Shabbat Chol Hamoed – Sukkoth

Saturday 29 September 2018              20th Tishrei 5779
Shabbat Chol Hamoed – Sukkoth
Exodus 33:12-34:26; Ezek 38:18 – 39:16; Rev 19: 1 - 16

We come now to the climax of the festivities of the 7th month (Tishrei) of the Hebrew calendar. Sunday 30th is Hoshana Raba – the Day of the Great Hosanna. Monday 1st October is Sh’mini Atzeret  - the Eighth Day of the Solemn Assembly and Tuesday 2nd October is Simchat Torah – Rejoicing in the Torah.
In Israel, Simchat Torah is observed concurrently with Shemini Atzeret since they celebrate only one day of Yom Tov. However, outside of Israel we celebrate two days of Yom Tov -- and they are celebrated on separate days.
Shemini Atzeret is actually a separate festival adjacent to Sukkot. Rashi, the great Biblical commentator, explains that atzeret is an expression of affection, as would be used by a father to children who are departing from him. The father would say, "Your departure is difficult for me, tarry yet another day." The Jewish people prayed and brought offerings all the days of Sukkot so that the 70 nations of the world would have rain in the coming year. The Torah and the Almighty keeps us one more day for a special holiday to make requests just for ourselves. That's Shemini Atzeret.
Simchat Torah is the celebration of completing the yearly cycle of Torah reading and beginning it again. The evening and again the next morning are filled with dance and songs rejoicing in the Torah and thanking God for giving us the Torah! We read the last Torah portion in Deuteronomy, Vezot Habracha and then begin immediately with Bereshit, starting the book of Genesis.
Vezot Habracha begins with the blessings that Moshe gives to the Jewish people and each tribe right before he dies. Then Moshe ascends Mt. Nebo where the Almighty shows him all of the land the Jewish people are about to inherit. He dies, is buried in the valley in an unknown spot, the Jewish people mourn for 30 days.
The Torah then concludes with the words, "Never again has there arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Almighty had known face to face ..." That is, until Yeshua the Messiah who is the prophet greater than Moshe Rabeinu.
Now, both Pesach and Sukkoth are celebrated for 7 days and therefore, a weekly Shabbat falls within this period. Now, the first day of each festival is observed as a Shabbat i.e. all the halacha that applies to a Shabbat applies to the first day of each of the festivals. The intermediary days are considered to be ‘half-holidays’ or ‘chol hamoed’. In other words, the halacha is less stringent during these half holidays and work is permitted.

Each Shabbat during Chol HaMoed, the "intermediate days" of Pesach and  Sukkot, is known as Shabbat Chol HaMoed ("[the] Shabbat [of the] intermediate days") which occurs up to twice a year during these two week-long festivals. And so, this Shabbat is called Chol Hamoed – Sukkoth.

The regular weekly Torah portion is not read on these Sabbaths and instead there are special Torah readings based on the uniqueness of each holiday. The Torah portion for Shabbat Chol Hamoed-Sukkoth is taken from Parashat Ki Tisa.
Moshe pleads to the Almighty to "make known to me Your ways." The Almighty commands Moshe to carve two stone tablets to replace the Tablets that Moshe destroyed bearing the 10 Commandments. Moshe carves them and ascends Mt. Sinai. The Almighty descends in a cloud and reveals to Moshe the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy which are constantly repeated in the Yom Kippur prayers. Moshe asks the Almighty to "forgive our transgressions and make us Your Heritage". The Almighty responds that He shall seal a covenant with us.
The Almighty then warns the Jewish people against idol worship (idolatry is believing that anything other than the Almighty has power). The reading ends with the Almighty commanding us to keep the Shalosh Regalim – the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot).