Jewish History of Budapest

Dohany Street Synagogue-the Largest Synagogue in Europe

“Although they don’t want to be regarded as outsiders, they are somewhat proud of being regarded as outsiders.”

Herzl, the Father of Zionism from Budapest

“I have established the Jewish State in Basel… Maybe 5 years, but in 50 years, everyone will see it.”

So the rumor goes as…

The Jewish families get paid $400 a month for every kid from the Israeli government.

No wonder you see so many kids in a family! One kid for $400 a month, so 4 kids for $1600, you only need 8 kids to reach the average salary, which is around $3200 in Israel.

And the rumor goes as…

These Haredim men don’t work, so the entire family relies on the stipend as income.

Well, the theory is fun. But is it true?

How much do you get paid? Israeli Child Allowance

The rumor is spread among not just among Arab taxi drivers to foreign tourists (like me!) and to some extent, even into the ears of young Israeli.  However, the government spends 50% of the tax income on national defense, Israel doesn’t have that much money to support families.

Additionally, the allowance isn’t ONLY for ultra-orthodox Jews or Jews. The policy applies to all citizens, including Israeli Arabs.

So how much is this benefit?  Let’s see the charts!

For children born before 2003, the monthly allowance is 152 NIS for the first kid, 191 for the second kid, 191 NIS for the third kid or the fourth kid, and 152NIS for the fifth kid onwards.

It looks like from this pattern, the Israeli government felt the “sweet spot” for a family structure was 2-3 kids. It makes sense because Israel is a country at war, you CAN lose your child in a battle.

For children born AFTER 2003, the monthly allowance is 152 NIS for the first kid, 191 for the second kid, 191 NIS for the third kid, 340NIS for the fourth kid, and 359NIS for the fifth kid onwards.

So it looks like the policy now is encouraging even bigger families! At least 4 kids! It might have something to do with the rising prices in Israel, many people simply can’t afford to have more kids.

So… how much is 340NIS in U.S dollars anyways?

.

..

…

The answer is…..

400USD!!!

Oh! I’m just kidding, it’s $98…!!

Did you know that a decent meal costs $20-$30 in Israel? You cannot do much with $98 a month. Just think New York.

(If anyone plans on making money through kid allowance in Israel, well, they will seriously be disappointed Let’s stop this fake news spreading!)

What’s the Monthly Child Stipend in My Country, Taiwan?

So out of curiosity, I did some research on this topic for my country, Taiwan. How much monthly child stipend do we get?

Well. The monthly salary is around $1300 in Taiwan, to begin with.

• At birth, you get $700 as a gift money
• 0-2-Year-Old Baby: You get $80 as a monthly stipend. $30 extra for the 3rd kid onwards. If you have low-income, you get $170.
• 2-5-Year-Old Baby: You start to receive $80/month as education support.

So let’s say you have the lowest income, and you are having your 3rd kid. Then you get USD$200!

That’s about 680NIS! It means the child support values more than 3 Israeli kids combined.  If the same rumor applies to Taiwan (which is a high-tech and well-educated country) if you see a couple with many children, does it mean they have kids to get more stipend from the government?

Well, maybe it is true since Taiwan is 3 times cheaper than Israel …..  (Of course I’m being sarcastic. The birth rate is about 1% only in Taiwan because young people cannot afford to raise up kids.)

The Ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) Women

Since the stipend isn’t lucrative, why do Haredim women have so many kids?

Well, keep their religious background in mind, they don’t practice birth control. Every kid is a gift. You see ultra-orthodox Jews all the time in Jerusalem (the ones wearing black coats). If you’d like to know more about their world, I highly recommend taking a guided tour when you are in Jerusalem.

The role of a Haredim man is to read the Torah and pray, and a woman is to support her husband. They are on this mission together until they are rewarded in the eternal world.  The responsibility of a bread runner falls on the woman’s shoulder. A Haredim woman receives more secular education, such as math and English, because they need to do “secular jobs”.  On the other hand, they don’t feel their husbands aren’t working, because reading Torah and praying is the most meaning work in this world, which will pass away.

70% of the Haredim women go to work. But how do they work and raise 7-8 kids at the same time? Well, financially they struggle. And time-wise, they need their older kids to take care of younger kids. But the Haredim community is well connected, just like a big family.

If someone needs to go abroad or needs money to have surgery, the community is always involved, and people are willing to give a dime, or two. Or if there’s a new baby or a funeral, a helping hand is never absent. In terms of childhood, the Haredim kids grew up in love and care from the entire community.

