The Jewish Festivals, History & Observance, by Hayyim Schauss. New York: Schocken Books, 1988 edition of 1938 copyrighted book, originally entitled Guide to Jewish Holy Days. 316 pages. Available from Giving & Sharing.

Jewish customs and traditions relating to the Sabbath and Holy Days are fascinating. In our book, Biblical Holy Days, we frequently cite Jewish understanding of the meaning of these sacred occasions. Why do we cite the Jews? We should gather all pertinent information relating to a Bible topic. To ignore the history and practices of a group of people who have observed the Sabbath and Holy Days for thousands of years would be folly.

The Holy Days are not “Jewish.” Jews have corrupted these sacred times in their rejection of the Messiah who has come and is coming again. They are wrong in the date for the Passover supper and the date of Pentecost. Schauss, in following liberal Jewish scholarship, expresses the origins of the Holy Days in humanistic rather than divine terms. Yet Jews have gems of truth and understanding about the Festivals.

For example, Schauss explains that the blowing of the shofar on the Day of Trumpets reminds us of the giving of God’s law, and is a call of thanks to God who halts the war between nations and ushers in peace and harmony to the world, ending Satan’s dominion of this world. This exactly conforms to our understanding.

Jewish terminology and Hebrew wording for the Holy Days may not be understood by some. Here is a quick cross reference:

Jewish: Pesach, Shovuos, Rosh Hashonoh, Yom Kippur, Sukkos

English: Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles

Schauss gives interesting insights gathered through centuries of observance. God’s plan for the salvation of mankind is clearly shown, even in the Jewish understanding of the Holy Days. Ω