THE WOMB OF SUKKOT
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
10/3/2025
A careful examination of Scripture yields the conclusion that Yeshua’s birth occurred in the Fall of the year during the festival of Sukkot. This realization is arrived at by noting the details preserved in both the inspired text and historical Jewish writings. The timeline of events leads to the deduction that he was born not only in the seventh month of Tishrei, but on the festival where we are called upon to temporarily dwell in makeshift shelters.
This topic has been addressed in full in my study A TABERNACLES NATIVITY with the key reasons that lead to the conclusion that Yeshua’s birth happened during Sukkot. If one holds a different view of the timing of Messiah’s birth and has not read that study, it is strongly recommended to read it to appreciate why this study begins with that as a given fact.
While the timing of Yeshua’s birth is determined by carefully assessing Scripture, the reasons for why Yeshua needed to be born during Sukkot are not so explicitly stated. Rather, to understand why the Creator desired the Messiah’s introduction into this world to be during the week of Sukkot, we must examine intently several other passages in the Word that provide the incredible and necessary context for his birth in that holy season.
The foundational passage that must be evaluated is presented in the Torah’s command of Leviticus 23:42, which summarizes the key act and duration of the festival of Sukkot.
While the timing of Yeshua’s birth is determined by carefully assessing Scripture, the reasons for why Yeshua needed to be born during Sukkot are not so explicitly stated. Rather, to understand why the Creator desired the Messiah’s introduction into this world to be during the week of Sukkot, we must examine intently several other passages in the Word that provide the incredible and necessary context for his birth in that holy season.
The foundational passage that must be evaluated is presented in the Torah’s command of Leviticus 23:42, which summarizes the key act and duration of the festival of Sukkot.
|
In shelters you must dwell [for] seven days. |
The command is straightforward: for one week we make a shelter our home. Yet, we must remember that this decree comes to us from the Spirit—it is a physical act, of course, but one that has its origin in the spiritual realm within the wisdom of the Creator’s mind. For that reason, to truly appreciate the deeper relevance of Yeshua’s birth during Sukkot, it is vital to properly establish the core spiritual nature of the seven-day festival.
This higher perspective is recognized and elaborated upon in the Zohar, Tetzaveh 186b, which quotes the above verse and understands from it the following idea.
This higher perspective is recognized and elaborated upon in the Zohar, Tetzaveh 186b, which quotes the above verse and understands from it the following idea.
This ancient Jewish view shows that the purpose of Sukkot points to a world where the Creator rules without question: the “World Above.” The aspects of the festival in which we are called to engage are therefore symbols for higher truths that speak to His eternal Kingdom. While we observe the seven days in a physical world, we are simultaneously affirming that His higher reality is the goal to which we all aspire in Sukkot.
This supernal concept is actually inferred in the words of Scripture preserved in the very first place where we encounter the term SUKKOT in the Word. This is found in Genesis 33:17.
This supernal concept is actually inferred in the words of Scripture preserved in the very first place where we encounter the term SUKKOT in the Word. This is found in Genesis 33:17.
|
And Ya'akov departed unto Sukkot, and built for himself a house, and for his livestock he made shelters. Concerning such is [the] name of the place Sukkot.
|
The patriarch Jacob sojourned in Canaan and established himself as a fixed inhabitant of the land. He built a home and prepared shelters for the sake of his numerous flocks.
This is a straightforward explanation as to the place-name of Sukkot. It is the Hebrew word for temporary shelters of some kind. The term is often translated in English Bibles as "Tabernacles," which is derived from the Latin Tabernaculum "hut," or in other versions is rendered as "Booths," from the Old Danish Both "temporary dwelling." For the purposes of this study, as shall be made clear at a later point, the rendering of "Shelters" will be used to translate SUKKOT.
The term SUKKOT is merely the plural form of the singular SUKKAH "shelter."
The typical setting for a shepherd is to have his herds and flocks in the field, but inclement weather or the birthing season can mean some of them must be sequestered in barns, stables, or shelters for their momentary safety from predators and exposure to potentially harsh weather.
By understanding the original context for why Jacob would build sukkot, we can see the primary purpose of a sukkah is simply and directly to nourish life. This perspective provides the foundational view for the Divine desire for Yeshua to be born during Sukkot. The aspect of the “World Above” is life unblemished by death, and so in the seven days of Sukkot, we see the primary spiritual sense of nourishing life is inherent within the festival.
