September 25, 2026 – Sukkot I

Sukkot Day 1

• Torah: Leviticus 22:26 – 23:44 & Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
• Haftara: Zechariah 14:1-21
• Brit Chadasha: Luke 2:1-20

Vezot Ha’Bracha

• Torah: Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12

וְחַגֹּתֶם אֹתוֹ חַג לַיהוָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי תָּחֹגּוּ אֹתוֹ׃ בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כָּל־הָאֶזְרָח בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשְׁבוּ בַּסֻּכֹּת׃ 

V’chagotem oto chag l’Adonai shivat yamim bashanah, chukat olam l’dorotechem, bachodesh hashvi’i tachogu oto. Basukot teshvu shivat yamim, kol-ha’ezrach b’Yisra’el yeshvu basukot.

“And you shall keep it a feast unto Adonai seven days in the year: it shall be a statute forever in your generations: you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths seven days; all who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths.” (Leviticus 23:41-42)

In our last reading of Torah this week, we read in Vezot Ha’Bracha (Deut. 33:1), the Blessings over the 12 Tribes of Jacob by the Prophet Moshe.

וְזֹ֣את הַבְּרָכָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לִפְנֵ֖י מוֹתֽוֹ׃

Vezot Ha’Bracha asher berach Moshe ish ha’Elohim et-b’nei Yisra’el lifnei moto.

“And this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death.”

In them (the Bracha) Moshe prophesies over Judah. “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries.” When Moshe makes this statement he literally says bring Judah to his people. He says “Hear, Adonai, the voice of Judah.” as if Judah is pleading to be sent to his people for a purpose, and cannot wait to be sent forth! The purpose is revealed in the latter part of the blessing where He will contend with His adversaries with divine help. We know that Mashiach ben David from the tribe of Yehuda will overcome His adversaries and establish his throne (the throne of his father David) when the kingdom of Elohim is in the earth again. He is the Angel of Adonai sent before us to establish us in that kingdom and dwell with us forever.

As we celebrate Sukkot (Tabernacles) this week we look to the promised reign of Messiah over all the earth, and the completion of the promise made in B’resheet (Genesis 6:7) the 4th “I Will” promise of HaShem made as we left Mitsrayim (Egypt) during the first Pesach (Passover): “Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments:7 and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God;” As we dwell in our Sukkah’s (temporary dwellings) we look forward to a eternal dwelling with our Adonai and His anointed one Mashiach Yeshua. The festival will last seven days, thru the seventh day a type for completion and rest. It will continue for a eighth day, Shemini Atzeret, a fractal of a day without the bands of time, eternity with our creator. Afterward we celebrate Simchat Torah (the joy of Torah) and we will do so throughout eternity with our glorious creator and King.  (See Festivals and Events for upcoming festivals)

Chag Sukkot Sameach!

May you be abundantly blessed, as you celebrate this Sukkot looking forward to the kingdom of Adonai with us forever.

Shalom Mish’pachah from Beth Hallel Lodi