(כג) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃(כד) דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃(כה) כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוה׃ {ס}
(23) Adonai spoke to Moses, saying:(24) Speak to the Israelites, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a shabbaton, a zichron teru'ah, a holy gathering.(25) You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring close a fire offering to Adonai.
Study Questions on Lev 23
**Background: This passage is part of one long list of holidays presented in the Torah. There are several other lists like this one in Leviticus.**
1. Give the Hebrew date that the holiday described here falls on using two numbers, month/day. (For example, the sixth of September can be written as 9/6.)
2. List all the things that are supposed to happen on that holiday. Try to explain a bit about what each thing might mean. The following information will help you:
--a shabbaton is a kind of Shabbat.
--teru'ah is a sound or blast usually made on a shofar.
--zichron is a noun that comes from the Hebrew root ז–כ–ר ("remember").
3. What name isn't this holiday called here that you might have expected?
(ח) וְסָפַרְתָּ֣ לְךָ֗ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת שָׁנִ֔ים שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהָי֣וּ לְךָ֗ יְמֵי֙ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תֵּ֥שַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃(ט) וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֞ שׁוֹפַ֤ר תְּרוּעָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִ֔י בֶּעָשׂ֖וֹר לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ בְּיוֹם֙ הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ שׁוֹפָ֖ר בְּכׇל־אַרְצְכֶֽם׃
(8) You shall count seven weeks of years—that is, seven times seven years—so that the period of seven weeks of years comes out to be forty-nine years.(9) Then you shall cause a shofar to sound teru'ah in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month. On the Day of Atonement you shall cause a shofar to sound throughout all your land.
Study Questions on Lev 25
**Background: At the end of Leviticus, the Torah describes the mitzvah of letting the land rest every seventh year. This is known as the Shemitah year. Then the text talks about a super-cycle composed of seven seven-year cycles, followed by something called the "Jubilee" (in Hebrew Yoveil ). All slaves are released at that time, and land returns to its original tribal owners.**
1. What signal is used to mark the Jubilee year?
2. When is the signal made?
3. Speculate: why do you think this day was considered a good time to start the Jubilee Year?
(א) וּבַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ י֥וֹם תְּרוּעָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃
(1) In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy gathering: you shall not work at your occupations. It shall be a day of teru'ah for you.
Study Questions on Num 29
**Background: This passage is part of another holiday list in the Torah, but this one also gives the special sacrifices that were supposed to be brought in the Temple on each day.**
1. What holiday is being discussed in this passage?
2. What word related to shofar blowing appears in all three of the passages on this source sheet?
3. Do you have any ideas or guesses about why a shofar was blown on the first day of the seventh month in ancient Israel? Speculate.