In fact, this verse shall be returned to later in the study for further insight, but for now it is sufficient to know that Scripture itself validates this view of the higher realm’s life-affirming purpose of the sukkah and is verified by investigating how it uses the term in other passages.
By understanding the original context for why Jacob would build sukkot, we can see the primary purpose of a sukkah is simply and directly to nourish life. This perspective provides the foundational view for the Divine desire for Yeshua to be born during Sukkot. The aspect of the “World Above” is life unblemished by death, and so in the seven days of Sukkot, we see the primary spiritual sense of nourishing life is inherent within the festival.
In fact, this verse shall be returned to later in the study for further insight, but for now it is sufficient to know that Scripture itself validates this view of the higher realm’s life-affirming purpose of the sukkah and is verified by investigating how it uses the term in other passages.
Consider now the curious words of Psalm 139:13.
|
For it was You who created my kidneys; You sheltered me in the womb of my mother.
|
|
Here we encounter the Hebrew term TESUKEINI “You sheltered me.” It is a verbal conjugation of the term SUKKAH. The text is thus essentially proclaiming that the Creator uses the womb of a human woman as a sukkah to allow for the development of the baby so it can live in this world. The sukkah, therefore, is a symbol of a womb!
This is echoed by the words of Likutei Moharan 48:2.
This is echoed by the words of Likutei Moharan 48:2.
The idea asserted here is that since the purpose of a sukkah is to engender life, and the term is utilized in its verbal form in Scripture to also hint to that, then to view the sukkah in the context of a womb or pregnancy is a valid spiritual principle to help us understand the deeper intentions behind the commandment to dwell in them for the duration of the festival.
A nearly identical idea is presented in the words of Job 10:11.
|
With sinews and bones You sheltered me. |
In this passage we see that Job claims the sinews and bones that develop in the womb are symbolic of the shelter of the sukkah, for he uses the Hebrew term TESOCH’CHEINI, another conjugated verb form of sukkah, effectively suggesting that he was “sukkah-fied” in the womb in the period of gestation.
Interestingly, returning to the text of Likutei Moharan 48:1, we see that Rebbe Nachman commented on this passage from Job 10:11 and made a relevant claim about it.
Interestingly, returning to the text of Likutei Moharan 48:1, we see that Rebbe Nachman commented on this passage from Job 10:11 and made a relevant claim about it.
These details provide the necessary context to appreciate the higher spiritual concept that is foundational in the command to dwell in a sukkah. Incredibly, however, further fundamental aspects of the festival of Sukkot are seen to support this underlying idea in amazing ways.
This begins to be seen in Leviticus 23:40, which explains how we are commanded to worship while dwelling in the sukkah.
This begins to be seen in Leviticus 23:40, which explains how we are commanded to worship while dwelling in the sukkah.
|
And you shall take for yourself on the first day fruits of a majestic tree, branches of date-palms, and boughs of a thick tree, and willows of a river—and you shall rejoice before YHWH your Deity seven days.
|
|
The text lists four different plant species used for praise in a sukkah during Sukkot. The “branches of date-palms,” the “boughs of a thick tree,” and “willows of a river” are joined together into a bundle referred to as a LULAV, a Hebrew word meaning “branch.”
A citron known as an ETROG is traditionally understood to be the “fruit” mentioned in the text. The fact that it must come from a HADAR “majestic” tree is a factor that shall be returned to later in the study.
All four species are used inside the sukkah for praise to fulfill the Torah’s commandment. The Midrash Tanchuma, Emor 19:1, suggests these four species symbolize very specific things.
The claim is that they represent the body parts of a human being. The reasoning, while perhaps initially seemingly unfounded, is based on the unique wording of Scripture itself, originating in the Sukkot passage previously mentioned from Leviticus 23:40.
The verse commands that “branches of date-palms” be part of the praise act in the sukkah. The word for “branches” there is KAPOT, being the plural of the term KAF, which itself simply means “palm of the hand” or “sole of the foot,” depending on the context in which it is used.
The verse commands that “branches of date-palms” be part of the praise act in the sukkah. The word for “branches” there is KAPOT, being the plural of the term KAF, which itself simply means “palm of the hand” or “sole of the foot,” depending on the context in which it is used.
