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In This Issue
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Upcoming Festivals
-
An Apology
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Traveling Samaritan
The Samaritan Update, is a
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Editor: Shomron
Co-Editor: Osher
Sassoni
Staff Writer:
Staff Photographer:
Eyal
Cohen
Staff Translator:
Guy Tsabary
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A. B. - Samaritan News
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Samaritan Calendar
of Festivals
Samaritan Calendar
of Festivals
Festival of the Seventh Month- Oct. 14th, 2004
Day of Atonement Oct 23rd, 2004
Succoth- Oct. 28th
Rejoicing of the Torah- Nov. 4, 2004
Samaritan
Studies and Related Conferences:
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Upcoming
Festivals
A reader once commented last year; 'I have seen that the
number of the year changes from 3641 to 3642 in the 7th month in the
Samaritan calendar. Is it a mistake? As far as I know, only Jews begin
the year in Tishrei. Isn't the Samaritan New Year in Nissan, the first
month, (about April)?'
The festival of the Seventh month is not
consisted to be the beginning of the first month of a new year.
Passover is in the first month of the year. This is shown in the Torah
that the Passover sacrifice shall take place in the first month of the
year. The counting in the Torah is the counting from creation from the
first day of the first month of the first year.
The festival of the Seventh month marks
the counting of the entrance of the Israelites into the land of
Canaan. This will continue the counting of 3643 years from the
entrance of the land by Israel. The counting started six months when
the children of Israel came to the land of Israel, according to the
Samaritan chronicles they passed the Jordan river on the first month.
actually the counting started on the sixth month. According to the
Samaritan manuscript, Tulida, the Israelites entered on the first
month of the year (Nissan).
THE FESTIVALS OF THE SEVENTH MONTH
THE FESTIVAL OF THE SEVENTH MONTH - Thursday,
Oct. 14, 2004
Our Sages highly praised the seventh month of the
year and the four
festivals which fall therein. The earliest of the
Sages defined the four
names of the first festival, The Festival of the
Seventh Month, which
begins on the first of the month, as stated in
the Torah [Leviticus
23:24]: In the seventh month, on the first day of
the month, shall you
have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of horns, a
holy gathering. The
latter day Sages endorse the names of each of the
four festivals of the
seventh month as follows: Sabbath - The Festival
of the Seventh Month;
memorial - The Day of Atonement; blowing of horns
- The Harvest
Festival; a holy gathering - Shemini Atzeret (The
eighth day of
Succoth).
The Festival of the Seventh Month is the start of
the Fallow Year. The
cycle of the seventh fallow year begins on the
first day of the seventh
month. Likewise, the Jubilee Year, the fiftieth
year, begins and ends on
the first day of the seventh month, after which
the next cycle of the
seventh fallow year is calculated.
On the seventh day of the seventh month, at the
seventh hour, Moses, the
son of Amram, was born, the master of Prophets,
whose equal has not been
seen either before, during or after his lifetime.
Therefore, the seventh
month is also the crowning month.
However, the feast of the seventh month is
primarily the opening
festival of the Nine Days of Repentance, which
precede the Day of
Atonement and the Ten Days of Forgiveness, which
climax on the tenth
day, i.e., the Day of Atonement. The Festival of
the Seventh Month has
several significant qualities since it is the
heart of the seven annual
festivals, being the fourth in the series. It is
a time for meditation
on repentance without return - repentance from
sins without returning to
sinning. This is the feast, which announces the
coming of the fast day
and is, therefore, the entrance to repentance.
