1emple ooJ kobblolc letloJs Atlooto 1995 p 109 wbo wtltes Most llkely tbe
cltcomombolotloos wete petfotmeJ wltb wlllows tbe Jesctlptloo soys ootbloq
of tbe lolov bot we sboolJ oot oJvooce sollJ blstotlcol clolms wbete tbe
ttoJltloos ote slleot M 5okkob 4 5 1be stotemeot by k Ioboooo b 8otoko (M
5okkob 4 6) teqotJloq tbe beotloq of polm ftooJs sboolJ be seeo os
0

complemeotloq tbls ttoJltloo (kobeostelo obove o 7 p ll5) Ioootoo AJlet 1be
1emple wlllow8toocb kltool ueplcteJ oo 8ot kokbbo ueootll lstoel Nomlsmotlc
Iootool 16 (20072008) pp 1291JJ

1he Mlshnah lndlcaLes LhaL Lo prepare for Lhe SabbaLh resLrlcLlon of
carrylng Lhey gaLhered Lhe branches Lhe day before and placed on Lhe
alLar
Shofar
1he 8avll Succah (43a) dlscusses Lhe mlLzvah of Arava (wlllow
branches) lL sLaLes LhaL durlng Lhe Llme of Lhe 8elL PaMlkdash Lhe
prlesLs would go down on SuccoL Lo a place called MoLza LhaL was
below ?erushalaylm and Lhere Lhey would cuL large wlllow branches
1hey would Lhen brlng Lhe branches Lo Lhe 8elL PaMlkdash and lean
Lhem agalnsL Lhe slde of Lhe alLar wlLh Lhe Lop parL leanlng over Lhe
Lop of Lhe alLar 1hey would Lhen blow Lhe shofar ln Lhe sLandard
fashlon wlLh one broken sound (Leruah) preceded and followed by a
solld sound (Leklah)
AlLhough Lhe 8abbl's dlsagreed over Lhe exacL Llme Lhls rlLual began
Lhey concurred LhaL Lhe ropheLs lnsLlLuLed Lhls cusLom 1hus lL was
noL llkely occurrlng ln Lhe lrlsL 1emple buL was ln Lhe Second 1emple
1he 8abbl's LaughL LhaL wlllows of Lhe brook mean of speclal Lype of
wlllow as opposed Lo Lhe zafzafah whlch grows ln Lhe mounLalns (8avll
1almud Sukkah 4a)
Accordlngly Lhe 8abbl's decreed Lhe seventh day oI Succos as Hoshana
Rabba, the day oI many Hosannas (petitions Ior salvation); the time that
the Book oI LiIe and Death are Iinally sealed.
AlLhough Lrees ln LgypLlan culLure dld noL have exLraordlnary
slgnlflcance lL should be noLed LhaL Lhe Wlllow Lree ln LgypL a
1

prlmordlal Lree on whlch Lhe sun resLed ln Lhe shape of a blrd aL Lhe
beglnnlng of Lhe world 1he MeLLernlch SLela makes a connecLlon
beLween Lhe LrLree apparenLly Lhe wlllow and Lhe benu blrd
lL was sacred Lo Cslrls and gave shade Lo hls coffln whlle hls soul resLed
on lL ln Lhe gulse of Lhe phoenlx ln some verslons of Lhe myLh lL was
Lhe wlllow whlch grew around Lhe coffln proLecLlng lL
WaLer Speclal Slgnlflcance
Why was a speclal offerlng of Lhe waLer wlllows broughL on Lhe lasL day
of Succos?
1he 1almud (8avll 8osh Pashana 16a) wrlLes LhaL as Lhe world ls [udged
for waLer on SuccoL we brlng a waLer offerlng so LhaL Lhe ralns for Lhe
comlng year should be blessed WaLer was Lhe llfeblood of Lhe lsraell
agrlculLural socleLy eLlLlonlng adequaLe waLer was a prayer Lo furLher
one's llvellhood
AnoLher reason ls LhaL Lhe hollday of Lhe harvesL moon (on whlch
SuccoL beglns) occurs flve days afLer ?om klppur ln Lhe harvesL season
uurlng Lhe harvesL season a person may become haughLy and forgeL
Cod 1he 8abbl's reflecL LhaL haughLlness affecLs noL only farmers of
course 1he wlse may Lake credlL for Lhelr knowledge and Lhose of flne
characLer may Lake credlL for Lhelr graces 1he boLLom llne ls LhaL all we
geL wheLher lL be money wlsdom or respecL comes from Cod

1he Succos 43 lndlcaLes LhaL Lhe shofar blew Lhree Llmes (Leklah
Leruah and Leklah) rlghL before Lhe prlesLs clrcled Lhe alLar Agaln Lhe
shofar was feaLured Lo draw aLLenLlon Lo an lmporLanL fesLlval
1he 8lshonlm Sages from Lhe 11
Lh
Lhrough 16
Lh
cenLurles) explaln LhaL
Lhe reason LhaL Lhls ls speclflcally done on Lhe sevenLh day of Succos ls


as follows Succos ls Lhe uay of !udgmenL for waLer 1hls means raln
and ln a broader sense all llvellhood We Lherefore add speclal prayers
Lo ask for a good year 1he Cemora records a dlspuLe as Lo wheLher Lhls
ls a propheLlcally ordalned cusLom or noL buL we do know LhaL lL Lraces
back Lo Lhe Poly 1emple
Tiansition of Watei Willow Bance to Boshana Rabba
1he name for Lhls hollday probably comes from salm 1183 Poshana
means Lo save 1hls ls Lhe sevenLh day of Lhe leasL of 1abernacles lL
comes one day before Shlmlnl ALzereL lL ls usually observed on Lhe
1sL day of Lhe Pebrew monLh 1lshrl lL ls also called Lhe greaL
Posanna
1hls pracLlce ln Lhe 1emple serves as Lhe basls for our modern cusLom
of Posannas As reporLed by 1he 1u8 (14Lh cenLury CermanSpanlsh
LegallsL ln Crech Chalm 660) we clrcle Lhe bema once a day wlLh a
1orah belng Laken Lo Lhe bema (a pracLlce based on Lhe ?alkuL 1ehllllm)
and Lhus servlng as Lhe focal polnL and ln place of Lhe alLar We also
brlng a 1orah Lo Lhe mlddle slnce durlng Lhe Llme of Lhe Poly 1emple
Lhe marchers would reclLe Lhe name of Cod whlle walklng and we have
a LradlLlon LhaL Lhe enLlre 1orah ls made up of varlous names of Cod
Accordlng Lo Lhe ?erushalml (alesLlnlan 1almud) our currenL pracLlce
reflecLs noL only whaL was done durlng Lhe Llme of Lhe 1emple buL also
ls meanL Lo mlmlc Lhe slege and conquerlng of !erlcho ln Lhe Llme of
!oshua when Lhey clrcled Lhe clLy once a day for slx days and seven
Llmes on Lhe flnal day causlng Lhe walls Lo come Lumbllng down
(!oshua 6)
8 !oseph Caro (compller of Lhe Code of !ewlsh Law 1363) noLes LhaL on
Poshana 8abba (sevenLh day of Succos) even a person who does noL
have Lhe four specles (palm branch myrLle waLer wlllow and eLrog)
should Lake parL ln Lhe seven laps around Lhe 1orah Pls raLlonale ls
LhaL slnce Lhere ls a speclal remembrance of whaL was done ln Lhe


1emple see Succah 41a for more on Lhls concepL) 1he common
pracLlce ls LhaL a person lacklng Lhe four specles does noL enclrcle Lhe
blma
8av lelnsLeln (mld0
Lh
cenLury) also noLes LhaL Lhere ls a cusLom Lo
reclLe Lhe Posannas afLer AddlLlonal Servlce where ln Lhe 1emple Lhere
was an addlLlonal sacrlflce on speclal days lncludlng Lhe fesLlvals Pe
glves a slmple reason for Lhls order slnce one ls obllgaLed Lo read from
Lhe 1orah and say Lhe addlLlonal servlce buL Lhe Posannas are slmply a
cusLom lL ls loglcal LhaL obllgaLlons should precede cusLoms 1he 8ach
(13861637 ) offers a second reason 1he Mlshnah concludes LhaL afLer
Lhe Posannas on Poshana 8abba everyone would leave for home whlle
pralslng Lhe alLar 1he lmpllcaLlon ls LhaL Lhe Posannas were Lhe lasL
Lhlng done ln Lhe Poly 1emple before people deparLed and Lhus we
also make Lhem Lhe end of our servlces every day before deparLlng for
home
The 0iuei of the Boshana Rabba Seivice
1he nlghL
1he Mogen Avrohom records LhaL Lhe cusLom was Lo sLay awake on Lhe
nlghL of Poshana 8abba CommenLaLors lndlcaLe LhaL we read Lhe
eno9re 1orah ueuLeronomy (as a revlew of Lhe oLher 4books) and Lhe
salms (1he Avudraham 8 lsaac Lurla (Arlzal)
1he Mornlng
1he Code of !ewlsh Law (Shulchan Aruch) clLes a cusLom brlngs a
MlnLage Lo loosen Lhe blndlngs of Lhe Lulav so LhaL Lhe waLer wlllow ls
freed
1he congreganLs clrcle Lhe 8lmah seven Llmes lnsLead of Lhe usual one
ln some congregaLlons Lhey blow Lhe Shofar afLer each clrculL
4

