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The Feast of Tabernacles—Sukkot

In Leviticus 24:33-36, we are given a festival for the fifteenth day of Tishri. It’s called the Feast of Booths (sukkot in Hebrew). The first day of Sukkot is a sabbath, the last day of Sukkot is a sabbath. Traditionally, Shemini Atzeret (the eigth day) and Simchat Torah (when the Torah cycle restarts) are tacked on to the end of Sukkot. After all, we have such joy in the festival that no one really wants it to end.

The exact instruction in the Bible for how to celebrate Sukkot are found in Leviticus 23:39-43. Just as Pesach (Passover) remembers the Exodus, so does Sukkot. In fact, the Almighty commands us to live in booths for seven days. He also commands us to take the fruit of the beautiful trees (etrog/citron), palm branches, boughs of leafy trees (myrtle) and willows of the brook and use them to rejoice before Him. Most of us use a lulav to fulfill this commandment.

Sukkot is rich in symbolism, but I have a favorite. Booths are temporary, sometimes troublesome, various sizes and shapes (mine always seems to tilt), and look a lot better when they are new than they do by Shemini Atzeret. Sounds a lot like the human body.

Remember, we are living souls. Sukkot reminds us that this life is only temporary. HaShem is eternal. He led the children of Israel out of bondage and into temporary housing as He set them free. He lets us live in a temporary state (this life) in order to prepare us for the World to Come.