What is Sukot (Sukkot)?
When we finally come to understand and realize that happiness does not come from our material goods and possessions, but from our connection with HaShem.. Rabbi Shlomo Volbe
Sukot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Ingathering (Hebrew: Jag Ha'Asif), is a Jewish festival celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei, which falls between late September and late October. This festival holds deep agricultural and religious significance.
Meaning and Origins
Agricultural Significance
- Jag Ha'Asif: Translated as "Festival of the Harvest," it marks the end of the harvest season and the conclusion of the agricultural year in the Land of Israel (Exodus 34:22).
Religious Significance
- Commemoration of the Exodus: According to Leviticus 23:42-43, Sukkot remembers the Exodus from Egypt and the dependence of the people of Israel on God. During this time, the Israelites lived in temporary shelters in the desert, which is reflected in the construction of the Sukah, a structure covered with natural materials.
Duration of the Festival
- In the Land of Israel: 7 days.
- In the Diaspora: 8 days, including Shemini Atzeret, which concludes the festival.
Festive Days
- Yom Tov: The first day (and the second in the Diaspora) is a holiday similar to Shabbat, during which work is prohibited.
- Chol HaMoed: Intermediate days when certain work is permitted.
Ceremonies and Practices
Four Species
During Sukkot, it is obligatory to perform the ceremony of waving the Four Species (Arba Miním), which includes the Lulav (palm branch) and the Etrog (citron).
Ushpizim
It is believed that during Sukkot, the Ushpizim (spiritual guests) such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David visit the Sukkot, bringing blessings and joy.
The Joy of Sukkot
The joy during Sukkot is fundamental, as it is considered to bring happiness for the entire coming year and prepare the way for the arrival of the Messiah (Mashiach). There are two aspects of this joy:
- Joy of Yom Tov: Celebrating the festival itself.
- Joy of the Mitzvot: The joy that comes from the specific practices and mitzvot of the festival, such as using the Lulav and the water libation.
Simchat Beit Ha'Shoevah
The largest celebration in ancient Israel, where water was drawn from the Shiloach spring to be offered in the Temple. This event symbolized joy and spirituality, where the community gathered to celebrate with music, dance, and prayer.
Sukkot is a festival rich in meaning, combining gratitude for the harvest and the commemoration of the freedom of the Jewish people. Its celebration highlights not only the connection to the land and history but also the importance of community and shared joy in faith. The traditions and practices of Sukkot continue to inspire Jews around the world to live in connection with their roots and spirituality.
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Sukkot, or Succot, is the Jewish Feast or Festival commonly called the Feast of Tabernacles or, in some translations, the Feast of the Gathering of the Exiles, also known as the Feast of Ingathering (Chag Ha'Asif). It is a biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishrei (ranging from late September to late October). During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, it was one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (in Hebrew: Shalosh Regalim) during which the Israelites were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple. The names used in the Torah are Chag Ha'Asif, translated as "Festival of the Harvest" or "Festival of the Ingathering," and Chag Ha'Sukkot, translated as "Festival of Tabernacles." This corresponds to the double meaning of Sukkot. The one mentioned in the Book of Exodus is agricultural in nature—"Feast of Harvest at the End of the Year" (Exodus 34:22)—and marks the end of the harvest season and, therefore, of the agricultural year in the Land of Israel. The most elaborate religious significance of the Book of Leviticus is that it commemorates the Exodus and the people of Israel's dependence on God's will (Leviticus 23:42–43).
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The festival lasts seven days in the Land of Israel and eight in the Diaspora. The first day (and the second day in the Diaspora) is a Yom Tov (a holiday) similar to Shabbat when work is prohibited.
This is followed by the intermediate days called Chol Ha'Moed, when certain work is permitted.
The festival concludes with another Yom Tov (holiday) similar to Shabbat called Shemini Atzeret (one day in the Land of Israel, two days in the Diaspora, where the second day is called Simchat Torah). Shemini Atzeret coincides with the eighth day of Sukkot outside the Land of Israel.
The Hebrew word Sukōt is the plural of the word Sukkah, meaning "booth," tent, or "tabernacle," a walled structure covered with Shechach (plant material, such as overgrowth or palm fronds). A sukkah is the name of the temporary dwelling in which farmers lived during the harvest, a fact linked to the agricultural importance of the holiday highlighted in the Book of Exodus.
As indicated in Leviticus, it is primarily reminiscent of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites lived during their 40-year journey through the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the Solemn Yamim Tovim Festival of Sukkot, meals are eaten inside the sukkah, and many people also sleep there.
