Moedim

Moedim is a Hebrew term meaning appointed times or festivals. In Jewish and biblical usage, it refers to the predetermined times when the community would gather for worship and communion with God. The concept frames the year as a cycle of sacred dates set by divine command.

Biblical basis and scope: The principal source is Leviticus 23, which lists several annual moedim. The spring cycle includes Passover (Pesach) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, followed by the counting of the Omer toward Shavuot (Weeks) and the festival itself. The autumn–winter cycle includes Rosh Hashanah (the Day of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), with Shemini Atzeret often treated as its closing day. In broader tradition, Firstfruits and other agricultural markers are associated with the calendar as well. The moedim are distinguished from the weekly Shabbat but together compose the annual cycle of appointed times.

Practice and observance: In ancient times, many moedim involved temple sacrifices and pilgrimages to Jerusalem. After the Temple’s destruction, the observance shifted to prayer, study, and communal celebration in homes and synagogues. Yom Kippur remains a solemn fast, while other moedim feature festive meals, special liturgies, and customs tied to the historical and agricultural meanings of the festivals. The three pilgrimage festivals—Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot—continue to hold central symbolic and liturgical importance in Judaism today.

In modern contexts, the term is also used to describe the biblical feasts in scholarly and sometimes Christian discussions, though application and emphasis vary among communities.