Rosh Hashanah

[Joseph The Carpenter]

That was great, thank you Joel. :hug:thumb

[Joel]

A study done by my friend Rabbi Kevin Cornette....
(an excerpt from a timeline of the year of the Passion of Christ)




Nisan 21, 3998 AC (Tuesday night, Wednesday day)
**Seventh day of Unleavened Bread ** (this is a special Sabbath Day)

Before discussing the event that takes place on this day, I would like to explain why the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread is a special day for the Jews (and in the life of Jesus).

According to Jewish history, the seventh day of Unleavened Bread was the day that Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land and their enemy was swallowed up by the sea. This is why God commanded Israel to keep this day as a special Sabbath throughout all their generations. According to their tradition, the Seventh day of Unleavened Bread reveals:
a. Passing from death (Baalzephon, their last place of encampment before crossing the Red Sea, means literally "the house of the dead") unto life. The first place of encampment on the east of the Red Sea is Elim (which means 'the palms', however the Talmud uses a play on words by only changing the accent mark in Elim; changing it to mean "You" or "Your Presence". This is the day when Israel left their bondage to the enemy and came to God.
b. Being delivered out of the kingdom of the enemy and into the presence of God (compare this to Colossians 1:12-14 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Colossians+1%3A12-14): by the blood of Jesus we are delivered out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His dear Son).
c. The utter defeat of the enemy: Pharaoh drowns (compare this to Colossians 2:13-15 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Colossians+2%3A13-15): Jesus by His blood removes from us all the handwriting of the Law that was against us {i.e. the part of the covenant we couldn't keep} and took it out of the way, thereby fully triumphing over them and making fools of them).
d. There is a special water libation (pouring) ceremony that is led by the person who led the Passover Seder on the eve of Nisan 14th. This person would take a pitcher of water and pour it out in a circle around his friends.
e. There is a special "tikkun" (course of study) where everyone would stay up all night studying the Torah and the Prophets. The prescribed course of study for this night was the marriage of God to His people, and because of this, the observant Jews call this day "Yom HaKetubah" (the day of the Marriage Contract). The reason they have this course of study is because this is the day that God became "betrothed" to Israel, to be married to her later on Shavuot. On the eve of Shavuot, the observant Jews would stay up that night to study the "beautifying of the bride", and when the day of Shavuot fully comes, they have a remembrance of the LORD marrying His people.
With all these things in mind, now consider the actions of Jesus on this special Sabbath day.


Evening (Tuesday night)
** still in Jerusalem **

John 20:19-25 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+20%3A19-25) Verse 19 of John chapter 20 is one of the worst Greek to English translations I have ever encountered. It is understandable why they translated it this way, church traditions concerning the timing of the resurrection, but there is absolutely NO WAY a Jewish man, especially a Priest, would say "Then that same day at evening". The Jewish day always has begun at sundown. So, being evening would denote the passage to a new day. This poor translation intrigued me, and when I looked at how is should be translated, it gave insight to the fact that it is really talking about the seventh day of Unleavened Bread!

Ou;shj ou=n ovyi,aj th/| h` mera| ekeinh| th/| mia/| tw/n sabba,twn
Therefore being evening on the day certain other the other the Sabbath.

Therefore, a much better translation of John 20:19 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+20%3A19)a would be "Therefore, it being evening on a certain other special day, the other Sabbath". So then, this passage is talking about a special Sabbath: the seventh day of Unleavened Bread. On this special day, Jesus appears to them and bids them peace, and then He breathes on them and says "receive ye the Holy Ghost".

Until this time, no man had received the indwelling Holy Ghost, therefore no one was yet saved. But here Jesus breathes on them, renews their spirits and imparts to them the Holy Ghost. This is what Paul is referring to when he says; "and so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit " (I Corinthians 15:45 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=1+Corinthians+15%3A45)). The first Adam became a living soul when God breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Genesis+2%3A7)). The last Adam (Jesus) breathed into men and they received a living spirit. This is the moment that God had been waiting for since the fall of Adam: the time that He could once again fully commune with man! It is at this point that old things passed away and all things became new (II Corinthians 5:17 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=2+Corinthians+5%3A17)). It is here that they become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:15-17 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Romans+8%3A15-17)) by being adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:9-11 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Romans+8%3A9-11)). This is the record of the first people who were baptized into the Body of Christ (which is the only baptism that saves us: Romans 12:4-5 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Romans+12%3A4-5), compare to I Corinthians 12:13 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=1+Corinthians+12%3A13), see also Gal. 3:26 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Gal.+3%3A26), Rom. 6:3-5 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Rom.+6%3A3-5) & Colo. 2:11-13).

