Keeping the Mo’adim in Exile

Covenant Loyalty and the Right Day of Shabbat

Covering how to observe the Mo’adim (appointed times) in a period of exile,

and a detailed look at the scriptural basis for the timing of the weekly Shabbat.

THE VITAL EXILE TRUTH THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD FIRST

The Covenant Was Not Restored in Exile,

and Restoration Follows Wilderness Cleansing

Throughout Scripture, YaHU'aH never restores the covenant order to His people while they remain in exile. He first gathers them out, brings them through a wilderness of testing and separation, cleanses and purges the rebels, and only then restores full covenant life in the land. The final restoration follows the last exodus described in YahazqAL 20.

1) Covenant order is not restored in exile.

In exile the altar is inaccessible, the chosen place is desolate, and full covenant worship cannot operate. Dabaram 12:5–6 centralizes offerings at the place YaHU'aH chooses. During Babylon, the righteous did not improvise an alternate altar; instead, they turned their petitions toward the desolated sanctuary (Dani’AL 9:16–19), awaiting YaHU'aH’s timing. The promise of renewed acceptance of offerings looks ahead beyond dispersion — “their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon My altar” — on His consecrated mountain (YashaYAHU 56:6–7). Exile is a season of discipline and endurance, not a location of restored covenant order.

2) Wilderness first, cleansing before entry.

The divine pattern is consistent: YaHU'aH removes His people from bondage, draws them into a wilderness, separates true from false, and only then brings them into the land. After Egypt, the unbelieving generation fell in the wilderness, and a cleansed people entered (Bamidbar 14:29–35). The prophets affirm this pattern for the latter days: YaHU'aH allures His people into the wilderness to renew fidelity and hope (HushaYAHU 2:14–15). Cleansing precedes inheritance.

3) The last exodus and final restoration (YahazqAL 20).

YaHU'aH swears by His life to gather His scattered people with a mighty hand, outstretched arm, and poured-out fury (YahazqAL 20:33–34). He does not restore them in the lands of dispersion. Instead, He brings them into the “wilderness of the peoples” and enters into judgment with them there (YahazqAL 20:35–36), causing them to pass under the rod and bringing them into the bond of the covenant (YahazqAL 20:37). He will purge out the rebels and the transgressors; they will not enter the land of Yashar’al (YahazqAL 20:38). Only after this purging does He restore worship on His consecrated mountain; there He will accept their offerings and sanctify them before the nations (YahazqAL 20:40–41). Then, and only then, “you shall know that I am YaHU'aH, when I bring you into the land of Yashar’al, into the country for which I lifted My hand to give to your fathers” (YahazqAL 20:42–44).

The order is unmistakable: gathering → wilderness judgment and cleansing → entry → accepted worship.

4) Implications for the Mo’adim during exile.

Until the last exodus and the wilderness cleansing are complete, the people remain outside full covenant order. Memorial guarding, weekly Shabbat fidelity, and heart-loyal obedience continue; but altar-bound elements tied to the land and priesthood await restoration at the chosen place (Wayyiqra 23:10–14; Dabaram 16:16; YashaYAHU 56:6–7). Exile demands loyal endurance—no reinvention of worship, no adding or subtracting from the commands (Dabaram 4:2), and no presuming restoration before YaHU'aH gathers, cleanses, and brings His people home.

Conclusion: Scripture never depicts covenant restoration in exile. YaHU'aH’s pattern is unwavering: He gathers, brings into the wilderness, judges, purges, and then restores in the land. YahazqAL 20 is the blueprint for the final restoration—after the last exodus, on His consecrated mountain, with offerings accepted and a cleansed people established in the land promised to the fathers.

Keeping the Mo’adim in Exile–Covenant Loyalty Beyond the Land

From the beginning, the Mo’adim—the appointed times of YaHU’aH—have been the heartbeat of the covenant between Him and His people, Yashar’al. They were not conceived as optional traditions or agricultural festivals of a single era, but as eternal, consecrated appointments that testify to His deliverance, His reign, and His promises. Wayyiqra 23:2 records, “These are the appointed times of YaHU’aH, which you shall proclaim as consecrated assemblies.” This declaration was made in the wilderness before Yashar’al entered the land, proving that these times were established independent of any temple, altar, or geographical possession.