An additional “body” link to these plants for Sukkot is seen in Psalm 35:10.
|
All my bones shall say 'YHWH, who is like You?' |
Nothing in the English translation is of note to connect the lulav and etrog, but when the Hebrew text is read a connection is hinted at in the word TOMARNAH, translated as “shall say.”
This conjugation of the word “say” has a close phonetic similarity to the Hebrew word TAMAR, which is the term the Torah uses for “date-palm” in the Sukkot command.
Although from two different root terms, the phonetic similarity shared is understood to be a hinted-at representation of the human body, as the text mentions “bones.” It is this reason that the text of Vayikra Rabbah 30:14 commented on the verse and saw the link was indeed evident.
It is therefore understood that dwelling in the sukkah is likened to a womb, and worship of the Creator inside it with the commanded lulav plants and etrog fruit represent the human body growing and developing during pregnancy.
This idea is also hinted at in Psalm 127:3.
|
Behold! An inheritance [from] YHWH are sons; [the] fruit of the womb is a reward!
|
|
The concept of children being “fruit” immediately recalls the etrog with which we praise the Holy One in the sukkah.
In fact, the text of Likutei Moharan 48:2 sees the same link in the verse by connecting it back to the words of Psalm 139:13.
With these foundations of the sukkah as a womb and the four species as a human body and more specifically a son, it is now possible to appreciate the birth of Yeshua during the festival of Sukkot on a deeper level. The connections to a pregnancy and birth of a human are embedded into the Hebrew text with Hebrew language signifying Sukkot in obvious ways.
These links progress onward, however, and help to further clarify why the Messiah had to be born in connection with the seven-day festival of Sukkot. This is due to the idea that Sukkot represents the World Above—where man is in perfect harmony with the Creator.
This begins to be hinted at in the words of Psalm 92:13 (12 in most English versions).
|
[The] Righteous One, as a date-palm, shall blossom. |
The “Righteous One” is a reference to the Messiah—the one person who has not succumbed to sin, and as such is likened to the “date-palm” / “body” that is fit for praising the Creator in the sukkah. The Messiah is therefore one who would be totally at home in the World Above.
This is hinted at in the wording of the Torah from Leviticus 23:40, which has already been discussed concerning the four species used to praise during Sukkot. In particular, the word KAPOT / KAF “branches” / “branch” [of the date-palm] / “palm of the hand” was explained previously for its connection to the “body” in the “womb” of the sukkah. However, the term also possesses another meaning in the form of KAFAH, which is “subdue.”
This is hinted at in the wording of the Torah from Leviticus 23:40, which has already been discussed concerning the four species used to praise during Sukkot. In particular, the word KAPOT / KAF “branches” / “branch” [of the date-palm] / “palm of the hand” was explained previously for its connection to the “body” in the “womb” of the sukkah. However, the term also possesses another meaning in the form of KAFAH, which is “subdue.”
The “Righteous One” is the Messiah who “blossoms” in that nothing is stifling him from producing and being the necessary spiritual “fruit” for the Creator in this world. This is ultimately hinted at in the Torah’s detail from Leviticus 23:40 that the fruit used in the sukkah comes from a HADAR “majestic” tree. The term HADAR signifies a qualitative “elevation” of a thing above others of its kind. This is not intended as a solely physical feature, but in a sense of “honor” or “royalty” that exalts someone over the rest of his peers.
The type of fruit—the etrog—with which we praise the Creator at Sukkot—and which is understood in Scripture as the divine reward consisting of a “son,” is thus seen not to be just any human who inevitably is marred and shackled by character flaws but is instead one idealized as a HADAR “elevated” son who possesses a royal honor in himself.
The words of the Zohar, Tetzaveh 186b, speak insightfully to this concept of the etrog’s HADAR symbolism.
This linguistic sense of the Sukkot fruit needing to be from a “majestic” tree to express the idea of a son who is a “Righteous One” shows the link straight to Yeshua in how it is necessary for the Messiah to possess a spiritually exalted merit and be of the lineage to sit upon the throne of King David to rule Israel. The fruit in connection to Sukkot is found to have embedded in its Biblical mandate the quality of the Messiah who holds in himself the characteristics that prove he has full dominance over the negative traits common to all humans and is therefore the proper leader for whom the people can pledge their allegiance.
