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          THE FEAST OF TISHRI
          by
          Sidney Kase, MPS
          
          There are certain mandatory Feast days celebrated in the
          Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, such as Maundy
          Thursday, Lux Tenebrae, and the Feast of Tishri. This last
          named celebration is probably the least familiar, if not the
          least understood. Herein I shall attempt to describe the
          Feast of Tishri, explain its symbolic meaning, and ultimately
          correlate this with the symbolism and teachings of Masonry
          as it is generally understood. This correlation is intended to
          bridge the gap between Symbolic Craft Masonry and the
          teachings of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. 
          The ancient Hebrews observed a Lunar calendar in which
          there were thirteen months of twenty-eight days in each. The
          name of the seventh month was TISHRI, and according to
          our solar calendar, always coincided with late September or
          early October, and signaled the harvest-time when the wine,
          oil, and wheat were ingathered. This was one of the festivals
          decreed in Leviticus 23:39-41, and Exodus 23:16,19, and
          34:22. 
          The Bible states that on the fifteenth day of the seventh
          month ,TISHRI, "When ye have gathered in the fruit of the
          land.........ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are
          Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations
          may know that I made the Children of Israel live in booths
          when I brought them out of the land of Egypt." This Holiday
          has been called by various names: (a) The feast of the First
          Fruits, (b) The Feast of the Ingathering, (c) The Feast of
          Tabernacles. This feast was concluded with another special
          feast, i.e. "Hashonna Rabba" or "The Great Salvation" or
          "Feast of Salvation"
          It should be remembered that the Hebrews became an
          organized people, a political entity, only after being liberated
          from slavery in Egypt. That they wandered in the Sinai
          desert for forty years, before entering the "Promised Land".
          During that period they were organized into twelve tribes of
          a theocracy, divided into three classes: Priests, Levites, and
          Israelites (or ordinary people).  It was during this that they
          received the Ten Commandments from God, via Moses.That
          God, Himself, led that multitude via a peculiar cloud by day,
          and a pillar of fire by night. They subsisted on Manna from
          Heaven and water from rocks or brooks. They dwelt in tents
          or tabernacles as nomads, and by God's plan a special
          Tabernacle was built to house the Ark of the Covenant,
          which was the physical representation of God's presence
          among them. At that time, they had none other than God,
          Himself, as their ruler or King. Their downfall began after
          they were settled and desired to be like the other peoples or
          nations around them. Therefore, they petitioned God to give
          them a personal King, a human being, one they could see
          and communicate with directly. Their request was granted in
          the person of Saul, who was later replaced by David and his
          lineage, including Solomon.
          Initially, it was King David who desired to replace the
          temporary Tabernacle with a permanent dwelling place for
          the "Ark of the Covenant", for God's presence to dwell
          among them. King David did in fact purchase the threshing
          floor of Araunah as the site for the future Temple (II Samuel
          24:18-20; I Chronicles 21:15). However, this request of
          David was denied him by God because of his bloody past,
          as all Masons know from the lecture of the Third Degree.
          Instead, Solomon, David's son, did indeed build the First
          temple. The temples in Egypt undoubtedly were a model for
          the Tabernacle, as the Tabernacle was a model for the
          Temple of Solomon. 
          Whereas the Temple of Solomon was intended to be a
          permanent structure, the Tabernacle was a temporary one,
          essentially a tent suited for their mobile, nomadic existence.
          The Bible describes it in detail in Exodus 25-27. It should be
          noted that the Tabernacle, built to God's specifications, was
          erected entirely by voluntary labor and materiel, whereas
          the Solomonic Temple was built with funds extracted by
          taxation and with conscripted labor. The Tabernacle served
          as the center of the religious life of Israel, except during
          several periods of apostacy when it was allowed to fall into
          disuse. The Tabernacle's existence lasted for several
          centuries. he building of King Solomon's Temple is
          or should be familiar to all Master Masons, and is described
          in I Kings 5,6,7 and II Chronicles 2-5. The Dedication of the
          temple is described in I Kings 8, and II Chronicles 6, and
          relates directly to this Feast of Tishri. 
          King Solomon chose the season of the Feast of Tishri to
          dedicate the Temple because he knew Israelite pilgrims
          from every corner of the known world would return to
          Jerusalem to celebrate the "In-Gathering", thus assuring a
          large captive audience to whom he could display his
          magnificent accomplishment. 
