Commentaria in Leviticum
Note that this feast is called assembly and collection, not so much of moneys or alms, as Abulensis, Lyranus, Cajetan, Oleaster hold, as of men and people, who were gathered on the eighth day in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple, that, united together, they might give thanks to God with solemn sacrifices that after that long pilgrimage in the desert all the tribes had come safe into the promised land, as to their term and seat, and possessed it in quiet. In like manner the seventh day of azymes is called the day of assembly and collection, because on that day all came together to give thanks to God that he had gathered together those who were scattered in the Egyptian servitude, and had led them out from there at once. That the question here is not of a collection of money but of the people, and that from this the name of assembly or collection was given to the feast, is plain first because in Hebrew this feast is called atseret, which signifies an assembly or congregation, not of money but of the people; secondly, because the Chaldee most plainly renders this word atseret by words meaning, you shall be gathered; thirdly, because the Septuagint always render this word exodion; and exodion, as Theodoret testifies, Quest. 32, indicates the end of the feasts; and exodium in Livy, book 7, Juvenal, satire 6, Pollux, book 4, Suidas and others, was a song which was sung at the close of anything, especially of a comedy or a scene. “The youth,” says Livy, “leaving the players to act the plays, began of themselves, after the ancient manner, to bandy among themselves ridiculous things woven in verse, which were thence called exodia, and were joined to plays, especially the Atellan.” Hence, alluding to this, the Septuagint called this feast the exodium, because it closed the solemnity of the feast of Tabernacles with a public and common thanksgiving and applause, after which, going out from the tabernacles, each returned to his own seat and city. Fourthly, because King Solomon made a like collection, not of money (for he was himself very rich and very liberal), but of the people, on the octave of the dedication of the temple, 2 Paralip. 7:9. I do not deny, however, that a collection of money for the temple and the ministers of God could be made at this feast before the departure of the people; but that could be made at other feasts also, and chiefly on the seventh day of azymes. But the feast is not called Assembly or Collection from that, nor was this the chief end of this feast.
37 and 38. AND YOU SHALL OFFER IN THEM OBLATIONS TO THE LORD, HOLOCAUSTS, BESIDES THE SABBATHS OF THE LORD, AND YOUR GIFTS,—as if to say: These sacrifices which I have described you shall offer on each of the feasts, besides the sacrifices which on the sabbath are offered, namely of four lambs, of which two in the morning and two in the evening are offered for a holocaust on the sabbath day, as is plain from Num. 28:9; likewise besides your gifts and vows, that is, besides the victims which you offer of your own accord or by vow.
40. AND YOU SHALL TAKE TO YOU ON THE FIRST DAY (of the feast of Tabernacles, as has been said) THE FRUITS OF THE FAIREST TREE, AND BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, AND BOUGHS OF THICK TREES, AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK, AND YOU SHALL REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD.—Note: In the feast of Tabernacles the Jews are commanded to carry in their hands the branches or fruits of four trees: first, “of the fairest tree,” that is, the citron. So the Chaldee. Whence also Josephus calls the fruits of this tree Persian apples; for citron apples, on the authority of Dioscorides, are called Persian and Median, because they were brought into Italy from Persia and Media, as Pliny testifies. That this tree was the citron R. Moses the Egyptian also teaches, book 3.
You will say: St. Jerome on Zachar. chap. 14 says it was the cedar.
I answer: By cedar he understands the citron; for citron apples are also called cedromela, as it were apples of the cedar, as Dioscorides above testifies.
Secondly, “branches,” that is, branches of palms.
Thirdly, “boughs of thick trees,” that is, of the myrtle. So Josephus, the Chaldees and R. Moses above.
Fourthly, “branches of the willow.” The Hebrews had therefore to carry in the feast of tabernacles the branches of these four fair trees, long green and fragrant (for the citron and myrtle are of good odour), that they might remember that they had been brought from the wilderness into a fruitful land abounding in the best trees; to carry them, I say, not only on the first day of the feast, as Abulensis thought, but through the seven continuous days of the feast; for this is what is here said: “You shall celebrate the solemnity seven days.” And so R. Moses, Burgensis, Ribera and others understood it; and that by the seven days might be signified that the Hebrews had dwelt many years in the desert, and that thence full joy came to them in the promised land; for this is what follows: with these branches and fruits, you shall dance in the sanctuary before the Lord. For the ancients were wont to celebrate their feasts with dances, as is plain from 2 Kings 6:14, Exod. 32:19, Exod. 15:20. So Abulensis, who also adds: “Some say that when the Jews had these branches in hand, they had the fruits bound together with them, and so leaped, raising and lowering those fruits in every difference of position; by which they signified that this was to the praise of God, who was the Lord of all the positions of the world.” A like thing was done in the theruma, or oblation of the priests, as I said Exod. 29:24, Levit. 7:30.