So in some ways, these religious Jews chose this way of life.

They are not having babies for getting USD$400 monthly stipend per kid!  Definitely not true!

If you are going to Israel, the guided tour that takes you to the religious neighborhood of Jerusalem is available only on Thursdays. You’ll be guided by an ex-Haredim guide, you’ll see their lifestyle, hear stories, and all your questions can be answered!

Sources

Nefesh B’nefesh

Coming from an Asian (non-Jewish) background, it’s hard to find such information. But this detail matters to me now because, well, I care.

So what does hy”d mean anyway? It it a Hebrew phrase?

hy”d : May God avenge his blood

hy”d is the acronym of this sentence,

השם יקום דמו  ha’shem yinkom damo

May God avenge his blood

If someone is murdered or he died of an attack, then “hy”d” is added to his name, when his name is mentioned.

To me, it feels like it is a reminder to God, not to forget how these lives were sacrificed… and to bring the focus and to surrender all in God’s hands. If God doesn’t act, we are all just ashes…. what can we do?

So, Hy”d HaRav Achiad Ettinger, it means Ravvi Achiad Ettinger (May God avenge his blood)

What does BDE mean?

So, it looks like BDE is another abbreviation? Yes! It means the following

ברוך דין האמת Baruch Dayan ha’Emet

Blessed Is the True Judge

On a Jewish funeral, you will come across this word often. It is painful to lose someone you love, but you can choose to praise God in the hardest hour. It is also putting faith in God once again, and to believe that He knows everything and He is in control. God is good.

It is a way to honor God, when you are the most vulnerable.

z”l：May his memory be a blessing.

z”l (ז״ל) is the acronym of this sentence,

זיכרונו לברכה zechrono levracha

May his memory be a blessing.

It is like RIP (Rest in peace), but a lot more specific. May his memory be a blessing. This is the memorial of Menachem Begin, the former prime minister of Israel. So when his name is mentioned, it is Menachen Begin z’ll. May the memory of Begin becomes our blessings.

For me, the purpose to know these details is not just for new information, but to understand how Jewish people face death. The emotions are real, and it is sad whenever an unrighteous death happens… especially in Israel.

Let’s turn our eyes to the Creator.

May God avenge his blood.

References & Additional Reading

Honorifics for the dead in Judaism

The Jewish Blessing on Death

Jewish Funeral Guide

List of Hebrew abbreviations

 These are some links to courses that I personally like:

• Ancient Israel and Judah (3-4 hours a week, for 8 weeks): https://www.edx.org/course/biblical-archaeology-the-archaeology-of-ancient-israel-and-judah

  Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Judah (2-4 hours a week, for 9 weeks): https://www.edx.org/course/biblical-archaeology-the-archaeology-of-ancient-israel-and-judah

  Early Christian Outlook on Gospels and Acts  (3-4 hours a week, for 9 weeks): https://www.edx.org/course/early-christian-outlook-and-its-jewish-matrix-narratives-of-gospels-and-acts

  Kabbalah   (3-5 hours a week, for 5 weeks): https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-kabbalah-1

  Arab Islamic History (3-4 hours, for 8 weeks): https://www.edx.org/course/arab-islamic-history-from-tribes-to-empires-0

Expect to watch some videos, short articles, and answer a few quizzes. It’s easy and fun!

מצדה = Masada is Fortress

 מצדה, (Masada/Matsada) this word means fortress in modern Hebrew. It is a place of refuge and protection. This word has appeared in the Bible many times as fortress or stronghold.

I love You, Adonai my strength! Adonai is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in Him I take refuge, my shield, my horn of salvation, my stronghold. (מצודתי = Masada) (Psalms 18:1-2)

I will say of Adonai, “He is my refuge and my fortress  (מצודתי = Masada) , my God, in whom I trust. (Psalms 91:2)

Masada may be the best model of “fortress”. A “fortress” should have a superior strategic position so that it is difficult to break. This word also has a meaning of “net” or “hunt”, because when an enemy enters into attack range, it is like entering the snare.

After the Jewish Revolt failed in 66 AD, the Jewish warriors who stayed behind in Masada faced attacks by 8 battalions of Legio X Freeness through Snake Path. But they easily defeated them with stones, bows, and arrows. They were under a siege, but abundant storage of food could last them at least for four years. And there was no shortage of water. It’s recorded that soldiers showed off by hanging washed clothes to show Romans just how much water was available.

