November
10, 2015
CELEBRATING THE SIGD WITH BETA YISRAEL:
CHAG SAMEACH!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150604224229969&id=22738684968
Tonight, the 29th day of MarCheshvan
marks the beginning of the holy day of Sigd,
celebrated for centuries by Ethiopian Jewry.
Traditional known as Beta Yisrael, (the
House of Israel), the Jewish community of Ethiopia have
been marking the Sigd holiday for many, many centuries.
Sigd takes place on the fiftieth day
following Yom Kippur and is a day dedicated to reflection and
repentance and rededication to the Torah received at Sinai. It was also a day
of recommitting to the dream of returning someday to
Jerusalem.
Traditionally, entire villages of Beta
Yisrael would leave their homes on the eve of Sigd and
together travel by foot to the highest neighboring
mountain, where, facing distant Jerusalem, they would
pray, sing and observe a day long fast.
Kessim, who are the spiritual leaders and
teachers of the community, and in whose hands the
keeping of the community's thousands year old traditions
and observation of Torah is entrusted, would lead the
celebration and read sections of the Torah to the
people, a tradition fashioned after the account in the
book of Nechemiah, chapters 8-9:
"And Ezra opened the scroll before the
eyes of the entire people, for he was above all the
people, and when he opened it, all the people stood.
And Ezra blessed the HaShem, the great G-d, and all
the people answered, "Amen, Amen," with the uplifting
of their hands, and they bent their heads and
prostrated themselves to HaShem on their faces to the
ground." (Nechemiah 8:5-6)
"And they rose in their place, and they
read in the scroll of the Law of HaShem their G-d a
fourth of the day, and another fourth they confessed
and prostrated themselves to HaShem their G-d."
(Nechemiah 9:3)
The word Sigd is Amharic and related to the
Aramaic word which means to prostrate oneself in
deference to G-d.
The day long fast would conclude with a
festive meal for the entire community. Sheep and cows
brought with them for the occasion would be slaughtered
by the Kessim and served at the meal.
In 2008 the government of Israel officially
recognized the holiday of Sigd. Ethiopians throughout
Israel assemble together at the Western Wall in
Jerusalem during the day and later in the day make their
way to the Armon HaNatziv Promenade which overlooks the
Temple Mount.
Chag
Sigd Sameach!
*******
More: November
11, 2015 “…Historic Ingathering and History-Making
Ascent: Prophetic Fulfillment in Our Day… Yaakov's
children, such as the Beta Yisrael Jews of Ethiopia,
never forget and never despair of their G-d given
birthright. The Sigd celebration bears witness to the
resilience of the children of Israel, and the enduring
promise of the birthright and the blessing….”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6ZXuiY4T7Q&feature=youtu.be&t=31m11s