          It is interesting to note that there were _three Tabernacles
          associated with the Temple of Solomon, two before that
          Temple, and one afterwards. First, the Tabernacle used
          during the trek through the desert of Sinai; second, the
          Davidic Tabernacle, erected by David in Jerusalem to house
          the Ark of the Covenant; and thirdly, the Tabernacle erected
          by Zerubabel when the Jews returned from seventy years of
          captivity in Babylon to Palestine or Jerusalem, and used as
          a temporary place of worship prior to the completion of the
          Second Temple (of Zerubabel). The pattern for this
          tabernacle did not follow the original one, although its
          function was similar. It is this third Tabernacle which is
          referred to in Royal Arch Masonry. 
          Another interesting parallel is that there were three
          Temples: first, the original Temple of Solomon, which was
          completed about 960 B.C. and which persisted more than
          four hundred years, until its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar
          in 586 B.C. The second Temple which was built by
          Zerubabel after his return from babylonian captivity, and
          finally, Herod's Temple built twenty years before the birth of
          Christ, and destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. The site is
          now occupied by a Mohammedan Mosque built in 636 A.D.
          Zerubabel's temple lacked five things that were in Solomon's
          temple: The Ark of the Covenant, the Sacred Fire, the
          Shekinah, the Holy Spirit, and the Urim and Thumin (these
          latter are not described in the Bible ). The Holy of Holies or
          Sanctum Sanctorum in this temple was empty. This second
          Temple was later plundered by Antiochus Epiphenes of
          Syria, and was later taken by Pompey after a three month
          siege. This second Temple was later restored, enlarged,
          and added on to by Herod the Great. It was this Third
          Temple which Jesus visited. Only the first two Tabernacles
          are mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, or in the writings of
          Josephus. 
          The Third Tabernacle is actually a myth supplied by the
          ritual of the Royal Arch  for symbolic purposes. In its
          description there are many discrepancies when compared to
          the Siniatic Tabernacle. 
          However, getting back to the Feast of Tishri it should be
          noted that it was observed by the Israelites centuries before
          the building of king Solomon's Temple. 
          King Solomon chose this feast as an opportune time to
          dedicate the Temple to the Most High, and to give thanks to
          God for all the mercies and blessings he had showered on
          the Jewish people. King Solomon personally offered up the
          thanksgiving prayer after the pompous procession  and
          priestly ceremonies were concluded. Thus, the Feast of
          Tishri may be considered the first government-sanctioned
          thanksgiving feast.These ceremonies have been
          allegorically presented in the Most Excellent Master of the
          Royal Arch, and in the fourteenth Degree (Perfect Elu) of the
          Scottish Rite, but not in the Symbolic or "Craft" Degrees,
          except as mentioned briefly in the First Degree lecture. 
          The Feast of Tishri was originally an agricultural festival
          signalling the harvest. Four different species of plants were
          utilized in the feast ritual. With the passage of time, what
          had begun as a naturalistic feast became a profoundly
          spiritual one. The four plant species had symbolic
          meanings. Each represented, or supposedly resembled, a
          part of the human body. The "Etrog" (citron) is like the heart;
          the palm branch (lulav) is like the spine; the Myrtle Leaf like
          the eye; the Willow like the lips. All these united together in
          the service of God : heart, limbs, eyes and lips as vessels to
          declare God's Glory. These four plant species were also
          intended to remind Israel of the four stages of their journey
          in the wilderness, after their exodus from Egypt. The palm
          branch representing the valleys and plains; the Myrtle the
          boughs of thick trees and the bushes on the mountain
          heights; the Willows the brooks from which God gave his
          people drink; the Citron  to remind them of the good land the
          Lord had given them. There are other symbolic meanings
          ascribed to them , which will not be considered now. 
          There is also much symbolism connected with the number 7.
          What the 7th day was to the week, the 7th month was to the
          year. The number 7 is prominent in this last feast on God's
          calendar of redemption (Leviticus 3 ) The Feast of
          Tabernacles was held in the 7th month and lasted for 7
          days. The sacrificial offerings consisted of 7 kids (1 X 7 ); 14
          rams (2 X 7); 70 bullocks (10 X 7); 98 lambs (14 X 7 ); the
          total of which is 189 or (27 X 7 ). 
          What has all this to do with Scottish Rite Masonry? Why do
          we celebrate a Hebrew holiday ? Here's the answer, the
          bottom line: First of all, the Feast of Tishri is an age old
          tradition or custom which, as of 1885, has the power of
          Scottish Rite law and as further defined by the Supreme
          Council in 1905. Why should a law concern us ? It does
          concern us because Freemasons have always revered
          ORDER since we recognize that there is a Supreme Order
          that structures all Creation. Masonic Law reflects Divine
          Law, and that Divine Law is revealed in the volume of the
          Sacred Law (the Holy Bible), which is the rule and guide of
          our faith. 
