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Tishrei 22, 5764 / October 18, 2003
Tishrei 22, 5767 / October 14, 2006
Tishrei 22, 5770 / October 10, 2009
Tishrei 27, 5773 / October 13, 2012
Tishrei 20, 5776 / October 3, 2015
Sixth Day Feast of Tabernacles
Water Drawing Service (for
Feast of Tabernacles)
Drawing Out Living Waters
On
each of the seven days of Sukkot, the High Priest took a golden pitcher and
filled it with water drawn from the Pool of Siloam. It was brought into the
Temple through the Water Gate (hence the name), and poured into a bowl at the
Altar, alongside the pouring of the wine, during the daily burnt-offering
(Talmud: Sukkah 4:9). This
water libation was performed only during Sukkot.
The
Talmud states, “Why is the name of it called the Drawing Out of Water? Because
of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said: ‘With joy
shall ye draw out of the wells of salvation.’ ” (Isaiah 12:3)
Hosannahs
during pouring:
All: Hosannah! -- Save us -- for Your sake, our God!
Hosannah! -- Save us -- for Your sake, our
Creator!
Hosannah! -- Save us -- for Your sake, our
Redeemer!
Hosannah! -- Save us -- for Your sake, our
Attender!
Hosannah! --
for
the sake of Your Truth, for the sake of Your Covenant, for the sake of Your
Greatness and Splendor, for the sake of Your Glory.
Hoshannah Rabbah (Seventh Day): Now on
the last day, the great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, saying,
“If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as
the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living
water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to
receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)
Kal haMitzvat
/ The Entire Commandment
SCRIPTURES should be read first
Commentary:
(V.1) Last week’s portion was called “This is the Commandment”, and the Sh’ma
encompassed all commandments. This week’s portion is called “The Entire
Commandment”, and we see that righteousness is a condition for entering the
Promised Land. (This is not proclaiming salvation by one’s own works.)
(V.2) The events of the forty years in the wilderness showed that God provides
all of the needs of those who follow Him. The people were subjected to
uncertainty, with no reserves, in order to instill trust in Yahweh for
provision. Difficulties in this life should not lead us to doubt God, or test
His existence. Thus Yeshua said (Luke 4:12 – quoting Deuteronomy 6:16), “You
shall not put Yahweh your God to the test.”
(V.9) “Eating food without scarcity” is seen as referring, not only to physical
bread, but to the Word of God. So Yeshua said (Luke 4:4 – quoting Deuteronomy
8:3), “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ” And David
writes, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes
to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a
shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).
(V.10) Here is the commandment to “Bless Yahweh your God for the good land that
He gave you” after meals.
(V.11-19) We are hereby warned: in prosperity, we should not forget that
everything we receive is from God – by His grace, not by our ability or natural
reasons. So we read from Jeremiah, “ ‘Let
not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his
might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of
this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who exercises
lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these
things’ declares Yahweh.”
___________
We should rejoice
in Yahweh’s Word: it is our peace, our prosperity, and our promise of a glorious
future. Today is the day that we consider the fulfillment of the Torah – the
fulfillment of receiving the Promised Land. We look back to the just-completed
downfall of the nations, and Messiah’s Kingdom is all that is left. We will now
take turns marching around with the Torah scroll, as we recite the portions for
the seven circuits (see
SHIMINI ATZERET
).
Readings:
Reader 1 * Amen
1 "The entire
commandment that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you
may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to give
to your forefathers. 2 "And you shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God
has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you,
testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His
commandments or not. 3 "And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you
with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make
you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by
everything that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh. 4 "Your clothing did not
wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 "Thus you are to
know in your heart that Yahweh your God was disciplining you just as a man
disciplines his son. 6 "Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh
your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
Reader 2 * Amen
7 "For Yahweh your God
is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and
springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of
vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land
where you shall eat food without scarcity, in which you shall not lack anything;
a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10
"When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless Yahweh your God for the
good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God by
not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am
commanding you today; 12 lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have
built good houses and lived in them, 13 and when your herds and your flocks
multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies,
14 then your heart becomes proud, and you forget Yahweh your God who brought you
out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Reader 3 * Amen
15 "He led you through
the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and
thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the
rock of flint. 16 "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not
know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in
the end. 17 "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of
my hand made me this wealth.' 18 "But you shall remember Yahweh your God, for it
is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant
which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 "And it shall come about
if you ever forget Yahweh your God, and go after other gods and serve them and
worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish. 20 "Like
the nations that Yahweh makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because
you would not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.
Jeremiah 9:22-24
22 Speak, "Thus declares Yahweh, 'The
corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field, and like the sheaf after
the reaper, but no one will gather them.'" 23 Thus says Yahweh, "Let not a wise
man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not
a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he
understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who exercises lovingkindness,
justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares
Yahweh.
Psalm 126 A Song of Ascents.
1 When Yahweh
brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our
mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they
said among the nations, " Yahweh has done great things for them." 3 Yahweh has
done great things for us; we are glad. 4 Restore our captivity, O Yahweh, as the
streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come
again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Luke 4:1-14
1 And Yeshua, full of the Holy Spirit, returned
from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty
days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; and when
they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the
Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 And Yeshua answered him, "It is
written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone.'" 5 And he led Him up and showed
Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to
Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over
to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 "Therefore if You worship before me,
it shall all be Yours." 8 And Yeshua answered and said to him, "It is written,
'You shall worship Yahweh your God and serve Him only.'" 9 And he led Him to
Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If
You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, 'He
will give His angels charge concerning You to guard You,' 11 and, 'On their
hands they will bear You up, Lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'" 12 And
Yeshua answered and said to him, "It is said, 'You shall not put Yahweh your God
to the test.'" 13 And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed
from Him until an opportune time. 14 And Yeshua returned to Galilee in the power
of the Spirit; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.
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