The Torah would have us believe that the pilgrimage festivals were faithfully observed be each and every Israelite household. The implication is that three times a year (for Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot), the entire country would shut down as pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem. If we take a step back, however, we can see that this would not have been practical nor feasible.
The Torah presents the festivals in this way, and engages in such "wishful thinking" about the universality of these pilgrimages, in large part to emphasize the importance of the festivals, cement the role of the priests in helping the citizenry observe the festivals, and encourage continued compliance with the rituals connected to the festivals. Additionally (whether or not it entered the consciousness of the authors of these passages), the detail with which the pilgrimages are described is helpful in informing our own practice in modern times.
Though as modern Jews living in the diaspora we lack the means or the wherewithal (and perhaps, the desire) to take livestock to Jerusalem three times a year, we nevertheless engage in other aspects of the holiday celebration, projecting ourselves back in time as we dwell in sukkot, or hold a Passover seder, or commemorate the giving of the Torah. As we repeat these rituals each year, we can imagine what it would have been like for our ancestors as we, in our own way, traverse the Holiday Road...
Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs. Copyrights are held by the various artists. I include them here for illustrative purposes.
Holiday Road- (Emor- Leviticus 21:1-24:23)
Music and lyrics by Lindsey Buckingham; performed by Lindsey Buckingham. From the album "National Lampoon's Vacation Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," Warner Brothers, 1983.
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