This idea is also seen in Likutei Moharan 33:9 in a very intriguing insight.
Rebbe Nachman astutely recognized the hint of KAFAH “subdue” in the KAPOT “branches” of the date-palm for Sukkot by saying that the Righteous One / Messiah is SHEKOFEH “he who has subdued” his natural inclinations. As such, the Righteous One truly represents the lulav—the “subdued” collected branches that include the prominent date-palm among them that are used for His praise during Sukkot.
The revelation of the kingship of the Messiah is thus a key aspect of the festival of Sukkot. He represents the World Above who is ruled by the Creator of righteousness itself, and whose citizens reflect that trait in every way. It is appropriate for Messiah to be revealed during this sublime festival that celebrates the Kingship of the Holy One over His people.
It is now possible to turn to the New Testament and consider the unique circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of Yeshua in the context of what has been learned thus far.
This is done by reading the accounts from the Aramaic text of the ancient Peshitta to Luke 1:31-35. This passage records the conversation between the angel and Mary as her conception and its significance were revealed to her.
The revelation of the kingship of the Messiah is thus a key aspect of the festival of Sukkot. He represents the World Above who is ruled by the Creator of righteousness itself, and whose citizens reflect that trait in every way. It is appropriate for Messiah to be revealed during this sublime festival that celebrates the Kingship of the Holy One over His people.
It is now possible to turn to the New Testament and consider the unique circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of Yeshua in the context of what has been learned thus far.
This is done by reading the accounts from the Aramaic text of the ancient Peshitta to Luke 1:31-35. This passage records the conversation between the angel and Mary as her conception and its significance were revealed to her.
|
31 “For see! The womb shall conceive, and you shall birth a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua!
32 This [one] shall be great, and the Son of the Highest he shall be called. And Marya the Deity shall give to him the throne of his father, Dawid. 33 And he shall reign over the House of Yaqub forever, and of his kingdom no end shall be.” 34 Maryam spoke to the angel, “How shall this happen, for a man is not known to me?” 35 The angel replied, and said to her, “The Spirit of Holiness, she shall come, and the power of the Highest shall drape over you, on account that this [one]—he who is born by you—he is holy, and the Son of the Deity he shall be called.” |
|
The Aramaic text is noteworthy in that the Holy Spirit of Marya (Aramaic for "Master Yah") is here presented as a feminine power. This is not always the case in the Peshitta’s text, and the differentiation between masculine and feminine qualities is meant not in a God / Goddess sense, but rather, in the category of Divine attribute that takes precedence in a believer's interaction with the Creator—with masculine language inferring a more exacting spiritual experience and feminine language inferring a more compassionate spiritual experience.
In this case, the Holy Spirit “coming” to Mary is grammatically feminine in the Aramaic. This sets the tone for what happens: the “power” of the Highest that was to “drape over” Mary—while a masculine event—is a compassionate act, as in the union of male and female in procreation. This is entirely merited, for the action is the enabling of conception via a manner not typical: it originates from a will coming forth straight out of the heavens itself. This is evidenced in the Aramaic term NAGEN "drape over."
In this case, the Holy Spirit “coming” to Mary is grammatically feminine in the Aramaic. This sets the tone for what happens: the “power” of the Highest that was to “drape over” Mary—while a masculine event—is a compassionate act, as in the union of male and female in procreation. This is entirely merited, for the action is the enabling of conception via a manner not typical: it originates from a will coming forth straight out of the heavens itself. This is evidenced in the Aramaic term NAGEN "drape over."
The word conveys the idea of a tent curtain that drapes overhead to shade the inhabitant from the weather. It is a term used for the way a cloth or clothing drapes upon a thing or figure to cover it. The notion is that it effectively provides a shelter the individual does not possess in their own person. The usage of this term is entirely merited, for the action is the enabling of conception via a manner not typical: Yeshua's conception was not by the intention of Mary or Joseph, but solely as the fulfillment of prophecy and therefore the result of a heavenly will descending into the realm of man to accomplish the coming of the long-awaited Righteous One.