Here, Jesus is fulfilling the typology of the seventh day of Unleavened Bread: He led the Passover Seder just one week earlier. As the leader of that meal of Remembrance, He shows up on this special Sabbath and pours out the Holy Ghost on those who are present - in fulfillment of the water libation from the Jewish tradition. When they receive the indwelling Holy Ghost, they are saved, which means they are translated out of the kingdom of the enemy and into the kingdom of God (Paul said it this way "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" Colossians 1:13 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Colossians+1%3A13)). They passed from spiritual death unto spiritual life (Romans 5:21 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Romans+5%3A21), II Corinthians 4:11-12 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=2+Corinthians+4%3A11-12) & I John 3:14 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=1+John+3%3A14)). The ten disciples were there for this event (Judas Iscariot had killed himself by this time, and Thomas was not there)

Luke 24:36-48 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Luke+24%3A36-48) This passage in Luke describes the same event from John 20:19-25 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+20%3A19-25), with a little bit different emphasis. "While they thus spoke".. Here, once again, the Greek text starts a new paragraph, which conveys a change of venue or the passage of time. This was a few days after Cleopas and the other disciple returned from Emmaus, and the disciples were still discussing the things that Jesus said to Cleopas and the other disciple when Jesus appeared in the midst of them. Jesus says the same thing to them here as in John 20 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+20): "Peace be unto you." Jesus eats the Shabbat meal with the disciples, and then fulfills the last aspect of the Jewish tradition concerning the seventh day of Unleavened Bread by staying up all night instructing them in the Word. "Then He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures" Luke 24:45 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Luke+24%3A45).

[Joel]

Just as I mentioned earlier - Tabernacles and Passover seem to 'mirror' or 'parallel'.

The fact there is a special water pouring ceremony on both the 7th day of Passover (Nisan 21) - as my friend Kevin points out, and there is as well a special water pouring ceremony on the 7th day of Tabernacles (Tishri 21), as evidenced in the posts above as well.

'If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'

Spoken by Christ on the same day!











Concerning the deliverance of Israel from Egypt on the 21st of Nisan....
and the breathing of the Holy Spirit onto the Disciples on the 21st of Nisan....

and how all these things equate to 'translation from the power of death, and the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light'....
there is one more typological occurrence to take note of, which occurs on the 21st of Nisan; the 7th day of Passover....








Acts 12:3-10 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Acts+12%3A3-10) ~ And when Herod saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week]. And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly). The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, Tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me. And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

When they had passed through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city. Of its own accord [the gate] swung open, and they went out and passed on through one street; and at once the angel left him.








Do you see it? AFTER Passover Herod purposed to bring Peter forth. That means AFTER the last day of Unleavened Bread had passed, which is the 21st of Nisan!

So it was the same night of the 21st of Nisan (the 7th day of Passover) that God delivered Peter from the power of the Enemy.... just as with Israel, Peter too was delivered from the 'prison', from the 'chains', from the 'sentries', and out the 'iron gate'.

Israel being imprisoned in Egypt is compared with the same language of iron!!


Deuteronomy 4:20 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Deuteronomy+4%3A20) ~ But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.


The language is clearly equivalent to what deliverance Israel experienced in type from the house of Egypt. It's equivalent to being delivered from the 'Kingdom of Darkness'.
The theme is consistent. Deliverance and Salvation occur on both the 7th days of Passover and Tabernacles (Nisan 21/Tishri 21)!

[Joel]

The second division of priests would go out to the Kidron valley on the north of the Temple to cut down huge (25-30 foot long) willow branches. The willow branch is a symbol of the resurrection, for when these willow branches were put into the ground, they would take root and grow into trees. These priests would bring the branches into great stands to wave them over the Altar of sacrifice to make the sound of a mighty rushing wind to commemorate the day that God lit the fire of the Altar in Solomon's Temple (2 Chronicles 7:1-4). They would enter the Temple through the Eastern Gate (where the resurrected Jesus will enter at His return) and wait till the appropriate time.
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.


