SUKKOT – ANCIENT & WILD JOYOUS PARTY

In Temple times, the most joyous season of the year was Sukkot. With all the electric anticipation along the caravan trails, the stirring ceremonies, and the lively singing and feasting, the epitome of the Sukkot celebration took place surrounding a water ritual: the Rejoicing (Simchat) at the Place of (Beit) the Water Drawing (Hashoavah).

Every day of the year, after the sacrifice was burned, an offering of wine was poured on the altar. During Sukkot there was also a water libation (nisukh hamayim). Each morning of Sukkot, the priests went to the pool of Siloam near Jerusalem to fill a golden flask. Shofar blasts greeted their arrival at the Temple’s Water Gate. They then ascended and poured the water so that it flowed over the altar simultaneously with wine from another bowl. When the priest was about to pour the water, the people shouted, “Raise your hand!” because of an incident that occurred in a previous year: The high priest Alexander Jannaeus (103‑76 B.C.E.) showed contempt for the rite by spilling the water at his feet, a transgression for which worshippers threw their citrons at him.

The pelted priest had demonstrated his alliance with the Sadducees, who took a literal interpretation of Torah, following only what was specifically in the written Torah. (The Water-Drawing of the Feast was an oral instruction given to Moses at Sinai. This water rite was not mentioned in The Five Books of the Bible [Torah].) The deliriously happy celebration connected with the water drawing developed when the Pharisees (who believed in the Oral Tradition and interpretation of Torah) triumphed over them in the first century.

Based on Isaiah’s promise “With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3), rejoicing began at the end of the first day and took place every night except Shabbat. It has been recorded that “one who had never witnessed the Rejoicing at the Place of the Water Drawing had never seen true joy in his life.”

The Hebrews have recorded these ancient Sukkot festivities in detail, from the lighting of immense menorahs set in the Temple courtyard (each holding gallons of oil and fit with wicks made from priests’ worn‑out vestments), which generated such intense light that they illuminated every courtyard in the city. A Levite orchestra of flutes, trumpets, harps, and cymbals accompanied torchlight processions, and men who had earned the capacity for real spiritual joy through their purity and godly character danced ecstatically to the hand‑clapping, foot-stomping, and hymn‑singing crowds.

Can you imagine distinguished sages acting like acrobats and tumblers? In ancient times, they were often agile physically as well as mentally: Rabbi Simon ben Gamaliel juggled eight lighted torches and raised himself into a handstand on two fingers, a gymnastic feat no one else could master. Others juggled eight knives, eight glasses of wine, or eight eggs before leaders and dignitaries.

At dawn, as the rejoicing subsided, the priests vowed their dedication to the One True God based on Ezekiel 8:16. With trumpet blasts, the Kohanim (priests) descended the steps to the Women’s Court, marched to the Eastern Gate, turned their faces west to the Temple, and proclaimed, “Our fathers who were in this place stood with their backs to the Temple and their faces eastward and worshipped the sun, but our eyes are unto the Lord.” This served to shift God’s people into the Feast of Dedication – Hanukkah.

Let’s wildly rejoice this third day of Sukkot!

Excerpts from “Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holiday Handbook” by Jason Aronson. Copyright 1994.

Give em heaven!!

Robin Main

www.sapphirethroneministries.com

www.santa-tizing.com

www.mysticmentoring.com

Written October 10, 2025 – Sapphire Throne Ministries – Robin Main. Copyrighted – If you are going to copy this, please copy it right by giving attributions to this source. Blessings!

#sapphirethroneministries #robinmain #sukkot #sukkot2025 #FeastOfTabernacles #joy #simchat #rejoicing #waterpouring #waterdrawing

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