The fact that this "feminine" spiritual act would result in a divinely decreed son being born during Sukkot is astoundingly relevant, for the text of Tikkunei Zohar 23a asserts a link between a unique Jewish Aramaic title for the Holy Spirit and the festival itself.
When it is understood that the sukkah is a symbol for a womb, then it makes sense to refer to the compassionate indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a "Mother on high," even though there is no actual gender intended in the statement, but rather, a quality of interaction being emphasized.
The idea that the shelter of the sukkah is a symbol for the Holy Spirit as a “Mother,” along with the Aramaic text saying the Holy Spirit will “drape over” Mary during conception prepares us for the following words of the Zohar, Tetzaveh 186b, which, for context, are discussing the World Above and the spiritual nature of Sukkot.
The idea that the shelter of the sukkah is a symbol for the Holy Spirit as a “Mother,” along with the Aramaic text saying the Holy Spirit will “drape over” Mary during conception prepares us for the following words of the Zohar, Tetzaveh 186b, which, for context, are discussing the World Above and the spiritual nature of Sukkot.
The highly metaphorical passage discussing the heavenly nature of Sukkot refers to the Holy Spirit as “Wisdom.” This is due to the Scripture repeatedly presenting the Holy Spirit with that primary descriptor [see: Exodus 28:3, 31:3, 35:31; Deuteronomy 34:9; Isaiah 11:2; Luke 2:40; 1st Corinthians 12:8; and Ephesians 1:17]. This emerges from a place that is "not known and not seen," which speaks to the raw, sublimely exalted aspect of the Creator as being the origin-point of the Holy Spirit, and therefore refers to the incredible authority of Wisdom in its actions in creation.
It then says this “Wisdom” is portrayed as a sparkling “curtain” to represent the Divine Presence in the heavenly Tabernacle during Sukkot [paralleling the curtain of the earthly one]. This detail is not to be overlooked. The imagery essentially aligns with the Aramaic terminology of the Holy Spirit who was to eventually “drape over” Mary in this world to empower her womb to conceive the special soul of the Righteous One—the Messiah.
It then says this “Wisdom” is portrayed as a sparkling “curtain” to represent the Divine Presence in the heavenly Tabernacle during Sukkot [paralleling the curtain of the earthly one]. This detail is not to be overlooked. The imagery essentially aligns with the Aramaic terminology of the Holy Spirit who was to eventually “drape over” Mary in this world to empower her womb to conceive the special soul of the Righteous One—the Messiah.
A sagacity exists in the “drape over” wording of the Peshitta as well as the Zohar’s parallel symbolism of the Holy Spirit as a “curtain” moving in the higher realm during Sukkot, which reflect the maternal aspects of Mary’s role in being chosen to carry the Messiah. These details are only truly appreciated by considering how the early readers of the Gospel would have viewed this information surrounding his conception and birth.
To view it in the light in which they would have valued it we must consider the extra-biblical backstory of Mary that has been preserved in Christian writings. This is seen in the 2nd-century midrashic text called Protoevangelium Iakobi.
To view it in the light in which they would have valued it we must consider the extra-biblical backstory of Mary that has been preserved in Christian writings. This is seen in the 2nd-century midrashic text called Protoevangelium Iakobi.
This text reveals that Mary’s early life was dedicated to the Holy One and spiritually elevated to participate in the weaving of a new curtain veil for the Temple! Although only in details preserved in an extra-biblical work, this concept of female virgins being responsible for the creation of a new curtain is by no means foreign to the historical texts of Judaism. This is mentioned specifically in Pesikta Rabbati 26:1 which refers to “the female virgins who wove upon the veil.”
The text of the Mishnah, Shekalim 8:5, also discusses the composition of the veil and that it was a massive undertaking, affirming the Protoevangelium Iakobi that claims it required the effort of many to create a new one for Temple use.
These details are significant, for the Talmud, Sanhedrin 67a, speaks of the traditional Jewish perspective of Mary as a woman in the profession of hair-braiding.
This is a view echoed in the Talmud in such other places as Shabbat 104b and Chagigah 4b. While the profession of a hair-braider is considered lowly in the ancient Jewish texts, it may actually either be that rabbis misunderstood the traditional profession of Mary, and that her status as declared by the words of Sanhedrin 67a as a MEGADDELA NESHAYA really just meant “[one] of the women braiders [of the veil].” Alternatively, it could be that later in life, as a married woman who could no longer participate with the virgins dedicated to weaving the veil, that she transferred her braiding skills to the profession of a hair-dresser whose expertise reflected the deftness necessary for weaving hair into complex braid patterns.
