Sukkot are often decorated by hanging fresh fruit from the ceiling as a symbol of God’s provision and care.ĭuring synagogue services, special ceremonies and prayers are performed including waving a lulav (LOO-lahv) bouquet, a gathering of leafy branches made from the four specific species outlined in Leviticus 23:40. Today, Jewish people around the world build sukkot in their backyards or on balconies, taking their evening meals, relaxing, entertaining guests, and even sleeping there. He fed them with manna from heaven, gave them sweet water from a rock and kept their shoes and clothing from wearing out for 40 years. These booths also remind us of how God took care of the Israelites during their years of wandering. Through the loosely woven roof, one can look up and see the night sky, remembering God’s promise to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars. The booths of Sukkot provide a tangible reminder of how our Jewish ancestors lived in the wilderness. The roof, however, must be made with organic matter, such as leafy branches. Rabbinic tradition says that a sukkah (SOUH-kah) can be three-sided with walls constructed of any material. One of the most interesting aspects of Sukkot is God’s command to live in temporary shelters for the week.ĭuring Sukkot, God instructs Jewish families to leave the comfort of their homes and live in booths “so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:43). On each of the seven days, the Jewish people were to bring various sacrifices and offerings as well as celebrate with the waving of branches from four species of plants. God instructed Israel to abstain from work and meet together in a holy assembly on the first day of Sukkot. Therefore, the week-long feast is also called The Season of Our Joy (Leviticus 23:39‒44). Sukkot is the only moad (MO-ehd), or “appointed time,” in which God commands His people to rejoice and celebrate. Because Sukkot is also a harvest festival, it is sometimes called the Feast of Ingathering. The Hebrew word sukkot and the word “tabernacles” both mean “booths.” So the holiday is also known as the Feast of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot (Soo-KOTE) is a seven-day feast commanded by God in Leviticus chapter 23.
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