On the days between the feast of the seventh
month and the Day of
Atonement, the congregation is sanctified with
special prayers, every
evening and morning and its members prepare
themselves for the atonement
of guilt. These are the days of mercy, of
forgiveness, of atonement, of
grace and favor; it is a chance to be saved and a
way out to flee from
sin.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT - Saturday, October 23, 2004
Most of the praises are attached to the Day of
Atonement, which is the
ultimate Sabbath and festival. It is the crowning
festival of grace. He
who afflicts his soul with total resolve is
considered as one who has
been reborn. On this day, the whole congregation
will stand from one
evening to the next in prayer and will read Gods
Torah. This is the day
when the shofar [the rams horn] will be sounded
for Israel and freedom
will be attained in the struggle with sin. This
day is the king of
festivals and the day on which forgiveness
radiates. The fast of this
day applies to every individual, from infants,
who have been weaned of
their mothers milk to the long-lived grandfather.
For whatever person
shall not be afflicted on that same day, he shall
be cut off from his
people [Lev. 23:29].
The prayer service is conducted without
interruption from one evening to
the next. The women of the congregation and their
daughters must
remember in the evening and throughout the course
of the day to help
their younger children to endure the fast until
the arrival of the
reward at the end of the day, i.e., the great and
sumptuous feast.
Immediately afterwards, preparations are begun
for the Harvest Festival
[Succoth].
THE HARVEST FESTIVAL
[SUCCOTH] AND THE FEAST OF
SHEMINI ATZERET [The Eighth Day of
Succoth] Thursday to Thursday - October 28 - Nov.
4, 2004
There are no better days for the Samaritans of
Israel than the days of
the Harvest Festival. Following the fast of the
Day of Atonement, the
tradition of their sages dictates the sense of
having been born again.
Therefore, each member of the congregation
reveals renewed strength and
vigor for the building of the succah [booth].
These remind us in their
contents and complexity of the exquisite
appearance of the Garden of
Eden and the facade of the Tabernacle of Moses
Our Rabbi, both of which
are hidden from the eye. Therefore, freedom is
given to every designer
in the congregation to set up his succah as he
sees fit. Everyone tries
to build the most beautiful succah possible.
Before the members of the congregation make the
pilgrimage to Mt.
Gerizim, as they are commanded to do on each of
the three annual
pilgrimage festivals, they must complete the
construction of their
succahs, which they began in the evening, at the
end of the Day of
Atonement. At times, the interval is very short,
when the Jewish
holidays fall in the same week following the
Samaritan holidays. At
other times, there is a longer preparation period
within the four days,
which separate the Day of Atonement from the
Feast of Booths. However,
the wonder of it is that whatever time is
allotted, the Samaritans
manage to set up their magnificent succahs. The
combination of the four
species, which it is commanded to use in setting
up the succah, creates
an splendid spectacle. Sometimes the four species
are attached to the
ceiling of the large room in each home, while
some place it on four
strong poles. The average weight of the fruit
used is about 350 kg. Each
elegant, wonderful, seasonal citrus fruit is hung
in the succah; dozens
of kilograms of each species. Above them are open
palm branches,
alternately spread out right side up and upside
down; and above them,
dense boughs of thick-leafed trees are placed
close together to form a
thatched roof and alongside are placed willows of
the brook, brought
from the banks of Israeli streams and rivers. All
the species are joined
together.
The different colored lights suspended among the
assorted paper
decorations are dimmed and the congregation sets
off on its pilgrimage.
This is the third pilgrimage of the year to the
holy sites on Mt.
Gerizim. See the description of the pilgrimage in
the section, the
Festival of Unleavened Bread. The prayers are
devoted to the Harvest
Festival.
Following the pilgrimage, the congregation
descends to their succahs.
Joy reaches its peak. The clear ale, produced
only yesterday at home,
are diluted in the waters of the mountain springs
until they turn white
as milk and are decanted into throats filled with
the cheerful songs of
Succoth. Indeed, the Harvest Festival is a day of
gladness and
rejoicing. A large variety of salads, peeled
almonds, which have been
soaked in water, oven-baked broad beans, assorted
baked goods, cakes and
cookies only add to the joy.
