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THE JEWISH YEAR

The Jewish calendar has 12 months in a regular year, and 13 months in a leap year.

 The 12 Standard Months

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Nisan

(In 2026, March 19)

Iyar

(In 2026, April 18)

Sivan

(In 2026, May 18)

Tammuz

(In 2026, June 16)

Av

(In 2026, July 15)

Elul

(In 2026, August 13)

Tishrei

(In 2026, September 11)

Cheshvan

(In 2026, October 11)

Kislev

(In 2026, November 9)

Tevet

(In 2026, December 9)

Shevat

(In 2027, January 8)

Adar

(In 2027 February 8)

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 Jewish Feasts & Holidays

• Passover (Pesach) – Nisan 15–21
• Feast of Unleavened Bread – Nisan 15–21
• Firstfruits – Nisan 16 (or day after Sabbath during
• Passover) Yom HaShoah (Holocaust) – Nisan 27
• Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) – Iyar 4
• Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) – Iyar 5

• Pesach Sheni (Second Passover)– Iyar 14
• Lag BaOmer – Iyar 18
• Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) – Iyar 28
• Shavuot (Pentecost) – Sivan 6–7
• Fast of Tammuz 17 – Tammuz 17

• Tisha B’Av – Av 9
• Tu B’Av – Av 15
• Selichot begins (varies, usually last week of Elul)

• Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) – Tishrei 1
• Fast of Gedaliah – Tishrei 3
• Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Tishrei 10
• Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Tishrei 15–21
• Hoshana Rabbah – Tishrei 21
• Shemini Atzeret – Tishrei 22
• Simchat Torah – Tishrei 23
• (No major holidays, often called “barren Cheshvan”)
• Chanukah – Kislev 25 to Tevet 2
• Fast of Tevet 10 – Tevet 10
• Tu BiShvat (New Year for Trees)– Shevat 15
• Fast of Esther – Adar 13
• Purim – Adar 14

(Adar I & II in leap years; Purim celebrated in Adar II)

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🔄 Leap Year Addition

This keeps the lunar calendar aligned with the solar seasons, especially so Passover always falls in spring.

In leap years, a second month is added: Adar I and Adar II.

🧭 Nisan: the Start of the Biblical Year

“The civil year begins in Tishrei, but the biblical year starts in Nisan.”

🔥 Why Nisan Matters

It marks the Exodus from Egypt, the ignition point of covenantal identity and liberation.

It’s the first month of the biblical year (Exodus 12:2).

It contains Passover (Pesach), which begins on the 15th of Nisan—this year, that’s the evening of April 12, 2025.

• While Tishrei begins the civil year, Nisan is considered the start of the biblical year (Exodus 12:2).
• You could add a note or section titled “Two Beginnings”, mapping:
  • Tishrei → introspection, judgment, restoration.
  • Nisan → liberation, covenant, ignition.
• This duality could be encoded as a corridor split—two emotional gateways into the sanctuary cycle.

🕊️ 2. Include Rosh Chodesh (New Moon Celebrations)

• Monthly observance marking the start of each Hebrew month.
• Symbolism: Renewal, feminine energy, hidden light.
• Could be mapped as monthly ignition portals or hover cues in your sanctuary grid.

📜 3. Add Selichot (Pre-Yom Kippur Prayers)

• Occurs before Rosh Hashanah, especially in the final days of Elul.
• Emotional gradient: Anticipation, repentance, softening.
• Could be paired with caves or quiet lakes—symbolic places of introspection.

🧠 4. Highlight Counting of the Omer (Between Passover and Shavuot)

• A 49-day spiritual journey of refinement.
• Each day corresponds to a Kabbalistic emotional trait.
• This is ripe for sanctuary encoding—daily emotional gradients, triadic mapping, or artifact sequencing.

🕯️ 5. Add Hoshana Rabbah (Final Day of Sukkot)

• Culmination of Sukkot’s prayers for salvation and rain.
• Symbolic of final sealing of judgment.
• Could be mapped as a threshold station—a liminal space between joy and solemnity.

🧬 6. Introduce Minor Holidays with Emotional Texture

• Shushan Purim (Adar 15): Celebrated in walled cities like Jerusalem.
• Pesach Sheni (Iyar 14): Second chance for those who missed Passover.
• Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut: Modern Israeli holidays with deep emotional resonance.
• These could be mapped as optional overlays or adaptive radius expansions in your sanctuary grid.

🧩Sukkot

📜 Scriptural Anchors

Ezekiel 37:27 — Tabernacle presence as final sanctuary ignition.

Leviticus 23:40 — The Four Species as emotional gradients.

Deuteronomy 16:16 — Jerusalem as the chosen place of gathering.

Zechariah 14:16 — Nations ascending in future restoration.