But who would have thought that the Roman army had built a ramp that could directly break the gate of Masada? One could imagine what those 968 Jews in Masada felt when reading this passage:

In You, Adonai, have I taken refuge: Let me never be put to shame. In Your righteousness, deliver me. Turn Your ear to me, rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a stronghold for my deliverance. Since You are my rock and my fortress (מצודתי = Masada) , You lead me and guide me for Your Name’s sake. (Psalms 31:1-3)

In the eve of Passover, the wall of Masada stronghold was smashed, and the Roman army barged in but only to find dead silence and corpses. So many of them, including women and children. These Jews rather chose to end their lives than to be slaves of the Romans. Masada was already the last standing fortress of the Jews, the second temple had already been destroyed, it seemed like this people who made a covenant with God ended in tragedy. They would soon be forgotten history.

But not quite so. The Jews in diaspora didn’t forget their God. Every Hanukkah, the Jews remember how God helped the Maccabees miraculously defeated the Greek rulers, and took back the desecrated temple. Or during Purim, they commemorate how God helped Esther and Mordechai and the whole Jewish nation not to perish.

Although Masada fell, the real fortress was never shaken.

Who would have imagined that God lifted up a banner for the nations, and gather the scattered of Judah? On the contrary, the once glorious Roman Empire ceased to exist. The Jews re-established their homeland. In 1955, archaeologists rediscovered “Masada”. Modern Israelis especially like to hike up through snake path, watch the sunrise or pray morning prayers here.  Some have their Bar Mitzvah here. And Israeli IDF new recruits come to Masada to make a vow that “Masada will never fall again.”

There is always fear in life, and we want God intervenes and saves us quickly. We don’t like to suffer. But when prayer is not immediately heard or the situation is not improved, we may start to doubt or question God. But the trick is, we should allow more time in waiting. Because the God who brought Israel back to the promise land still saves. He is still that stable and strong “Masada”

The small town doesn’t receive many tourists. Only locals. It’s a laid back place.

We joined the locals in having coffee near the Water Gate.

Cappuccino with chocolate and water for 1.7 euro! And this was in a prime location by Drava River. Swans could be spotted from here. But we didn’t come to Maribor for this.

It’s this building close to Water Gate- Maribor Synagogue! A synagogue where there’s no longer a Jew.

From the cafe, the synagogue looks like this. The one in the middle with one white wall!

The entrance is from the other side. And this is what the synagogue looks like from outside. Well, is this the right place? It’s hard to tell! But there was a note left for the visitor.

The door was locked from inside. I followed the instruction and knocked with a heavy doorknob. And suddenly, the synagogue came back to life! I heard footsteps in haste. And in 2 seconds, the door opened. A gentleman greeted us.

A young creator who spoke English. He seemed more excited than us (who looked confused), and it felt like he was alone here for a long time. Later he told us that it is true that he receives only a handful of visitors a week, with exception of having groups from Israel.

This was a synagogue. You can tell by seeing a cavity in the wall, where the ark of the Torah was kept. You could read information about this place from the standees, or the curator would be happy to explain the history and answer questions for you.

The Jews came to Maribor in the 13th century. They lived in the south-eastern part of the town and played an important role in commerce. There were 300 Jews living in Maribor in the 14th century.

This synagogue was built in that era. A mikveh could be found beneath. Jewish cemetery, rabbi’s home, and yeshiva were all around. There was a community here.

The defensive wall is called “Jewish tower” (Židovski stolp ) because Jews lived here.

Because of the Black Death and the death of Christian children, the local people took Jews as the scapegoat of all these problems. Also, Christians became allowed to be in money lending business too, so Jews were viewed as their competitors.  In 1496, Roman Emperor Maximilian I ordered to expel all Jews from Styria in southeastern Austria.  Maribor in Slovenia today was Styria, so Jews here were expelled and they never returned.

The Jewish surname Morpurgo, Marpurg, Marburg, Morpurgo came from Maribor. So if you ever meet someone with the last name similar to the pronunciation of Maribor, then you know where his or her ancestor is from.

In 1501, the synagogue was converted into a Catholic church called the Church of All Saints (Cerkev Vseh Svetnikov).

In 1785, Joseph II, the son of Maria Teresa, confiscated the church and converted it into a military warehouse until it was sold and turned into a private apartment in 1811 (nice view for an apartment from here!). Joseph II had a very different policy toward Jews. He treated the Jews equally and allowed them to live freely.