It is fitting the Priests would commemorate the day God's glory came down ablaze over the Altar this day..... For the Priests would also encircle the Altar precisely 7 times as they chanted their Hallel and Hymn, beating their willow in sync.

Commemorating the defeat of Jericho, which did actually take place on the 21st of Nisan as well -- again, the parallel!

We see the Priests enacting the defeat of Jericho through encircling the Sacrificial Altar in the Court on the 7th Day of Tabernacles.... while the actual defeat of Jericho took place on the 7th Day of Passover!

So we see a consecutive correspondence! Just as Pharaoh drowned in the Sea on the 7th Day of Passover, so too, 40 years later, did the city of Jericho fall on the 7th Day of Passover! And this, being enacted and commemorated, on the 7th Day of Tabernacles.




Now lets take both of these concepts.

We have the defeat of the Enemy characterized on the 7th Day of Passover and the 7th Day of Tabernacles -- and we also have the breathing and giving of the Holy Spirit on the 7th Day of Passover (with Christ breathing the Holy Spirit into His Disciples), and the 'giving' of the Holy Spirit on the 7th Day of Tabernacles (with the fire of God's shekinah Glory coming down and consuming/accepting the sacrifice on the Altar).

Combining these themes, I see a distinct possibility of the final defeat of God's Adversaries, and a 'final' Sacrifice Offering accepted by God's blazing fire coming down on this 7th Day of Tabernacles; Tishri 21st.

Since Hoshannah Rabbah is the final, and 7th day of Tabernacles -- being the 7th and final Feast of God's prophetic program -- I see the millennial era (the 7th millennium) as fulfilling this Festival in its entirety -- with the conclusion of the millennial era fulfilling the conclusion of this Feast, namely; Hoshanna Rabbah -- the 7th and final day. Follow me?

In other words, the events that close out the millennial era I see as being fulfilled ON the closing day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Hoshannah Rabbah). What events close out the millennial era?





Revelation 20:7-10 ~ And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.



Herein we see Gog & Magog, and Satan - the Adversary - bringing with him the final host of enemies to oppose God. And just as God took victory to Himself on the 7th Day of Passover with the drowning of Pharaoh and His Egyptian Hosts, and took victory to Himself on the 7th Day of Passover with the falling of the walls of Jericho and their Canaanite Hosts -- so too will God take to Himself this final victory over His enemies -- on this 7th Day of Tabernacles! (Remember, the two feasts and days are parallel with each other in spirit and thought in many, many ways)

Just as God accepted the sacrifice on Solomon's Altar in all His glory, so too will God come down in a fiery blaze on the same day and 'consume' the enemy, as if they were on the proverbial Altar.

The irony being the enemy compasses about the city, as if they were the Priests encircling the altar -- but not so. And likewise, it was on this day, Hoshanna Rabbah -- that the Priests and people would shout out 'Hosanna!' which means 'Save now!'

And so, i believe, this will see a grander and truer, greater fulfillment when in the far future, God's city will be encircled by an innumerable host of God's enemies -- and the saints and the citizens of God's city will likewise cry out to God; 'Save now!', 'Hosanna!'.

And such as it is, God will hear their call and consume His enemy as He has enacted before in times past.

[Joel]

As I have shared in other threads.... being convinced that Christ was born on Tabernacles (Tishri 15) -- it follows likewise He would have been circumcised on His 8th day of Infancy -- that would have been Tishri 22 - the day following Hoshanna Rabbah - a minor holiday known as Simchat Torah 'the rejoicing in/and of the Torah'.

But since Christ was born in Tishri, it follows according to the scriptural account -- that 6 months earlier John the baptist also would have been born -- on Passover. Now, hypothetically, if John the Baptist was born on the day of the slaying of the passover Lamb (Nisan 14/15) -- then His 8th day of infancy would have been Nisan 21!

Interesting!


We actually have the account of transactions on this special day in Scripture! Notice how the themes of what is expressed concerning John fit perfectly in line with the themes we have revealed already about the 7th Day of Passover and Tabernacles!!









Luke 1:59-80 ~And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marveled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.

[Joel]

Thank you, more amazing things .

Im trying to focus on the use of "water" in your last research posts, I think there is an important connection there.

Encouraging and uplifting as always.

PS( your book is coming out when?)

