The High Holy Days

The High Holy Days begin at sundown on September 18. Below are the dates for the High Holy Days:

Rosh Hashanah Fri-Sun, Sept. 18-20
Yom Kippur Sun-Mon, Sept. 27-28
Sukkot Fri-Fri, Oct. 2-9
Simchat Torah Sat-Sun, Oct. 10-11

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is also called “The Feast of Trumpets”. It’s a warning to get ready.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is also called “The Day of Atonement”. It’s the holiest day of the year.

On Yom Kippur, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle blood from the scapegoat on the Ark of the Covenant. It signified forgiveness of sins or atonement.

The Messiah is our atoning sacrifice. He paid the price for our sins with his precious blood. He is our Savior and our Redeemer.

Sukkot

Sukkot is also called “The Feast of Tabernacles” and “The Feast of Booths”. The Messiah was born during Sukkot, not at Christmas. John points to that fact:

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1: 14

The word “dwelt” in John 1: 14 is translated from the Greek word “skéné”. It means “to pitch you tent” or “to tabernacle”. The Messiah pitched His tent and tabernacled with us. The Messiah is Yahweh’s human manifestation, and He is called “the Word of Yahweh”.

See His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition.

Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah commemorates the day Yahweh gave Moses the Torah on Mount Sinai. The Torah is the written Word of Yahweh.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify about Me, and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men, but I know you, that you do not have the love of Elohim in yourselves. I have come in My Father’s Name [Yahweh], and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only Elohim? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

John 5: 39-47

The High Holy Days During a Global Pandemic

I have been in Israel during the High Holy Days only once. There were lots of tourists. This year, things will be different thanks to Covid-19. Traffic will be very light.

See “Israel to revert back to full lockdown as coronavirus cases climb”:

Israel will return to a full lockdown on Friday in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus as the number of cases has continued to increase for months throughout the country.

The three-week lockdown will begin at 2 p.m., closing many businesses and limiting public gatherings. The move comes just hours before the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays when people usually attend religious services and gather with family and friends.

Under the order, people must remain within 1 kilometer, or 0.6 miles, from their home, except for when shopping for food and medicine, attending protests and going to work at a closed business, among others.

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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17: 22-24