In the land, these appointments were kept in their full covenant order—with sacrifices, offerings, priestly service, and pilgrimages to the place YaHU’aH chose, Yarushalayim (Dabaram 16:16). But history shows that the people experienced long seasons outside the land: in Mitsrayim before the Exodus, in Babylon after the destruction of the First Temple, in Persia under foreign rule, and in the worldwide dispersion after Rome’s conquest. This scattering raised a pressing covenant question: Can the Mo’adim be kept outside the land, and if so, what does loyalty look like in exile?

The scriptural answer is yes—but with a crucial distinction: some commands are altar-dependent and can only be performed in the place YaHU’aH chose, while others are memorial-based and can be kept anywhere His people are scattered. This distinction is the dividing line between lawful observance and unauthorized innovation.

Mo’adim That Can Be Practiced in Exile

This is a full, detailed list of every Mo’adim that can still be lawfully practiced in exile, with sacred-name format, scriptural basis, historical examples, and prophetic connection. Everyone is expanded to show what can be done now without the altar, how it was kept in past exiles, and how it ties prophetically to the future restoration.

1. The Weekly Shabbat

Scriptural Basis: Wayyiqra 23:3 declares the Shabbat the first of the Mo’adim. It requires no temple, altar, or location—only ceasing from labor and assembling as a consecreated convocation (Shamoth 31:13–17).

What Can Be Done in Exile: Cease from work, gather for teaching, read the Torah, proclaim the day, and rest in covenant fellowship.

Historical Example: Dani’AL in Babylon kept the covenant commands despite hostile rulers (Dani’AL 6:10), showing the Shabbat could be kept under exile conditions.

Prophetic Connection: YashaYAHU 66:23 says all flesh will worship from one Shabbat to another in the kingdom age.

2. Rosh Chodesh (New Moon Day)

Scriptural Basis: Bamidbar 10:10 and YashaYAHU 66:23 command the marking of new moons.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Declare the new month, assemble, blow the shofar, offer esteem, and dedicate the month to YaHU’aH through petition and teaching.

Historical Example: In Ezra 3:5, returned exiles reinstituted new moon observances even before the temple was completed.

Prophetic Connection: In the restored kingdom, all will come to worship from one new moon to another (YashaYAHU 66:23).

3. Pasach (Passover) as a Memorial

Scriptural Basis: Shamoth 12:14 calls Pasach a memorial for all generations. While the sacrificial lamb is altar-dependent (Dabarim 16:5–6), the memorial itself can be kept.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Teach the Exodus account, eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs, proclaim the meaning of the day, and rehearse deliverance.

Historical Example: In Mitsrayim before the temple existed, Pasach was kept without a central altar (Shamoth 12).

Prophetic Connection: Yahusha fulfilled Pasach as the Lamb of AL’uah (Yahuchanan 1:29); keeping the memorial in exile rehearses His deliverance until the restored offering in the kingdom.

4. Chag HaMatsoth (Feast of Unleavened Bread)

Scriptural Basis: Wayyiqra 23:6–8 commands eating unleavened bread for seven days and resting on the first and seventh days.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Remove leaven from homes, eat unleavened bread, assemble on the first and seventh days, and teach the meaning.

Historical Example: After returning from Babylon, the people kept Matsoth even before the temple was completed (Ezra 6:19–22).

Prophetic Connection: Paul (Sha’ul) links this feast to living without the leaven of sin (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

5. Shabuoth (Feast of Weeks) as a Memorial

Scriptural Basis: Wayyiqra 23:15–21 commands counting seven Sabbaths from the wave sheaf until Shabuoth. The firstfruits offering is altar-dependent, but the memorial can still be kept.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Count the days, assemble, read the giving of the Torah (Shamoth 19–20), rejoice, and dedicate the season to YaHU’aH.

Historical Example: Shabuoth was observed in Acts 2, when the Ruach was poured out, without the temple sacrifices being part of that moment.

Prophetic Connection: Foreshadows the full harvest of souls at the end of the age.

6. Yom Taruah (Day of Trumpets)

Scriptural Basis: Wayyiqra 23:24–25 commands a rest day, blowing of trumpets, and a memorial proclamation. No sacrifice is required to sound the day.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Rest, assemble, blow the shofar, and proclaim the prophetic meaning.

Historical Example: Post-exile assemblies, such as in NahamYAHU 8:1–3, gathered for Torah reading at the appointed times.

Prophetic Connection: Anticipates the last trumpet and the return of Yahusha (1 Corinthiym 15:52).

7. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) as a Fast

Scriptural Basis: Wayyiqra 23:27–32 commands afflicting the soul, resting, and assembling. The sacrificial rites are altar-dependent, but the fast is not.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Fast, petition, confess sins, seek restoration, and read the Torah passages on atonement.

