*Laws # 96-107 ~ BOOK THREE: THE BOOK OF SEASONS (Laws of Festival Rest)

*Omitted (should not have been added to the Laws)
**Changed (a misinterpretation of the Law or based on the wrong scripture)
***No Longer Kept (No longer applicable today)

**Law #96 To rest on the first day of Passover

Lev. 23:7 “In the first day (of Passover) ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.”

Two commands are found in verse 7: to make the Passover a Sabbath day of rest and a day where we assemble together. The Passover is 1 day long and falls on the 14^th of the Hebrew month Nissan, in the Spring around April.  It is usually considered a part of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is the very next day and lasts for 7 days (Lev. 23:6), totaling 8 days for both Feasts. 

Many people fail to understand that the commanded appointed feasts are a part of the Law.  They are the true “holidays” we are to celebrate, as they commemorate the experience of our ancestors and their walk with the Most High.  The appointed Feasts are purposed for us to remember the covenant He established with us and the many times He protected the Israelites throughout our nation’s history.  In choosing to celebrate pagan holidays instead (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc.) we are expressing disregard for the Law and the covenant and most importantly disregard for the Most High.

This law has been changed slightly from Maimonide’s list.  Per Judaism, Lev. 23:7 commands us to rest only.  In actuality the scripture commands us to rest and to assemble.

Law #97 Not to do prohibited labor on the first day of Passover

Lev. 23:8 which reads “…in the seventh day is a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.”

This Law is very similar to #96, which says To rest on the first day of Passover, which is a positive command, telling you what to do.  This command says not to do prohibited labor, a negative command telling you what not to do.  There is a debated, yet generally accepted list of 39 prohibited labor activities.

Law #98 To rest on the seventh day of Passover/Unleavened

Law #99 Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day of Passover/Unleavened

Lev. 23:8 “…In the seventh day is a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.”

We're commanded to rest on the 7th day of Passover and to avoid doing any prohibited labor (see list of 39 generally accepted prohibited labor activities).

**Law #100 To rest on Shavuot/Feast of Weeks

Lev. 23:21-22 […The Feast of Weeks shall be a holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.  And when you reap the harvest of your land…leave the corners of thy field for the poor and the stranger… ]

On the 6^th day of Sivan (usually May/June), the Israelites celebrated the Feast of Weeks in honor of the beginning of their wheat harvest.   It was a day of thanksgiving for the Most High’s providence.  On this day we are commanded to 1. Assemble, 2. Treat the day as a Sabbath and rest outside of that assembly 3. Share our feast with the poor.  Verse 21 says this festival “shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”       

Although it is impossible for us to bring the first fruit of our increase to the Temple as our ancestors did, we can honor Him in the same way by keeping with the commanded actions: assembling, resting and sharing our increase with those in need.  Our blessings are not just your own but also for those who the Most High puts in our path to be blessed.  Keep this in mind as you enjoy this commanded Festival.

This law has been changed from Maimonide’s list to reflect the 3 commands it addresses.  Per Judaism, the command here is to rest.  There are actually three commands, to assemble, rest, and share our harvest the poor. 

Law #101 Not to do prohibited labor on Shavuout/Feast of Weeks

Lev. 23:21-22 […The Feast of Weeks shall be a holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.  And when you reap the harvest of your land…leave the corners of thy field for the poor and the stranger… ]

**Law #102 To rest on Rosh Hashana/Feast of Trumpets

Lev. 23:24-25 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation [Feast of Trumpets].  You shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Most High.”

We are commanded to observe the Feast of Trumpets.  The Feast of Trumpets falls on the first day of the 7^th month (Tishri) of the Most High’s sacred calendar…which is about Sept/Oct.  Specifically, we are commanded to #1 Assemble ourselves #2 Rest outside of that assembly (sanctify the day & keep it holy) & #3 Blow the shofar throughout the day.  This is a day where we remember the mercy of the Most High, which has sustained us all year long and obey His covenant.  The shofar wakes up our spirits from slumber and reconnects us to our source and divine mission.    Make this a family day if possible so your children will understand the importance in keeping the commandments.

Law #103 Not to do prohibited labor on Rosh Hashana/Feast of Trumpets

Lev. 23:25 “You shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Most High.”

The command here is to ensure the Feast of Trumpets is a Sabbath day of rest. 