:lol2 stinker :heh

[Joel]

Hoshana Rabbah is the seventh and last day of Sukkot, which is the day before Shmini Atzeres/Simchat Torah. Named for the fact that more hoshanot are said on this day than all the previous days of the festival. On Hoshana Rabbah the beating of the aravah, willow branch, is performed. Although Hoshana Rabbah was not accorded any different status by the Torah than the other days of Chol Hamoed, the Jewish people have observed many customs on this day and have invested it with a solemn character. For example, the white parochet, curtain on the ark, in shul remains up until after Hoshana Rabbah.

In the morning services of Hoshanna Rabbah, following Musaf (and some places after hallel) the hoshanot are said as written in the prayerbook, the congregation marches around the bima , altar, seven times, after which comes the beating of the aravah, willow branch. The aravahs are beaten against the floor five times.


Hoshana Rabbah is known as the day of the final sealing of judgment, which began on Rosh Hashannah. During the festival of Sukkot the world is judged for water and for the blessings of the fruit and crops. The seventh day of the festival is the final sealing and since human life depends on water, Hoshanna Rabbah is somewhat similar to Yom Kippur. Hence there are additional prayers and quests for repentance as on Yom Kippur.








http://www.ou.org/chagim/sukkot/hoshana.htm~ (a simple summary)


While on Rosh Hashanah the books of judgment are opened, and names are inscribed... and time is given, space to repent during the 'Days of Awe'...

it's on Yom Kippur the names are sealed for good, either in the book of Life or of Death....
However, it's said (through Jewish tradition) to be not until Hoshanah Rabbah before the delivery of the judgment is actualized, that which was sealed into place on Yom Kippur.









So it is with my personal hypothesis that the day of Hoshanna Rabbah finds future fulfillment in not only the future, and last, great rebellion of Satan & Gog/Magog -- but also in the events which immediately follow it: namely, the Judgment of the Great White Throne; the delivering of the judgment.



Here, there is no penance -- only judgment long in store for those who would have chosen to be writ in the book of Death, rejecting the Lamb's Book of Life.










Revelation 20:11-15 ~ And I saw a Great White Throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.











These two things, the Last Rebellion, and the Judgment - on a future Hoshanah Rabbah... while the proverbial '8th day' of Tabernacles -- Shemini Azteret/Simchat Torah begins the subsequent 8th millennium, and New Heavens/Earth/Jerusalem/ad infinitum.



So the cycle is completed.












http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c364/JP888/Hebrew/Hebrew%20Feasts/RevelationFeasts.jpg

[CHRISTinCheryl]

Joel, are you a Messianic Believer in YESHUA?? :)

[Joel]

Nope, I'm a goy. :heh

[Joel]

Hoshanah Rabbah as a Day of Judgment



Prof. Yosef Tavori (http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/sukot/tab.html)
Department of Talmud (http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/sukot/tab.html)


Hoshanah Rabbah, the last day of the festival of Sukkot, is considered a day of judgment. According to the Zohar, although one is judged on the Day of Atonement, that verdict is not delivered until the last day of Sukkot, and until then a person may still repent (Zohar, Va-Yehi 120a; Terumah 142a).

The sense of judgment on HoshanahRabbah was so powerful that the day accrued many customs associated with the Days of Awe. According to the author of Knesset ha-Gedolah, in the Mahzor (prayerbook) of Romania it was customary to add special High Holy Days passages, such as zokhrenu le-hayyim, "Remember us for life" to the text of the Amidah for Shemini Atzeret. Some Mahzors already lent expression to the special status of Hoshanah Rabbah in the High Holy Days prayer U-netaneh Tokef, having the following version: "On Rosh ha-Shanah judgment is made, and on Yom Kippur it is written, and on Hoshanah Rabbah it is sealed."

In the works of the Sages (Mishna, Midrash, Talmud) there is no mention of Hoshanah Rabbah as a day of judgment. Sukkot after all is not part of the High Holy Days, but belongs to the three pilgrimage festivals. But the proximity of the holiday to the Days of Judgment creates the feeling that all the holidays are part of a whole. In modern Israel, beginning with the month of Elul, the Hebrew phrase "after the holidays" le-ahar ha-haggim is used to refer to the period that draws to a close after Sukkot. Returning to the ancient sources, the teachings regarding the sacrifices to be offered on the holidays hints that the Days of Judgment and Shemini Atzeret are in some way related, for their sacrificial offerings are equal.