Among the festival days, there is also a festive
Sabbath of the Harvest
Festival, called the Garden of Eden Sabbath. This
Sabbath comes to teach
us that he whose sins have been forgiven on the
Day of Atonement is
worthy of entering the gates of the Garden of
Eden. The Succah expresses
this beautifully. On Succoth, we host thousands
of guests, who come to
visit from all over the country.
The day of Shemini Atzeret [the eighth day of
Succoth] comprises for us
a convening of all the festivals of the year. It
is the last but not the
least of the annual festivals. At the end of the
festival prayer
service, we rejoice with the joy of Simchat Torah
[the Rejoicing of the
Torah] and then depart for the very sumptuous
festive meal. At the end
of the holiday, the succahs are dismantled. Their
poles and nets will be
stored until the next Harvest Festival. The
fruits will be squeezed into
sweetened juice and some will be eaten by the
children.
Festival of the Eight day: Thursday, Nov. 4,
2004
Shemini Azeret (Simhat Torah)-
Rejoicing
of the Torah is always 22 days from the beginning of the seventh
month. It is the number of the words in the ancient Torah that
describes the month, "sbton
zkron truah mkra kds."
This is the last day of Sukkot. Shortly after
midnight, prayers are made in the synagogue for more than ten hours. No
work is permitted on this day.
An A pology
From the Editor
I would like to apologize for not presenting the issues of the Samaritan
Update lately. As some of you may know I personally live in the United
states in the state of Florida. We currently had the unfortunate pleasure
here what is called the Treasure Coast of witnessing direct two hurricanes, Frances
and Jeanne. Both hurricanes however did not directly take place on the
Sabbath day but during the night after. Frances however, amazed me since
it was intended to hit directly on the Sabbath and somehow managed to slow
up as if to wait till the Sabbath was over. A close friend of mine
suggested that it was because no one was working on the Sabbath. Hurricane
Frances winds also diminished from its original strength. Both times I was
invited by a close friend, Martha Waggaman, to join her at a Special Needs
Shelter, a local High School designed for such storms. Both times were
very memorial.. Between the mess that the winds caused and the stress, I
was unable to sit and edit the issues of the Updates that were missed.
Since this occurred I will be making a change to presenting the Updates as
a monthly issue with special issues in between as needed to present the
information as best I can. This will also give me time for my personal
studies.
I am sorry for the disruption in the issues. Shomron
Returning of the Traveling Samaritan in America
AB Samaritan
News Service
Samaritan-Israelite
Mr. Benyamim Tsedaka will be returning this year to
 America to continue
his outreach programs for the education and support for the
Samaritan-Israelites and their future. Tsedaka will be occupied in
speaking engagements during his two month tour.
Benyamim's schedule is to be completed soon. It
starts in New York City on Nov. 7 and Washington
D.C. areas till Nov.
22. Then To Montana till Nov. 25, then Seattle
till Dec.. 1, then to LA
till Dec. 10, then to Detroit till Dec/ 19, then
to London till December
26, then home. Only slight changes could be done,
but this is the general picture. If you or your group would like to meet
or have Benny lecture, please contact him. Some information of his
lectures are displayed below.