Poshana 8abba ls Lhe Pebrew name glven Lo Lhe lasL and greaLesL day
of Pag PaSuccos Lhe leasL of 1abernacles uue Lo Lhe mechanlcs of Lhe
calendar wwwbeLemunahorg/hoshanahLml

Poshana 8abba became recognlzed as an offlclal [udgmenL day ln
modern !udalsm when Lhe Zohar (1
Lh
cenLury kabala) declared lL
uurlng Lhe worshlp servlce lL ls common Lo see congregaLlons march
around Lhelr worshlp room seven Llmes (slmllar Lo !oshua marchlng
around !erlcho) salm 118 ls chanLed and when verse 3 ls sung and
afLer Lhe sevenLh cycle around Lhe room Lhe worshlpers Lake Lhe
wlllow branches LhaL Lhey have been carrylng and sLrlke Lhe ground
wlLh Lhem unLll Lhe leaves fall off 1hls ls symbollc of Lhe worshlper
beaLlng Lhelr slns away SomeLlmes Lhese palm branches are saved and
used Lo bulld a flre Lo burn bread [usL before assover
Conclusory CbservaLlons
We have found Lhe rhyLhm of Lhe !ewlsh lall holldays from 8osh
Pashana ?om klppur and Succos as serles of vlLally lmporLanL holldays
Lo Lhe pulse of Lhe lsraellLe ln Lhe days of Lhe Poly 1emple 8osh
Pashana began Lhe rellglous year ?om klppur was Lhe uay of
ALonemenL noL only for lndlvldual buL also communal slns Succos was
Lhe fall fesLlval of paramounL lmporLance ln Lhe agrlculLural socleLy
We also observed Lhe lmporLance of Lhe shofar 8osh Pashana ls Lhe
fesLlval of Lhe shofar ?om klppur sounds Lhe shofar aL Lhe end of Lhe
servlce orlglnally Lo announce Lhe !ubllee ?ear Succos Lo peLlLlon Cod
for abundanL ralns and consequenL harvesL Lhe shofar was uLlllzed
parLlcularly for Lhe WaLer LlbaLlon Ceremony and Lhe WaLer Wlllow
uance
We also observed Lhe role Lhe synagogue has replaced Lhe Poly 1emple
as mean for worshlp no longer do we make anlmal and meal sacrlflces
3

We have kepL Lhe lnLenL of 8osh Pashana and ?om klppur And we
have splrlLuallzed Lhe fesLlval of Succos Lo one of peLlLlon for our
agrlculLural needs Lo one of remembrance and Lhanksglvlng lurLher
Poshana 8abba celebraLes Lhe closlng of Lhe book of accounLlng
assove^

1he shofar sounds durlng all Lhe holldays ln Lhe !ewlsh year Lhe new
?ear Lhe uay of ALonemenL and Lhe Lhree pllgrlmage fesLlval lor Lhe
Lhree pllgrlmage fesLlvals Lhere are Lhree very dlfferenL rlLuals LhaL Lhe
rlesLs pracLlced ln Lhe Poly 1emple
uurlng Lhe assover ln Lhe 1emple Lhere was a ceremony wlLh golden
and sllver bowls Lhrough whlch Lhe sacrlflclal blood of lambs were
esach Lhe rlesLs sounded Lhe shofar was sounded Llmes each for
Lhree parLs of Lhe 1emple ceremony 1he Mlshnah esachlm 64 lL
sLaLes
1he prlesLs sLood ln rows and ln Lhelr hands were baslns (Lo recelved
blood) of sllver and baslns of gold a row whlch was enLlrely of sllver
was of sllver and a row whlch was enLlrely of gold was of gold Lhey
were noL mlxed and Lhe baslns had no flaL boLLoms lesL Lhey puL
Lhem down and Lhe blood become congealed 1he lsraellLe kllled Lhe
lamb and Lhe prlesL caughL Lhe blood he handed lL Lo hls colleague
and hls colleague passed lL on Lo hls colleague and he recelved Lhe
full basln and gave back Lhe empLy one (1hus lL was worked on Lhe
'endlesschaln' sysLem)
1he prlesL nearesL Lhe alLar sprlnkled lL once over agalnsL Lhe base or
Lhe alLarLhe flrsL dlvlslon Lhen wenL ouL and Lhe second enLered Lhe
second wenL ouL and Lhe Lhlrd enLered As Lhe manner of Lhe flrsL
group so was Lhe manner of Lhe second and Lhe Lhlrd Lhey reclLed
Lhe hallel
6

8abylonlan 1almud ln esachlm 64b glves an example of Lhe greaL
number of people who enLered !erusalem and parLook ln Lhls mlLzvah
by reLelllng LhaL one year klng Agrlppa wanLed Lo counL Lhe number of
people Pe lnsLrucLed Lhe hlgh prlesL Lo counL Lhe number of sacrlflces
LhaL were broughL as Lhe sacrlflce (korbn esach) When Lhey reached
100000 Lhe kohen Cadol (Plgh rlesL) sLopped Lhe counL 1hls was
double Lhe number of people who had lefL LgypL
1here was usually a lamb for each famlly lnLeresLlngly Lhe LLhloplan
!ews who were cuL off from 8abblnlc !udalsm performed Lhe lamb
ceremony as was sLaLed ln Lhe 8lble very slmllar Lo Lhe 1emple
ceremony
1he 1orah requlres LhaL Lhe sacrlflce be offered publlcly Cn Lhe 14 day
of nlsan Lhe kohanlm (rlesLs) would open Lhe doors of Lhe Lemple and
allow Lhe people ln wlLh Lhelr offerlngs ln Lhree large groups of no less
Lhan LhlrLy people buL each group whlch usually were more numerous
Lhan Lhe mlnlmum 1he rlesLs would sLand ln long llnes shoulder Lo
shoulder from Lhe courLyard of Lhe people lnLo Lhe courLyard where
only rlesLs could enLer all Lhe way Lo Lhe fooL of Lhe alLar
1he flrsL man would come wlLh hls lamb and slaughLer lL ln fronL of Lhe
flrsL rlesL who would caLch Lhe blood ln golden holy vessels and pass lL
Lo Lhe nexL rlesL and so forLh unLll lL arrlved aL Lhe base of Lhe alLar
where Lhe blood was deposlLed
1he vessels had a round boLLom Lo Lhem so LhaL Lhe kohanlm could noL
puL Lhem down even for a momenL ln order Lo prevenL Lhe blood from
coagulaLlng rendlng Lhe offerlng unflL 1he vessels would be passed
from rlesL Lo rlesL back and forLh 1he person would Lhen move Lo
Lhe nexL sLaLlon where Lhe carcass was hung from a hook and sklnned
and Lhe prohlblLed faLs and oLher parLs were removed
7

8ehlnd Lhe kohanlm on a plaLform sLood Lhe Cholr of LevlLes When Lhe
process began Lhe Shofar was sounded wlLh Lhe Lhree LradlLlonal
sounds Leklah Leruah Leklah and Lhe cholr reclLed Lhe Pallel prayer
1hls conLlnued unLll Lhe enLlre group LhaL had been leL ln had flnlshed
offerlng boLh Lhe esach offerlng and also Lhe oLher sacrlflce for Lhe
hollday called Lhe Paglga offerlng (1he flrsL meaL eaLen was Lhe meaL
of Lhe Paglga sacrlflce and Lhen laLer Lhe assover Sacrlflce whlch was
eaLen wlLh blLLer herbs and maLzah)
An lmporLanL feaLure ls Lhe Shofar's promlnence of solemnlLy hollness
and remlnder of Lhe slgnlflcance of freedom from slavery 1hese blasLs
focused aLLenLlon on Lhe sacrlflce of blood represenLlng glvlng one's
own llfe Lhrough anlmal blood as a meLaphor of obelsance Lo Cod

Crlgln of Pallel
1he Pallel conslsLs of salms 11 Lhrough 118 and ls a cenLral prayer ln
!udalsm lL ls reclLed by observanL !ews as pralse and Lhanksglvlng on
!ewlsh holldays lncludlng assover ShavuoL and SukkoL and on oLher
occaslons such as Panukkah and Lhe new Moon (8osh Chodesh)
8abblnlc LradlLlon credlLs klng uavld wlLh havlng wrluen almosL all of
Lhe salms lncludlng Lhose whlch now make up Pallel 8 Lleazar ben
?ose however ascrlbed Pallel Lo Moses and Lhe lsraellLes whlle 8
!udah LaughL LhaL Lhe propheLs had decreed LhaL Lhese psalms be
reclLed Lo mark naLlonal evenLs and dellverance from perll CLher sages
malnLalned LhaL Pallel was reclLed by varlous leaders of lsrael
LhroughouL Lhe blbllcal perlodby !oshua ueborah and Pezeklah by
Pananlah Mlshael and Azarlah by Mordecal and LsLher (es l l7a
118a)
8


