Jewish Holidays Guide for the Perplexed

By Yoram Ettinger

The user-friendly "Jewish Holidays' Guide for the Perplexed" provides succinct interpretations by Jewish Sages, easily integrated into conversations, presentations, sermons, interviews and writing. The "Guide" highlights the relevance of Jewish holidays to modern day challenges, shedding light on shared-values, which bind the US and its sole, soul ally in the Middle East: Israel, the Jewish State

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yoram Ettinger
• Release date: Dec 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9780463130858

Yoram Ettinger

Ambassador (ret.) Ettinger, the CEO of "Second Thought: A US-Israel Initiative," (www.TheEttingerReport.com) is an insider on US-Israel relations, Mideast politics and overseas investments in Israel's high tech.He is a consultant to members of Israel’s Cabinet and Knesset, and regularly briefs US legislators and their staff on the threat of a nuclear Iran, Israel’s contribution to vital US interests, on the Palestinian issue, on the root causes of international terrorism and on other issues of bilateral concern.Ambassador (ret.) Ettinger's OpEds have been published in Israel and in the US, and he has been interviewed on Israel's and US’ TV and radio.A graduate of UCLA and the University of Texas at El Paso, Ambassador (ret.) Ettinger served as Minister for Congressional Affairs at Israel's Embassy in Washington, Israel's Consul General in Houston and Director of Israel's Government Press Office.

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Jewish Holidays Guide for the Perplexed

Yoram Ettinger

Copyright © 2016 Yoram Ettinger

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Introduction

Representing Israel on Capitol Hill, as an Ambassador to the US Congress, serving as Israel's Consul General to the southwestern states of the United States and regularly visiting rural and metropolitan America, I have been exposed to the deep affinity of Americans for the Bible, in general, and Jewish holidays, in particular. On November 7, 2008, the late Senator Robert Byrd (Democrat-West Virginia) announced his retirement from the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, quoting from King Solomon's Ecclesiastes (3:1), read during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles: To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. The late Senator Daniel Inouye (Democrat-Hawaii), who succeeded Byrd as the chairman of that most powerful Senate committee, had a Jewish Mezuzah attached to the doorpost of his Capitol Building office. The Mezuzah commemorates the Tenth Plague, which preceded the Exodus from Egypt, the highlight of Passover. On December 22, 2009, Senator Tom Harkin (Democrat-Iowa), Chairman of the Health, Education and Labor Committee, complimented Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, for displaying the patience of Job, the endurance of Samson and the wisdom of Solomon. Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, throughout the United States, appreciate the integration of references to Jewish holidays into the discussions of the Middle East and US-Israel relations. Thus, I've undertaken to publish this user-friendly "Jewish Holidays' Guide for the Perplexed," leveraging the Jewish education provided to me by my late parents and grandparents. The Guide consists of concise interpretations by ancient and modern Jewish Sages, which may be easily shared with relatives, friends and congregants in conversations, presentations, interviews and writing. The Guide reinforces the relevance of the Jewish holidays to modern day challenges, while shedding light on the shared-values, which bind the United States and its sole, soul ally in the Middle East: Israel, the Jewish State.

AMBASSADOR (Ret.) YORAM ETTINGER, the Executive Director of Second Thought - A U.S. Israel Initiative, is a consultant to Israeli and US legislators, and a researcher, writer and lecturer on US-Israel relations, the Jewish-Arab demographic balance, the Iranian nuclear threat, the Palestinian issue and other Middle East issues. Ambassador Ettinger has regularly published articles on the Jewish holidays, in addition to his weekly column on the Middle East, the national security of Israel and the United States and their bilateral relationship. Ettinger served as Israel's Ambassador to the US Congress, Israel's Consul General to the Southwestern States, Director of Israel's Government Press Office, co-leader of the America-Israel Demographic Research Group, President of US-Israel Opportunities, Editor of Contemporary Mideast Backgrounder and Alabama's Trade Representative in Israel.

www.TheEttingerReport.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Jewish Concept of Holidays

Chapter 2: The Shabbat (Sabbath)

Chapter 3: Rosh Hashanah

Chapter 4: The Fast of Gedalyah

Chapter 5: Yom Kippur

Chapter 6: Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles)

Chapter 7: Simchat Torah

Chapter 8: Chanukah

Chapter 9: The Fast of the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet

Chapter 10: Tu Bishvat (Arbor Day)

Chapter 11: Purim

Chapter 12: Passover

Chapter 13: Lag Ba'Omer

Chapter 14: Shavou'ot (Pentecost)

Chapter 15: The Fast of the 17th day of the Jewish month of Tamuz

Chapter 16: The Fast of the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av

Chapter 17: The 15th day of the Jewish month of Av (the holiday of love)

Chapter 18: The Jubilee

1. The Jewish Concept of Holidays

a. The Hebrew word for holiday, חג (Khag), is a derivative of the Hebrew root חגג, to encircle. It refers to the dancing/encircling of the ancient Temple during the three pilgrimages to Jerusalem (Passover, Shavou'ot/Pentecost and Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacle), during prayers and upon other festivities, חגיגה (Khagigah) in Hebrew. It also refers to the cyclical nature of Jewish holidays, which encircle the calendar annually.

b. The numerical value of the Hebrew word חג is 11 (ח equals 8 and ג equals 3), which represents a sublime level of spirituality, energy, justice, wisdom, patience, tolerance and educational enhancement. The Hebrew language assigns a numerical value to each letter in the alphabet, from the first letter, א (aleph) =1, the second letter, ב (bet) =2, to the last letter, ת (tav) =400 or 4.

c. Another Hebrew word for holiday is מועד (Mo'ed), which also means exact/fixed time. In addition, it was the Hebrew word for the portable tabernacle/sanctuary during the forty years in the desert, אהל מועד (Ohel Mo'ed). Mo'ed is a derivative/source of the following Hebrew words, which shed light on the nature/substance of Jewish holidays: עד (eternity), עדי (a divinely powerful ornament), עדה (people, community, congregation), עד (witness), עדות (testimony), תיעוד (documentation), דעת (knowledge, wisdom), יעד (mission), יעוד (destiny), נועד (destined), ועד and התוועדות (assembly, spiritual gathering).

d. The numerical value of the Hebrew word מועד is 120 (מ equals 40, ו equals 6, ע equals 70 and ד equals 4), which represents the full human life expectancy, in accordance with the 120 year life of Moses, who liberated the Jewish people and introduced humanity to the fundamental tenets of morality, democracy and leadership. A Hebrew synonym for cemetery is בית מועד, the home of those who concluded their life expectancy.

e. One of