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the housing of your soul. The soul which wanders through the fields of Elyssium finds temporal delights in the body of man, which is illustrated by the commandment to eat in the sukkah. The American holiday of Thanksgiving is similar to Sukkot in that it too is a feast of giving thanks for the harvest.

In the winter months Hannukah is celebrated as an eight day festival of Light. The Hanukkah Menorah or Hanukkiya is lit each day. The central candle of the Hanukkiya is called the "Shamash" (helper), and since there are no vowels in Hebrew we can see that the word Shamash is identical to the word "Shemesh" (sun). Eight candles surround either side of the Shamash. Jewish law states that the eight candles cannot be lit directly but must be lit by the Shamash. The reason is that they are not themselves sources of light, but they merely receive and reflect the light of the Shamash. This ritual clearly contains scientific facts about the structure of the solar system as it was known to ancient Jews. The sun being the provider of light for eight planets which surround and orbit the sun. It is quite probable that this was an ancient way of passing down scientific knowledge to children covertly so as to avoid persecution from other religious authorities who considered such ideas to be heresy.

The dreidel game which is played during Hanukkah is commonly known to be a method of secretly teaching children the story of the exodus, when doing so was a capital offense under Greek Hellenic law. To watchful eyes it appeared that families would be simply playing a game of chance.

In the mid to late winter is the holiday of Purim (Feast of lots), which tells the story in the book of Esther. Children will wear masks and treats abound. Plays are often held to teach the story of Esther, Mordechai, and the evil Haman. For adults, there is a Mishnaic law that says to 'drink from the spice of life until one can no longer tell the difference between "Blessed is Mordechai" and "Cursed is Haman"'. For this reason many adults will consume large quantities of wine and some will delve into biblical discourse or studies while doing so.

In the Spring, the sun enters the sign of Aries and Passover, whose central theme is centered around the sacrifice of a lamb, is celebrated. A special ritual meal called a "Seder" (order) is eaten. The meal contains several symbols of spring and the emergence of new life, such as an egg, a sprig of parsley, and herbs. The meal tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt, which itself is a story of the emergence of new life from the dead. The Hebrew word for Egypt is "Mitzrayim" which could be translated quite literally as "worm food" (mitz rayim).

In the summer when the sun is near its highest point, we celebrate the festival of Shavu'ot (Feast of weeks). From the end of Passover, seven weeks are counted (49 days) and the 50th day is Shavu'ot. In Christianity, this is known as Pentecost (from Greek Pentekoste, meaning 50th day). Shavo'ot commemorates the time when Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and received the Torah. It is interesting that the ascension of the sun in the sky parallels the story of Moses ascending the mountain.

There are a lot more astronomical and astrological themes throughout the Jewish holiday cycle. For those who believe in or practice astrology, you may see some of the planetary influences in the holidays themselves and in the Biblical narratives.

Learn more about this author, Larry Smart.
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