1hey would chanL Lhe Pallel for each group aL leasL Lhree Llmes
Accordlngly Lhere were nlne shofar blasLs When all of Lhls was flnlshed
Lhey would allow Lhe nexL group ln afLer Lhe flrsL group lefL 1hls
occurred Lhree Llmes lf Lhe 14Lh day of nlsan were ShabbaL everyLhlng
was done Lhe same way excepL LhaL Lhe people could noL Lake Lhe meaL
home wlLh Lhem unLll afLer ShabbaL
east of Weeks {Sbavuot]
?ou shall brlng your flrsL frulLs Lo Lhe Pouse of Lhe Lrd your Cd
(Lx 19)
1he names of Lhe ShavuoL lesLlval
ShavuoL ls Lhe annlversary of Lhe 8evelaLlon of Lhe Law aL MounL Slnal
when Lhe Chlldren of lsrael recelved Lhe 1orah from Lhe Poly Cne
blessed be Pe ShavuoL llLerally means weeks ShavuoL ls Lhus known
as Lhe lesLlval of Weeks lL ls called so because lL culmlnaLes Lhe seven
week perlod of counLlng Lhe omer whlch beglns on Lhe second day of
assover when Lhe omer barley offerlng ls broughL Lo Lhe 1emple 8uL
Lhe 8lble also refers Lo lL as Lhe leasL of llrsLfrulLs (Lxodus 16
numbers 86) and Lhe flrsLfrulLs cannoL be broughL Lo Lhe 1emple
unLll Lhen
The Seven Species of the Lanu of Isiael
ln many ways Lhls fesLlval ls Lhe celebraLlon of Lhe Land of lsrael lLself
when Lhanks ls glven Lo Cd for Lhe produce of Lhe romlsed Land 1he
brlnglng of Lhe flrsLfrulL offerlng Lo Lhe Poly 1emple ls a manlfesLaLlon
of Lhe lands lnLrlnslc hollness glven expresslon Lhrough Lhe hollness of
Lhe 1emple 1he ShavuoL offerlng of flrsLfrulLs whlch ls mandaLed by
Lhls 8lbllcal commandmenL Lo be broughL Lo Lhe Poly 1emple and
presenLed Lo Lhe prlesL are Lhe flrsL frulLs of Lhe season whlch rlpen on
9

Lhe Lrees Powever Lhe ulvlne commandmenL does noL lnclude every
specles of frulL buL only Lhose of Lhe seven specles for whlch Lhe Land
of lsrael ls pralsed as descrlbed by Lhe verse ln ueuL 88 wheaL
barley grapes flgs pomegranaLes ollves and daLes
ln Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe 6Lh chapLer of Lhe book of ueuLeronomy we
flnd deLalled lnsLrucLlons relaLlng Lo Lhls lmporLanL occaslon
When you come Lo Lhe land LhaL Lhe Lrd your Cd ls glvlng you as a
herlLage occupylng and seLLllng lL you shall Lake Lhe flrsL of every frulL
of Lhe ground produced by Lhe land LhaL Lhe Lrd your Cd ls glvlng you
?ou musL place lL ln a baskeL and go Lo Lhe slLe LhaL Cd wlll choose as
Lhe place assoclaLed wlLh Pls name 1here you shall go Lo Lhe prlesL
offlclaLlng aL Lhe Llme and say Lo hlm 1oday l am afflrmlng Lo Lhe Lrd
your Cd LhaL l have come Lo Lhe land LhaL Cd swore Lo our faLhers Lo
glve us
1he prlesL shall Lhen Lake Lhe baskeL from your hand and place lL
before Lhe alLar of Lhe Lrd your Cd ?ou shall Lhen make Lhe followlng
declaraLlon before Lhe Lrd your Cd
My ancesLor was a homeless Aramaean Pe wenL down Lo LgypL and
so[ourned Lhere wlLh a small number of men buL Lhere he became a
greaL mlghLy and populous naLlon 1he LgypLlans were cruel Lo us and
caused us Lo suffer Lhey placed harsh slavery upon us We crled ouL Lo
Lhe Lrd Lhe Cd of our faLhers and Pe heard our volce and saw our
sufferlng our harsh labor and our dlsLress
1he Lrd broughL us ouL of LgypL wlLh a sLrong hand and an
ouLsLreLched arm wlLh greaL vlslons slgns and mlracles Pe broughL us
Lo Lhls place glvlng us Lhls land flowlng wlLh mllk and honey l am now
brlnglng Lhe flrsL frulL of Lhe land LhaL Lhe Lrd has glven me
0

1hen you shall seL Lhe baskeL down before Lhe Lrd your Cd and Lhen
you shall bow down before Lhe Lrd your Cd ?ou Lhe LevlLe and Lhe
proselyLe ln your mldsL shall re[olce ln all Lhe good LhaL Lhe Lrd your C
d has granLed you and your famlly
Bow Aie the iistfiuits Sepaiateu.
When Lhe frulL beglns Lo rlpen on Lhe Lrees Lhe owner would mark Lhe
flrsL frulL Lo rlpen by Lylng a reed around lL 1hus he would llLerally be
brlnglng Lhe flrsL frulL of hls harvesL Lo Lhe Poly 1emple noL [usL a
symbollc represenLaLlon
1he Mlshnah (8lkurlm 1) Leaches
"How are the IirstIruits separated? One goes into his Iield, and Iinds
that his Iigs, his grapes or his pomegranates have begun to ripen. He
ties it around with a reed band (or any other distinguishing mark - in
order to identiIy that these have been separated as IirstIruits. This is
so that later, when the time comes to harvest the Iruit, he will be able
to identiIy exactly which Iruits were the Iirst to ripen).
"He ties the band and declares orally: 'These are the IirstIruits!'"
ln effecL lL ls Lhls declaraLlon whlch Lransforms Lhe sLaLus of
Lhls produce lnLo Lhe 8lbllcallymandaLed flrsLfrulLs once Lhe
name has been glven Lo Lhem aL Lhls polnL no oLher offlclal
deslgnaLlon ls requlred 1hus laLer when Lhe frulLs are
plcked he need noL repeaL hls declaraLlon
The Pilgiims Nake Theii Way to }eiusalem
lnnumerable sLreams of pllgrlms made Lhelr way Lo !erusalem from
Lowns and vlllages all over Lhe Land ln large bands and lndlvldually
Many famllles Lraveled by fooL wlLh Lhe llLLle chlldren ln Low some
rode aLop camels and donkeys some even rode ln wagons and charloLs
As men women and chlldren Lrekked Lhrough bounLlful golden and
green flelds of harvesL Lhe enLlre land was llLerally Leemlng wlLh
1

exclLemenL and anLlclpaLlon as Lhe greaL Lhrongs of fesLlval
worshlppers Look over every road and paLh 1hey crlsscrossed Lhe
counLryslde from every dlrecLlon and approach converglng LogeLher as
Lhey Lraveled Lowards Lhe clLy of each vlclnlLys local Assembly Pead
who was Lhe offlclal responslble for Lhe pllgrlms
uescrlpLlons ln Lhe wrlLlngs of Lhe Mlshnah and Mldrashlm abound
whlch palnL a vlvld plcLure of Lhe caravans of pllgrlms ln processlon and
how Lhese enLourages appeared as Lhey bore Lhelr flrsLfrulL offerlngs
by hand laden ln wagons or on Lhelr heads 1hough who were aL Lhe
head of Lhe processlon and were closer Lo !erusalem carrled fresh
frulLs for slnce Lhey were closer Lhere was no danger LhaL Lhelr
offerlngs would spoll 1hose who were furLher back and who would noL
arrlve as early broughL drled frulLs Sheep goaLs and bullocks also
accompanled Lhe greaL processlons Lo be sacrlflced ln Lhe Poly 1emple
as Lhe varlous hollday offerlngs
1he Mlshnah (8lkurlm ) relaLes how Lhe pllgrlms made Lhelr way
Lhrough Lhe waysLaLlons ln Lhe fleld clLles on Lhe road Lo !erusalem
and how Lhey were welcomed upon enLerlng Lhe holy clLy
In the City of the Assembly Beau
ln each dlsLrlcL along Lhe long road Lo !erusalem all Lhe pllgrlms from
Lhe ouLlylng Lowns and vlllages gaLher LogeLher ln Lhe clLy of Lhe local
assembly head who ls responslble for Lhe pllgrlmage lrom Lhere Lhe
enLlre mulLlLude wlll conLlnue Lhelr processlon Lo !erusalem all
LogeLher ln a large enLouragefor 1he klngs honor ls ln a mulLlLude of
people (roverbs 148) meanlng Lhe more Lhe parLlclpanLs Lhe
greaLer Lhe glory for Cd and Pls ulvlne commandmenLs
ln Lhe Assembly Peads clLy Lhe pllgrlms spend Lhe nlghL sleeplng ln Lhe
Lowns sLreeLs under Lhe open sky 1hls ls noL on accounL of any lack of
hosplLallLy on behalf of Lhe Lownspeople 8aLher Lhey do noL enLer lnLo


