Sukkot pronounced soo-kowt (also called the Feast of
Tabernacles) is a very happy Jewish festival for which many families build a
booth called a sukkah in their yard. It is:
- In
the fall, on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (which ranges
from September to October and is 5 days after Yom Kippur)
- Celebrated
for 7 days (paralleled to the wedding feast)
- Like
Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot, Sukkot is one of three festivals mandated
by the Torah to include a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (a practice that stopped
after the destruction of the temple).
Like a "trust
fall," a popular exercise done for the purpose of building trust amongst
teammates, the Sukkot booth is a symbol of the Israelites performing the
first-ever trust fall. As a group, they escaped slavery and Pharaoh’s rule and fell
into the protection and provision of God during 40 years of travel in the
wilderness.
Jews lived in temporary sukkahs
during their 40 years in the wilderness after their exodus. God determined how
long the Israelites would be in each place they stopped, so the structures had
to be temporary. God's supernatural provision wandering in the wilderness was
evident. Shoes did not wear out, manna and quail were provided, and somehow
when wandering in a barren desert, items were regularly provided for sukkah
structures. As a temporary dwelling, the sukkah also represents the fact that
all existence is fragile [and temporary, looking for the eternal world to come],
and therefore Sukkot is a time to appreciate the shelter of our home and our
bodies "Torivey.com".
A sukkah booth is a hut
decorated with flowers and fruit, for a time of celebration and thankfulness, with
a roof made of leaves and branches. Many families eat their meals in the booth,
and some even sleep in their sukkah. Online sukkah building guides are
many and varied. Some are elaborate, constructed with PVC pipes (though PCV
pipes are not considered kosher) or other materials like lattice. Rules for a
sukkah to be kosher include:
- Temporary - it should be 3 walls (at least two full walls
and one partial wall)
- Enough - the bottom of the walls should be no more than 9
inches (3 "hands") above the ground
- Minimal Distractions - if fabric is used, it should be securely fastened to
the frame all around so it will not flap in the wind
- Clear view of stars - the material that covers the roof must be composed of
organic material (plant life). It should be thick enough to provide more
shade than sun, but not so thick as to block out the stars at night.
During synagogue services, people wave palm branches, myrtle, and
willow leaves, as well as a type of yellow citrus fruit called an etrog grouped
in a bunch called a lulov (used as an early Jewish symbol and
the fruit resembles a mega-bumpy lemon) to show that God is everywhere
"Religions of the World: Judaism" p. 33.
Families today are overly cooped up indoors, watching television and staring at their laptops. Sukkot is a 7-day respite that appreciates the outdoors as well as encourages spending undistracted time with friends and family, remembering ancestors, communing with nature, and ultimately sensing a closeness with, and a faith and trusting in, God.
On the final evening of Sukkot, the pouring of the water is done, representing God providing needed future rains.
...You shall dwell in booths for seven days.
All native Israelites shall dwell in booths...
(Leviticus 23:39-43)
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