Perhaps the closest connection drawn between the Yamim Noraim and Sukkot is found in the motif of the lulav. In antiquity, waving a branch on high was considered a sign of victory. The Sages interpreted our waving of the lulav on Sukkot as signifying the victory of the Jews over Satan on the Days of Judgment that precede the festival. They interpreted the words "delights are ever in Your right hand" (Ps. 16:11) as indicating that a person holding the Four Kinds in his right hand is showing that he emerged victorious on the Day of Judgment (Vayyiqra Rabbah 30.2). One of the earlier sources describing the special status of Hoshanah Rabbah in the synagogue uses this victory imagery:


When Hoshanah Rabbah comes they take willows, and make seven circuits around the synagogue, while the Hazzan of the synagogue stands like an angel of G-d, holding a Torah scroll in his arms as the people march around him as around the altar. For thus our Rabbis taught: every day it was customary to circle the altar reciting, "Please, O Lord, deliver us; please, O Lord, bring success," and on the seventh day they would march around seven times, as King David said explicitly, as it is written, "I wash my hands in innocence, and walk around Your altar" (Ps. 26:6). Immediately the ministering angels rejoice and proclaim, "the people of Israel are victorious." (Midrash Tehillim, Buber ed., 17.5)


The clear connection that the Sages see between the High Holy Days and the festival of Sukkot is not a continuation of the awe and trepidation in the face of judgment, but a connection of joy expressing the assurance that the judgment will be for the best.

There is another aspect of Sukkot, however, which rates it among the most austere days of judgment. The Mishnah states that Rosh ha-Shanah is the day of judgment on which all mortals pass before the Lord as numeron, but the Day of Atonement is not mentioned in the Mishnah as belonging to this system. Yom Hakkippurim is mentioned in the Mishnah because of the expiation (kappara) on this day, both expiation of the Temple's impurity and expiation of the people sins; but it is not mentioned as marking a stage in the legal process. The same cannot be said of other tannaitic writings: there we find the Day of Atonement playing a role in the system of judgment, with the Sages disagreeing over this point:


Everything is judged on Rosh ha-Shanah, and the verdict is sealed on the Day of Atonement, according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says everything is judged on Rosh ha-Shanah, and each and every verdict is sealed at its appropriate time: on Passover, the verdict for the grain crop; on Atzeret (the Feast of Weeks), the verdict for fruits; on Sukkot, the verdict for water; and the verdict for people is sealed on the Day of Atonement. (Tosefta Rosh ha-Shanah 1:13, p. 308).


Here we see the legal process divided into stages -- beginning with judgment and concluding with the verdict being delivered. According to the order in the Tosefta, R. Judah's system seems to be a development of R. Meir's approach. R. Meir did not relate to the judgment of the grain crop, or the fruit trees, or the rainfall, but his remarks imply that these things are included in the legal process that begins on Rosh ha-Shanah and culminates on Yom Kippur. Apparently Yom Kippur is considered a fitting date for finalizing the judgment of human beings because it is a day of atonement. R. Judah, however, stated that everything has its own date for finalizing its judgment, name the time close to its season: Passover is a critical season for grain crops, Shavuot for fruits, and Sukkot, the beginning of the rainy season.

Thus, the entire period between Rosh ha-Shanah and the last day of Sukkot is a period during which one can still affect the verdict on rain for the better. According to a tradition ascribed to Rabbenu Tam, those who insist on reading the haftarah of Shuvah Yisrael on the Sabbath between Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur are making a mistake, since this haftarah was set for the Sabbath before Sukkot. The reason is that "Shuvah (Hosea 14:2-10) is directed towards praying for rain, since we conclude [the haftara] with a passage from Joel [the reading, Joel 2:15-27, sounds like an assemblage for prayers for rain and includes the verse "For He has given you the early rain in kindness"] and on Sukkot judgment is passed for the rain, and they are proclaimed before the judges [mentioned in Joel 2:16]" (Mahzor Vitri, p. 224).

In conclusion, even though we are especially enjoined to rejoice during the festival of Sukkot, we must not forget that we are in the process of being judged concerning the rain. In view of the severe drought we suffered two years ago we ought to be in awe of judgment being passed concerning this year's rain. May it be G-d's will to bless us with a good year with plentiful rainfall.