Lhe houses ln order Lo avold Lhe posslblllLy of becomlng exposed Lo
rlLual lmpurlLy (because lmpurlLy whlch may be lnadverLenLly caused ln
a bulldlng affecLs everyLhlng under lLs roof)
1hey are awoken aL dawn as Lhe flrsL rays of sunllghL begln Lo
lllumlnaLe Lhe sky by Lhe overseer who crles ouL CeL up and leL us go
up Lo Zlon Lo Lhe Pouse of Lhe Lrd our Cd! (!er 13)
The Appioach to }eiusalem
As Lhe caravans of pllgrlms draw near Lo !erusalem and Lhe Poly
1emple an ox whose horns are overlaln wlLh gold ls led before Lhem
and fluLes are played as Lhe company advances As Lhey make Lhelr
way Lhey slng ouL l was happy when Lhey sald Lo me LeL us go Lo Lhe
Pouse of Lhe Lrd! (salms 11 !1 8lkurlm 3) As Lhe fesLlve
enLourage draws close Lo Lhe ouLsklrLs of Lhe clLy a delegaLlon ls senL
on ahead Lo Lhe Poly 1emple Lo announce Lhelr arrlval
Whlle awalLlng Lhe arrlval of Lhe offlclals and Lreasurers from Lhe
1emple Lhe pllgrlms beauLlfy Lhelr flrsLfrulL offerlngs placlng Lhe drled
frulLs Lowards Lhe boLLom and Lhe fresh frulL on Lop
All of Lhe asslsLanL prlesLs and LevlLes and Lhe offlcers of Lhe 1emple
would go ouL Lo greeL Lhem and all Lhe Lradespeople of !erusalem
would cease Lhelr work Lo sLand and greeL Lhem as Lhey enLered Lhe
gaLes of Lhe clLy Cur broLhers from soandso welcome and peace
unLo you! And as Lhe enLourage enLered Lhe clLy Lhe pllgrlms [oyously
sang Cur feeL sLood sLeadfasL ln your gaLes C !erusalem! (salms
1 !1 8lkurlm 3)
Biinging the iistfiuits to the Temple
1here are a number of oplnlons as Lo how Lhe flrsLfrulLs should be
broughL Lo Lhe 1emple lL ls deslrable for Lhe offerlng Lo be presenLed ln
as beauLlful and honorable a fashlon as posslble ln order Lo beauLlfy


Lhe commandmenL Such ls Lhe pracLlce of Lhe rlghLeous who seek Lo
demonsLraLe how preclous Lhe wlll of Cd ls Lo Lhem
1he seven Lypes of frulL can all be placed ln one baskeL buL Lhe mosL
pralseworLhy manner ln whlch Lo observe Lhe commandmenL ls by
placlng each Lype of frulL ln lLs own baskeL 1hls ls Lhe cusLom of Lhose
who are scrupulously plous Lo observe Lhe ulvlne commandmenLs
1hus Lhe sources of !ewlsh law and pracLlce sLaLe 1he cholcesL way of
performlng Lhls commandmenL ls Lo brlng Lhe seven specles of
flrsLfrulLs ln seven separaLe vessels and noL ln one mlxLure 1he barley
should be on Lhe lowesL level wlLh Lhe wheaL above lL followed by
ollves Lhen daLes wlLh pomegranaLes above Lhe daLes and flgs aL Lhe
very Lop (1osefLa 8lkurlm 8 Malmonldes)
1he Lwo plgeons whlch were broughL by each pllgrlm were also
fasLened Lo Lhe flrsLfrulL baskeLs elLher on Lop (8lkurlm 3) or along
Lhe sldes (!erusalem 1almud)
Becoiating the Baskets
Crapes were poslLloned amongsL Lhe frulLs ln Lhe baskeLs as a
decoraLlon 1here are several oplnlons as Lo how Lhese grapes were
placed uecoraLlve leaves were also used Lo separaLe beLween Lhe
layers of frulLs
The Rich anu Pooi of Isiael uive Thanks Togethei
1he experlence of brlnglng Lhe flrsLfrulLs Lo Lhe 1emple served Lo unlLe
Lhe enLlre naLlon 8y expresslng hearLfelL Lhanks for Cds bounLy and
presenLlng Lhe beglnnlng of ones harvesL Lo Plm a clrcle was closed as
naLures yleld was reLurned Lo lLs orlgln 1he splrlLual aspecL of Lhe
produce was elevaLed and all felL a deep reverence awe and [oy as
Lhey reflecLed wlLh Lhe recognlLlon and reallzaLlon LhaL lL ls Lhe Poly
Cne who ls Lhe Source of all blesslng And you shall re[olce for all Lhe
4

goodness whlch Lhe Lrd your Cd has glven Lo you and your
household (ueuL 611)
1hus all would sLand LogeLher slde by slde and parLlclpaLe ln Lhls
humbllng and graLlfylng experlence ln Lhe hallowed courLs of Lhe
1emple rlch and poor allke When Lhey enLered lnLo Lhe Pulda
CaLes sLaLes Lhe Mlshnah Lven klng Agrlppa placed Lhe baskeL on hls
shoulder llke a common pllgrlm Lvery man shall glve as he ls able
accordlng Lo Lhe blesslng of Lhe Lrd your Cd whlch Pe has glven you
(ueuL 1617)
1he rlch broughL Lhelr flrsLfrulL offerlngs ln baskeLs of gold or of sllver
Lhe poor broughL Lhelr offerlngs ln baskeLs of peeled wlllowshooLs AL
Lhe concluslon of Lhe ceremony Lhe wealLhy broughL Lhelr baskeLs
home wlLh Lhem and Lhe poor gave Lhelrs Lo Lhe prlesLs (Malmonldes
8lkurlm 8)
The iistfiuits aie Biought 0pposite the Entiance to the Sanctuaiy
1he ceremony of brlnglng Lhe flrsLfrulLs offerlng ls held ln a speclal area
wlLhln Lhe Poly 1emple a secLlon deslgnaLed as beLween Lhe hall and
Lhe alLar 1hls area has a speclal sancLlLy and enLrance Lhereln ls
forbldden Lo ordlnary lsraellLesand even Lo blemlshed prlesLs (who are
unflL Lo serve Malmonldes Laws of Lhe 1emple 70) Powever Lhe
commandmenL of Lhe flrsLfrulL offerlng dlffers from all oLher sacrlflces
ln LhaL an ordlnary lsraellLe ls noL only permlLLed buL acLually
commanded Lo fulflll Lhls ulvlne obllgaLlon ln LhaL very place (see Slfre
on ueuL 64 and commenLary of Malblm) 1hls serves Lo lnsLrucL us
how greaL and preclous ls Lhe commandmenL Lo brlng Lhe flrsLfrulLs
before Lhe resence of Lhe Lrd
Reciting the Biblical Passages 0ut Louu
ln Lhe 1emple each pllgrlm musL read aloud from Lhe 8lbllcal porLlon of
My faLher was a homeless Aramaean (ueuL 63) as presenLs hls
3

offerlng Lo Lhe prlesLs 1he offlclaLlng prlesL reclLes Lhe 8lbllcal porLlon
LogeLher wlLh Lhe pllgrlm ln responslve fashlon llrsL Lhe prlesL reclLes
each verse aloud ln Pebrew and Lhe pllgrlm follows hlm repeaLlng
afLer hlm verse by verse 1hls secLlon of ueuLeronomy ls Lhe requlred
readlng Lo be reclLed by each !ew when brlnglng Lhe flrsLfrulLs offerlng
Lo Lhe Poly 1emple (See 81 SoLah a kesef Mlshnah on 8lkurlm
11)
Waving the iistfiuits
AL Lhe Poly 1emple Lhe pllgrlm lowers Lhe baskeL from hls shoulder
holdlng lL by Lhe rlm or by lLs handles 1he offlclaLlng prlesL sLands
opposlLe hlm places hls own hands underneaLh Lhe baskeL and
waves lL before Cd Malmonldes explalns LhaL Lhls refers Lo movlng
Lhe baskeL ln four dlrecLlons exLendlng lL ouLwards drawlng lL back
Lowards oneself ralslng lL and lowerlng lL (Laws of llrsLfrulLs 1)
Accordlng Lo Lhe oplnlon of one of Lhe commenLaLors on Lhe 1almud
(1osafoL 81 MenachoL 61) Lhe pllgrlm and offlclaLlng prlesL hold Lhe
baskeL LogeLher and wave lL slmulLaneously 1he pllgrlm holds Lhe
baskeL underneaLh and Lhe prlesL places hls own hands under Lhose of
Lhe laLLer and Lhey wave Lhe baskeL LogeLher
Setting the iistfiuits Bown
Cnce Lhe pllgrlm has compleLed Lhe reclLaLlon of Lhe 8lbllcal verses he
seLs down hls baskeL of flrsLfrulLs ln Lhe CourL before Lhe resence of
Cdas Lhe verse sLaLes (lbld v11) And you shall place lL before Lhe L
rd your Cd 1he baskeL ls placed on Lhe souLhwesLern corner of Lhe
alLar AfLerwards Lhe bearer bows down before Cd and Lhen deparLs
(Malmonldes Laws of llrsLfrulLs)
And ?ou Shall rosLraLe ?ourself 8efore Lhe Lrd ?our Cd (ueuL
610)
6