Historical Example: In exile, the people in Dani’AL 9:3–19 humbled themselves in petition and confession without altar service.

Prophetic Connection: Points to final atonement and judgment at the return of the King.

8. Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles) as Rejoicing

Scriptural Basis: Wayyiqra 23:34–43 commands dwelling in booths and rejoicing before YaHU’aH for seven days.

What Can Be Done in Exile: Build temporary shelters, rejoice, read the wilderness deliverance accounts, and assemble on the first and eighth days.

Historical Example: NahamYAHU 8:13–18 records the returned exiles keeping Sukkoth in joy after years of neglect.

Prophetic Connection: Foreshadows the millennial reign when all nations will come to Yarushalayim to keep Sukkoth (ZakarYAHU 14:16–19).

What Cannot Be Kept in Exile

1. Animal Sacrifices and Offerings

In Dabaram (Deuteronomy) 12:5–6, YaHU’aH commands that all burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and vowed offerings be brought only to “the place which YaHU’aH your AL’uah shall choose”. This law centralizes worship at the divinely chosen location, the place of His Name—ultimately Yarushalayim. Once the Southern Kingdom went into Babylonian captivity, that altar was inaccessible.

To attempt sacrifices elsewhere would be direct disobedience to the Torah, because the location is not optional; it is consecrated by His choice alone.

The historical witness confirms this: during the seventy years in Babylon, no scriptural record exists of legitimate sacrifices being offered. Instead, the righteous remnant adapted to their condition of exile. Dani’AL, knowing the covenant law, did not seek to offer sacrifices in Babylon.

Instead, he turned his petitions toward YaHU’aH, pleading for the restoration of Yarushalayim and the sanctuary: “Now therefore, O our AL’uah, hear the petition of Your servant, and his supplications, and cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary that is desolate, for the sake of YaHU’aH” (Dani’AL 9:17). This reveals that even in exile, the righteous understood that only the altar in Yarushalayim was legitimate.

Prophetically, YashaYAHU (Isaiah) 56:6–7 assures that this suspension is not permanent: “Even them will I bring to My consecrated mountain, and make them joyful in My house of petition, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of petition for all peoples.” This points forward to the time after regathering, when the altar is restored and the offerings resume in covenant order.

2. Firstfruits and Omer Offerings in Their Full Order

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:10–14 ties the omer offering and firstfruits directly to the produce of the land and the presentation before the priest at the altar. The text is explicit that the first sheaf of the harvest must be brought to the priest “when you come into the land which I give to you”.

This is inseparable from the land itself—not only geographically, but covenantally. The offering must be waved before YaHU’aH at the appointed place, and until that happens, no one may eat of the new harvest.

In exile, where the produce of the Promised Land is absent and the consecrated altar is inaccessible, these offerings cannot be performed in their commanded form. While memorial acknowledgment and teachings of these commands can and should continue, the full observance is inherently land-bound.

The prophets recognized this limitation, which is why restoration to the land is repeatedly connected to the resumption of these offerings.

3. Pilgrimage to Yarushalayim

Dabaram (Deuteronomy) 16:16 commands that “Three times in a year shall all your males appear before YaHU’aH your AL’uah in the place which He shall choose—in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles—and they shall not appear before YaHU’aH empty.” This is not merely a symbolic appearance; it is a physical pilgrimage to the chosen location.

In exile, this pilgrimage becomes impossible until the regathering. The physical command is rooted in covenant geography—to “go up” to Yarushalayim, bringing offerings, rejoicing before YaHU’aH, and remembering His deliverance. During the Babylonian captivity, there is no record of these pilgrimages occurring, because the sanctuary was destroyed, the city was desolate, and the people were scattered.

Prophetically, ZakarYAHU (Zechariah) 14:16 declares that after YaHU’aH judges the nations, “it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Yarushalayim shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, YaHU’aH of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”

This confirms that the pilgrimage is suspended during dispersion, but will be reinstated in its fullness when the covenant people—and even the nations—are brought to the place where YaHU’aH has chosen to set His Name.

Case Studies of Loyal Exile Observance

  • YahazqAL: In Babylon, he recorded visions marked by covenant dates (YahazqAL 1:1–3), proving the Mo’adim still framed prophetic revelation.
  • Dani’AL: Oriented his petitions toward Yarushalayim (Dani’AL 6:10), upheld Torah commands in the face of imperial edicts, and petitioned for the restoration of the altar (Dani’AL 9:17).
  • Asthar and Mordakay: Instituted Purim as a perpetual memorial in Persia, observed across all provinces (Asthar 9:20–22), as a precedent for maintaining appointed memorials outside the land.

