Sukkot (sometimes spelled Succot or Sukkos) is a Jewish holiday that takes place on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishri, 5 days after Yom Kippur. Born as an agricultural festival to thank God after a favorable harvest, Sukkot is a joyful celebration - accompanied by a myriad of traditional rites - lasting seven days. The most notable of the rites that accompany the Sukkot is that which consists in building a Sukah, or a small hut (or a small cabin) that represents both the temporary dwellings in which the ancient farmers lived during the months of the harvest, and the residences used by Moses and the Israelites during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: How to Finish the Sukkot Rites
Step 1. Get into the Sukkot mindset
Sukkot is a joyful holiday and a time of great celebration for all Jews! In fact, Sukkot brings with it so much happiness that it is often called Z'man Simchateinu, or "the Season of Our Rejoicing". For the week of Sukkot, Jews are encouraged to celebrate the role of God in their lives and even more for the good fortune of the previous year. Sukkot should be a happy time to spend with friends and family, so leave negative thoughts or resentments aside to prepare for the holiday. Try to be cheerful, positive, and thankful to the Lord for the entire week.
Step 2. Build a Sukah
As highlighted above, one of the most memorable and noteworthy traditions is that of building a Sukah, that is, a shed or a small cabin. This lightweight construction can be made of different materials (even canvas and other fabrics), but it must "be able to withstand the wind". Traditionally, the roof of the Sukah is made up of leaves, twigs, or the like. Usually, the Sukahs are decorated inside with religious symbols and images. For more information on how to build a Sukah, read the section dedicated to this theme below.
In Leviticus, Jews are instructed to "dwell" in the Sukah for all seven days of Sukkot. Nowadays, this means gathering with the family around the Sukah and eating meals there, although some more Orthodox Jews also spend the night in the hut
Step 3. Avoid working for the first two days of Sukkot
Even if the Sukkot lasts about a week, the first two days of the holiday must be particularly blissful. On these two days, much like Shabbat, most jobs are to be avoided out of reverence for God. Specifically, all activities prohibited on Shabbat are also prohibited during the first two days of Sukkot, except cooking., bake, change the fire and carry things around. During this time, people who respect the holiday are encouraged to pray and worship God along with their families.
- The next five days, however, are Chol Hamoed, or "intermediate days", and during these days, work is permitted. Note, however, that if Shabbat should happen during the intervening days, it must be observed as usual.
- Many, many common activities such as writing, sewing, cooking, hair brushing, are prohibited on Shabbat. The complete list of prohibited activities is available on Jewish websites.
Step 4. Say Hallel every day of the Sukkot
During Sukkot, the ordinary morning, afternoon and evening prayers are supplemented with additional prayers to observe the holiday. The prayers you will have to say will vary depending on the day; the first two days of Sukkot and the remaining five have different prayers. However, traditionally, each day of the Sukkot say a full Hallel, after the morning prayer. This prayer is the text of Psalms 113-118 repeated verbatim.
- During the first two days of Sukkot, the ordinary Amidah prayer is replaced with a special variation used only for holidays.
- In the following 5 intervening days, Amidah prayers are said normally, except for a special "ya'aleh v'yavo" added to each one.
Step 5. Wave the lulav and the etrog
In addition to the Sukah rite, this is also a very important rite for the Sukkot. On the first day of Sukkot, the faithful ritually wave a bunch of twigs (called "lulav") and a fruit (called "etrog") in every direction. The lulav is a bouquet consisting of a single palm leaf, two twigs of willow and three of myrtle, held together by hand-woven leaves. An etrog is a cedar, a lemon-like fruit that grows in Israel. To perform the rite it is necessary to hold the lulav in the right hand and the etrog in the left and bless both with a Bracha and then shake them in different directions: north, south, east, west, upwards and downwards, to symbolize the omnipresence of God.
Note that each religious commentator gives different instructions regarding the order of directions in which to shake the lulav and the etrog. For the most part, the precise order is not important
Step 6. Enjoy the other myriad of traditional rituals that accompany Sukkot
The ritual of the Sukah and that of the lulav and the etrog are undoubtedly the most important and well-known rites of the Sukkot, but far from being the only two. Sukkot is a holiday that has many rituals, far too many to report here. These rituals often vary from family to family, from location to location, so feel free to research the different Sukkot traditions around the world. Here are some rites to consider for Sukkot:
- Eat meals and camp in Sukah.
- Telling stories from the Holy Scriptures, especially those concerning the 40 years that the Israelites spent in the wilderness.
- Take part in dances and songs in the Sukah. Many religious songs were written exclusively for Sukkot.
- Invite your family to join you in celebrating Sukkot.
Part 2 of 3: Building a Sukah
Step 1. Build walls that can withstand the wind
The Sukah is quite simple to build. The cabin must be four-sided, but you can also build a three-sided one (the fourth wall can be that of a building). One of the walls should be lower or removable, in order to allow entry and exit from the Sukah. The material to be used to build the Sukah is varied, but since the Sukah is used for only one week, it is preferable to use a light material. The only traditional requirement is that the walls resist the wind. To follow this instruction it is sufficient to use canvases tied to a solid frame.
