You Shall Rejoice In Your Feast

"One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD,
And He will repay him for his good deed."
Proverbs 19:17, NAS

Our Torah Portion this week (Deut 16:13-22) begins with more details regarding the third and final Pilgrimage Festival, the Feast of Booths (aka—Sukkot). We are reminded that, like the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, during Sukkot the Children of Israel are commanded to rejoice. This feast takes place at the beginning of the Fall season; the time when fruits are harvested. The Text says that they are to celebrate after they have "gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vats" which is an indication that their rejoicing is out of gratitude to God for all that He has provided; namely a bountiful fruit harvest. The implication in Deut 16:15 is that they did, or will, have gathered in a large harvest because they are, or will be, blessed by God. This is where we find a connection between this week's portion and last week's (Deut 15:7-16:12).

In last week's passage we read about the poor in the land and how they are to be taken care of. The Children of Israel are commanded to give generously to their poor brother.

"You shall generously give to him [the poor brother], and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings."
- Deut 15:10, NAS

The context of this passage is the Shmita, the seventh or Sabbatical Year; also known as the Year of Release or Remission because during this year, all debts are forgiven. The command in Deut 15:9 is to give to the poor brother who is in need even though the Shmita is near; which means his debt will be forgiven and you will not be paid back. Moses instructs the people to give generously to their poor brother when he is in need and in doing so, God will bless them in all their work and in all their undertakings, i.e. their harvest. In this imagery we can see a cycle of giving and receiving; giving to the poor and receiving from God. Receiving blessings from God (in the form of a bountiful harvest) and then sharing these blessings with the needy.

Another point that we cannot overlook is the identity of the poor in the Land. The Text is clear in identifying who they are—"one of your brothers" (Deut 15:7) that is, a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner. More specifically, the poor are the Levite, the alien, the widow and the orphan (Deut 14:28-29). The Levite and the alien do not have an inheritance in the land, therefore they cannot provide for themselves. The widow does not have a husband to provide for her and the orphan, or fatherless, is without a father and therefore without provision. These four groups of people are legitimately poor; they have a valid need as opposed to the able-bodied young man who refuses to work. The Apostle Paul says of these individuals, "if [he] is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." (2 Thes 3:10)

In this week's passage we see that these four groups of poor people are commanded to rejoice at Sukkot along with another four groups of people:

"...you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns."
- Deut 16:14, NAS

The Levite, the alien, the widow and the orphan are contrasted against sons, daughters, male and female servants. The latter four groups are those who are part of a household within the Children of Israel. Their needs are provided for, they are taken care of. The former four groups are the poor and underprivileged, those who are in need. But the command doesn't seem to be given to them, it seems to be directed to the same individuals who were addressed in Deut 15—those who are NOT in need, those who DO have an inheritance, those who HAVE been blessed abundantly by God. The Midrash comments on this passage:

Hashem says:
"Your household includes four kinds of members: your sons, daughters, male and maid servants; and My household includes four: the levi'im, gairim, orphans, and widows. If you cheer My household members, I will then make yours and Mine happy."
- R. Moshe Weissman, "The Midrash Says, The Book of Devarim" (Brooklyn, NY: Bnay Yakov 2010) 200.

In other words, the poor are members of God's family too and during Sukkot (and all the Festivals for that matter) it is good to make sure that they are able to celebrate along with everyone else. Is this any different than today? Are we not also charged with this commandment to make sure that the needy in our communities are able to celebrate the Festivals with us? Yes we are. The Sages encourage those who are well-off to invite the poor into their homes on Yom Tov (festival) or to give them donations so that they can celebrate in their own homes. As Holy Spirit filled disciples of Yeshua, we should be quick to meet the needs of our poor brothers. In fact, on the Shavuot following Yeshua's death, resurrection and ascension, when the Ruach fell and three-thousand were saved; these born-again disciples, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, immediately began to sell their own property and possessions in order to give to those who were in need (Acts 2:41-47).

Let us strongly consider this commandment to help the poor in our community, especially during the three Pilgrimage Festivals when it is our responsibility to help them rejoice. Besides, the festivals are much more special when we can all enter in and celebrate as a community and a family. We need to understand that these principles in giving to the poor are for today because the "poor shall never cease" to be around us. (Deut 15:11) We need to, as families and individuals, determine how we can apply these principles to our own lives. We should be asking ourselves, "In what practical ways can I reach out to the poor in my community?" and "What has God blessed me with that I can share with them?" This should be a daily practice for us as followers of Yeshua; and when the world sees that we have genuine love for one another, they will know that we are truly his disciples (John 13:35).

"He who gives to the poor will never want,
But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses."
- Proverbs 28:27, NAS

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