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Traditional Jewish Observance The Torah stipulates the fifteenth of the Jewish month Tishri as the time when the Jewish people are to begin dwelling in the sukkah (singular for "booth") and celebrating God's provision. This holy day is so joyful, traditional Jews don't even wait for the fifteenth of Tishri to construct their sukkot. Many begin the construction five days early, immediately after the close of Yom Kippur. The construction of the sukkah can be both challenging and fun for the whole family. The Bible gives a rather general commandment to build a sukkah; but rabbis have added great detail. Essentially, it is a temporary hut in which one is to live instead of in one's permanent house. At the very least, Jews are expected to eat some meals in the sukkah as a symbol of dwelling in it. Because it is to be a temporary structure, the sukkah appears to be flimsy. It is built outside and must have at least three walls, which may be of any material (wood, brick, tarp). If the booth is constructed next to a house, it may incorporate one or more walls of the house as its own. The most important part of the sukkah construction is the roof. The covering for the roof (called sechach) can be anything that grows from the ground, such as branches, two-by-fours and bushes. Because of the prevalence of palm branches in the Middle East, it is easily understood why this foliage took a central place in the celebration of Sukkot. To emphasize its temporary status, the roof is arranged so the stars can be seen through it on a clear night. Once the main construction of the sukkah is completed, the children contribute their part with artwork, fruit tied with string, or any other creative ideas they have. The sukkah is to be big enough to house at least one person but preferably it should be able to hold a table for meals. If the climate is mild enough, people sleep overnight in the hut. Once the sukkah is built and the holy day has arrived, there are other customs incorporated into the celebration. As with most other Jewish holy days, the celebration starts at sundown of the first night with a festival meal. The table is set with the two traditional candlesticks and the best dining ware. An exception is sometimes made with Sukkot since many Jewish people eat their meals out in their sukkot. In such cases, a more primitive setup is as a reminder of camping in the wilderness of Sinai. In either case, the kiddush is chanted over the sweet wine; the braided challah bread is blessed and shared at the table. Each evening of the eight-day festival, special blessings are also said over the lulav (palm branch) and etrog (citron, a fruit from Israel). These two items, along with the hadas (myrtle) and arava (willow), form what is called "The Four Species." They are wrapped together in order to be handheld for waving in every direction, symbolizing the harvest and God's omnipresence over his world. Although there seems to be a clear connection between the Four Species and the harvest theme of Sukkot, rabbis have also made some spiritual applications for these symbols. It is taught that each of the species represents a different kind of person. The etrog, which tastes sweet and has a delightful aroma, represents a person with knowledge of the Torah and good deeds. The lulav, which comes from a date palm, has a fruit that tastes sweet, yet has no fragrance. Hence, some people have knowledge, but no good deeds. The hadas is just the opposite, having a nice fragrance yet no taste (good deeds without true knowledge). Arava, since it possesses neither taste nor smell, represents the person who lacks both knowledge and deeds. Perhaps this can serve as a reminder that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Traditional Jewish observance of Sukkot centers on the building of a sukkah and the blessing of the lulav with the etrog. It should also be noted that, as with the other holy days, the synagogue plays a vital role. Many synagogues build a community sukkah to enable all worshipers to experience this greatest symbol of Sukkot. Holy day services are held on the first and eighth days as stipulated by the Torah. Because Tabernacles is a time of joy, there are various processionals in which the congregants march around the aisles, waving lulavs and chanting Psalm 118: Ana Adonai Hoshiana! (Save us Lord!). Thus, with thanksgiving, the Jewish community seeks to remember the theme of this holy day: God dwells with his people. The materials here were taken directly from God's Appointed Times with the publisher's permission. Return to Sukkot |