Therefore, the Jewish community in Maribor emerged again. Although the number did not exceed 100, they were successful in commerce and finances. Some worked in the court, called court jewels (hofjuden). They were doing well as middle class. But these Jews were not the ones who had been driven away, these were Jews from the Czech. And because they did not have a synagogue, the community sense was not strong.

But because of anti-Semitic policies in Yugoslavia, most Jews had already immigrated and only 5,000 Jews or more remained before the start of WWII. In 1941, Slovenia was divided by Hungary, Germany, and Italy. Jews here were captured by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps in the north of Italy or in Germany. Most of the surviving Jews chose to immigrate to Israel. In short, there is no Jew in this town.

We can even say, after WWII, there is no Jew remained in Slovenia (even if there’s one, he or she doesn’t want to claim his Jewish origin or heritage).

This synagogue was converted into a church, warehouse and then an apartment. Then it became a property of the municipality in 1980, and then it was used as a gallery. Finally, in 2001 it was turned to a small museum like this to preserve Jewish culture and history.

“If there are Jews in the city, this hall should be returned to them, but no Jews live here anymore.”

The curator told me this while handing me a receipt for the entrance fee. 1 euro per head.

“There’s no Jews in Slovenia now ?” I asked.

“Maybe there are 20-30 Jews in the capital Ljubljana, but no one knows where they are.  If Jews from abroad come here, they need to go to Trieste for shabbat because there’s no Jewish community in this country, as far as I know. “

So I wanted to know that this country’s attitude is towards Jews now. There once were Jews among them, but none remained after the Holocaust. He thought for a moment and confessed to me frankly:

“There is no opinion towards Jews. This history is too far away from us. From knowledge we know Jews lived here. But now if you talk about Jews, people will think about Jews in Israel. Then opinions towards Jews would vary.”

What the curator didn’t mention that the wall of this synagogue was vandalized in 2009 when Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out in Gaza.

However, I see it a friendly gesture of Maribor municipality to preserve this place as Maribor Synagogue. The monthly visit fee probably won’t even cover this curator’s salary. But this place is here to honor the past.

Although this is a sight that won’t take you more than 5 minutes to see, it left something in my heart. I remember the excitement of the curator and his enthusiasm for sharing history. He wasn’t a Jew. This isn’t his story. But he saw it his mission to tell visitors what happened. Therefore it made me feel this 1 euro was well spent.

“Taiwan? I don’t think we ever had any visitor from Taiwan!”

He happily put Taiwan down in the statistics. And I was happy too. One more country.

The oldest vine that won Guinness award is here in Maribor. I was still pondering the significance of visiting this synagogue, and I heard Hebrew.

I think the curator would be happy today to see more visitors.

P.s Later I found the Slovenian Jewish Facebook fan page, it’s still active

There are 7 people from Slovenia who were named as the Righteous among the nations. Their names were:  Uroš Žun, Andrej Tumpej, Zora Pičulin, Ivan Breskvar, Franjo Punčuh, Ljubica, and Ivan Župančič

Travel Tips

1. You cannot reach this place from the riverside. You must get into the town center first then go there from the town center.

References

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/9499493

http://www.sinagogamaribor.si/en/

http://www.eurojewcong.org/communities/slovenia.html

But during our chat, he told us.

You are so lucky to be here. As an Arab I cannot leave Israel, or not even Jerusalem!

We were surprised by what he said. And then he said the Israeli government doesn’t give them any documentation, such as ID or passport. He said he could go to school but there’s no freedom of movement, and that he’d like to see other relatives.

I was saddened to hear this. So I prayed for this for many years. Then I was confused… why can’t Arabs leave Jerusalem if there are other Arabs in Israel? I didn’t think he would lie to tourists, but was there any misunderstanding? Finally, years later I found something.

Citizenship, Green Card and Blue Card

From an article, I finally understood what the Arab boy meant.

After the Sixth Day War in 1967, Israel took back East Jerusalem, which included Temple Mount, Western Wall (Kotel), and Jewish quarter. The power shifted, but what about the residents?

Options were given to local Arabs. If they’d stay in the same place, then Blue Card the permanent resident would be given. If they wouldn’t accept being ruled by Israel, then they would relocate to West Bank, and then they would receive Green Card.

Blue Card is a permanent resident card.  Rights to social welfare, healthcare, and local election are given. Most Arabs and Armenians in East Jerusalem hold such card. They are not citizens and they don’t have an Israeli passport.

