- Vayikra 23:34 informs us that the festival of Sukkot (סֻכּוֹת) begins in the 15th of Tishrei and lasts for seven days, after which we celebrate ‘שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת’ (literally, ‘the eighth day of the Festival’). While the first day/s of סֻכּוֹת and שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת are holidays when work may not be performed, work can be done on the intermediate days which are called חֹל הַמוֹעֵד. In Israel, the festival of שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה when we conclude and restart the annual Torah reading occurs on שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת, while outside of Israel, this festival is celebrated the day after שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת.
- Sukkot is one of the Shalosh Regalim (שָׁלשׁ רְגָלִים), literally, ‘the three “foot” festivals’ which are mentioned in Shemot 23:14. These are the festivals when the Jewish people would travel, by “foot”, to the Temple in Jerusalem in order to partake in the festive sacrifices. While there is no longer a Temple, many Jews choose to take a vacation in Israel for the שָׁלשׁ רְגָלִים.
- Like the other שָׁלשׁ רְגָלִים, Sukkot (סֻכּוֹת) is both a historical and agricultural festival. Historically, it commemorates the forty-year period when the Israelites wandered in the Wilderness. Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is referred to as חַג הָאָסִף (Shemot 23:16), the Festival of Ingathering.
- In order to commemorate the way in which the Israelites lived in huts in the Wilderness, it is the practice of many Jews to live in ‘סֻכּוֹת’ (temporary huts) during this festival. While the walls of these סֻכּוֹת can be made of any material, the roof – which is known as the סְּכָךְ – must be made of natural items such as wood/leaves. Though some people do not sleep in their סֻכּוֹת especially if they live in colder climates, Jewish law dictates that one should eat one’s meals in the סֻכָּה. On each night of סֻכּוֹת, biblical personalities known as ‘Ushpizin’ are invited into the סֻכָּה.
- In addition to dwelling in סֻכּוֹת, the Torah (Vayikra 23:40) also commands that we bring together the אַרְבַּעַת הַמִּנִים which are the: לוּלָב (date palm branch), אֶתְרוֹג (Etrog citrus fruit), הֲדַסִּים (myrtle branches) and עֲרָבוֹת (willow branches). The custom is to hold together 1 לוּלָב with 3 הֲדַסִּים, 2 עֲרָבוֹת and 1 אֶתְרוֹג.
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