NOTES for Deu 16:1-22
Every year the three principal feasts, headed by Passover, gather all Israel “before the face of the Lord,” at the place of the sanctuary where the ark of the covenant is kept. By this standing before the visible place of the Presence, the law nurtured in the people a desire and search for an encounter with their God. It is no coincidence that the Old Testament righteous are said to have desired to see and hear Him, even though during their lifetime they did not see God’s definitive revelation in Man. Without this desire, it is still impossible for us today either to see or to hear God. Therefore, for us too, a religious feast can become a place of encounter with the Lord, kindling in us the desire always to stand before His face, rejoice in Him and live by Him.