Green Card is the status for Arabs in West Bank. They need to receive a permit from Israeli government if they wish to enter Israeli territory. But they can go to Jordan directly.

Permanent Residency is NOT Permanent

But the Blue Card (permanent residence permit) is not really “permanent”. For example, if an Arab with a Blue Card marries an Arab with Green Card, the Israeli government will not issue another Blue Card for the other spouse. So what happens is they will move move to the West Bank or somewhere else. And the Blue Card can be revoked. If someone is linked to terrorist activities, then the status can be revoked. (Which is reasonable for any country)

In these 50 years, 14,000 Blue Cards have been revoked. In many cases, a terrorist commits an attack and then the entire family will be “exiled” to the West Bank.

I think I understand why after the separation wall was built in 2003, yet we still see terrorist activities in Israel.  It makes sense now because these Arabs are not the Arabs of 1948, these are Arabs from East Jerusalem!

There are other circumstances in which the status can be revoked. If someone with Blue Card lives outside Jerusalem or leaves Israel for too long for work or study, the status can be evoked. The Ministry of the Interior has responded that the definition of “too long” is “7 years”.  So I finally understood this is probably what the boy meant by why he couldn’t leave Jerusalem. He doesn’t know if he leaves Jerusalem, will he have a chance to return? No one wants to lose the right to live in Jerusalem, so he said he couldn’t leave.

Why Don’t They Become Citizens of Israel?

But isn’t it unfair that Arabs in East Jerusalem cannot become Israeli citizens? In fact, they are all eligible to apply for citizenship…. if they are willing. But that means giving up on their political ideologies. Most of them believe that sooner or later Palestine will take Jerusalem back, and they still despise the Jews.

20% of the Israeli population are Arabs, so that’s about 1.6 million people. On Israeli ID card, there is a column for indicating your race, for example, Jew, Arab, Druze etc. Arabs citizens have the same rights and obligations as Jewish citizens. There are 16 (or 17) Arab representatives out of 120 in the Knesset.

Although the war of 1948 and the Sixth Day War in 1967 are only 20 years apart, the second generation of Arabs in East Jerusalem still don’t recognize Israel. Politically they deny Israel, and many of them hold Jordanian passports. Although it is more convenient to travel with Israeli passports, only a few of the would “betray” the tribe. By accepting citizenship, it means recognizing the legitimacy of Israel’s ‘occupation’ to East Jerusalem.

To be a citizen of Israel, one needs to vow to be loyal to the Jewish state and pass basic Hebrew test. This is a standard immigration process, but it is hard because you have different political beliefs.

And by the way, Arabs in Jerusalem forbid each other selling property to Jews.

There are 300,000 Arabs in Jerusalem, only 12% of them hold Israeli citizenship.

Are they happy with Blue Card?

Ironically, Arabs in East Jerusalem don’t mind Israeli government. In a survey on 1039 Arabs in 19 neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, over a third of them admit they would rather be citizens of Israel than to a ‘new founded state of Palestine’, if they’re is ever one. And if the place they live becomes a part of that new state, would they move to a new city in order to become a citizen of Israel? Shockingly 40% of them say yes.

So life isn’t bad under Israel’s rule.

In fact, over 44% Arabs in East Jerusalem have monthly income over $1400. This amount is similar to Arabs in other areas in Israel, and far better than Arabs in West Bank of Gaza. Half of these Arabs don’t want to lose freedom of speech.

So they are hoping that they can have dual nationality- losing nothing in between.  Economics, quality of life, perks, health care, education, and safety etc. If they have to choose, perhaps a passport of Palestine isn’t as important.

Why don’t Christians in East Jerusalem become citizens of Israel?

I have no idea. I think most Chrisitans would jump for the oppurtunities though. But maybe I’ll find out one day.

Actually….  some people from “Geniza” come to clean it on Passover and on Rosh Hashanah, and some other dates too. This is a video from previous years:

The cleaners wear a coat with words גניזה (Geniza) in the back, it means “the hidden place”. The notes will not be thrown away and will be gathered in this hidden place. When it’s filled, the notes will be removed and buried in Mt.Olives. Yes, “bury”.

Why should the notes be buries?

Because the notes and religious books have God’s name written in it, so it will not be burned and must be “buried” in the land. When the old books are replaced, they are to be placed in geniza first. When the number is too many, then they will be buried in a grave together.

