Today is Hoshana Rabbah (Great Salvation YESHUA)!

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"O Yehovah, save us [hoshia'na]; O YEHOVAH, grant us success. Blessed is HE who comes in the NAME of YEHOVAH. From the House of ELOHIM we bless you." (Psalm 118:25-26)

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The eight-day festival of Sukkot is almost finished, and since it is a holy day of rejoicing, it closes with three final festive days:

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Hoshana Rabbah (Great Salvation), Shemini Atzeret (Eighty Day of Assembly), and Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah).

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Hoashana Rabba, the seventh day of Sukkot, started last night and as is customary, many stayed up all night reading the entire book of Deuteronomy and the Book of Psalms.

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Today, Jewish people all over the world are intensely worshipping YEHOVAH Their Hoshana Rabbah is the day on which the judgment that was sealed on Yom Kippur is "delivered."

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For that reason this day is characterized by prayer, repentance, and praise.

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Because this is teh day that judgment is delivered, it is customary to greet one another Pitka Tova, which means a good note, referring to being sealed in the Book of Life.

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"Ana YAH Hoshia'an," which means "Save us, YEHOVAH!"

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This prayer is never uttered in vain: ELOHIM Promises that all who call upon HIS NAME will be saved. 

"And everyone who calls on the NAME of YEHOVAH will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as YEHOVAH has said, among the survivors whom YEHOVAH calls." (Joel 2:32; see also Romans 10:13)

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"For seven days present food offerings to YEHOVAH, and on the eighty day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to YEHOVAH. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work." (Leviticus 23:36; see also Numbers 29:36)

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As the sun sets today, Hoshana Rabbah ends and Shemini Atzeret Eighty Day of Assembly begins.

Jewish tradition teaches that on Shemini Atzeret, the world is judged concerning water, fruit, and produce. On this day, the amount of rainfall for the coming year is decided. For that reason, on the eighty day that is set aside by YEHOVAH for a closing assembly, the Jewish people recite special prayers for rain.

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In ancient times, a special water drawing ceremony was performed every Simchat Beit HaShoeva Rejoicing at the House of the Water-Drawing.

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The people would follow the cohen (priest) to the Pool of Siloam in a joyous Hallel (Praises) from Psalms 113-118 and 120-134, and chanting Isiah 12:3.

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"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation - YESHUA."

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YESHUA, who understood and answered our heart's cry for salvation, addressed these themes of Salvation and water on the last day of Sukkot when HE proclaimed that all who believe in HIM will be refreshed with rivers of living water.

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"On the last and greatest day of the festival, YESHUA stood and said in a loud voice, 'Let anyo who is thirsty come to ME and drink. Whoever believes in ME, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'" (John 7:37-38)

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The water HE was speaking of was the eternal Spirit of ELOHIM (John 7:39). YESHUA was poured out like water, as described in the Messianic Psalm 22:14. It was only after HE poured out HIS soul to death that YEHOVAH poured out the rain of the RUACH HAKODESH/HOLY SPIRIT upon the Earth (Acts 2:1-4).

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Water is a powerful symbol in this hot, dry ocuntry of Israel, where it's easy to become dehydrated if we don't drink enough water. Few realize that they are perishing without the water of the Spirit of ELOHIM RUACH HAKODESH.

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These final days of Sukkot are the perfect time to consider YESHUA'S invitation to come to HIM when we are weary or full of sorrow, and to be refreshed by the RUACH HAKODESH, HOLY SPIRIT.

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"The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)

Blessings from the Torah Keeper, Pitka Tova!