Harvest festivals are found in all civilizations, from Sukkot in ancient Israel to Thanksgiving in the U.S.A.
In the book of Leviticus, a major source of Jewish Law, the time and manner of celebration of the harvest is laid out.
Now, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the festival of the Lord, lasting seven days; a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a festival to the Lord seven days in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute for ever throughout your generations. (Leviticus 23:39–41)
A festival celebrating the harvest is an ancient tradition and a common attribute of an agrarian society. It was formalized for the Hebrews in Leviticus and is known as Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. The modern version of this ancient festival is found on the fourth Thursday of November with Thanksgiving in the United States.
Most people in the Information Age are detached from the idea of the harvest, unless they are a farmer or have a vegetable garden in their backyard. For most, the harvest consists of going to the grocery store and “harvesting” fresh vegetables out of the produce department. Does the average consumer know where their food comes from or even care? Probably not.
We could, however, use the celebration of the harvest much the way we use the working tools of Freemasonry. In every human being is a divine spark, a gift from the Creator. This spark, with the proper nurturing will grow and fill us with the light of God’s goodness.
The problem is that the world builds up walls around the divine spark. Walls built from anger, depression, vanity, and countless other negative traits we mere humans have in abundance. I recently heard a person described as soulless because of his behavior. That is impossible; every human has a soul. This individual’s soul is just walled off, but through proper care can shine.
In the New Testament, the Kingdom of God is said to be like a mustard seed, for that is the smallest of seeds that can grow into a huge plant. Likewise, the divine spark in each of us can grow and fill the void left by the eradication of negative traits (the vices and superfluities of life). Our Divine Spark or Soul is encouraged by our Ritual—not by the words, but by the actions they symbolize. Prayer, meditation, and studying of the Masonic philosophies are cultivators; fulfilling our obligations to God, our family, and our fraternity fertilize the soul.
We then celebrate a harvest of peace, harmony and brotherly love that the seeds of goodness have brought forth. The light from our actions may not illuminate the entire world, but the goodwill we harvest will brighten our lives, the lives of our brothers, and all those around us.
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David C. Witte joined Independence Lodge No. 76, AF&AM in February 1999 and the Scottish Rite a year later. Brother Witte enjoys the study of Masonic symbols and philosophy as a welcome diversion from the 1s and 0s that define his work in the field of information technology. He is a member of the Kansas City Valley where he currently serves as Master of Ceremonies of the Lodge of Perfection.
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