Mystically, the seventh month is the time of grace; its first feast is that of Trumpets, that is, the preaching of the Apostles; the second, of Expiation, that is, of penance and contempt of enticing pleasures, to which all truly converted to God ought to apply themselves; the third, of Tabernacles, because the third step of the Christian life is to live here as in a tabernacle for seven days, that is, all of life, so that we use the things of this world as far as is necessary, no further, and with the whole mind through the desert of this world hasten to the heavenly mansions, that we may say with the Psalmist: “I am a stranger and a sojourner, as all my fathers were”; “for in tents Abraham dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, co-heirs of the same promise.” See what was said on Heb. 11:9 and 10. It is celebrated on the 15th day, when the moon begins to wane, because he who knows the goods of the world to be fleeting and perishable (of which the moon is the symbol) hastens here to the eternal. On its seven days we continually offer holocausts, because we consecrate ourselves wholly and all our things to God. We carry first the citron, which is of golden colour, that is, burning charity, by which we devote ourselves wholly to the glory of God and the profit of our neighbour; secondly, branches of palms, because as victors we trample all earthly things, while our conversation is in heaven; thirdly, the wood of thick leaves, namely the myrtle, that is, the fragrant thickness of all virtues, and their continual exercise; fourthly, branches of green willow, because we ought to persevere in our state with stable firmness and verdure; they are taken from the brook, because unless we meditate in the law and implore the grace of God, that vigour of soul will wither in us. See Psalm 1:3. He who shall do these things shall rejoice before the Lord, and lead always a joyful life in the same.
Again St. Jerome on Zach. chap. 14 takes the fairest wood to be wisdom, the palms victory, the myrtle mortification, the willows chastity. For “physicians and naturalists relate that if anyone shall drink the flower of the willow mixed with water, all heat in him grows cold, and the vein of lust is dried up, so that he can beget children no more.” Adorned and likewise armed with these in the tabernacles of this life, we tend to our house prepared in heaven. Willows therefore, like lettuce, agnus castus, etc., lessen venereal humour, and foster and guard chastity. The fourth feast, following and ending the feast of Tabernacles, namely its octave, is the feast of Assembly and Collection; this signifies the octave of the resurrection, when, going out from these tabernacles, we shall be gathered to the council and congregation of the Saints in heaven, of which the Psalmist sings: “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord: they shall praise thee for ever and ever.” Then we shall do no servile work, because then all sin shall cease, and all labour and sorrow also; we shall offer a holocaust to the Lord, because with all our strength and with all the effort of the soul we shall behold and love God: for there we shall fulfil that: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole strength,” and that: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless his holy name.” So Radulphus, and in part Hesychius and from them Ribera, book 5 On the Temple, chap. 10 and following. Allegorically also Rupert aptly and elegantly applies these to the nativity feasts of Christ the Lord. For as the pasch and pentecost of the Jews signified the pasch and pentecost of Christians, so the feast of Tabernacles, which was celebrated at the end of the year, signified the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, which is celebrated at the end of the year. Then, rejoicing, we gather the fruit of our land, the Virgin, namely Blessed Mary, namely Christ, at Bethlehem, and the fruit of the fairest tree, that is, the Son of the Virgin undefiled, we offer and receive in the Eucharist. For Christ was born in a stable and inn, that he might dwell here with us as in a tabernacle, and lead us from it to the heavenly country; the palms also are there: for this feast of Christ is accompanied and followed by the martyrdom and victory of St. Stephen; there is also the wood of thick leaves, namely St. John, pouring forth thick and most lofty mysteries; there are also the little innocents, who, like willows of the brook, having no fruit of works, suddenly by the grace of God alone leaped to the greenness of the eternal country and of the heavenly paradise.