The primary significance of the Sukkot Festival relates to the Eternal's command in the Book of Leviticus to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and the dependence of the people of Israel on God's will (Leviticus 23:42–43).
The festival lasts seven days in the Land of Israel and eight days in the Diaspora. The first day (the first two days in the Diaspora) is a Yom Tov (Shabbat-like holiday). Just as work is not allowed on Shabbat, work is also prohibited on Yam Tov.
These first days are followed by the intermediate days called Chol Ha'Moed, days on which certain work is permitted.
The festival concludes with another Yom Tov (Shabbat-like holiday) called Shemini Atzeret (one day in the Land of Israel, two days in the Diaspora, the second day of the closing day being called Simchat Torah). Shemini Atzeret coincides with the eighth day of Sukkot outside the Land of Israel.
On each day of the Sukkot holiday, it is obligatory to perform a ceremony of waving the Four Kinds of Arba Minim or Lulav before the Eternal.
WE MUST REJOICE IN THE FEAST
The rejoicing of the festival of Sukkot is the source of joy for the entire coming year. Furthermore, this joy will prepare for and hasten the revelation of the ultimate joy, the arrival of the Messiah. In the near future, all Jews, together with God, will leave Galut (exile) in the spirit of Hakhel (the gathering of the entire Jewish nation), with "our young and our old, our sons and our daughters," and "a great congregation will return there." This depends on our service during the time of Galut.
This festival has two aspects of joy that are connected to the festival of Sukkot. The first is the joy associated with Yom Tov. This, in turn, can be subdivided into two categories.
The first joy is related to the celebration of Yom Tov in general [as the verse states,] "you will rejoice in your solemn feasts" and as we declare [in our prayers,] "festivals for rejoicing." The second aspect of the joy of Sukkot relates particularly to Sukkot, as we designate in our prayers as: Zeman Simchateinu, or "the time of our rejoicing."
The second aspect of the joy of Sukkot is the joy produced by the unique mitzvot performed during the festival of Sukkot.
Here too, there are two categories: the joy produced by the mitzvah of the lulav and the etrog, as the verse states (Vayikra 23:40) "they shall take for themselves the fruit of the beautiful etrog tree, a palm branch, branches of thick-leaved trees [the myrtle], and willows of the brook, and they shall rejoice before the Lord their God for seven days";
And we also have the joy associated with the water offering. The moment when water was drawn for this offering generated great happiness, as stated in the verse in Isaiah 12:3: “They will draw water with joy from the springs of deliverance” (Sichot Vol. 7 - By Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn).
SPECIAL INFLUENCES AND VISITORS IN THE SUKKAH
Among the special influences associated with the sukkah are the Ushpizim, the guests: Abraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and David (G). Furthermore, the previous Rebbe, in Sefer Ha'Ma'amarím 5711, p. 47, explained that there are "our Ushpizen": the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, the Alter Rebbe, the Mittler Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Maharash, and the Rebbe Rashab (H).
These influences are generated through the Sukkah and are intensified by the Mitzvah of receiving guests, a Mitzvah that is a vehicle for attracting the influence of the Ushpizen. Furthermore, the Sukkah is called "a Sukkah of peace," as we say in our prayers: "Extend over us the Sukkah of Your peace." Peace must be individual, present in the heart of every Jew. Also, in a simple sense, we must have peace in Eretz Yisrael (I), and then peace in the entire world.
In our prayers, we say: "Lead us with singing to Zion, Your city, and with everlasting joy to Jerusalem, Your Sanctuary." May this be realized with the coming of the Messiah. He will come and redeem us, "and guide us straight to our land," gathering "the nation: men, women, and children," quickly in our days.
THE REBBE SPEAKS ABOUT THE USHPIZIM
"Rejoice and make others rejoice on Sukkot."
One of the common themes in the Rebbe's talks about rejoicing is the subject of the Ushpiz, that special guest who comes to our Sukkah every night. The Rebbe says that each night of Sukkot, according to the Zohar, a group of special guests arrives at each Sukkah, each night led by a different member of the group, beginning with Abraham on the first night and ending with David on the last night of Sukkot.
The Rebbe spoke about another tradition that the previous Rebbe, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory, had spread:
It concerns the fact that there also exists another group of Chassidic Ushpizin. In each talk, the Rebbe discussed the similarities and differences between the Zohar Ushpiz of that night and the fact that wherever a Jew is, he or she has the sacred mission to illuminate the streets of their locality with the light and energy of the Sukkah celebration.
The Chassidic Ushpiz and, most importantly, what we should learn from them in our times.
