Sukkot

Sukkot
Exterior views of sukkahs in Jerusalem, Israel
Official name	Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת English translation: "Booths" or "Tabernacles"
Observed by	Jews
Significance	One of the three pilgrim festivals
Begins	15th day of Tishrei
Ends	22nd day of Tishrei (21st in Israel)
Observances	Eating in sukkah, taking the Four Species, hakafot in Synagogue.

Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōt ; "booths", also known as Succoth, Sukkos, Feast of Booths, or Feast of Tabernacles), is a biblical pilgrimage festival that occurs in autumn on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishri (late September to late October). Lasting seven days, it is one of the three major holidays known collectively as the three pilgrim festivals when in ancient times, the Jewish populace traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. It commemorates the time when the Israelites lived and worshiped in portable structures in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses.

Biblical origins

Sukkot was agricultural in origin. This is evident from the name "The Feast of Ingathering," from the ceremonies accompanying it, and from the season and occasion of its celebration: "At the end of the year when you gather in your labors out of the field" (Ex. 23:16); "after you have gathered in from your threshing-floor and from your winepress" (Deut. 16:13). It was a thanksgiving for the fruit harvest (compare Judges 9:27). Isaiah reports that grape harvesters kept booths in their vineyards (Isa. 1:8). Coming as it did at the completion of the harvest, Sukkot was regarded as a general thanksgiving for the bounty of nature in the year that had passed.

In the Hebrew Bible, Sukkot is called:

• “The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) ” (Lev. 23:34; Deut. 16:13-16; 31:10; Zech. 14:16-19; Ezra 3:4; 2 Chron. 8:13)
• “The Feast of Ingathering” (Ex. 23:16, 34:22)
• “The Feast” or “the festival” (1 Kings 8:2, 8:65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:8)
• “The Feast of the Lord” (Lev. 23:39; Judges 21:19)
• “The festival of the seventh month” (Ezek. 45:25; Neh. 8:14)
• “A holy convocation” or “a sacred occasion” (Num. 29:12)

Sukkot became one of the most important feasts in Judaism, as indicated by its designation as “the Feast of the Lord” (Lev. 23:39; Judges 21:19) or simply “the Feast” (1 Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:8). Perhaps because of its wide attendance, Sukkot became the appropriate time for important state ceremonies. Jeroboam I, king of the northern Kingdom of Israel, celebrated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, one month after the southern version of Sukkot, “in imitation of the festival in Judah.” (1 Kings 12:32-33)

In Leviticus, God told Moses to command the people: “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook,” (Lev. 23:40) and “You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” (Lev. 23:42-43) Numbers, however, indicates that while in the wilderness, the Israelites dwelt in tents rather than booths(Num. 11:10; 16:27). While traditionalists tend to see "tents" and "booths" as having essentially the same meaning, some scholars consider Leviticus 23:39-43 to be an insertion by a late redactor to give the agricultural harvest festival a more ancient authority linked to the Israelite wilderness tradition.

The Book of Deuteronomy likewise traces the holiday's origins to Moses, who instructed the children of Israel to gather for a reading of the Law during Sukkot every seventh year (Deut. 31:10-11). King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem on Sukkot (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7). Sukkot was the first sacred occasion observed after the resumption of sacrifices in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3:2-4).

In the time of Nehemiah, after the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites celebrated Sukkot by making and dwelling in booths, a practice of which Nehemiah reports: “the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua.” (Neh. 8:13-17) Nehemiah also reports that the Israelites found in the Law the commandment that they “go out to the mountains and bring leafy branches of olive trees, pine trees, myrtles, palms and [other] leafy trees to make booths.” (Neh. 8:14-15)

According to Zechariah (Zech. 14:16-19), Sukkot in the messianic era will become a universal festival, and all nations will make pilgrimages annually to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast there. Sukkot is here associated with the granting of rain, an idea further developed in later Jewish literature.

Observance of Sukkot is detailed in Mishnah, Tosefta, Jerusalem Talmud, and Babylonian Talmud in tractate Sukkah, part of the order Moed (Festivals). (Mishnah Sukkah 1:1–5:8; Tosefta Sukkah 1:1–4:28; Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 1a–; Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 2a–56b.)

The sukkah

The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. During this holiday, Jews are instructed to build a temporary structure called a sukkah, in which they eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. Tables, chairs, and beds or mattresses are moved from the house into the sukkah, which may also be fitted with electric fans, lighting, heaters, book shelves, and other furniture for the comfort of the users by day and by night. The decor of the interior of the sukkah may range from totally unornamented to lavishly decorated with pictures, tapestries, hanging fruits and ornaments. Families may also line the interior walls with white sheeting, in order to recall the "Clouds of Glory" that surrounded the Jewish nation during their 40-year sojourn in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt.

Sukkahs with different types of walls and roofing (s'chach). Far left and right: wooden walls, woven bamboo mat roofing. Center: cloth walls, palm fronds roofing.