**Law #104 To rest on Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles

Lev. 23:35 “On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.”

This Law refers to the Feast of Tabernacles and we are commanded to observe the day and in doing so to ensure we make it a Sabbath day of rest.  No work is to be done on this day.

Law #105 Not to do prohibited labor on Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles

Lev. 23:35 “On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.”

Not only are we commanded to rest, we are encouraged to avoid several activities that are involved in labor.

**Law #106 To rest on Shmini Atzeret/8^th day of Tabernacles

Lev. 23:36 “Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Most High: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Most High: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.”

This Law refers to the 8^th after Tabernacles, which the Jewish consider Shmini Atzeret but many just consider it the last day of Sukkot, which is a day of assembly and a day of rest.  We are commanded to rest on this day. This Law needs to be changed to add the command to assemble also.

Law #107 Not to do prohibited labor on Shmini Atzeret/8^th day of Tabernacles

Lev. 23:36 “Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Most High: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Most High: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.”

*Laws # 92-95 ~ BOOK THREE: THE BOOK OF SEASONS (Laws of the Day of Atonement Rest)

Law #92 To rest on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement  #93 Not to do prohibited labor on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement

Lev. 23:32 “...shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest...”

According to Maimonides, Lev. 23:32 commands us to rest on the Day of Atonement, which the Jewish call Yom Kippur.  In the rest, we are also prohibited from doing certain activities in Law #93.  We see both a positive command/to do something (rest) and a negative command/not to do something (prohibited labor). 

Please remember the purpose behind the Day of Atonement:   It is a day to remember the fall of the Israelite nation (golden calf) and the Most High’s forgiveness towards them.  Remember His restoration towards you.  Let's be reminded of our need to avoid lawlessness.  While the Most High’s mercies are new every morning, we are still held accountable to obedience to His Commands.  We will always need atonement for our shortcomings.  We fast in remembrance of this and with great gratitude for the Most High’s forgiveness and restoration in our lives.

Law #94 To afflict yourself on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement

Lev. 16:29 “And this shall be a statute forever unto you: that [on the Day of Atonement], you shall afflict you souls, and do no work at all…” Also see Lev. 23:32

The command here is to fast on the Day of Atonement. 

Law #95 Not to eat or drink on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement

Lev. 23:29 “For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day (Day of Atonement), he shall be cut off from among his people.”

We have already been commanded the positive command to fast on the Day of Atonement.  Now we see a negative command, telling us further what to avoid, which is food and drink, as we fast.

*Laws # 87-91 ~ BOOK THREE: THE BOOK OF SEASONS (Law of Sabbath)

Law #87 To rest on the seventh day

Ex. 23:12 “Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.”

We are commanded to Keep the Sabbath, from sun down Friday evening to sun down Saturday evening. The purpose of the Sabbath is to rest and to sanctify the day. The Most High created heaven and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th. In doing so He blessed it and sanctified it. The Israelite nation is also commanded to rest and sanctify the 7th day. Lev. 23:3 confirms that the 7th day is a day of rest and a convocation (assembly). Which means we are to assemble together but do no work outside of that assembly. Ex. 20:8 confirms the Sabbath to be a sanctified day, set apart from the other 6 days of the week. Lev. 23:3 “[Even these are my feasts] Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation (assembly); ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Most High in all your dwellings.” Ex. 20:8 says we are to remember the Sabbath and keep it sanctified. Isn’t the Sunday Sabbath in honor of the Risen Messiah? The determination to change Saturday 7th day Sabbath to Sunday 1st day Sabbath was not based on the Messiah being resurrected on a Sunday, because he was not. The decision was originally made by Roman Emperor Constantine in the religion of Christianity. He decided this in honor of the sun god he worshiped, not the resurrection of the risen Messiah.

Daniel warned us that a persecuting power would come and change the Laws. Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”

"But the Sabbath is not always on Saturday"... There are some who say the Sabbath day changes from month to month, according to the Benedictine Perpetual Calendar, and will not always fall on a Saturday. In order to determine rather or not the present day calendar is accurate enough to sufficiently tell the days, months and seasons, we would have to do extensive research. While doing extensive research, are we keeping the Commanded Sabbath? We as a nation can spend the next 10 years trying to figure out if the 7th day is really the 7th day or we can keep the Sabbath on what has been deemed as the 7th day. The choice is yours. Remember, the spirit of confusion is always at work, and not always to resolve issues but to create issues and divide. The more issues arise, the more confusion. The more confusion, the less we are willing to attempt to keep the Sabbath.