It's not just the streets of the city where we live that need that divine energy of Simchat Beit Hashoeva on Sukkot. Nor does anyone have control over the Ushpizin. Wherever there is a Jew, he or she has the sacred mission to illuminate the streets with the light of the Sukkah celebration. And wherever there is a Sukkah, two groups of heavenly guests await us to greet them with songs, words of Torah, and inspiring stories about them, about Sukkot, and about the Jewish spirit.
(A) Sukkot is also related to "the season of our freedom." The Torah explains that the reason for the Mitzvah of Sukkot is "so that your future generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in His Sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."
The Exodus from Egypt marks "the season of freedom." Similarly, Sukkot is connected to "the season of the giving of our Torah." Every day, God speaks without a net as "the Giver of the Torah," using the present tense. This relationship is further accentuated on days when we perform unique mitzvot, such as Kiddush; at this time we are involved in mitzvot that were included in the revelation at the giving of the Torah.
This connection is further emphasized in the present. However, Sukkot and Simchat Torah are called "the season of our rejoicing," and not the other names.
(G) In other references, Shlomo is included among the Ushpizen instead of Yosef. (There are many different opinions as to who the Ushpizen are.)
(H) The previous Rebbe connects this with the celebration of Shemini Atzeret.
(I) The only way to achieve peace is “If you follow My ways and observe My commandments,” then “I (The Eternal) will give peace in the land.”
SIMCHA BEIT HA SHOEVA
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The Greatest Festival of Ancient Israel
From the moment King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem until the day it was destroyed by the Romans (with a brief period of temporary exile in Babylon), the must-see event of the year for Jews was the celebration of the drawing of water.
Imagine streams of Jewish families (farmers, winemakers, shepherds, merchants, artisans, and scholars) arriving from all over Israel, from Syria (the banks of the Euphrates River), Babylon, Egypt, and other nearby lands, converging on Jerusalem to celebrate day and night, nonstop for eight days. The climax was, of course, the Temple Mount.
At the end of the first day of Sukkot, the Temple workers would furiously begin inserting sturdy posts into their supports in the walls of the Temple courtyard. They placed wooden planks on the posts, creating cascades of steps so that the women could stand on the highest steps, while the men remained below: the original Mechitzah of the synagogue.
Boys with torches climbed ladders that climbed candelabras 75 or perhaps 150 feet high to light the thick wicks of the candelabras' four enormous lanterns, so that all of Jerusalem was filled with light as if it were day. The most illustrious sage, Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel, who presided over the supreme court of seventy elders, juggled eight lit torches, and never once did one torch touch another. The Kohanim would begin to blow their trumpets, the Levites would play their flutes, lyres, cymbals, and all kinds of instruments in thunderous, heavenly music, while all the people joined in the singing.
The most marvelous sight of all was the sight of the Distinguished elders, with their long white beards, singing at the top of their lungs, dancing wildly, performing acrobatic feats, and even juggling acts. The most illustrious sage, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who presided over the supreme court of seventy elders, juggled eight lit torches, and one torch never touched another.
“If you’ve never seen the celebration of Simcha Beit HaShoeva (the drawing of water”),” said Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, “it’s as if you’ve never seen a celebration in your life.”
Drawing water, attracting divine inspiration. Until dawn. Then came the pouring of water.
What’s so exciting about the pouring of water? We can’t understand it. This is one of those things you simply had to be there to understand.
Fresh water was drawn from a spring called Hashiloach Maya, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. While the Jars of water were brought through the Water Gate of the Temple, trumpets were blown, and a fanfare was produced.
On a normal morning, the offering in the Temple was the meat of a sheep accompanied by a mixture of flour and oil, both thrown into the altar fire, along with a bottle of wine poured by a kohen at the corner of the altar. But on the days of Sukkot, there was another bottle, filled with this freshly drawn water from the Mayan Shiloach, poured by the same kohen along with that bottle of wine.
This is why the celebration was called "Simchat Beit Ha'Shoeva," literally, "The Celebration of the House of Drawing Water." Although people did not attend the drawing of water itself, and it did not take place in the Temple, they drew something else there. Here is a passage from the Jerusalem Talmud:
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: "Do you know why it was called 'The Celebration of the House of Drawing Water'? Because from there they drew divine inspiration.”
Rabbi Jonah said: “The prophet Jonah ben Amittai was one of the festival pilgrims who went to the Temple. He entered Simchat Beit Hashoeva and the divine spirit rested upon him.”
From this we understand that the divine spirit only rests upon a joyful heart. As the verse says: “So p
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