NahamYAHU: Upon return, restored Sukkoth after it had been neglected since the days of Yahoshua bin Nun (NahamYAHU 8:13–18).

Prophetic Timeline: Exile Observance and End-Time Fulfillment

    • Pasach and Matsoth (Passover and Unleavened Bread): Observing the memorial meal in exile points to the ultimate and final deliverance brought by the Mashiach’s sacrifice. It declares a future Passover where all of Yashar’al will be freed from the bondage of sin and death.
    • Shabuoth (Pentecost): The exile observance of remembering the giving of the Torah points to the day when the Torah will no longer be on stone tablets but written on the hearts of His people, fulfilling the prophecy of YarmiYAHU 31:33.
    • Yom Teruah (Day of Shouting): The sounding of the shofar in exile is a call to repentance and hope, anticipating the "last trumpet" (1 Corinthiym 15:52) that will announce the Mashiach’s return and the resurrection of the righteous.
    • Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): Fasting and petition in exile, in place of the temple service, keeps alive the hope for the ultimate atonement that the Mashiach will provide, reconciling His people to YaHU’aH forever.

      The exile observance of the Mo’adim is not a replacement, but a foreshadowing of their ultimate fulfillment. Each feast kept in a foreign land serves as a declaration of hope for the coming kingdom.

    • Sukkoth (Tabernacles): Rejoicing and dwelling in temporary shelters in exile remembers the journey through the wilderness and anticipates the ultimate regathering of all of Yashar’al. This will be the time when YaHU’aH once again "tabernacles" with His people in a restored Yarushalayim, as foretold in ZakarYAHU 14:16.

Keeping the Mo’adim in exile is not a lesser obedience but an act of covenant loyalty. The prophets and righteous of old did everything the Torah allowed in foreign lands and refrained from what required the altar. This distinction preserved their identity, honored YaHU’aH’s commands, and kept hope alive for the regathering. The same loyalty is required today. Observing what can be kept and waiting for the restoration of what cannot is part of standing blameless when the King gathers His people back to Yarushalayim to keep the Mo’adim in their full glory.

A Deeper Look at Shabbat: When, Why, and Scripture's Stand

The Shabbat is the first of the Mo’adim listed in Wayyiqra 23:3, given as the weekly covenant sign between YaHU’aH and His people (Shamoth 31:13–17). The Torah is clear: the Shabbat is the seventh day of the week, fixed in the cycle of days from creation, not a movable feast, not subject to lunar shifts, and not a tradition of man. From creation, YaHU’aH set this pattern: “And on the seventh day AL’uah ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And AL’uah blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Barashith 2:2–3). This consecration came before the Levitical priesthood, before the nation of Yashar’al, and before sin entered the world—making Shabbat a creation covenant for all who serve Him.

Proof the Sixth Day is What the World Calls Friday

Scriptural Evidence

The renewed covenant writings make it clear that Yahusha was put to death on the Preparation Day, the day before the weekly Shabbat, and that this day precedes the Shabbat in an unbroken seven-day cycle.

  • Mark 15:42 – “Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Shabbat…”
  • Luqas 23:54 – “That day was the Preparation, and the Shabbat drew near.”
  • MattithYAHU 27:62 – The day after Yahusha’s death is called “the day after the Preparation,” meaning the Shabbat.

The sequence is consistent: Preparation Day → Shabbat → First day of the week.

  • MattithYAHU 28:1 – “Now after the Shabbat, as the first day of the week began to dawn…” —This shows the day after the Shabbat is the first day of the week. Since the first day is universally identified as what the world calls Sunday, the Shabbat aligns with what the world calls Saturday, making the Preparation Day what the world calls Friday.

Historical Continuity

In Yahusha’s time, the covenant people observed the seventh-day Shabbat from the sixth day’s sunset to the seventh day’s sunset. This same weekly rhythm has been preserved without change in the order of days through history, even when calendar reforms (such as Julian to Gregorian) occurred. The weekly sequence was never altered—meaning the sixth day of the biblical week still aligns with the same position it held in Yahusha’s day.

Torah Foundation

Shamoth 16:23 commands that the sixth day be used to prepare for the Shabbat—baking and cooking done beforehand so the day of rest is kept consecrated. This was the established practice in the wilderness and was still in effect during Yahusha’s crucifixion week.