1he ceremony of brlnglng Lhe flrsLfrulLs concludes wlLh an acL whlch
boLh expresses Lhe deepesL feellngs of Lhanksglvlng and demonsLraLes
ones accepLance of Lhe yoke of heaven aL Lhe same Llme bowlng
down on Lhe ground before Lhe Lrd 1hls ls done whlle fully exLended
on Lhe ground hands and feeL spread ouL opposlLe Lhe sLalrs leadlng
up Lo Lhe SancLuarys enLrance A speclal sLone was used especlally for
Lhls purpose ln Lhe Poly 1emple (see also Mahzor of Lhe Poly 1emple
for Lhe uay of ALonemenL arL l)
The Twin Loaves
ln addlLlon Lo Lhe flrsLfrulL offerlng of Lhe seven specles anoLher
offerlng was broughL Lo 1emple on ShavuoL from Lhe flrsL of Lhe
harvesL 1he Lwln loaves Lwo loaves of wheaL bread broughL from Lhe
new wheaL 1hls speclal sacrlflce Lhe only leaven ever broughL Lo Lhe
1emple was also waved before Lhe presence of Cd and Lhus
elevaLed and Lhese breads represenLed Lhe blesslng of Cds lnfluence
and blesslng on mans earLhly physlcal needs LhroughouL Lhe year
1hese Lwo breads were waved on Lhe easLern slde of Lhe alLar by a
prlesL LogeLher wlLh an offerlng of Lwo sheep for Lhe fesLlval
Piepaiing Wheat foi the Twin Loaves-The Pioceuuie of Rubbing anu Beating
1he manner ln whlch Lhe kernels of wheaL are prepared Lo make flour
for Lhe offerlng of Lhe Lwln loaves dlffers from LhaL whlch ls generally
used by Lhose who Loll Lhe soll lor Lhe accepLed meLhod ls Lo remove
Lhe seeds from Lhe flber and chaff by Lhreshlng and wlnnowlng 8uL Lhe
preparaLlon of flour for Lhls offerlng conslsLed of a procedure known as
rubblng and beaLlng Malmonldes explalns how Lhls was done ln hls
words (Laws of 1hlngs lorbldden for Lhe AlLar 73) All Lhe wheaL used
for Lhese offerlngs musL be rubbed 00 Llmes and beaLen 300
Llmes lL ls rubbed once Lhen beaLen Lwlce rubbed Lwlce and beaLen
Lhrlce 1hus afLer a cycle of Lhree and flve Lhe process sLarLs agaln
7

unLll reachlng Lhe numbers menLloned above so LhaL Lhe peel ls
separaLed well afLerwards lL ls ground exceedlngly flne
Accordlng Lo oLher commenLaLors rubblng ls accompllshed by slmply
rubblng Lhe gralns ln Lhe palm of Lhe hand and beaLlng means
poundlng wlLh mlghL Some say Lhls was done wlLh Lhe fooL
(Malmonldes on Lhe Mlshnah MenachoL 6 3)
reparlng Lhe llour for Lhe 1wln Loaves
seahlm (app 4 llLers) of freshlyharvesLed sLalks of wheaL are used
for preparlng Lhe flour AfLer Lhe wheaL has been rubbed and beaLen lL
ls ground lnLo flne flour uslng a mlllsLone Cnce ground Lhe flour ls
Lhen slfLed Lhrough 1 separaLe slfLers each slfLer belng flner Lhan Lhe
prevlous one so LhaL ln Lhe end abouL 3 llLers of excepLlonally cholce
flne flour has been produced 1hls ls Lhe measure of Lwo lsaron Lhe
amounL requlred Lo bake Lwo loaves of bread
kneadlng and 8aklng Lhe 1wln Loaves
Lach bread ls kneaded separaLely and leaven ls added Lo enable Lhe
dough Lo rlse 1he breads are formed lnLo brlckllke shapes 1helr
8lbllcal measuremenLs seven handbreadLhs long and four
handbreadLhs wlde (each handbreadLh measures app 8 cenLlmeLers)
and four flngers hlgh (Lhe measuremenL of a flnger ls abouL
cenLlmeLers)
Accordlng Lo Lhe oplnlon of Lhe greaL commenLaLor 8ashl Lhe breads
are fashloned wlLh four horns one horn ln each of lLs four corners
1he dough was placed lnLo molds whlch gave Lhe breads Lhelr speclflc
shape and each bread was placed separaLely lnLo Lhe oven When Lhe
bread ls removed from Lhe oven lL ls placed lnLo anoLher Lray so LhaL lL
wlll noL be rulned
(commenLarles on MenachoL 11 1)
8


Tiumpets, lute anu Song as the Twin Loaves Aie Biought
When Lhe Llme for Lhe wlne llbaLlon arrlved and Lhe Lwln loaves were
offered Lhe LevlLe cholr began lLs muslcLhe slngers LrumpeLers and
muslclans lndeed Lhe speclal hollday commandmenL for Lhls day calls
for Lhe blowlng of LrumpeLs And on Lhe days of your [oy and on your
fesLlvals you shall sound off wlLh LrumpeLs (numbers 1010)
AddlLlonally Lhe fesLlval of ShavuoL ls lncluded as one of Lhe 1 days of
Lhe year ln whlch Lhe fluLe ls played before Lhe alLar even lf lL falls ouL
on Lhe SabbaLh (Malmonldes Laws of 1emple vessels 36)
Waving the estival Sheep 0ffeiing Befoie u-u
1he offlclaLlng prlesL waves Lhe Lwo llvlng sacrlflclal sheep on Lhe
easLern slde of Lhe alLar before Lhe resence of Cd AlLhough Lhe
language of Lhe Mlshnah (see 81 MenachoL 61A) seems Lo lndlcaLe
LhaL Lhese sheep were waved by Lhe prlesL slmulLaneously wlLh Lhe
Lwln loaves Malmonldes slmple lnLerpreLaLlon seems Lo allow for Lhe
sheep Lo be waved separaLely perhaps on accounL of Lhelr greaL welghL
(app 130 kg) whlch would be dlfflculL enough even wlLhouL Lhe
loaves
The Piiests Paitake of the Twin Loaves Within the Sanctifieu Aiea
lollowlng Lhe acL of wavlng Lhe prlesLs eaL from Lhe Lwo breads
LogeLher wlLh Lhe remalnlng meaL from Lhe congregaLlonal peace
offerlngs Members of all Lhe prlesLly shlfLs [oln LogeLher for Lhls repasL
whlch ls eaLen wlLhln Lhe sancLlfled area of Lhe CourL (Malmonldes
1mldlm uMusaflm 811)
1here ls a general rule LhaL all buL klngs of Lhe uavldlc dynasLy are
forbldden Lo slL ln Lhe courL Powever slnce Lhls meal lncludes meaL
whlch ls holy of holles and eaLlng from lL was a necessary parL of Lhe
9

ulvlne servlce lL was eaLen slLLlng down wlLh honor and dlgnlLy
(1osafoL 81 ?oma 3A) lL was eaLen ln a regal manner (81 Zevachlm
91A)
ln reallLy each prlesL recelved only a mlnuLe amounL of boLh Lhe Lwln
loaves and Lhe sacrlflclal meaL buL he was enLlLled Lo eaL Lhem
LogeLher wlLh oLher foods (81 1emurah A) slnce Lhls would add
honor Lo Lhe meal by allowlng hlm Lo feel saLlaLed from lL (1osafoL 81
esachlm 10A)
WlLh regard Lo Lhe exacL locaLlon of where Lhls meal Look place lL
would appear LhaL lL could noL have been wlLhln Lhe CourL proper slnce
LhaL area was fllled Lo capaclLy wlLh Lhe hollday pllgrlms lL ls probable
LhaL Lhe prlesLs parLook of Lhe Lwln loaves ln Lhe lace of llre wlLhln
Lhe sancLlfled secLlon whlch opens ouL onLo Lhe courL (MldoL 16) 1he
Lwln loaves are baked ln an oven ln Lhls same chamber Lhls was Lhe
same oven ln whlch Lhe showbread was baked
When a person goes down Lo hls fleld and sees (for Lhe flrsL Llme) a
rlpe flg or a rlpe clusLer of grapes or a rlpe pomegranaLe he blnds a
reedgress rlbbon around lL and says 1hese are Lhe flrsLfrulLs
(8lkkurlm 11)
1wenLy slx anlmals were offered upon Lhe 1emple alLar on Lhe fesLlval
of ShavuoL 1hese lncluded doves lambs and oxen
Speclal seven Llered baskeLs were employed Lo dlsplay Lhe flrsLfrulLs
1he frulLs were arranged ln ascendlng order of lmporLance Lhe boLLom
baskeL conLalned barley 1hls was followed by wheaL ollves daLes
pomegranaLes and flgs A dove was seL on Lhe Lop


40

An Aramean desLroyed my faLher (ueuL 63) 1hus declared Lhe
pllgrlm sLandlng before Lhe prlesL whlle holdlng hls baskeL of flrsLfrulLs
upon hls shoulder
1he prlesL would Lhen Lake Lhe baskeL and wave lL as prescrlbed
8efore leavlng Lhe 1emple CourLyard Lhe pllgrlm would prosLraLe
hlmself before Cd
1wo loaves of leavened bread were offered on ShavuoL as a communal
offerlng 1he unground wheaL was flrsL rubbed by Lhe prlesLs
1he Lwo loaves were kneaded and baked separaLely 1hey were
recLangular ln shape measurlng seven handbreadLhs long and four
wlde 1he loaves were fashloned so LhaL Lhere would be a hornllke
proLruslon on each of Lhe four corners
1he prlesLs would carry Lhe Lwo loaves and Lhe oLher offerlngs up Lo Lhe
alLar 1hey would be accompanled by LevlLes blasLlng LrumpeLs and
playlng fluLes
1he wavlng of Lhe Lwln loaves and Lhe (llvlng) sheep would Lhen
commence 1he prlesL would sLand on Lhe easLern slde of Lhe alLar Lo
perform Lhe ceremony
1he prlesL would agaln wave Lhe offerlng afLer Lhe lamb had been
slaughLered
1he prlesLs would Lhen gaLher ln Lhe Chamber of Lhe PearLh Lo eaL
from Lhe Lwo ShavuoL loaves and Lhe peace offerlngs 1hese offerlngs
could only be eaLen by Lhe prlesLs 1hls concluded Lhe dlvlne servlce
unlque Lo Lhe fesLlval of ShavuoL

41

Shavuot - Pentecost
ShavuoL ls Pebrew for weeks Seven weeks are counLed from Lhe day
followlng Lhe beglnnlng of assover for a LoLal of 49 days (LevlLlcus
13) 1he flfLleLh day ushers ln ShavuoL hence Lhe name enLecosL
whlch ls Creek for flfLy
Shavuot in Temple Times
uurlng Lhe seven weeks beLween assover and ShavuoL Lhe 1emple
was busy wlLh a speclal ceremony called Lhe omer (an anclenL
measuremenL LhaL was broughL as a wave offerlng A speclal seL of
publlcly harvesLed barley gralns were wlnnowed LoasLed ground
slfLed mlxed wlLh oll formed lnLo a dough and waved ln Lhe courLyard
of Lhe 1emple before a porLlon was sprlnkled onLo Lhe alLar as a
sacrlflce AfLerward all new gralns were permlLLed for harvesLlng and
eaLlng
Cn ShavuoL a dlfferenL sorL of rlLual was performed wlLh Lhe flrsL of Lhe
wheaL unllke all oLher glfL offerlngs LhaL were accompanled by maLzah
ShavuoL feaLured a Lwoloaf bread offerlng (ln addlLlon Lo a roundup of
bulls rams and goaLs) llne flour wlLh a sourdough sLarLer formed Lhe
basls for Lhe square loaves kohanlm who served ln Lhe 1emple would
consume Lhe bread afLer lL had been waved ln dlfferenL secLlons of Lhe
1emple
Why a Bieau 0ffeiing.

