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Hebrew Word Study: Shemini Atzeret: “Pause”- The Last Fall Holiday
Shemini Atzeret Is the last fall holiday of the season and while it might not be as well known to some as the other Fall Holidays, it’s very special none the less. It actually begins tonight at sunset through tomorrow the 10th, at nightfall.
There is a whole lot of information out there on the Feasts, but this is what I pulled out of the meaning of Shemini Atzeret in my personal study time and thought I’d share. Take a deep breath, this is longer than the usual Daily Word Study.
Shemini Atzeret Immediately follows the 7-day Holiday Sukkot, and is referred to in scripture as “The 8th Day of Assembly”. Numbers 29:35 “On the eighth day (Shemini) you are to hold a solemn assembly (Atzeret), you are not to do any daily work”. The following day is Simkah Torah,”Rejoicing in the Word of God”. Though not mentioned in scripture, it is a beautiful celebration. In Israel, both are celebrated on the same day and outside of Israel they are celebrated on separate days.
The Sages interpret “Shemini Atzeret” to mean: God asks all those who have made the pilgrimage for Sukkot to tarry (Atzeret) one more day.
The Midrash likens this Holiday to a king who invited his sons to a feast for a number of days. When the time came for them to leave, he said: “My sons! Please, stay one more day; it is difficult for me to part with you!” It reminds me of when after having a party, a couple of closest friends stay a little longer, kick off the shoes and talk after everyone else has left. A More relaxed and intimate time with only your closest friends.
Something interesting about Shemini Atzeret being called the “8th-day assembly” is that Shemini Atzeret is its own 1-day Holiday and not the 8th day of Sukkot, which is a 7-day Feast. Seven in scripture, is a perfect number representing a complete unit of time, as each week end with the 7th day, Sabbath. So it’s as if the 8th day is a time beyond time.
The word “Shemini” is the number 8 and apparently comes from the root word “Shamen” which has the idea of fat or plumpness.The cardinal #8 perhaps comes from the idea that 8 is a surplus above the perfect number 7.
Let’s look at the number 8:
– As mentioned #7 represents the natural order of things, for example: 7days in a week, we’re to work the land for 6 yrs. then rest on the 7th before the cycle begins again, there are 7 prominent Feasts,etc.
– #8 in Jewish thought, is considered a leap beyond the limits of our world and a peep into eternity.
-Circumcision is done on the 8th day and is said to be beyond logic and why it’s done on the eighth day. As the #8 in Jewish tradition also means beyond logic, transcending the human mind. In other words, how one binds with God through Circumcision transcends our full understanding.
-The Hebrew letter Chet is also the # 8 and one of its meaning is “binding with God”
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
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The next word (Solemn) Assembly: Atzeret from the root Astar means: To pause. To hold back. Also, frequently used for a solemn assembly, when people came together for celebrating of festivals.
When I learned that the word Atzeret means: “Pause”, I started connecting the dots of some things God had showed earlier in the week, prior to doing this study. For instance, He showed me a hummingbird, which is a symbol of being suspended, or “paused” in time. On earth something can be suspended in time if it reaches the speed of light.
There is a facility in Switzerland called SERN that houses something called a ParticleCollider. This Hadron Collider uses a magnet to send out a particle of an atom, through an 18-mile tunnel where it accelerates to the speed of light. Though I believe that they started with a different objective or hypothesis, what they actually found was pretty amazing. They found that the particle that was sent out, reached the starting point before it even left its starting point. When it reached the speed of light, time stopped and why it was as if it never left. This could explain the part of eternity where time ceases to exist, demonstrates the Omnipresence of God and perhaps how it’s possible to be in more than one place at a time. Jesus is the light, and his light illuminates the heavens, where there is no time as we know it.
When you travel the speed of light, it’s as if you’re paused from time…time stands still. There are times during dreams, visions, worship and prayer that you can pierce through into timeless eternity with Jesus’ leading and accompanying. Sometimes the expirience is subtle and sometimes a little more unusual. I once had dream where I saw Jesus and I sitting down together in a dark room with light shining only around us. Then I woke up and expecting to feel as you normally would after a dream, but instead, I continued seeing my dream as if I was still dreaming but awake. It wasn’t a vision, it was more actual. I knew that if I did not sit up, later that day I would not believe what I was experiencing in that moment. When I sat up, I and Jesus saw me, and that I was awake. Then at the same time, we both smiled and waved to me and I waved back at them (us). Jesus was explaining scripture to me, and I could see & hear myself saying, “Oh I get it now, well that makes sense”. I actually shook myself out of the experience because being at two places at the same time was just too wild. However, not really when you think about it since I was with the Light, Jesus.
I love this type of topic and could go on and on, and have more to share about this in-between time, but it’s getting long so I’ll stop here. If you would like to hear this full message or more like it where I share about Dreams & visions from a Biblical Hebrew perspective, join us at the Leaning Channel at HebrewWordStudy.com
Blessings,
Laura
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