Conclusion

The sixth day—the Preparation Day—directly precedes the seventh-day Shabbat. Since the first day of the week is identified as what the world calls Sunday, the continuous unbroken cycle makes the sixth day what the world calls Friday, ending at sundown when the Shabbat begins.

When Shabbat Begins—Scriptural Timing

Wayyiqra 23:32 establishes Shabbat from evening to evening. In creation, each day was counted as “evening and morning” (Barashith 1). Yahusha confirmed this understanding—Mark 1:32 shows people waited until sunset to bring their sick, knowing the Sabbath had ended.

Why It Matters for Covenant Faithfulness

Shabbat is a prophetic shadow of the coming millennial reign (Ibrim 4:1–11) and a perpetual sign between YaHU’aH and His people (YahazqAL 20:12–24). Altering its timing distorts its prophetic meaning and violates the covenant sign.

Answering Every Counterargument

“The day begins at dawn”

The Scriptural Day Begins at Sunset

This teaching — that a scriptural day begins at sunrise — is an innovation not supported by Scripture and directly contradicts the covenant pattern given from the beginning. The creation account establishes the divinely ordained rhythm of time as “evening and morning” (Barashith 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), clearly showing that the day begins with the evening, not the morning. This is not a poetic flourish but a divine precedent set in the very first week, and repeated for every day of creation.

The same pattern is reinforced in the commands for Yom Kippur. Wayyiqra 23:32 explicitly instructs, “From evening to evening you shall celebrate your Shabbat.” This is not a special-case timing unique to that day; rather, it is a direct, plain instruction on how to reckon the beginning and end of a consecrated day before YaHU'aH. It confirms that the day is counted from one evening to the next.

Historical narrative also supports this timing. In NahamYAHU 13:19, NahamYAHU ordered that the gates of Yarushalayim be shut “before the Shabbat, when the gates began to be dark” — in other words, as the sun was going down. If the day were to begin at dawn, this would be unnecessary, because the work of the markets and traders would have continued through the night without interruption. Instead, NahamYAHU’s action proves that the transition into Shabbat was marked by sunset, and the people were expected to cease work at that point.

Therefore, the weight of the creation account, the direct commands of Torah, and the consistent historical witness combine to affirm that the scriptural day begins at sunset. Any doctrine teaching otherwise lacks covenant authority and cannot be established as truth within the Word of YaHU'aH.

“The Sabbath follows the lunar cycle”

The Continuous Weekly Cycle of Shabbat

The fourth commandment defines Shabbat as the seventh day of a continuous weekly cycle of six days of labor followed by a day of rest, a rhythm established by YaHU'aH at creation itself (Barashith 2:2–3). This cycle was not tied to any celestial phase or monthly reset but has remained uninterrupted since it was sanctified.

When the lights in the heavens were created on the fourth day, the moon was given a clear role — “to mark seasons and Mo’adim” (Barashith 1:14–18) — yet there is no instruction linking it to the count of the weekly Shabbat. The seven-day cycle was already in motion before the moon existed, proving that the moon plays no part in determining the weekly day of rest.

This truth is further reinforced in the life and ministry of Yahusha. His consistent pattern of entering the synagogue on the “Sabbath day” (Luqas 4:16) shows that the seventh day was a fixed and recognized time across generations, not one that shifted according to lunar phases. Such regular observance would be impossible if the Sabbath were recalculated by the moon’s cycle, as that would break the unchanging rhythm established from the beginning.

From creation to the time of Yahusha — and still for those who guard the covenant today — Shabbat remains the same seventh day in the continuous weekly cycle, untouched by lunar variation, set apart as a perpetual sign between YaHU'aH and His people.

“Any day can be your Sabbath”

The Specificity of the Sabbath

The idea that “any day can be your Sabbath” is a direct contradiction to the explicit command of YaHU'aH. The fourth commandment does not say, “Keep a day holy”; it clearly specifies, “the seventh day is the Shabbat of YaHU'aH your AL’uah” (Shamoth 20:10). The definite article — the seventh day — points to a fixed, ongoing, and specific day in the weekly cycle established at creation (Barashith 2:2–3). This same day was confirmed to the entire nation during the giving of the manna in the wilderness (Shamoth 16:23–30), when YaHU'aH Himself identified the true seventh day for His people.

