Hag Sukkot sameach!

Hag Sukkot Sameach!

Sukkot – The Feast of Tabernacles – one of the main holidays of the Jewish people begins on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (autumn). This year Sukkot begins on the evening of Friday, October 2 and ends on the evening of October 9.

During the days of Sukkot, which is called "The Time of Our Joy", Jews live in temporary buildings covered with branches, called sukkahs, in which they celebrate and praise the Almighty for all seven days of the holiday in memory of the wanderings of the Jews in the Sinai Desert.

History of the holiday Sukkot – a Jewish holiday, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September - late October). Sukkot lasts 7 days. In Judaism, it is one of the three prominent days, Shalos Regalim, when historically the Jewish population traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. The origins of Sukkot are historical and agricultural. The one mentioned in the Book of Exodus is agricultural in nature - the "Feast of Harvest" - and marks the end of the harvest and, therefore, the agricultural year in Israel. Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, living in temporary shelters. The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth. A sukkah is a temporary dwelling in which farmers lived during the harvest. As mentioned in the Book of Leviticus, the sukkah reminds Jews of the booths in which the ancient Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wilderness after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt.

The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hosha na Rabbah (Great Hoshanah), which has its own special laws. Every day, men recite blessings, holding a lulav and etrog in their hands. On Oshana Rabbah, all personal matters begun on Rosh Hashanah are "closed" in Heaven. On Sukkot, God judges not each individual, but the whole world as a whole, deciding how much rain will fall this year, how much fruit the trees will bear, and what the harvest will be. On the seventh day of Sukkot, the final verdict is sealed. Therefore, Oshana Rabbah resembles Yom Kippur. As on Yom Kippur, repentance and prayer are especially important on this day. The culmination of Sukkot is the eighth day, called Shemini Atzeret (stay on the eighth).

Traditions of the holiday of Sukkot. One of the most important laws of Sukkot is the mitzvah of the "four plants", when they join together a lulav - a long, unbloomed branch of a date palm, an etrog - a citron, adassim - branches of fragrant myrtle and aravot - branches of a humble willow and pronounce a special blessing over them. The symbolism of this commandment is associated with the combination of the properties of these plants: taste and smell. The taste symbolizes the inner dignity acquired through the study of the wisdom of the Torah. The smell spread by the plant symbolizes a person's actions: fulfilling the Law and helping others

The Etrog. Just as the etrog combines a pleasant taste and a wonderful aroma, so among the people of Israel there are people who have deeply studied the Torah and fulfill all the commandments.

The Lulav. Just as dates have a pleasant taste but are devoid of smell, so among the people of Israel there are those who study the Torah without doing good deeds.

The Adashim. Just as myrtle has a wonderful aroma but no taste, so among the people of Israel there are those who do good deeds but do not study the Torah.

The Aravot. Just as the willow is devoid of taste and smell, so among the Jews there are those who do not study the Torah and do not do good deeds.

Thus, the inner meaning of this mitzvah is in the unification of all Jews, no matter what they are.

Hag Sukkot Sameach, friends! May your tent shelter you from all troubles, may all your thoughts and deeds be filled with light and kindness. We wish you not to be afraid of difficulties, never to give up and not to stop halfway to your dream! Strength of spirit and unity to all of us!

Hag Sukkot sameach!

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