ASRITE Feast of Tishri Celebration Banquet
The Albuquerque Scottish Rite Club (ASRITE) Feast of Tishri Celebration Banquet is an annual event to celebrate the Feast of Tishri (also known as the Feast of Tabernacle). It is observed once a year by Scottish Rite Freemasonry because it is an age-old custom originally celebrated as a harvest and gathering festival held in conjunction with the dedication of King Solomon’s Temple; and its origin is described in the Old Testament.
Today the Feast of Tishri Celebration Banquet is an opportunity for all our Brethren, families, friends and supporters to come together and partake in this time honored tradition. Joy and celebration are the keynotes of the Feast of Tishri and it promises to be a wonderful evening with great entertainment, food, ceremonial toasts, and fellowship.
The Feast of Tishri Explained
The origins and significances of the Feast of Tishri make it the most Scottish Rite of festivals. Although originally celebrated as a harvest and gathering of festival, no other occasion epitomizes the character and purpose of the Rite more than our historic celebration, held in conjunction with the dedication of King Solomon's Temple (2 Chronicles 7:8-10). To marshal the meanings of the feast is to summarize the principal ideals and traditions of our Fraternity.
First of all, we observe the Feast of Tishri because it is an age-old custom which now has the power of law. Under the Statutes of the Supreme Council, the feast was considered an obligatory observance, a sharing of our fraternal spirit. Freemasons has always revered order since we recognize that there is a Supreme Order that structures all creation. Masonic Law emulates this divine order, and we serve the purposes of the Great Architect of the Universe when we meet in the bonds of brotherhood, intent on making contributions to humanity.
Secondly, the rich legendry of the Temple's dedication, held in connection with the Feast of Tishri, is an essential part of the 14th Degree. The symbolic details of the Temple's position, design, construction, furnishing, and decoration carry special meaning as they apply to the metaphorical temple of Freemasonry built in the heart of every Mason. Through the symbols of the Temple, we learn to recommit ourselves to building Freemasonry "in the hearts of men and among nations".
Significantly, Solomon, a king of peace and wisdom, built the Temple. The Lord forbade David, a warrior and man of blood, to construct the Temple and, delivered this responsibility and glory to Solomon, whose very name derives from the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace. As individuals and Brothers of the Rite, we resolve to build, as Solomon did, through harmony and cooperation, ever seeking peace for all mankind.
The consecration of the Temple must also be observed at the Feast of Tishri because it teaches the equality and unity of all members of the Rite. Another reason to keep the Feast of Tishri in that such observance fosters the warm spirit of fraternal fellowship so vital to our Rite. We meet at a common table, express our mutual esteem, and so promote the essential bond of cordiality and respect which lightens and shares the weight of our Masonic endeavors. Such social amenities open us to each other in an atmosphere elevated beyond the sphere of normal, day-to-day communication. Within the context of the Feast of Tishri, we realize more deeply than ever before the value of fellowmen, without which the individual is lost in a self-imposed prison of human isolation.
Lastly, the law, legendry, peace, equality, unity, and fellowship of the Feast of Tishri combine to make this the Masonic feast of feasts. At the refection table all men join in a common voice of thanksgiving where every man can share his gratitude and express his sincere thanks to Him who made all things. The Deity has given us life, the strength to live it fully, and the joy of sharing the beauty and goodness of His creation with our fellowmen. Most of all, He has given us freedom. The Feast of Tishri celebrates this freedom which the Israelites won with the guidance of Providence, despite the shackles of Egypt and the armies of the Philistines.
This ancient victory celebrated in the dedication of Solomon's Temple is kept forever fresh through our keeping of the Feast of Tishri. It promises to all men that the burdens of tyranny are temporary, that the darkness will yield to light, that knowledge will conquer ignorance, and that the Creator intended men to be free. The message of Tishri comes to us strongly and clearly from across the ages because it has been so preserved in the symbolism and allegory of the Scottish Rite. Through our observance of this great feast of thanksgiving, we, as heirs of Solomon, perpetuate his Temple of freedom in our lives, our communities, our country and, most of all, in our Rite.
Reference
Kleinknecht, C. Fred, 33°, SGC (2000). Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite. Washington, DC: Published by The Supreme Council, 33°, S.J., USA, for the Scottish Rite Research Society. (pgs. 65-67).