To replace this with “a” day of one’s own choosing is to alter the covenant pattern, elevating human preference above divine instruction. Such an act is not a minor adjustment but the creation of a new commandment — something explicitly forbidden in Dabaram 4:2: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may guard the commandments of YaHU'aH your AL’uah which I command you.” Changing the appointed day is both an addition and a subtraction — removing the commanded seventh day from obedience and adding an unauthorized alternative.

Yahusha Himself upheld the unchanged Shabbat, regularly entering the synagogue on that fixed day (Luqas 4:16) and never once suggesting it could be shifted or personalized. The claim that “any day” can be Sabbath ignores the creation order, breaks the continuous weekly cycle, and undermines the covenant sign between YaHU'aH and His people (Shamoth 31:13, 17). The moment the appointed seventh day is abandoned, the command itself is broken, and the observance becomes man-made tradition rather than the obedience YaHU'aH requires.

“It was abolished in the renewed covenant”

"It was abolished in the renewed covenant"

This argument fails to recognize Yahusha’s own words and pattern. He plainly said He did not come to destroy the Torah or the prophets, but to fulfill them, and that not the smallest mark would pass away until all is accomplished (MattithYAHU 5:17–18). The apostolic record matches this. The apostles kept Shabbat and taught on that day, Paul reasoning in the synagogue on the Sabbath and the whole city coming the next Sabbath to hear the word (Acts 13:42–44; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:4; Acts 16:13). Prophecy also anchors Shabbat beyond this present age. YashaYAHU 66:23 declares that in the renewed heavens and earth all flesh will come to worship before YaHU’aH from one Shabbat to another. Shabbat is an eternal sign between YaHU’aH and His people, not a temporary institution, as stated in Shamoth 31:16–17 and affirmed again in YahazqAL 20:12, 20. Therefore, any teaching that loosens or replaces the seventh-day Shabbat contradicts Yahusha’s testimony, apostolic practice, and prophetic decree.

The Final Word

The seventh-day Shabbat—beginning at sundown after the sixth day and ending at sundown the next—is unchanged from creation. It was honored by the prophets, upheld by Yahusha, practiced by the apostles, and will be kept eternally in the reign of the King.

Mo’adim

(Appointed Times)

Mo’adim Calendar

The Mo’adim Calendar originates from Shamoth 12:2, where YaHU'aH commands Moshah, "This month [Abib] shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you," establishing the ecclesiastical year with the new moon of Abib (the pre-exilic name for Nisan), the first month. It incorporates commanded feasts from Wayyiqra 23 and weekly Sabbaths (Shamoth 20:8–11). For 2025, it begins with the last new moon on March 29, 2025 (1 Abib 5785), summarizing key dates within the 2025 scope (March 29 – December 31, 2025), transitioning from 5785 AM to 5786 AM.

New Year Start:

  • Date: March 29, 2025 (1 Abib 5785)

  • Reason: The new moon of Abib, marking the ecclesiastical year’s start (Shamoth 12:2), tied to the Passover season (Shamoth 13:4).

2025 Torah-Only Key Dates (Commanded Mo’edim and Notable Events)

Pasach (Passover): April 13, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:5)

  • On the 14th day of the first month (Abib), counted from the first sighted new moon after Abib barley is confirmed in the land of Yashar’al (Shamoth 12:1–2; Dabariym 16:1).

Matsoth (Unleavened Bread): April 14–20, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:6–8)

  • From the 15th to the 21st day of Month 1. Begins immediately after Pesach ends.

Firstfruits (Reshit Katzir): April 20, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:10–11)

  • The day after the weekly Shabbat during Unleavened Bread—not a fixed date.

Shavuot: June 8, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:15–21)

  • Count seven complete Shabbats from Firstfruits, then the next day is Shavuot—the 50th day.

Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets): September 23, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:24–25)

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): October 2, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:27–32)

  • The 10th day of the 7th month, counted from Yom Teruah.

Sukkot (Tabernacles): October 7–13, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:34–36)

  • From the 15th to the 21st day of the 7th month.

Shemini Atzeret (8th Day Assembly): October 14, 2025 (Wayyiqra 23:36)

  • The 22nd day of the 7th month, directly after Sukkot.

Shabbats in 2025

  • Total: 40 Shabbats from March 31 (1 Abib) to December 27, 2025.

  • Count every 7 days beginning from the first Shabbat after 1 Abib.

How These Dates Are Determined According to Torah

  1. Year Start: Confirm Abib barley in the land of Yashar’al (Shamoth 13:4; Dabariym 16:1). The next sighted new moon begins Month 1 (Shamoth 12:1–2).

