About FESTIVAL

Hebrew Name

רֶגֶל

English Name

FESTIVAL

Phonetic Spelling

REH-GEL

The,Huge,Crowd,Of,Jews,For,A,Prayer,Has,Gathered

What does FESTIVAL mean?

Regel, Hebrew for “festival,” refers to the three annual pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.

שָׁלֹ֣שׁ רְגָלִ֔ים תָּחֹ֥ג לִ֖י בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃
Three times a year you shall hold a festival for Me:
sha-LOSH r'-ga-LEEM ta-KHOG lee ba-sha-NAH
Exodus 23:14

כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ אֲכׇלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃
And He said, “Do not come closer. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.
KI yo-DE-a e-lo-HIM, KI b'-YOM a-KHOL-khem mi-ME-nu v'-ni-f'-KHU a-YE-nay-KHEM, vi-h'-yi-TEM k'-e-lo-HIM yo-D'-ay TOV va-RA
Exodus 3:5

Description about FESTIVAL

Regel, Hebrew for “festival,” refers to the three annual pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, Israelites were commanded to travel to Jerusalem during these festivals in order to stand in the presence of God in His holiest place. For many people, this journey could take a week or more. Pilgrims would then celebrate the festival for a full week in Jerusalem, before finally taking another week to return home. Though each pilgrimage required a significant investment of time and money, this experience was an essential part of ancient Jewish life. By celebrating the festivals together in the Temple, the people strengthened their bond with God and infused the rest of their year with Godliness and clarity of purpose. The festivals coincide with different stages in the land of Israel’s agricultural cycle. Passover is the Festival of Spring, when the crops have just begun to ripen. Shavuot is the Festival of the Harvest, occuring in the late spring during the harvest. Sukkot is the Festival of Gathering, and is celebrated in the fall when the crops are gathered. In Biblical life, spirituality and physicality go hand in hand. Regel also means “feet” in Hebrew. Though seemingly unrelated to one another, the words “feet” and “festival” are bonded together through the people’s pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Most pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem on foot, joyously undertaking the arduous journey to celebrate with God in Jerusalem. In this spirit, the Sages praise the pilgrims by citing a passage from Song of Songs: “How beautiful are your footsteps in your shoes, daughter of nobles” (7:2).

Attribute of FESTIVAL

FIND YOUR HEBREW NAME