Many commenLaLors puzzle over Lhls unusual offerlng 8read ls a baslc
food no maLLer whaL Lhe lowcarbohydraLe dleL promoLer's clalm Cod
ls sald Lo be Lhe susLalner of all and yeL lL Lakes much human
lnLervenLlon (growlng harvesLlng wlnnowlng grlndlng measurlng
mlxlng kneadlng and baklng) Lo make [usL one loaf 1o begln Lhe
4

harvesL season wlLh holy loaves renewed humanlLy's parLnershlp wlLh
Cod ln feedlng Lhe world
Chag Bakatsii - The Baivest estival

ln anoLher spoL ln Lhe 1orah ShavuoL ls glven a dlfferenL LwlsL
1hree Llmes of year you should keep a feasL for meand Lhe feasL of
Lhe harvesL Lhe flrsL frulLs of your labors whlch you have sown ln Lhe
fleld (Lxodus 116)
1he Lhree ma[or holldays menLloned referred Lo ln Lhese verses have
agrlculLural Lles llrsL assover ls celebraLed ln Lhe sprlng when Lhe
earLh awakens from lLs wlnLer dormancy nexL ls ShavuoL when Lhe flrsL
frulLs and gralns would be harvesLed llnally SukkoL ls observed when
Lhe fully rlpened bounLy would be gaLhered 1hese holldays would flnd
Lhe farmer alLernaLely Lhanklng and beseechlng Cod for a successful
planLlng season SeLLlng a fesLlval amld Lhe feverlsh planLlng
harvesLlng gaLherlng called every farmer Lo acknowledge Cod's hand ln
naLure
ShavuoL along wlLh Lhe oLher Lwo fesLlvals was a Llme of oleh regel
(llLerally golng up on fooL) Women and chlldren young men and old
would Lroop lnLo !erusalem Lo observe Lhe holldays LogeLher ln anclenL
Llmes ShavuoL really musL have been an lncredlble celebraLlon
iist iuits Ceiemony at the Temple

Lach famlly carrled a baskeL of flrsL frulLs Lo Lhe 1emple ln !erusalem
8askeLs would be fllled wlLh lsrael's seven frulLs LhaL were menLloned ln
ueuLeronomy 88 A land of wheaL and barley and vlnes and flg and
pomegranaLes a land of ollve oll and daLe honey
4

So many people descended upon !erusalem durlng Lhe shalosh regallm
Lhe Lhree fesLlvals LhaL archeologlsLs have found whaL Lhey Lhlnk were
masslve hoLelllke sLrucLures among Lhe 1emple mounL rubble
1he frulLs known as blkkurlm were Lhe flrsL produce of Lhe season As
soon as farmers noLlced slgns of rlpenlng Lhey would Lle reed sLrlngs
around Lhe flrsL frulLs as a marker and declared Lhem blkkurlm
1hough rabbls advlsed farmers Lo glve oneslxLleLh of Lhelr crops as
blkkurlm farmers gave accordlng Lo Lhelr means
PlsLorlc accounLs descrlbe Lhe blkkurlm processlon 1ravellng by
dlsLrlcL vlllagers would march accompanled by muslc unLll Lhey
reached Lhe 1emple MounL 8unners would advlse 1emple offlclals of
Lhe group's lmmlnenL arrlval A welcomlng commlLLee proporLlonal Lo
Lhe slze of Lhe group would be senL Lo greeL Lhe ollm Lhose who came
up Lo !erusalem
8efore enLerlng Lhe 1emple courLyard vlllagers would Lake few
momenLs would be Lo rearrange Lhe produce LhaL had goLLen [osLled
along Lhe way 1hen all baskeLs would be holsLed onLo Lhe shoulders of
Lhelr owners kohanlm 1emple prlesLs would help each person say Lhe
blkkurlm prayer (ueuLeronomy 610) 1he kohen would wave Lhe
frulL ln a prescrlbed manner All frulLs and mosL of Lhe baskeLs were
presenLed Lo Lhe kohanlm as glfLs (LevlLlcus 170)
Ceiemony of Bikkuiim
ShavuoL was also Lhe flrsL day on whlch lndlvlduals could brlng Lhe
8lkkurlm (flrsL frulLs) Lo Lhe 1emple ln !erusalem (Mlshnah 8lkkurlm
1) 1he 8lkkurlm were broughL from Lhe Seven Specles for whlch Lhe
Land of lsrael ls pralsed wheaL barley grapes flgs pomegranaLes
ollves and daLes (ueuL 88) ln Lhe largely agrarlan socleLy of anclenL
lsrael !ewlsh farmers would Lle a reed around Lhe flrsL rlpenlng frulLs
from each of Lhese specles ln Lhelr flelds AL Lhe Llme of harvesL Lhe
44

frulLs ldenLlfled by Lhe reed would be cuL and placed ln baskeLs woven
of gold and sllver 1he baskeLs would Lhen be loaded on oxen whose
horns were gllded and laced wlLh garlands of flowers and who were led
ln a grand processlon Lo !erusalem As Lhe farmer and hls enLourage
passed Lhrough clLles and Lowns Lhey would be accompanled by muslc
and parades7
AL Lhe 1emple each farmer would presenL hls 8lkkurlm Lo a kohen ln a
ceremony LhaL followed Lhe LexL of ueuL 6110 1hls LexL beglns by
sLaLlng An Aramean Lrled Lo desLroy my faLher referrlng Lo Labans
efforLs Lo weaken !acob and rob hlm of hls progeny (8ashl on ueuL
63)or by an alLernaLe LranslaLlon Lhe LexL sLaLes My faLher was a
wanderlng Aramean referrlng Lo Lhe facL LhaL !acob was a pennlless
wanderer ln Lhe land of Aram for 0 years (lbld Abraham lbn Lzra)
1he LexL proceeds Lo reLell Lhe hlsLory of Lhe !ewlsh people as Lhey
wenL lnLo exlle ln LgypL and were enslaved and oppressed followlng
whlch Cod redeemed Lhem and broughL Lhem Lo Lhe land of lsrael 1he
ceremony of 8lkkurlm conveys Lhe !ews graLlLude Lo Cod boLh for Lhe
flrsL frulLs of Lhe fleld and for Pls guldance LhroughouL !ewlsh hlsLory
(Scherman p 1068)
1he earllesL source Lo lndlcaLe a llnk beLween ShavuoL and Lhe Slnal
experlence was Lhe posLblbllcal 8ook of !ubllees wrlLLen ln Lhe flrsL
cenLury before Lhe Common Lra 1hls book ls a parallel Lo Lhe 8ook of
Cenesls and parLs of Lxodus ln lL an elaboraLe accounL of Moses
recelvlng Lhe 1en CommandmenLs as well as Lhe legend of Lhe
observance of ShavuoL by noah and Lhe blbllcal paLrlarchs are quoLed
from Lhe 8ook of !ubllees !ubllees 6131 1
?eL anoLher reference Lo ShavuoL appears ln Lhe Apocryphal 8ook of
1oblL ln whlch 1oblLs feasL ls Lurned lnLo mournlng 1oblL 16
43

ln yeL anoLher 8ook of Apocrypha Lhe Maccabean warrlors heroes of
Lhe Panukkah sLory observe Lhe feasL of Weeks ll Maccabees 19

The Exouus Account
1he sLage ls seL for Lhe lsraellLes Lo recelve Lhe Law when Lhey arrlve aL
Slnal (Lxodus 191)
In the third month aIter the children oI Israel had gone out oI the land
oI Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness oI Sinai.
8ecause of Lhelr LradlLlon LhaL Lhe glvlng of Lhe Law occurred aL
ShavuoL rabblnlcal auLhorlLles have Lo lnLerpreL Lhls verse Lo mean LhaL
Lhe people arrlved aL Slnal on Lhe flrsL day of Lhe Lhlrd monLh slnce
ShavuoL could have been on Lhe flfLh slxLh or sevenLh of Lhe same
monLh and Lhere was aL leasL a Lhree day perlod of ceremonlal
cleanslng ln Lhe lnLerval 1he LexL lLself however does noL supporL Lhls
lnLerpreLaLlon lL uses Lhe phrase on (or ln) Lhe same day 1he same
day as whaL? 1he Pebrew ls as unamblguous as Lhe Lngllsh LranslaLlon
lL ls ln Lhe same day () LhaL Lhe chlldren of lsrael had gone ouL of Lhe
land of LgypL 1o whaL day does Lhls phrase refer?
Lxodus 117 says
So you shall observe the Feast oI Unleavened Bread, Ior on this same
day I will have brought your armies out oI the land oI Egypt.
Clearly Lhe reference ls Lo Lhe flrsL day of unleavened 8read Avlv 13
noLlce ln Lxodus 117 Lhe use of Lhe phrase same day () [usL as
Lxodus 191 uses ln Lhe same day () 8epeaLedly ln Lhe accounL of Lhe
exodus Lhe day (yom) Lhe lsraellLes wenL ouL of LgypL ls used wlLh Lhe
demonsLraLlve ad[ecLlve
1hen we have Lxodus 14
46