  2. Months: Begin each month with the first visible crescent new moon after sunset, as commanded (Tahilliym 81:3; Bamidbar 10:10), confirmed by two or more witnesses.

  3. Days: Count from sunset to sunset (Wayyiqra 23:32). All mo’edim begin the evening before the listed daylight date.

  4. Mo’adim: Follow exact Torah instructions: Pasach on 14th of Month 1, Matsoth on 15th–21st, Firstfruits the day after the weekly Shabbat in Matsoth, Shavuot counted seven complete Shabbats later, Yom Teruah on 1st of Month 7, Yom Kippur on 10th, Sukkot on 15th–21st, Shemini Atzeret on 22nd (Wayyiqra 23).

  5. Observance: Use verified Abib barley reports and new moon sightings in Yashar’al. Reject pre-calculated or fixed calendars. This maintains the commanded pattern given to Moshah without alteration.

Mo’adim Calendar (Appointed Times) Breakdown

Passover

Passover (Pasach)

Scriptures:

  • Shamoth 12:2–11: "This month [Abib] shall be for you the beginning of months... On the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb... kill it on the fourteenth day at twilight... eat it that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It is YaHU'aH’s Passover."

  • Wayyiqra 23:5: "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is YaHU'aH’s Passover."

  • Bamidbar 28:16: "On the fourteenth day of the first month is YaHU'aH’s Passover."

  • Dabarim 16:1–2: "Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to YaHU'aH your AL'uah, for in the month of Abib YaHU'aH your AL'uah brought you out of Mitsrayim by night."

Breakdown:

  • Date: 14th day of the 1st month (Abib/Nisan), at twilight (evening start).

  • Purpose: Commemorates the Exodus, when the lamb’s blood spared Yashar’al from YaHU'aH’s judgment (Shamoth 12:12–13).

  • Ritual: Slaughter a lamb on the 14th, eat it that night (into the 15th) with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

  • Duration: One day, leading into Unleavened Bread.

  • 2025 Example: April 13, 2025.

Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot)

Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot)

Scriptures:

  • Shamoth 12:15–20: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread... On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses... The first day and the seventh day shall be a consecrated convocation; no work shall be done... It is a statute forever to YaHU'aH."

  • Wayyiqra 23:6–8: "On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to YaHU'aH; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread... On the first day and seventh day you shall have a consecrated convocation; no ordinary work."

  • Bamidbar 28:17–25: "On the fifteenth day of this month is a feast; for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten... Offerings each day to YaHU'aH."

  • Dabarim 16:3–4: "Seven days you shall eat [unleavened bread]... no leaven shall be seen with you, that you may remember the day when you came out of Mitsrayim all the days of your life before YaHU'aH your AL'uah."

Breakdown:

  • Date: Begins 15th day of Abib, lasts for 7 days.

  • Purpose: Remembrance of leaving Mitsrayim in haste, affirming YaHU'aH's command.

  • Ritual: Eat unleavened bread for 7 days, remove all leaven, hold consecrated gatherings on days 1 and 7.

  • Duration: Seven days.

  • 2025 Example: April 14–20, 2025

Feast of Firstfruits (Reishit Katzir)

Feast of Firstfruits (Raishit Katzir)

Scriptures:

  • Wayyiqra 23:9–11: "And YaHU'aH spoke to Moshah, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Yashar’al... When you come into the land... and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before YaHU'aH... on the day after the Sabbath.’"

  • Dabarim 26:1–10: "When you come into the land which YaHU'aH your AL'uah gives you... you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground... and say before YaHU'aH your AL'uah, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father...’"

Breakdown:

  • Date: Day after the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread (often 16th of Abib if Sabbath is the 15th, or the next Sunday).

  • Purpose: Offers the first barley harvest to YaHU'aH, acknowledging His provision.

  • Ritual: Wave a sheaf (omer) of barley before YaHU'aH; no new grain eaten until this (Wayyiqra 23:14).

  • Duration: One day, tied to Unleavened Bread week.

  • 2025 Example: April 20, 2025

Feast of Weeks (Shavuot / Pentecost)

Feast of Weeks (Shavuot / Pentecost)

Scriptures:

  • Shamoth 34:22: "You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end before YaHU'aH your AL'uah."

  • Wayyiqra 23:15–21: "You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you brought the sheaf... fifty days... offer new grain to YaHU'aH... a consecrated convocation, no ordinary work."