How old has this practice been? It can at least been traced back to the 1st century. In the synagogue of Masada from that era, a Geniza was found there that preserved fragments of Torah about Ezekiel’s vision on dry bones! How cool is that!

So now we know all the notes sent to the Wailing wall are treated with such respect, like religious books!

The Seven Species

According to God, He introduced this land as the following to the children of Israel in the wilderness:

A land of wheat and barley, vines, figs and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey (Deu 8:8-9)

Only these species of fruits can be offered as first fruit offerings to God. So why did God specifically place these species of fruits? According to Jewish Kabbalah, these fruits show the characteristics of God.

• Wheat: Chesed—Kindness
• Barley: Gevurah—Severity
• Grapes: Tiferet—Harmony
• Figs:  Netzach—Perseverance
• Pomegranates: Hod—Humility
• Olives: Yesod—Foundation
• Dates:  Malchut—Royalty

Well, so can I have my interpretation from Paul’s letter to Galatian church? The 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit!

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Israel issued stamps in 1958 with the theme of ….. 7 species of fruit!

It’s interesting that this statement is placed in Knesset- Yes, God gave this land of Canaan to Israel! God has never been “politically correct”, and He has His own “spiritual principles”. He chose Abraham and his descendants till today for His glory!  And I stand by Israel because God has never rejected the foreigners who joined Israel, and prophet Isaiah prophesied:

Do not let a son of a foreigner who has joined himself to Adonai say, ‘Adonai will surely exclude me from His people.”
Nor let the eunuch say,
    ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’” (Isaiah 56:3)

The logic is so simple, God intends to let Israel be the light of gentiles and bless the world! In that case, when it comes to Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the land is the land of Israel!  I raised my case!

References

Chabad 

She will give birth to a son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by Adonai through the prophet, saying,  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:21-23)

The word Emmanuel עמנואל can be split into 3 parts:

• With  עמ (em)
• Us נו (nu)
• God  אל (el)

So it means God with us.  (God is with us).

God’s name reveals His nature. God isn’t restricted by time. He is “I am”, He is “the beginning and the end”. He is “who is and who was and who is to come”.

Jesus’ name in Hebrew is Yeshua, which means salvation. This is His name, and this redemption plan existed way before the Messiah was born on this earth. It’s very likely that the redemption plan existed even before the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil was planted. Or even before He created the heavens and the earth. This is who He is.

It means, as He exists, He has “included” us in Him. When there wasn’t even any “us”,  He calls Himself “God with Us”!

When we say “Emmanuel”, what picture do we have in mind? Is it a docile baby Jesus? But think again, actually, God has put His desire of “Emmanuel” into His festivals. We can see His desire from how He came to this earth as Son of Man, and the final ending He plans. That is “God with Us”. Forever.

God appointed people to go up to Jerusalem three times a year on Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacle. The Feast of Tabernacle is called Sukkot, the plural form of Sukkah, the temporary shelter.

In this holiday, we are specifically told to rejoice. Why must we be happy?

The tabernacle Moses built on earth is a shadow to what’s in heaven. The happy Sukkot is a rehearsal to the happy ending of “Emmanuel”. God with us. God wants to be with us again. We as His people, and He as our God.

 I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)

In the end, Israel will still stay in tents. That’s the ending.

“Yet I have been Adonai your God, since the land of Egypt. I will yet again make you dwell in tents,  as in the days of the moed.” (Hosea 12:9)

The scene of God dwelling with men was rehearsed when the Messiah came,

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. (John 1:14)

The timing son of God came to the earth to be with us, the “Emmanuel” scene took place on Sukkot. The joyous festival.  The Word became flesh.

Pesach in spring points to the lamb that was slain and redemption. The feast of weeks points to the pouring of the Holy Spirit and spreading of good news, and then finally Sukkot points to God with us forever. The beginning was Emmanuel, so is the end.

Therefore those who don’t come to observe Sukkot, there will be no rain on their land. God’s heart is clear, that “we” will worship “God” together with Him. And He will enjoy this relationship that He looks forward to for thousands of years.

‘After this I will return
    and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David.
I will rebuild its ruins
    and I will restore it,
so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord—
namely all the Gentiles who are called by My name—
says Adonai, who makes these things known from of old.’ (Acts 15:16-18)

Emmanuel isn’t a word of blessing. It is the creator’s desire to be His creation. From beginning till the end, this desire existed. This relationship is a part of Him, it is His name. Emmanuel.