The possibility for this is absolutely within the context of the terms used in these details, as seen in the clarification preserved in the Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 94b.
This is noteworthy because the Aramaic MEGADDELA “braider” as used in the Talmud, Sanhedrin 67a, has its Hebrew cognate here in the term of GODELET “braider,” which the passage says is merely another name for an OREGET “weaver”—which is the singular of the plural form ORGOT “weavers” used previously in Pesikta Rabbati 26:1. This could easily be understood, therefore, as confirming that the Talmudic reference of Mary as being a MEGADDELA “braider” was originally hinting to her youthful status as a holy “weaver” for the Temple’s curtain!
|
|
|
With this braider background to Mary preserved from both the Jewish and Christian extra-biblical texts we can arrive at a far deeper appreciation for the imagery in the Aramaic of the Peshitta which showed the Holy Spirit “drape over” her at the conception event in a maternal sense, and which aligned with the Zohar’s depiction of the Holy Spirit also as a heavenly curtain.
This shows that in acts we strain to comprehend, the World Above was working profoundly to bring about the Messiah at Sukkot--all through maternal terminology of conception, pregnancy, and birth. The sustained links throughout all of this are incredible to grasp and show the mind of the Most High overseeing the fulfillment of His promises through Scripture and even extra-biblical insights given to His people throughout time.
It only makes even more sense, then, to read the words of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth when both pregnant women later meet, as recorded in Luke 1:41-42.
It only makes even more sense, then, to read the words of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth when both pregnant women later meet, as recorded in Luke 1:41-42.
|
41 And it happened that when Elishba heard the “Peace!” of Maryam, the infant danced in her womb, and Elishba was filled [with] the Spirit of Holiness. 42 "Blessed are you among women and blessed be the fruit of your womb!" |
Recalling that fruit is a central part of the worship event in the sukkah—which symbolizes the womb—and with the lulav and etrog symbolizing the maturing body of the infant in his mother, and that Messiah was to be born at Sukkot, then the words of Elizabeth to Mary take on a new and rich meaning: he is the “fruit!”
When the time for Yeshua’s birth finally arrives, the text of the Peshitta again provides an insight that brings the entire study to a worthy finish. Read now the words of Luke 2:4-7 as they are translated from the Aramaic language.
When the time for Yeshua’s birth finally arrives, the text of the Peshitta again provides an insight that brings the entire study to a worthy finish. Read now the words of Luke 2:4-7 as they are translated from the Aramaic language.
|
4 Yet, Yasef also ascended from Natzrath, a city of Gelila, to Yihud, to the city of Dawid, which is called Beth Lechem, on account that he was from the house and from the tribe of Dawid,
5 with Maryam his betrothed, while she was pregnant, that there they should be accounted for [in the census]. 6 And when they were there, the days were filled that she should [give] birth. 7 And she [gave] birth to her son, the firstborn, and wrapped him in bands, and laid him in the stable, on account that there was not for them a place where they could dwell. |
|
The Peshitta’s reading is essentially the same as the traditionally accepted version found in Greek manuscripts--except for one important distinction that helps to show yet again why its Aramaic should be preferred. This feature lay in a unique aspect of verse 7, which states that Mary laid the infant Yeshua “in the stable.” The term in the Aramaic is URYA and is used for either “stable” or “feeding trough,” depending on the context.
The details of the surrounding content help clarify that the contextual rendering in this case is indeed “stable” due to it being contrasted with the explanation that there was no “place” for them to stay in otherwise. Beyond this nativity account, the term is only found elsewhere in the Gospels in Luke 13:15, where it is again only able to be interpreted as a “stable” due to a similar context.
In this lay a relevance to Sukkot that reaches all the way back to the beginning of this study and the first mention of the word in Scripture: Genesis 33:17, which recorded the actions of Jacob towards his livestock, shared again here for the purpose of clarity.
