The Jewish Holiday of Sukkot

With the final blowing of the Shofar, The Jewish High Holy Days draw to a close and the focus of the Jewish community shifts from the solemnness of Yom Kippur to the jubilant celebration of the festival of Sukkot. Sukkot begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishri, which is 5 days after Yom Kippur.     
                       
The festival of Sukkot, also known as Chag'ha Succot, the "Feast of Booths" (or Tabernacles), is named for the huts (sukkah) that Moses and the Israelites lived in as they wandered the desert for 40 years before they reached the Promised Land. These huts were made of branches and were easy to assemble, take apart, and carry as the Israelites wandered through the desert.

Depending where you live determines the length and celebration of Sukkot. Most the of world observes the festival for 9 days. The first two and the last two days being the most important. In Israel the festival is only celebrated for 8 days and the first and last days being the most important.

Sukkot completes the biblical trilogy began with Passover and Shavuot. This cycle begins with the fleeing of the people of Israel from Egypt (Passover), continues with Moses receiving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai (Shavuot), and concludes as the Israelites wander the desert living in huts and awaiting their entrance into the Promised Land (Sukkot). Sukkot is the third and final celebration in this Exodus from Egypt.
 
The focal point of the festival is the sukkah. Sukkot is the plural form of sukkah, which means "covering" or "shelter". Those who observe Sukkot build and live in a sukkah for seven days. These huts are constructed as temporary shelters and the roof is covered with foliage which is spaced to let the light in. Inside the hut are hung fruits and vegetables, including apples, grapes, corn, and pomegranates. The families eat their meals in the huts under the evening sky. Though most people limit their activities in the sukkah to eating; some, depending on climate and location, sleep in the sukkah as well.
 
Another important part of the Sukkot observation is hospitality. It is important to share your meals with others. In fact this sharing is so important that the holiday is also know as Chag Ha'asif, Festival of the Ingathering.
 
The ninth day of Sukkot is know as Simchat Torah. Throughout the year, a portion of the Torah is read every week. On Simchat Torah the final passages from Deuteronomy are read. The reading of the Torah is concluded and is started again.

Building a Sukkah

  The Sukkah is a very important element in the celebration of the Sukkot festival. A Sukkah is the huts that Moses and the Israelites lived in as they wandered the desert for 40 years before they reached the Promised Land. These huts were made of branches and were easy to assemble, take apart, and carry as the Israelites wandered through the desert.
 
From the ice cream stick and clay structures of school children to the homemade backyard huts of Jewish families, there are some important elements to remember when constructing a Sukkah.
 
While any material can be used to build a Sukkah including wood, canvas, aluminum, metal, and fiberglass. It is the dimensions that are important. The walls of the Sukkah should not be taller than 35 feet (960 cm) in height or shorter than 35 inches (80 cm). And the Sukkah should not be more than 12 inches (24 cm) off the ground.
 
An important part of a Sukkah is the roof. The roof must not be totally closed in, but must allow the sky to show through. Usually wooden slats are placed across the top and green branches, shrubbery, or foliage are placed across the beams to create a roof that allows the night sky to show through.
 
Sometimes the outside wall of the home is used as a starting point for the structure. This adds stability and helps reduce the costs of building the Sukkah. Windows are often included. The additional of electricity helps to make the Sukkah a comfortable, though temporary, home.
 
Once the structure is built family members decorate the interior of the sukkah by hanging fruit and vegetables, such as apples, grapes, corn, and pomegranates, from the roofing branches. The addition of New Years cards, posters, and party decorations help bring a fun and festive feeling to the structure and make it an inviting place for the family to enjoy their holiday meals.

Etrog, Lulav and the Four Species

"and you shall take of yourselves on the first day (of Sukkot) the fruit of a goodly tree, a palm branch, the myrtle branch, and the willow of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d seven days"
Leviticus 23
 
Of the many symbols associated with Sukkot the most important are the Four Species. The Four Species are:

Etrog - The fruit of the goodly tree, also known as the citron
Palm branch - known as the "Lulav"
Myrtle - the hadas
Willow - the aravah

Together these items make up the Etrog and Lulav, which are important ingredients in the celebration of Sukkot in the synagogue .
 
When choosing an etrog, look for one that is clean and free of blemishes. Make sure that the crown is intact. A texture that is rippled is preferred over a smooth finish. And a green etrog is recommended over a yellow one as the yellow is already ripe, while the green one, which will ripen quickly, lasts longer.

To make the Lulav you will need to gather a palm branch (also called a lulav), myrtle branches (hadas), and willow branches (aravah). When choosing the Etrog and the Lulav, remember it is important that they be "beautiful" or hadar.

The palm branch should be as green and straight as possible. Make sure that the center spinal leaf does not spilt and the leaves are not damaged. Choose 3 myrtle branches that are between 12 and 15 inched long. As well as two willow branches which need to be longer than the myrtle. Then bind the myrtle and willow to the lulav with a piece of string or a rubber band.
 
When used in temple the Lulav, in the right hand, and the Etrog, in the left, are carried as the Hallel (a group of psalms) are sung. At the end of the service the Etrog and Lulav are again held during the Hoshanot, the processional in which the entire congregation circles the sanctuary singing hymns of joy and thanksgiving.

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