Sukkot!
Festival of Ingathering!
It’s Sukkot everybody! HaShem lays it out in Leviticus: “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the L-RD.” (Lev. 23:34) and we know what that means! “You will dwell in booths for seven days; all natives of Israel shall dwell in booths.” (Lev. 23:42) Today is the 5th day of the week-long festival.
Jews have built booths (a sukkah) to remind us we once dwelled in temporary desert booths when Hashem brought us out of Egypt, and to remind us not to get caught up in material things and reinforce that this life is transient and dependent on G-d.
Jews go all out building and decorating their sukkot for the festival and at least have their meals in them.
Check out this awesome footage from Malka. Jerusalem is decked out in beautiful, colorful decorations and there are sukkot everywhere, one as big as a house! It’s so wonderful. Malka says “Chag Sameach” (happy holiday!) and points out sukkot, then her friend explains the scene en Espanol.
Here are some great resources to learn about Sukkot.
Judaism 101: Sukkot
It mentions here that the American Pilgrims based Thanksgiving on Sukkot!
And from Rafi’s Blog, some great news: 80,000 Sukkot-observers showed up to be blessed by the Kohanim at the Western Wall, a new record! It had to be closed off to prevent a stampede. We’re talking about more Jews in one place observing a festival than any time in Jerusalem since the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E.!!!! That’s something very special.
Chag Sameach!!
Nick
Filed Under: Torah Insights and Religion