  • Bamidbar 28:26–31: "On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to YaHU'aH at your Feast of Weeks... a consecrated convocation."

  • Dabarim 16:9–10: "Count seven weeks... then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to YaHU'aH your AL'uah with a freewill offering."

Breakdown:

  • Date: 50 days from Firstfruits (7 weeks + 1 day), typically in the 3rd month (Sivan).

  • Purpose: Celebrates the wheat harvest, commanded by YaHU'aH; later linked to Sinai.

  • Ritual: Offer two leavened loaves and burnt offerings to YaHU'aH. These ritualistic offerings are altar-dependent and cannot be performed in exile.

  • Duration: One day.

  • 2025 Example: June 8, 2025

Feast of Trumpets (Yom Taruah)

Feast of Trumpets (Yom Taruah)

Scriptures:

  • Wayyiqra 23:23–25: "And YaHU'aH spoke to Moshah, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a consecrated convocation; no ordinary work; offer an offering to YaHU'aH.’"

  • Bamidbar 29:1–6: "On the first day of the seventh month... a day of trumpet blasts... offer burnt offerings to YaHU'aH."

Breakdown:

  • Date: 1st day of the 7th month (Ethanim/Tishrei).

  • Purpose: A memorial with trumpet blasts (teruah), commanded by YaHU'aH; later called Rosh Hashanah.

  • Ritual: Blow trumpets (shofarim), a Shabbaton (rest), and burnt offerings to YaHU'aH. The burnt offerings are altar-dependent and cannot be performed in exile. 

  • Duration: One day.

  • 2025 Example:  September 23, 2025

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Scriptures:

  • Wayyiqra 16:29–34: "In the seventh month, on the tenth day... afflict yourselves and do no work... the priest shall make atonement for you before YaHU'aH... a statute forever."

  • Wayyiqra 23:27–32: "On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement... a consecrated convocation; afflict yourselves... a Sabbath of solemn rest before YaHU'aH."

  • Bamidbar 29:7–11: "On the tenth day of this seventh month... afflict yourselves... offer a sin offering to YaHU'aH."

Breakdown:

  • Date: 10th day of the 7th month (Ethanim/Tishrei).

  • Purpose: Atonement for sins, commanded by YaHU'aH, via the priest (Wayyiqra 16:16).

  • Ritual: Fast ("afflict yourselves"), no work (full Sabbath), and sin offerings. The sin offerings and scapegoat ritual (Wayyiqra 16:20–22) are altar- and temple-dependent and cannot be performed in exile.

  • Duration: One day.

  • 2025 Example:  October 2, 2025

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

Scriptures:

  • Wayyiqra 23:34–36, 39–43: "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month... the Feast of Booths for seven days to YaHU'aH... dwell in booths... On the first day a consecrated convocation, and on the eighth day a consecrated convocation."

  • Bamidbar 29:12–38: "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month... seven days... offer burnt offerings to YaHU'aH each day... an eighth day."

  • Dabarim 16:13–15: "Celebrate the Feast of Booths for seven days after you have gathered... rejoice before YaHU'aH your AL'uah."

Breakdown:

  • Date: 15th to 21st of the 7th month (Ethanim/Tishrei), plus 8th day (22nd).

  • Purpose: Commemorates wilderness journey (booths, Wayyiqra 23:43), harvest thanks to YaHU'aH.

  • Ritual: Dwell in booths (sukkot), daily offerings to YaHU'aH, 1st and 8th days are Shabbatons (no work). The daily offerings are altar-dependent and cannot be performed in exile. Learn More

  • Duration: Seven days, plus an 8th day.

  • 2025 Example: October 7–13, 2025

Eighth Day Assembly (Shemini Atzeret)

Eighth Day Assembly (Shemini Atzeret)

Scriptures:

  • Wayyiqra 23:36: "On the eighth day you shall have a consecrated convocation... it is a solemn assembly; no ordinary work; offer an offering to YaHU'aH."

  • Bamidbar 29:35–38: "On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly... offer burnt offerings to YaHU'aH."

Breakdown:

  • Date: 22nd day of the 7th month (Ethanim/Tishrei), after Tabernacles.

  • Purpose: A distinct consecrated day, commanded by YaHU'aH, often linked to closing the feast cycle.

  • Ritual: A Shabbaton (no work), and burnt offerings to YaHU'aH. The burnt offerings are altar-dependent and cannot be performed in exile. 

  • Duration: One day.

  • 2025 Example: October 14, 2025 (22 Ethanim 5786).