"It doesn’t matter when we keep the Sabbath"... Some argue that the day we keep the Sabbath is of no importance at all, as long as we keep it. But remember the command specifically states to keep the Sabbath on the 7th day.

"We don’t need to keep the Sabbath"... Others say as long as you do everything to the glory of the Most High, the Sabbath is as good as kept. They claim, since Ex. 20:8 says, “Remember the Sabbath…” we don’t really need to keep it, only remember it. The word “remember” implies the Most High knew a day would come when we would forget the Law. Ex. 23:12 tells us to keep the Sabbath, not to just remember it. Since the Law defines sin, the Sabbath Law is one of the laws which define what sin is and not keeping the Sabbath is willful lawlessness.

Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a DELIGHT, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shall you delight thyself in the LORD...”

Exodus 31:13-17 “Speak you also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a SIGN between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the LORD that does SANCTIFY you. … 15 Six days may work be done; but in the Seventh is the Sabbath of rest, Holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a PERPETUAL covenant. 17 It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel FOR EVER: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the Seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

Ezekiel 20:20 “…Hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a SIGN between me and you, that you may know that I AM THE MOST HIGH YOUR GOD.” By rejecting the Sabbath we are rejecting the Most High and his covenant with us.

**Law #88 Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day (per Judaism)

Ex. 20:10 “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Most High: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, thy son, thy daughter, thy manservant, thy maid, thy cattle, thy stranger within thy gates.”

An extension of Law #87, found in Ex. 23:12, this Law specifies exactly who is to keep the Sabbath with us; neither you, your kids, your butler, your maid (your assistants), your farm animals or the strangers that live with you are to do work on this day but treat it as it is; a sanctified and blessed day of rest according to the everlasting covenant. ** have been placed by this Command because it needs to be changed.  Per Maimonides' the Law is not to work on the seventh day (this was stated in #87).  The Law here according to the scripture should be: Not to allow members of your household to work on the seventh day.

**Law #89 The court must not inflict punishment on Shabbat (per Judaism)

Ex. 35:3 “You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.”

Per Judaism, the command is that the court must not inflict punishment on the Sabbath.  Ex. 35:3 says we should not start a fire on the Sabbath.  This is the actual command.  This Law in today’s context points mainly to wives/ladies/cooks and how we should be cooking and cleaning around the Sabbath instead of on the Sabbath. In the biblical days, fire was generally used to cook food and to warm up the house. Maintaining such fire and putting it out was and is classified as work.  The Law says not to start a fire on the Sabbath. 

But cooking is a little different today.  Yes a stove is easy to turn on, no wood burning involved. because it also involves cleaning up the kitchen after a meal. Once a meal is eaten on the Sabbath, should we be doing dishes that night or cleaning the kitchen? Per this command, the answer is no. We should try our best to clean as much as possible on Friday afternoon so you’re not left with too big of a mess on Saturday because doing any work (even that pertaining to fire/cooking) on the Sabbath is breaking the Sabbath.

***Law #90 Not to walk outside the city boundary on Shabbat

Ex. 16:29 “…Abide ye every man in his place, let no man GO OUT of his place on the seventh day.”

The verse says, “let no man GO OUT of his place on the 7^th day.”  We know that we are commanded to assemble together if possible on the Sabbath, so this is why the interpretation of this Command is not to leave the city boundary.  We must leave our home but not travel outside of the city.  Ultimately, we’re commanded to assemble but to rest outside of that assembly.  Once you’ve assembled, go back to your resting place.  

This Law can no longer be kept by scattered Israel today because they no longer have a city boundary to remain within the Sabbath.  They are no longer in the land.

Law #91 To sanctify the day with Kiddush and Havdallah

Ex. 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Per Judaism, Ex. 20:8 is commanding us to sanctify the day with Kiddush (a wine blessing) and Havdallah (a candle blessing). However, Ex. 20:8 does not command this. The command is to remember the Sabbath and keep it sanctified. That being said, this command has already been stated in Law #87 & #88. It does not need to be repeated. Judaists created this law to include their traditions of Kiddush and Havdallah and then based those traditions on Ex. 20:8. Therefore, this law has been omitted.