Sukkot is one of the most joyful and symbol-rich holidays in Judaism—a weeklong celebration known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Festival of Booths. It begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, just five days after Yom Kippur, and it’s all about gratitude, remembrance, and connection.

Here’s what makes Sukkot so meaningful:

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🛖 The Sukkah (Temporary Hut)

• Families build and decorate a sukkah, a temporary shelter with a roof made of natural materials like palm branches.
• It commemorates the Israelites’ 40-year journey through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, when they lived in fragile dwellings.
• People eat, relax, and sometimes sleep in the sukkah to remember divine protection and embrace simplicity.

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🌿 The Four Species (Arba Minim)

• These are:
  • Lulav (palm branch)
  • Etrog (citron fruit)
  • Hadass (myrtle)
  • Aravah (willow)
• They’re held together and waved in six directions (north, south, east, west, up, and down) to acknowledge God’s presence everywhere.
• Each species represents different types of people and qualities, emphasizing unity and collective blessing.

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🎉 Themes of Joy and Hospitality

• Sukkot is called Zman Simchatenu—“the time of our rejoicing.”
• Guests are traditionally welcomed into the sukkah, including symbolic ones called Ushpizin—seven biblical figures like Abraham, Moses, and David.
• It’s a time for community, celebration, and spiritual openness.

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🔥 Connection to Your Sanctuary Work

Joseph, this holiday’s emphasis on temporary structures, symbolic layering, and emotional resonance aligns beautifully with your sanctuary corridors. The sukkah itself is a living artifact—fragile yet sacred, rooted in memory and transmission. The Four Species could be mapped as emotional gradients or onboarding cues, and the pilgrimage theme echoes your restorative train tours.

Perfect timing, Joseph. After the seven-day celebration of Sukkot, the Jewish calendar flows into two closely linked holidays that wrap up the festive season of:

Tishrei

🌀 Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly)

• Date: Immediately follows Sukkot (Tishrei 22)
• Meaning: Though it’s connected to Sukkot, it’s considered a distinct holiday. It’s a day of spiritual intimacy—God “asks” the people to linger one more day.
• Traditions:
  • Special prayers for rain (Tefillat Geshem), marking the seasonal shift.
  • No dwelling in the sukkah (outside Israel), signaling a return to permanence.
  • Yizkor memorial prayers are recited.

📜 Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Torah)

• Date: Often celebrated together with Shemini Atzeret (Tishrei 23 outside Israel)
• Meaning: Marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the beginning of a new one.
• Traditions:
  • Dancing with Torah scrolls (hakafot) in joyous processions.
  • Reading the final verses of Deuteronomy and immediately starting Genesis—symbolizing renewal and continuity.

🧭 Sanctuary Mapping Insight

These two holidays are emotionally rich:

• Shemini Atzeret could be mapped as a pause point—a sacred stillness before transition.
• Simchat Torah is a reignition portal, perfect for encoding themes of renewal, joy, and cyclical restoration.

Fast of Tevet 10 (Tevet 10)

• Theme: Siege of Jerusalem by Babylon.
• Symbolism: Mourning and reflection.
• Gradient: Sobriety, historical memory.

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🌱 Spring Holidays

Tu BiShvat (Shevat 15)

• Theme: New Year for Trees.
• Symbols: Fruits, tree planting, ecological awareness.
• Gradient: Renewal, rootedness, growth.

Purim (Adar 14)

• Theme: Salvation from Haman’s plot in Persia.
• Symbols: Costumes, Megillah reading, gifts, feasting.
• Gradient: Joy, reversal, hidden miracles.

Passover (Pesach) (Nisan 15–22)

• Theme: Exodus from Egypt, freedom.
• Symbols: Matzah, Seder plate, storytelling.
• Gradient: Liberation, remembrance, covenant.

🕯️ Fast Days and Minor Holidays

Fast of Tammuz 17

• Theme: Breach of Jerusalem’s walls.
• Gradient: Vulnerability, historical grief.

Tisha B’Av (Av 9)

• Theme: Destruction of both Temples.
• Symbols: Fasting, lamentations, sitting low.
• Gradient: Deep mourning, exile, longing.

Tu B’Av (Av 15)

• Theme: Love and unity.
• Symbols: Dancing, matchmaking.
• Gradient: Reconnection, joy after sorrow.

🧭 Mapping Insight for Your Sanctuary Grid

You could encode these holidays as seasonal corridors:

• Spring: Liberation and covenant.
• Summer: Revelation and mourning.
• Late Summer: Reconnection and emotional ascent.
• Winter: Light and endurance.