In this lay a relevance to Sukkot that reaches all the way back to the beginning of this study and the first mention of the word in Scripture: Genesis 33:17, which recorded the actions of Jacob towards his livestock, shared again here for the purpose of clarity.
|
And Ya'akov departed unto Sukkot, and built for himself a house, and for his livestock he made shelters. Concerning such is [the] name of the place Sukkot.
|
While the Hebrew used the term SUKKOT for “shelters” for his livestock, the term in the Hebrew language was eventually abandoned for such usage in later centuries—probably due to the prominence of the word being used to exclusively designate the feast without worry of confusion. Instead, the term URAVOT “stables” (singular being URVAH) was adopted to replace the concept at least as early as the time of King Solomon [as seen in 1st Kings 5:6 (4:25 in most English versions); and 2nd Chronicles 9:25 and 32:28].
It is important to note the terminological change because it shows that there is no meaningful definitional difference between a SUKKAH and an URYA. They are merely two different words signifying crude shelters not normally meant for the presence of humans to dwell inside.
What is amazing, however, is that the term URYA “stable” in Aramaic, if pronounced instead as ORYA, takes on an entirely different meaning: “the Torah!”
What is amazing, however, is that the term URYA “stable” in Aramaic, if pronounced instead as ORYA, takes on an entirely different meaning: “the Torah!”
Although the two terms may sound different in pronunciation: ORYA and TORAH—they are the exact same term from the same root of YARAH “instruct,” merely different due to ORYA following Aramaic conjugation rules and TORAH following Hebrew conjugation rules. In fact, the term ORYA eventually became more widely rendered as ORAITA in Aramaic Jewish literature to refer to the Torah so that no possible confusion as to meaning could exist.
It is in this link between URYA “stable” and ORYA “Torah” that the Peshitta’s text is shown to be hinting at the foundational reality of the purpose of the Messiah in connection to being birthed at Sukkot. This is expressed incredibly in the words of Likutei Moharan 266:3.
It is in this link between URYA “stable” and ORYA “Torah” that the Peshitta’s text is shown to be hinting at the foundational reality of the purpose of the Messiah in connection to being birthed at Sukkot. This is expressed incredibly in the words of Likutei Moharan 266:3.
The mother of Yeshua laid her newborn son in the URYA “stable” during the festival of Sukkot. Based on the spelling of the Aramaic, the term could just as legitimately be read as ORYA “Torah.” It could therefore be understood that Mary placed Yeshua into the Torah—immersing him into the Word so that his role as the Messiah would begin immediately upon entering this world. In this sense he was to be the living embodiment of the Torah—the Word itself. He is to be the clearest expression of the will of the World Above in this realm, leading by example for all the people to recognize what it means to be a citizen of an eternal Kingdom.
This perspective of the inhabitant of the sukkah being spiritually elevated to an aspect of the Torah also illuminates why believers are told to dwell in sukkot for seven days. It is a time of transformation, of spiritual gestation, where we are nourished in our faith to take on the merit of the Righteous One whose coming and reign will eventually result in a world-wide transformation of righteousness in all peoples.
It is therefore the initial role of Messiah to restore the Kingdom to its proper glory by raising also its citizens to a higher spiritual status so that Israel can accomplish that heavenly purpose. This monumental task appropriately originates in the shade of a lowly sukkah, as we are told in the words of Amos 9:11-12.
It is therefore the initial role of Messiah to restore the Kingdom to its proper glory by raising also its citizens to a higher spiritual status so that Israel can accomplish that heavenly purpose. This monumental task appropriately originates in the shade of a lowly sukkah, as we are told in the words of Amos 9:11-12.
|
11 In that day I shall raise the fallen Shelter of David, and I shall wall off its breaches, and its ruins I shall raise, and I shall build it as [in] ancient days, 12 so that they may possess the remainder of Edom, all the nations who are of those called by My name," says YHWH, who does this. |
|
In all this is seen the basis and the reason for the Messiah’s birth occurring during the festival of Sukkot. The supernal wisdom of the Creator has woven an intricate path of logic and wonder throughout His Word to show us the depths of the spiritual work that brought forth the Messiah into the world.
As we celebrate the seven holy days of Sukkot, we can appreciate the profound insights of dwelling in the sukkah and worshipping with the lulav and etrog, knowing such actions are faith-filled affirmations that although the restoration of all things is still to come, in the womb of Sukkot was conceived a redemption that will manifest in the Creator's Kingdom come again!
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.