          Secondly, the legendry of the Temple Dedication celebrated
          in the Feast of Tishri is an essential part of the Fourteenth
          Degree. That is why this is the special feast day of the
          Lodge of Perfection.In our Masonic Degrees we continually
          refer to the building of that Spiritual Temple, that House Not
          Made With Hands. As our mortal lives are temporary, so
          was the Tabernacle temporary. As the Temple was intended
          to be permanent , so will our Spiritual House be permanent.
          Freemasonry is committed to building human character and
          enlightenment in the hearts of men, and among all nations. 
          Thirdly, as the building of the Temple was denied to David
          because he was a man of war and bloodshed, so the
          privilege, as a mark of God's favor, was bestowed upon
          Solomon, his son. Solomon's very name means man of
          peace. Solomon;s reign was distinguished by his legendary
          wisdom, by his unification of the tribes of Israel, and by the
          achievement of sovereignty and equality among Israel's
          neighbors. At our banquet table all, as Perfect Elus,
          representing many religions , social, and economic strata
          share in fellowship, equality, and the giving of thanks to
          God; "For He is good, for His mercies endure forever".
          Lastly, we celebrate freedom. Historically, the Israelites won
          freedom from bondage in Egypt. An event of such
          magnitude that it has been commemorated and celebrated
          down through the ages. The Scottish Rite stresses the
          importance of the individual and his freedom. It is central to
          our Degrees, our philosophy , and our teachings. The three
          assassins who killed Hiram Abif (who represents everyman )
          assaulted him first across his throat, second, across the
          breast; and third and fatally upon his head. These three
          assassins represent Tyranny, Bigotry, and Oppression.
          They also represent Political, Religious, and intellectual
          suppression. The throat alludes to the freedom of speech;
          the breast : one's innermost emotions or his soul, his
          religious beliefs. The head: seat of the mind, the intellect,
          man's ability to reason, think, create. This symbolism is
          repeated in all our Masonic Degrees, and very strongly in
          the Scottish Rite Degrees. The Scottish Rite professes
          freedom of speech, religion, and of the intellect. 
          The Feast of Tishri commemorates two main ideas: 1.
          Liberation: from bondage to freedom , from darkness to light,
          from enmity to brotherhood, from ignorance to
          enlightenment, from sin to salvation. 2. Thanksgiving: to
          God who made it possible, and who has sustained us
          through the millennia by his bountiful goodness. 
          In summation, we have examined the historical background
          of the Feast of Tishri, and explored some of its symbolic and
          philosophical meanings and lessons as it relates to Masonry
          in general and more especially to the Ancient and Accepted
          Scottish Rite. 
          We have recalled, in the Fourteenth Degree, (Perfect Elu or
          the Degree of Perfection) the transfer of hierarchic
          knowledge symbolized by the pronouncement of the Sacred
          Word. Each of us is instructed in the construction of the
          perfect Spiritual Temple, an inner edifice of virtue and
          brotherhood that rivals the material splendor of the outward
          temple, a sharing of the wisdom of Solomon. Each of us
          have pledged to live in peace and harmony with his fellow
          man and to dedicate himself to the Most High, to be a
          Temple builder within himself. 
          These are the reasons we must never forget the meaning
          and the lessons of the Feast of Tishri, and why we devotedly
          continue to celebrate it as a mandatory observance of our
          Scottish Rite. As we continue in the process of building OUR
          Masonic Temple, keep in mind that yesterday is past and
          cannot be recalled; tomorrow may never come; TODAY is
          real! Cherish it and use it wisely, carefully, and prayerfully!
          
          Bibliography:
          Holy Bible, Master Reference Edition, Heirloom publishers
          Unger's Bible Dictionary
          Encyclopedia of Freemasonry- Albert Mackey
          Morals and Dogma - Albert Pike
          Practice and Procedure for the Scottish Rite - Henry C.
          Clausen
          New Age Editorial - Henry Clausen  Sept. 1982
          Feast of Tishri: Our Remembrances -Dr. E.S.Malone ;New
          Age Sept. 1982
          King Solomon's Temple in the Masonic Tradition - Alex
          Horne
          Pictorial History of the Jewish People - N. Ausbel
          Chronicles, News of the Past - published by Reubeni
          Foundation, Jerusalem