3And Moses said to the people: Remember this day () |is just the
untranslatable accusative marker| in which you went out oI Egypt, out
oI the house oI bondage; Ior by strength oI hand the LORD brought
you out oI this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4On this day
you are going out, in the month Abib.
Lxodus 141
And it came to pass at the end oI the Iour hundred and thirty years --
on that very same day ( literally, "in the bone |i.e. substance| oI this
day) -- it came to pass that all the armies oI the LORD went out Irom
the land oI Egypt.
Lxodus 131
And it came to pass, on that very same day (), that the LORD brought
the children oI Israel out oI the land oI Egypt according to their
armies.
lL should be clear LhaL when all of Lhese passages use Lhe phrase ln
some form and all clearly refer Lo Lhe 13Lh of Avlv Lhe day of Lhe
lsraellLes deparLure from LgypL Lhen Lxodus 191 means LhaL Lhey
came Lo Lhe wllderness of Slnal on Lhe flfLeenLh day of Lhe Lhlrd monLh
Slnce Lhls ls afLer ShavuoL Lhe glvlng of Lhe Law could noL have
occurred on LhaL day 1he quesLlon Lhen becomes how long a perlod of
Llme elapsed beLween Lhelr arrlval and LhaL momenLous day when Lhe
Law was Lhundered from Lhe Lop of Lhe mounL 1here are
lndeLermlnaLe Llme perlods ln Lhe accounL ln chapLer 19 such as
beLween v and v ln v8 and beLween v8 and v9
ln verse 10 Lhe LLernal beglns Lo Lell Moses (Moshe) Lo prepare Lhe
people for Pls meeLlng wlLh Lhem Among oLher Lhlngs Pe says
When Lhe LrumpeL ( rams horn) sounds long (ls drawn ouL) Lhey
shall come near Lhe mounLaln (v1) 1he passage conLlnues 1hen lL
came Lo pass on Lhe Lhlrd day ln Lhe mornlng LhaL Lhere were
Lhunderlngs and llghLnlngs and a Lhlck cloud on Lhe mounLaln and Lhe
sound of Lhe LrumpeL was very loud so LhaL all Lhe people who were ln
Lhe camp Lrembled (v16) and Lhen And when Lhe blasL of Lhe
47

LrumpeL sounded long and became louder and louder Moses spoke
and Cod answered hlm by volce (v19) AfLer Lhese dramaLlc evenLs
Lhe LLernal gave Lhe people Lhe 1en CommandmenLs and Lhen lL ls
relaLed now all Lhe people wlLnessed Lhe Lhunderlngs Lhe llghLnlng
flashes Lhe sound of Lhe LrumpeL ( shofar) and Lhe mounLaln smoklng
and when Lhe people saw lL Lhey Lrembled and sLood afar off (018)
Pow hard can lL be Lo undersLand whaL day Lhls ls when LevlLlcus 4
Lells us ln Lhe sevenLh monLh on Lhe flrsL day of Lhe monLh you
shall have a SabbaLhresL a memorlal of blowlng of LrumpeLs ( 1eruah
blasL) a holy convocaLlon?
Nehemiahs Yom Teiuah
Whlle Lhese LexLs alone presenL a sLrong case for Lhe glvlng of Lhe Law
on ?om 1eruah (1rumpeLs) oLher scrlpLural evldence polnLs Lo Lhe
same concluslon noLlce whaL Lzra dld upon Lhe reLurn of Lhe people
from Lhe 8abylonlan capLlvlLy almosL a Lhousand years laLer
nehemlah 816
1Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square
that was in Iront oI the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to
bring the Book oI the Law oI Moses, which the LORD had
commanded Israel. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law beIore the
assembly oI men and women and all who could hear with
understanding on the Iirst day oI the seventh month. 3Then he read
Irom it in the open square that was in Iront oI the Water Gate Irom
morning until midday, beIore the men and women and those who
could understand; and the ears oI all the people were attentive to the
Book oI the Law. 4So Ezra the scribe stood on a platIorm oI wood
which they had made Ior the purpose; and beside him, at his right
hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and
Maaseiah; and at his leIt hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum,
Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5And Ezra opened the book
in the sight oI all the people, Ior he was standing above all the people;
and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6And Ezra blessed the
LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!"
while liIting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and
worshiped the LORD with their Iaces to the ground.
48

Was lL [usL happensLance LhaL Lzra read Lhe 1orah and Lhe people
reacLed ln Lhls manner on ?om 1eruah? We are persuaded oLherwlse
Lzra acLed wlLh knowledge and wlLh Lhe shofars whlch were surely
blown on Lhls day lL was Lruly a memorlal of blowlng of LrumpeLs
Lzra Lhe oLher prlesLs and Lhe people probably knew LhaL Lhey were
rehearslng Lhe Law on Lhe very day Lhe LLernal Plmself had spoken Lo
Lhelr ancesLors
A Seconu Temple Witness
1he reader mlghL wonder lf any exLrablbllcal evldence exlsLs whlch
would conflrm LhaL Lhe above lnLerpreLaLlon was exLanL ln Lhe second
1emple era lndeed Lhere ls a wlLness who wlll show LhaL Lhls was
undersLood all Lhe way down Lo Lhe very Llme of Lhe Messlah 1haL
wlLness ls hllo of Alexandrla (0 8CL40 CL)
The Bistoiical 0nueistanuing 0f Pentecost (Shavuot)

ln Lhe Lhlrd monLh afLer Lhe !ews lefL LgypL (MlLzraylm) Lhey
arrlved ln Lhe Slnal deserL and camped opposlLe MounL
Slnal Moses (Moshe) was Lhen Lold by Cd Lo gaLher Lhe lsraellLes
LogeLher Lo recelve Lhe 1orah (Lxodus ShemoL 1918 nAS) 1he
lsraellLes answered All LhaL Lhe Lord has spoken we wlll do! ln
Pebrew lL ls naaseh vnlshmah whlch means We agree Lo do even
before we have llsLened
Moses (Moshe) then gave the Jews two days to cleanse themselves,
wash their clothes, and prepare to receive the Torah on the third day.
At the same time, Moses (Moshe) told them not to
come too near Mount Sinai. From early morning, dense clouds
covered the peak oI the mountain. Thunder and lightning were
Irequently seen and heard. The sound oI the shoIar (ram's horn) came
very strong, and the top oI the mountain was enveloped in Iire and
smoke. The Israelites at the Ioot oI Mount Sinai stood in great awe
(Exodus 19:9-19). Moses (Moshe) then went up alone on the
mountain, and as he neared the top, a mighty voice announced the
Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:20-25; 20:1-21).
49

Shavuot anu Shofais
ShavuoL compleLes Lhe cycle of Lhe llgrammage lesLlvals (SuccoL
and esach are Lhe oLhers) (Chaglgah 7a) All pllgrlmage fesLlvals are
on Lhe same fooLlng as each oLher (SabbaLh 11a)
1he leasL of Weeks ls called enLecosL or Assembly (1almud Mas
8osh Pashana 6b 1almud Mas Moed kaLan 0a)
1he Speclal reparaLlons for 1hls Pollday
1he speclal preparaLlons for Lhls hollday falllng 7weeks afLer assover
(Lev 17) are Lhe Lwo leavened loaves of bread (ShabbaL 11a) ?eL
Lhelr preparaLlon does noL overrlde Lhe SabbaLh ( 8elLzah 0b)
SAC8lllCLS
1here were speclal sacrlflces for Lhe leasL of Weeks
O A second young bullock Lhou shalL Lake for a slnofferlng1 now
lf Lhls comes Lo Leach LhaL Lhere are Lwo sacrlflces surely lL has
already been sald (Zevachlm 89b)

O 1he Lwo lambs offered aL Lhe leasL of Weeks cf Lev xxlll 19
1hese lambs are also permlsslble as well as Lhe Lwo loaves
menLloned prevlously (MenachoL 1b)

O 1he Lhankofferlng conslsLed of an anlmalofferlng and a bread
offerlng of forLy cakes Len cakes of each of Lhe four dlfferenL
klnds speclfled v Lev vll 1 1 1he enLlre Lhankofferlng had
Lo be consumed on Lhe same day of offerlng unLll mldnlghL


30

O A speclal wavlng peaceofferlng offered on Lhe leasL of Weeks
and accompanled by a breadofferlng of Lwo loaves (Lev 17
19 1hls peaceofferlng and Lhe loaves had Lo be eaLen on Lhe
same day of offerlng (MenachoL 13a)

1wo loaves of leavened bread were offered on ShavuoL as a
communal offerlng 1he unground wheaL was flrsL rubbed by Lhe
prlesLs