As for the measurements, you want your walls to be wide enough to give you enough space to eat your meals. Depending on the size of your family, the sizes of the Sukah vary greatly
Step 2. Add a roof made of plant matter
Traditionally, the roofs of the Sukah are made up of plant matter, such as branches, leaves, twigs, and so on. These can be bought or taken (respectfully) from nature. According to tradition, the roof of a Sukah must be thick enough to provide shade and shelter during the day, but it must also allow you to observe the stars at night.
Building a roof with plant matter is a way to remember the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years after leaving Egypt. During their travels, they had to live in Sukah-like temporary abodes, built with whatever material (usable for a shelter) they had available
Step 3. Decorate the Sukah
It is recommended to decorate - even if only humbly - the Sukah to better observe the Sukkot. The traditional decorations of the Sukkot are the vegetables of the harvest (for example wheat or pumpkins), hung from the ceiling or the beams, or month in the corners. Other decorations include: paper chains, pipe cleaner constructions, religious pictures and designs, decorated glass, or whatever else your kids feel like creating!
Children usually love to help decorate the Sukah. Giving your children the opportunity to draw Sukah walls and collect vegetables for decorations is a great way to get them involved in the holiday from an early age
Step 4. Alternatively, buy a prepackaged Sukah kit
If you are in a hurry or do not have the necessary materials to make a Sukah, don't worry! There are many religious merchandise shops that sell prepackaged Sukah kits. These kits will allow you to have your own Sukah without having to collect the necessary material, saving you a lot of time. As an added bonus, these kits are also easy to disassemble and set aside for years to come.
Sukah kits are usually quite inexpensive. Depending on the size of the Sukah, and the materials it is made of, a kit will cost between € 50 and € 120
Step 5. Hold your Sukah until the end of the Simchat Torah day
The Sukah is traditionally held for the duration of the Sukkot, to gather, eat and pray for the whole week. Two holy days immediately follow at Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Although these are not part of the Sukkot, they are strongly associated with it, therefore the Sukah is not disassembled until the end of the Simchat Torah day.
It is perfectly acceptable (and common practice) to save the material for the Sukah, so that it can be reused in later years
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Meaning of Sukkot
Step 1. Read the Torah and find the sources of the Sukkot traditions
Although Sukkot originates from an ancient agricultural festival, the modern religious version derives from the Holy Scriptures. According to the Torah and the Old Testament, God called Moses as he led the Israelites through the wilderness, and instructed him in the traditions of the Sukkot festival. Reading the original stories about the origins of Sukkot will help you imbue the holiday with divine meaning, especially if you are a new practitioner.
Most of the scriptures describing Sukkot are found in the book of Leviticus. Specifically, Leviticus 23: 33-43 offers an account of the encounter between God and Moses in which the festival of Sukkot is discussed
Step 2. Attend the Sukkot religious services in the Synagogue
Sukkot is usually associated with rituals such as the construction of the Sukah, which takes part in the private dimension. However, the entire Jewish community is encouraged to join in the temple or synagogue to celebrate Sukkot. At the traditional Sukkot morning gatherings, the congregation joins in an Amidah followed by a Hallel. After that, the congregation recites special Hoshanot psalms to ask God's forgiveness. The readings of the Sukkot traditionally come from the book of Ecclesiastes.
Step 3. Discuss with a rabbi about Sukkot
If you have any questions about Sukkot or any of the traditions associated with it, try talking to a rabbi, or some other experienced Jewish religious leader. These types of people will be more than happy to tell you about the religious and cultural origins of Sukkot and educate you on their observance.
Keep in mind that Sukkot traditions vary a lot between communities and communities. For example, among non-observant Jews, it is common that someone does not even know the holiday, while, for traditional and Orthodox Jews, this holiday is one of the main ones
Step 4. Read modern commentaries on Sukkot
Not everything that is said about Sukkot was written in ancient religious texts. Much information about Sukkot has been written over the years by rabbis, scholars and even laymen. Many essays and opinion papers on Sukkot have been written in modern times. More modern texts are fairly easy to read and more understandable than those of the past, so feel free to search for sources by searching for "Sukkot essays" or something online.
The themes of modern Sukkot writings are very varied. Some offer new perspectives on the meaning of ancient traditions, others recount the author's significant personal experiences, still others give instructions on how to get the best out of this holiday. There's a ton of information out there, so don't be afraid to dive in
Advice
- If you prune your trees in the fall, their branches may come in handy for Sukah.
- Remember that you are under orders to be joyful, so have fun during the holiday!
- You are ordered to sleep and eat in the Sukah. However, if it rains enough to dilute your soup, this commandment should not be followed.
- The exterior of the Sukah can be covered with plasticized canvas to keep out the wind, but it is not allowed to use it for the roof as well.
- Have the children decorate the Sukah while the adults build it, to keep them both cheerful, busy and safe.
- Make sure you smell the etrog - it smells like the holiday, and it's a sweet scent.
Warnings
- When shaking the lulav and etrog behind you, be careful not to hit anyone in the eye.
- If pitom (the small gnarled part at the end of the fruit) falls off the etrog, it is no longer usable. Be careful not to let it come off.
- Since everything used for the Sukah will be exposed to the elements, don't decorate the shed with anything you want back to its starting condition.
- The construction of the Sukah must be done exclusively by the hands of adults - or counque under their supervision - in order to avoid painful unforeseen events.
