What does “moedim” mean?
Moedim (moh-eh-DEEM; singular moed) is the Hebrew word Leviticus 23 uses for the feasts of the LORD. It means “appointed times” — from a root meaning to fix, to designate, to meet by appointment. Not “holiday,” not “festival”: appointments. The claim of the word is that God has put meetings on the calendar and expects to be met.
The same root gives the Torah another word worth knowing: the ohel moed, the “tent of meeting.” The tabernacle was the appointed place; the moedim are the appointed times. Space and time, both with standing appointments in them.
The seven appointed times of Leviticus 23
Leviticus 23 opens with a line that surprises people on first reading: these are the appointed times of the LORD — not “of Israel,” not “of the Jews.” The chapter then lists Shabbat, and seven annual moedim in two seasonal clusters:
| Moed | Season | What it is | 2026–27 date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pesach · Passover | Spring | The lamb, the blood, the exodus | 21 Apr 2027 |
| Chag HaMatzot · Unleavened Bread | Spring | Seven days without leaven | 21–28 Apr 2027 |
| Yom HaBikkurim · Firstfruits | Spring | The first sheaf waved; the Omer count begins | during Matzot |
| Shavuot · Weeks / Pentecost | Late spring | Fifty days counted; Torah given, Spirit poured out | 10 Jun 2027 |
| Yom Teruah · Trumpets | Fall | The day of the shofar blast | 11 Sep 2026 |
| Yom Kippur · Atonement | Fall | The fast; the two goats; the sealing | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Sukkot · Tabernacles | Fall | Seven days in booths; the season of joy | 25 Sep 2026 |
Chanukah and Purim, which many households also keep, are later commemorations — real history, honoured tradition, but not among the commanded moedim of Leviticus 23. We label that difference wherever we sell for them, because the difference matters to many of our readers.
Why “rehearsal” is not too strong a word
The moedim are called miqra kodesh — holy convocations, from a root meaning to call out or summon. Many teachers in our community render the idea as “rehearsals,” and the New Covenant writings give the reading real footing: Sha'ul calls the appointed times a shadow of the things to come (Colossians 2:16–17). Messianic readers across every stream notice the same pattern — Yeshua crucified at Pesach, raised at the season of Firstfruits, the Spirit poured out at Shavuot. The spring appointments kept, in order, to the day. Which is precisely why the fall moedim — the blast, the atonement, the dwelling of God with His people — carry the weight of expectation they do.
Common questions
Are the moedim only for Jews?
The honest answer is that our community disagrees, and the disagreement is serious. Messianic Jewish bodies generally teach that the moedim belong to Israel's distinct calling, with gentile believers welcome to join; Hebrew Roots teaching generally holds that the appointed times belong to all who are joined to Israel's Messiah. We are a bookshop, not a beit din — we stock careful books on both positions and label which is which.
Why do different households keep them on different dates?
Because the calendar itself is reckoned differently — calculated versus sighted moon, fixed cycle versus aviv barley. The Biblical Calendar explains all four reckonings without taking a side.
Where do I start?
With whichever one is next. Right now that is Yom Teruah, 27 days away — and a household can keep its first one with nothing but a sunset, a reading and a willingness to hear a shofar somewhere. Our dates calendar has the whole year, and God's Appointed Times is the book most households start with.
All dates on the rabbinic calendar. Free printable calendar, video teachings and a fellowship directory in the Learning Hub.