1he Lwo loaves were kneaded and baked separaLely 1hey were
recLangular ln shape measurlng seven handbreadLhs long and four
wlde 1he loaves were fashloned so LhaL Lhere would be a hornllke
proLruslon on each of Lhe four corners

1he prlesLs would carry Lhe Lwo loaves and Lhe oLher offerlngs up Lo
Lhe alLar 1hey would be accompanled by LevlLes blasLlng LrumpeLs
and playlng fluLes


O 1he flrsL frulLs accordlng Lo 8 Lllezer b !acob flrsL frulLs requlre
wavlng

O 1wln Loaves Waves wlLh 1rumpeLs lluLe and Song


4 When Lhe Llme for Lhe wlne llbaLlon arrlved and Lhe Lwln
loaves were offered Lhe LevlLe cholr began lLs muslcLhe
slngers LrumpeLers and muslclans lndeed Lhe speclal
hollday commandmenL for Lhls day calls for Lhe blowlng of
LrumpeLs And on Lhe days of your [oy and on your
fesLlvals you shall sound off wlLh LrumpeLs (numbers
31

1010) AddlLlonally Lhe fesLlval of ShavuoL ls lncluded as
one of Lhe 1 days of Lhe year ln whlch Lhe fluLe ls played
before Lhe alLar even lf lL falls ouL on Lhe SabbaLh
(Malmonldes Laws of 1emple vessels 36)

AfLer Lhe desLrucLlon of Lhe Poly 1emple Lhe 8abbl's decreed LhaL ln
lleu of Lhe sacrlflces Lhe Pallel (s 11118) be lndlvldually prayed
(Arachln 10a)
Shofar
Arakhln ChapLer 1wo Mlshnah 1hree sLaLes LhaL Lhe rlesLs sounded
Lhe shofar never less Lhan LwenLyone blasLs ln Lhe sancLuary and
never more Lhan forLyelghL
ln addlLlon Lhe shofar sounded durlng Lhe Lwln loaves wave offerlng
speclal for ShavuoL ln addlLlon Lhe speclal hollday commandmenL for
Lhls day called for Lhe blowlng of LrumpeLs And on Lhe days of your
[oy and on your fesLlvals you shall sound off wlLh LrumpeLs
(numbers 1010)
1he Porns of Lhe AlLar
Porns on an alLar are anclenL ln Lhe Mlddle LasL Cbblnk however
flnds lsraellLe alLars unlque Abraham calls hls alLar !ahwe [lre (Cen
) !acob calls hls alLar Ll elohe ylsrael (Cen 0) and Moses calls
hls !ahwe nlssl (Lx 17) 1hese are noL names for alLars 8aLher Lhey
are for sancLuarles Cen 8 ls Lells LhaL !acob Look Lhe sLone LhaL he
had puL for hls plllow and seL lL up as a plllar and poured oll on Lhe Lop
of lL slmllarly Cen 3 ln anclenL lsrael Lhey were called alLars when
Lhey were aLLached Lo Lhe alLar ln boLh cases Lhe alLar ls a beLhel and
Lhe beLhel ls an alLar Such was Lhe anclenL SemlLlc LradlLlon (P 1h
3

Cbblnk 1he Porns of Lhe AlLar ln Lhe SemlLlc World Lspeclally ln
!ahwls !ournal of 8lbllcal LlLeraLure vol 36 no 1 (Mar 197) pp
449

lnlLlally uslng Lhe Mldrash 1adshe (ch xl) (1he Mldrash 1adshe focuses
on symbols and lL plays much on groups of numbers SecLlon conLalns
a symbollzaLlon of Lhe 1abernacle Lhe cenLral ldea of Lhe mldrash ls
Lhe Lheory of Lhree worldsearLh man and Lhe 1abernacle) Samuel
8elkln descrlbes Lhe raLlonale behlnd Lhe use of Lhe horns comblned
wlLh Lhe alLar 8elkln explores furLher by uslng LranslaLlons Lo Lhe
Creek LexLs of hllo Lo Lhe Armenlan LranslaLlon of hllos CuesLlons
and Answers on Cenesls and Lxodus Lo Lhe Mlshnah Lo Lhe 1almud
and Mldrash Lo Mldrash salms and Lo Lhe MekllLa (mldrash Lo Lxodus
exLendlng !ewlsh Law) Pe flnds LhaL Lhese horns are of clean anlmals
wheLher Lhese are broughL as sacrlflces or noL have horns and clefL
hoofs Cnce agaln why dld Lhe Poly Cne blessed be Pe decree LhaL
horns be made for Lhe alLar? 8ecause Lhe Poly Cne blessed be Pe
soughL Lo Leach us LhaL lf we offered sacrlflces Lo Plm ln
rlghLeousness Pe would repel desLroy and sub[ecL Lhelr enemles and
would noL permlL Lhem Lo harm Lhem (Lhe lsraellLes) lor lL ls wrlLLen
And all Lhe horns of Lhe wlcked l wlll cuL off buL Lhe horns of Lhe
rlghLeous shall be llfLed up (s 73 ll) 8uL lf noL (le should Lhe
lsraellLes become lnlqulLous) Pe would harass and repel Lhem from
before Plm as lL ls wrlLLen And l wlll make your clLles a wasLe (and
wlll brlng your sancLuarles unLo desolaLlon) and l wlll noL smell Lhe
savor of your sweeL odors (Lev 6 1) and lL ls also sald 1o whaL
purpose ls Lhe mulLlLude of your sacrlflces unLo me (lsa ll)
8elkln clalms LhaL hllo flnds Lhe 1adshe Lo be a PellenlsLlc Mldrash
derlved from or based upon Lhe maln sLrucLure of hllo
3

Accordlngly Lhose whlch are Lo be offered as sacrlflces are Lhe
followlng Lhree (klnds) Lhe sheep Lhe ox and Lhe goaL
8uL besldes Lhese Lhere are seven oLher (klnds permlLLed) for food
gazelle deer wlld goaL buffalo whlLerumped anLelope oryx and
glraffe each of Lhese has horns lor Pe wlshes Lo speclfy Lhose
(anlmals Lo be used) for food for even Lhough Lhey are noL Lo be
offered as sacrlflces sLlll Lhey are slmllar Lo Lhose whlch are Lo be
sacrlflced
Secondly Lhe horns (of Lhe alLar) lncllne and face Loward Lhe four sldes
of Lhe world Loward Lhe easL Loward Lhe wesL Loward Lhe souLh and
Loward Lhe ulpper for lL ls proper LhaL Lhose who are ln all parLs (of
Lhe world) should all brlng Lhelr flrsLfrulLs and new (offerlngs) Lo Lhls
one alLar and sacrlflce vlcLlms Lo Cod Lhe laLher of Lhe world ln Lhe
Lhlrd place (Lhls ls sald) symbollcally for ln place of defenslve weapons
Pe has glven a crop of horns Lo anlmals whlch grow horns !usL as Lhe
(anlmals) Lo be sacrlflced (namely) Lhe ram Lhe ox and Lhe goaL repel
Lhelr enemles wlLh Lhelr horns so also dld Pe wlsh Lo rebuke Lhe
lmplous who presume Lo offer sacrlflces by Leachlng LhaL Lhe dlvlne
Logos opposes and repels Lhe enemles of LruLh gorlng every soul as lf
wlLh horns and showlng up ln Lhelr nakedness lLs unclean and
unworLhy deeds whlch a llLLle whlle before lL had been conceallng lor
Lhese reasons Lhe horns are noL Lo be placed upon (Lhe alLar) from
ouLslde buL by Pls command are Lo be unlLed Lo Lhe alLar lLself Lo
exLend lL slnce sacrlflclal anlmals have Lhelr horns growlng ouL of
Lhemselves

Samuel 8elkln Some Cbscure 1radlLlons MuLually Clarlfled ln hllo and
8abblnlc LlLeraLure Source 1he !ewlsh CuarLerly 8evlew new Serles
34

vol 37 1he SevenLyllfLh Annlversary volume of Lhe !ewlsh CuarLerly
8evlew (1967) pp 8010 unlverslLy of ennsylvanla ress
1he WoodlesLlval Cf 1he rlesLs And Cf 1he eople

When Lhe 8abylonlan exlles reLurned Lo lsrael Lhey found no wood ln
Lhe 1emple wood chamber 1wo famllles offered wood of Lhelr own
1he propheLs ruled ln Lhe fuLure Lhe chamber be full of wood ln order
Lo conLlnue Lhe sacrlflclal culL (neh x 3)

CasLlng loLs Lhe prlesLs Lhe LevlLes and Lhe people broughL Lhe wood
offerlng Lo Lhe Poly 1emple Llmes appolnLed year by year Lo burn
upon Lhe alLar of Lhe Lord our Cod as lL ls wrlLLen ln Lhe Law

!erobaom klng of !udea aLLempLed Lo LhwarL 1PlS 8uLlnC Powever
Lhe pllgrlms Look Lhe baskeLs of Lhe flrsLfrulL and covered Lhem wlLh
drled flgs carrylng Lhem on Lhelr shoulders (Mlshnah 8lkurlm )

ln Lhe summer and early fall cerLaln famllles dellvered wood 1hen on
Lhe flrsL of 1eveL (beLween klslev and ShvaL ln Lhe WlnLer monLhs)
anoLher famlly dellvered Lhe wood as well as sLlll anoLher famlly
dellverlng Lhe SprlngLlme (8avll Megllla 1f)