REL 134
03/24/2014
Roy Rehberg
Jewish Holy Days Paper
Many different religions celebrate holidays of all kinds. Throughout history, each religion has developed their own traditions. These traditions are important as they have been traced back through our ancestors and provide a valuable lesson on how important traditions are. Judaism is no different. Although Judaism was the base of Christianity, the traditions are very different. Those of Jewish faith celebrate three major holy days in succession; Rosh Hashanah, ten days later is Yom Kippur, and finally five days after that is Sukkot.
Time of the Year of Holy Day
It all starts in the fall with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Following that is the most sacred day of the year, Yom Kippur. Although these days are now celebrated on specific days, it was not always like that. They used to just base it off of the harvest season. Yom Kippur is referred to as the Day of Atonement, which means to make up for faults. It is during this time that the Jewish people stick to a strict regime of prayer and fasting. Occurring in late autumn is Sukkot, which marks the end of the wandering period …show more content…
In the book of Numbers, we are told of the Israelites being led out of Egypt by Moses. They were led out because 400 years before that, they had been made slaves. Moses led the Israelites to Mount Sinai where God handed down to him the Ten Commandments. After this they made their way to the Promise Land. Once they found the Promise Land, God told them they could enter; however, no one trusted God enough to go in. As part of a punishment for not having faith in God, they were forced to wonder for forty years. Sukkot commemorates the end of the Jewish wandering by giving thanks for a plentiful harvest. It is now one of three pilgrimage festivals that those of Jewish faith