According to Jewish law, the walls of the sukkah can be made from any material, including wood, canvas, plaster, or regular walls of glass or aluminum. The roof, however, must be of organic material that is detached from the ground. Palm fronds, branches, bamboo, and wood are the most common roofing materials.

Sukkot laws and customs

In modern-day Israel (and among Reform Jews), Sukkot is a seven-day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals. Among Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside of Israel, the first two days are celebrated as full festivals.

Prayers during Sukkot include the reading of the Torah every day, saying additional prayers after normal morning prayers, reading the Hallel (a recitation from Psalms 113-118), and adding special supplications into the Amidah blessings and into grace after meals. On the first day of Sukkot (the first two days, outside of Israel), the prayer services are extended and similar to those of the Sabbath.

During each day of the holiday, Jews invite seven special "guests" to be spiritually present with them in the sukkah. Known by the Aramaic word ushpizin, these include: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David. According to tradition, each night a different one of the ushpizin enters the sukkah first and the other six follow. Some people say a special prayer welcoming them to the sukkah in the order in which they come. Each of the ushpizin has a unique lesson to teach, which parallels the spiritual focus of the day on which they visit. In recent times, some Jews add seven spiritual women, or ushpizot, who also enter their sukkah. These are the biblical Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Huldah, Abigail, and Esther. The custom of inviting guests to the sukkah extends to living guests as well. Many people invite family, friends, neighbors, or people who are alone to join them for a snack or a meal. Anyone, including non-Jews, are more than welcome inside a sukkah.

The second through seventh days of Sukkot (third through seventh days outside the land of Israel) are called Chol haMoed (חול המועד - lit. "festival weekdays"). In practice, this means that all activities that are needed for the holiday—such as buying and preparing food, cleaning the house in honor of the holiday, or traveling to visit other people's sukkahs or on family outings—are permitted by Jewish law. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday—such as laundering, mending clothes, engaging in labor-intensive activities—are not permitted. Observant Jews typically treat Chol haMoed as a vacation period, eating nicer than usual meals in their sukkah, entertaining guests, visiting other families in their sukkahs, and taking family outings.

On the Sabbath which falls during the week of Sukkot, the Book of Ecclesiastes is read during morning synagogue services in Israel. (Diaspora communities read it the following Shabbat).

Sukkot in ancient times

In ancient times, once every seven years, all Jews on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the festival would gather in the Temple courtyard on the first day of Chol haMoed Sukkot to hear the Jewish king or other official read selections from the Torah. This ceremony, which was mandated in Deuteronomy 31:10-13, was held in the year following the Shmita (Sabbatical) year. This tradition was discontinued after the destruction of the Temple, but it has been revived by some groups and by the government of Israel on a smaller scale. A unique service was also performed every morning throughout the Sukkot holiday: the Nisuch HaMayim (נסוך המים—lit. "pouring of the water"). The ceremony invokes God's blessing for rain in its proper time. The water for the libation ceremony was drawn from the Pool of Siloam in the City of David, and the joy that accompanied this procedure was palpable. The ceremony is thought to be the source for the verse in Isaiah: "And you shall draw waters with joy from the wells of salvation." (Isa. 12:3)

Every night in the outer Temple courtyard, thousands of spectators would gather to watch the Simchat Beit haShoeivah (Rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing), as the most pious members of the community danced and sang songs of praise to God. The dancers would carry lighted torches, and were accompanied by the harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets of the Levites. A mechitza (partition separating men and women) was erected for this occasion.

Contemporary traditions

Nowadays, this event is recalled via a gathering of music, dance, and refreshments. This event takes place in a central location such as a synagogue, yeshiva, or place of study. Refreshments are served in the adjoining sukkah. Live bands often accompany the dancers. The festivities usually begin late in the evening, and can last long into the night.

In the synagogue during each day of Sukkot, worshipers parade around the synagogue carrying date palm fronds (lulavim) and citron fruit and reciting Psalm 118:25. This commemorates the Aravah (willow) ceremony in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, in which willow branches were piled beside the altar and worshipers paraded around the altar reciting the same verse.

The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah (הושענא רבא, Great Supplication). This day is marked by a special synagogue service in which seven circuits are made by the worshipers as above, while the congregation recites Psalm 118:25 and additional prayers. It is customary in some communities for all the Torah scrolls to be removed from the ark and lead this procession. In addition, a bundle of five willow branches is taken and beaten against the ground, accompanied by a series of liturgical verses expressing hope for the speedy coming of the Messiah.

Among Sephardic Jews, poetic prayers known as selichot are recited before the regular morning service (these are the same prayers recited before Rosh Hashana). In Amsterdam and in a few places in England, America, and elsewhere, the shofar is also sounded in connection with the processions. The latter practice reflects the idea that Hoshana Rabbah is the end of the high holiday season, when the world is judged for the coming year.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

The day immediately following Sukkot is known as Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת - lit. "the Eighth [Day] of Assembly"). In Israel, the celebration of Shemini Atzeret includes that of Simchat Torah and is celebrated on the day after Sukkot. Outside the land of Israel, Shemini Atzeret is a two-day holiday which immediately follows Sukkot, and Simchat Torah is celebrated on the second day of Shemini Atzeret.

Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה - lit. "the joy of the Torah") is an especially happy celebration during which the very last portion of the Torah is read in the synagogue during morning services and the very first portion of the Torah (the beginning of Genesis) is read immediately after this.

Both during the night service and the morning service in Orthodox synagogues, all the Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and the worshipers engage in rounds of spirited dancing. Seven official circuits around the reader's table are made, although the dancing can go on for hours in some congregations.

Sukkot and the Bnai Noah

Sukkot is one of the HolyDays observed by the B'nei Noah, gentiles who adhere to the Seven Laws of Noah under the guidance of Orthodox Judaism.

"In the Torah - specifically, in the Talmud, Avodah Zorah 3a - G-d challenges all the nations of the world to observe this "easy mitzvah," this easy commandment."

One of the names of the holiday of Sukkot is the Feast of Tabernacles. See Zechariah 14:16-18: And it shall come to pass that every one. shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts... and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (in Hebrew, chag sukkot, the Festival of Sukkot). And it shall be, that whosoever of the families of the Earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt [Egypt has always relied on irrigation from the Nile, not on rain, to water its crops] go not up, and come not they shall have no overflow (i.e., from the Nile); there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the nations that go not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles...

Sukkot lasts for seven days: the eighth day is called Shemeni Atzeret, "the eighth day of solemn convocation," Leviticus 23:26. Shemeni means eighth, atzeret connotes completion. Shemeni Atzeret is not a universal holiday. As one sees from the Torah, including the Talmud and midrashim (ancient rabbinic commentaries and narratives), it's a special assembly - a happy one - for Israel alone. However, Shemeni Atzeret is celebrated for two days outside of the land of Israel. This has been the Jews' way since at least 347 B.C.E., as decreed by the prophet Ezra's Great Assembly of sages and prophets (See Nehemiah 8-9). And the second day of Shemeni Etzeret is, by ancient custom, the holiday of Simchat Torah, or "Rejoicing in the Torah." Israel finishes the yearly cycle of Torah readings by finishing Deuteronomy and then immediately begins the new cycle by starting Genesis. This is a joyful holiday of song and dance, often very child-centered, celebrating the gift of Torah. Many b'nai noah like to participate. They love the Torah too and want to honor it. If they attend no other Hebrew congregational service, the Simchat Torah service in Israel's synagogues or shuls is the one they attend. " Above excerpt from 1stCovenant.org

Sukkot in the Christian Bible

Only in one place in the four Christian Gospels is there a mention of Sukkot. The Gospel of John mentions Sukkot indicating, "Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand." John 7:2 In this account, Jesus asks his own family to attend the feast telling them, "Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were, in secret. John 7:8-10.

Sukkot as a place

The name Sukkot appears in a number of places in the Hebrew Bible as a location:

• Sukkot is Egyptian for the place of entering into the darkness. It's the place where the Sons of Israel went to retrieve the bones of Joseph from his tomb at Auaris before leaving Egypt. It is the first encampment of the Israelites after leaving Auaris (later named Pi-Ramesse/Raamses) (Exodus 12:37).

• Succoth is a city east of the Jordan River, identified with Tell Deir Άlla, a high mound, a mass of debris, in the plain north of Jabbok and about one mile from it (Josh. 13:27). This is where Jacob, on his return from Padan-aram after his interview with Esau, built a house for himself and made sukkot (booths) for his cattle (Gen. 32:17, 30; 33:17).

• The princes of Succoth (Sukkot) refused to provide help to Gideon and his men when they followed one of the bands of the fugitive Midianites after the great victory at Gilboa. After routing this band, Gideon on his return visited the rulers of the city with severe punishment. "He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth" (Judg. 8:13-16). Wright identifies this with Deir Άlla.

• At this place were erected the foundries for casting the metal-work for the temple (1 Kings 7:46).

See also

• Jewish holidays
• Jewish holidays 2000-2050
• Four Species
• Ushpizin, (The Guests), a 2004 film directed by Giddi Dar about a hasidic couple's adventures during Sukkot.
• Feast of Tabernacles, Christian
• List of Harvest Festivals

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Sarna, Nahum M. “Exploring Exodus: The Oppression,” Biblical Archaeologist, Volume 49: 1986 (2001 electronic ed.)
• Wright, G. Ernest. “Fresh Evidence for the Philistine Story,” Biblical Archaeologist, Volume 29: 1966 (2001 electronic ed.)
• Kitov, Eliyahu (1978). The Book of Our Heritage. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 0-87306-152-7.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sukkot

• Guide for Sukkot
• JewFaq discussion on Sukkot
• Sukkos and Simchas Torah - Torah.org
• Sukkot Concepts - Basic through Advanced - OU.org

• Shiurim on Sukkot, at Yeshiva.org.il

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