THE ISRAELITE SAMARITANS
THE MOST ANCIENT ISRAELITE PEOPLE,
VISITOR FROM THE HOLY LAND CONFERENCE
Sunday, December 12, 2004, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. -
in English
Monday, December 13, 2004, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. -
in Hebrew
Location of Conference: Sheraton Novi Hotel,
21111 Haggerty Road, Novi,
Michigan 48375
The Sheraton Novi is a beautiful hotel located
in Detroit's affluent northwestern suburbs. The Samaritan Israelites are the descendants of
an ancient people. They are the remnant of the ancient northern
Kingdom of Israel having split from the southern Kingdom of Judah during
the reign of King Solomon. Their genealogical records trace back
to Ephraim, Manasseh and Levi. In the fourth and fifth centuries
CE, the Israelite Samaritans numbered about 1,200,000 persons
dwelling in many cities and villages in the Land of Israel, from
southern Syria to northern Egypt. Cruel religious decrees, forced
conversions to Islam and Christianity, slaughter and persecution thinned
the Samaritan Community to a bare 146 persons by the year
1917. In the 1930s, the Community reached a turning point and began to
increase. Nonetheless, throughout all history, the Samaritans never
lost their unique status and image as a people. They have their own
writing, the ancient Hebrew script; they speak their own language, the
ancient Hebrew dialect spoken by Jews until the beginning of the first
millennium CE; and they are brought up in accordance with a
unique, millennium historical tradition, dating back to the return
of the People of Israel, under Joshua son of Nun, to its
homeland. It is the smallest and oldest community in the world. The
Samaritans are guided by four principles of faith: one God, who is the God of
Israel; one prophet, Moses son of Amram; one holy book, the
Pentateuch - the Torah handed down by Moses; one holy place, Mount Gerizim.
To these is added the belief in the Taheb son of Joseph, prophet like
Moses, who will appear on the Day of Vengeance and Recompense in the
latter days. The Samaritans celebrate only those holidays
mentioned in the Torah. These are seven in all: Passover, the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, the
> Feast of Weeks [Shavuot], the First Day of the
Seventh Month, the Day of Atonement [Yom Kippur], the Feast of
Tabernacles [Sukkot] and the Eighth Day of Assembly and Rejoicing of the
Torah [Shemini Atzeret-Simhat Torah]. Their New Year is
celebrated fourteen days before Passover, and the eve of their Passover
on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, between the sunsets,
is marked by a sacrifice of lambs and he-goats on Mount
Gerizim.
Speaker: Benyamim [Benny] Tsedaka, Israelite
Samaritan: Editor of the weekly newspaper "A. B. - The Samaritan News;"
director of the "A. B. Institute of Samaritan Studies" in Holon,
Israel, writer of 95 books and publications on the Israelite Samaritans,
their history and culture; one of the founders and members of SE
[Socie'te Etudes Samaritains = Society of Samaritan Studies];
member of EABS [European Association of Biblical Studies] and author of
the entries on the Samaritans for the Encyclopedia Judaica,
Encyclopedia Hebraica, Encyclopedia Britanica and Encyclopedia of
Zionism.
Conference Program 6-8 p.m.
The history of the Israelite Samaritans until
the present times Life cycle - from circumcision to the last day
of life Samaritan view of the words of Jesus Samaritan eschatology in relation to other
religions 10 minute movie "The Political Situation of the
Samaritans"
Participants - Q&A 8-10 p.m.
The Samaritan Festivals and how they practice
them. The new archeological findings on Mount Gerizim
and the link to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Practicing of the reading of the Law in Ancient
Hebrew pronunciation
The Israelite Samaritan Music - The most
ancient in existence (singing and practicing)
30 minute movie: The Israelite Samaritans -
"The Commandment Keepers"
Participants Q&A Concluding Remarks
I would like to attend the conference "The
Israelite Samaritans" conducted by Benyamim [Benny] Tsedaka. Please
register my name as a
> participant in the conference: Enclosed is my
registration fee of $49 per person, made payable to Benyamim Tsedaka.
Name____________________________________________________
Title___________________________________
Number of people attending _____________
Daytime
Telephone___________________
E-Mail_________________________________
Mailing
Address_______________________________________________
City__________________________________State/Prov_________
Postal
Code_________Country_____________
Signature____________________________________________________
I will attend the (English Conference on
Sunday) (Hebrew Conference on
Monday) — Circle One. Seating is limited, please mail
pre-registration to:
Mr. Benyamim Tsedaka
c/o Mrs. Sharon Dufour
Representative of A.B. - Institute of Samaritan
Studies
6462 Wildflower Lane
Brighton, Michigan 481116
(Questions/Comments - call 810-494-5239)
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