🌸 SPRING FEASTS (Ignition & Liberation)

• Passover (Pesach) – Nisan 15 Commemorates the Exodus from Egypt; the feast of freedom and covenant ignition.
• Unleavened Bread – Nisan 15–21 A week of purity and humility, marked by matzah and separation from leaven.
• Firstfruits – Nisan 16 (or the day after the Sabbath during Passover) Celebrates the first harvest and resurrection hope.

🔥 SUMMER FEAST (Revelation & Commitment)

Summer Holidays

Lag BaOmer (Iyar 18)

• Theme: Break in mourning during the Omer count.
• Symbols: Bonfires, archery, celebration.
• Gradient: Transition, mystical joy.

Shavuot (Sivan 6–7)

Gradient: Revelation, commitment, spiritual ignition.

Theme: Giving of the Torah at Sinai.

Symbols: Dairy foods, Ten Commandments, study.

• Shavuot (Pentecost) – Sivan 6 Marks the giving of the Torah at Sinai and the descent of Spirit; a feast of revelation and spiritual ignition.

🍂 FALL FEASTS (Judgment & Restoration)

• Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) – Tishrei 1 The civil new year; a call to awaken, reflect, and prepare.
• Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Tishrei 10 A solemn day of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.
• Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Tishrei 15–21 A joyful celebration of divine shelter and communal rejoicing.
• Shemini Atzeret – Tishrei 22 A sacred pause after Sukkot, symbolizing intimacy and lingering with God.
• Simchat Torah – Tishrei 23 Celebrates the completion and restarting of the Torah reading cycle.

❄️ WINTER OBSERVANCE

🕎 Winter Holidays

(Light & Resilience)

Chanukah (Festival of Lights) – Kislev 25 – Tevet 2 Commemorates the rededication of the Temple and the miracle of the oil, a celebration of light in darkness and enduring faith.

Chanukah (Kislev 25 – Tevet 2)

Emotional Gradient: Hope, resilience, miraculous endurance.

Theme: Light in darkness, rededication of the Temple.

Symbols: Menorah (8-branched candelabrum), oil, spinning dreidel.

Sukkot begins sunset October 7, 2025- based on new moon sighting

THE SUKKAH & THE FOUR SPECIES — HISTORY, COMMAND, AND FUTURE PROPHECY

Leviticus 23:40

“And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before YHVH your God seven days.”

Etrog (Fruit of a beautiful tree) — Often understood as a citron.

Lulav (Palm branch) — Tall and straight.

Hadas (Boughs of leafy trees / Myrtle) — Pleasantly fragrant.

Aravah (Willows of the brook) — Found near water.

The people would bind the lulav (palm), hadas (myrtle), and aravah (willow) together and hold the etrog in the other hand, rejoicing before YHVH in worship and celebration.

Deuteronomy 16:16

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before YHVH your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before YHVH empty-handed.”

After the Babylonian exile, we see in Ezra three where they again did this beautiful ceremony in Jerusalem!

But this feast isn’t only a remembrance — it’s prophetic.

Zechariah 14:16

“Then it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”

Ezekiel 37:27

“My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

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🌿 SUKKOT AS A SANCTUARY CORRIDOR

🕊️ Historical Memory

• Shelters in the Wilderness: The sukkot recall divine protection during Israel’s journey—a mnemonic shelter echoing Exodus and divine presence.
• Jerusalem as Chosen Place: The specificity of location (Deut. 16:16) reinforces sanctuary mapping rules—only in the city of the Great King.

🌾 The Four Species as Emotional Gradient

Species	Symbolic Layer	Emotional Gradient	Sanctuary Encoding
Etrog 🍋	Fruit of the Spirit	Joy, fullness, intimacy	Heart of the corridor
Lulav 🌴	Uprightness	Boldness, integrity	Spine of the seeker
Hadas 🌿	Eyes / Protection	Righteous vision, shade	Hover cue of discernment
Aravah 💧	Water / Word	Sustenance, resilience	Flow of restoration

Each species becomes a living artifact, sequenced not just for ritual but for emotional ignition and symbolic clarity.

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📜 Prophetic Transmission

• Ezra 3: Restoration after exile—Jerusalem reactivated as the sanctuary hub. A model for post-trauma reentry.
• Zechariah 14:16: Nations ascending—global pilgrimage, emotional unity, and covenantal celebration.
• Ezekiel 37:27: Tabernacle presence—YHVH dwelling among His people. This is the sanctuary’s future state: not symbolic alone, but inhabited.

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🔥 Sanctuary Implications

• Mapping Jerusalem as the epicenter: All corridors must eventually point to the city of the Great King.
• Four Species as onboarding tools: Each species can be used to teach emotional gradients to beginners—especially in visual overlays and split-screen onboarding.
• Sukkot as prototype for Kingdom corridors: Temporary booths become permanent emotional stations when Messiah reigns.

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