The seventh (and final) feast given to Israel is called Sukkot, or the “Feast of Tabernacles.” Sukkot is observed in the fall, from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishri. During this time many Jewish families construct a sukkah, a small hastily built hut in which meals are eaten throughout the festival.
The sukkah is used to remember the huts [plural: sukkot] Israel lived in during their 40 year sojourn in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. Later, after Israel entered the land of promise, Sukkot was associated with the fall harvest and came to be known as Chag ha-Asif, the Festival of Ingathering (of the harvest). Certain customs are observed during Sukkot, including decorating the sukkah, performing special “wave” ceremonies of the “Four Species,” circling the synagogue in a processional while singing hymns (hakafot), and reciting Hebrew blessings to sanctify the festival.
When the first pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their first Fall Harvest, back in 1621, they celebrated Sukkot - and that eventually became the holiday of Thanksgiving in 1863.
During the first and last day of Sukkot no normal “work” (melakhah) is permitted (see Leviticus 23:39). The intervening days of Sukkot are called Chol Ha-Mo’ed, half-holidays during which usual work activities are permitted. Since it is an eight day festival, there is always at least one Sabbath that occurs during the festival.
From Yom Kippur to Sukkot
On the Jewish calendar, there is a quick transition from the somber time of the Jewish High Holidays (Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur) to the festival of Sukkot. In fact, most observant Jews will begin discussing preparations for their sukkah immediately following the Havdalah ceremony of Yom Kippur.
Recall that preparation for the High Holidays began back at the start of Elul, when Moses was said to have ascended Mount Sinai the second time and stayed there 40 days until Tishri 10 (the original Yom Kippur). After this period of teshuvah [repentance], Moses descended the mountain and gave instructions regarding the building of God's Sukkah (called the mishkan [tabernacle]). According to Jewish tradition, the material for the mishkan was collected during the days before Sukkot (though the tabernacle itself was not actually assembled until Nissan 1 (Exodus 40:2)). Later King Solomon is said to have dedicated the Temple during the festival of Sukkot (1 Kings 8:2,65).
Since it follows the Days of Awe and Repentance, Sukkot represents the time of restored fellowship with the LORD. In fact, the mishkan (and later, the Temple) represents God’s Presence living among His redeemed people (Exodus 29:44-45).
Just so, the modern observance of Sukkot allows just a few days -- from the time Yom Kippur ends on Tishri 11 to Tishri 15 -- to begin assembling and decorating the sukkah for the festivities. Sukkot represents a time of renewed fellowship with God, remembering His sheltering provision and care for us.
The Season of our Joy - Zeman Simchateinu
Sukkot is the conclusion of the Jewish Fall Holidays and the last of the three Shelosh Regalim [the three annual pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot (Deuteronomy 16:16)]. It is interesting to compare the use of words relating to simchah [joy] in the description of these three festivals. Regarding Pesach, the word simchah does not appear at all (Deuteronomy 17:1-8); regarding Shavu’ot, it appears only once (Deuteronomy 17:11); but, regarding Sukkot, simchah appears several times:
You shall keep the Feast of Sukkot seven days, when you have gathered in the produce... You shall rejoice in your feast... because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. (Deuteronomy 16:13-15)
In fact, in ancient Israel, the joy of Sukkot was so great that it became known simply as "The Feast."
From an agricultural perspective in ancient Israel, Pesach [Passover] corresponded to the planting season, Shavu’ot [Pentecost] corresponded to the grain harvest, and Sukkot corresponded to the fruit harvest. When you planted your crops in Spring, you do not yet rejoice because you were uncertain about how the harvest will turn out. And when you harvested your grain at the start of summer, you might have rejoiced that you now had bread in hand, but you would still be uncertain about the success of your fruit crops. Total joy would come after you had harvested all of your crops in the Fall, and thereby received sustenance and provision for the coming year from the LORD. For this reason, Sukkot is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-asif, or the Feast of Ingathering.
From a spiritual perspective, Sukkot corresponds to the joy of knowing your sins were forgiven (during Yom Kippur), and also recalls God’s miraculous provision and care after the deliverance from bondage in Egypt (Leviticus 23:43). Prophetically, Sukkot anticipates the coming kingdom of the Mashiach Yeshua wherein all the nations shall come up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD during the festival (seeZechariah 14:16). Today Sukkot is a time to remember God’s Sheltering Presence and Provision for us for the start of the New Year.
Sukkot in the Scriptures
In Biblical times, Sukkot was considered the most important of all the holidays, referred to simply as “the Festival” (1 Kings 12:32). It was a time of many sacrifices (Numbers 29) and a time when (on Sabbatical years) the Torah would be read aloud to the people (Deuteronomy 31:10-13).
The Torah commands three things regarding the festival of Sukkot:
To build a sukkah, you first must select a site that has nothing hanging above it -- i.e. a roof or a tree. The sukkah floor space must be large enough to accommodate a person who can sit with a small table. A “kosher” sukkah needs at least two walls and a small part of a third wall. Walls can be of any material, as long as they are sturdy enough to withstand a normal wind (note: You can use the sides of a building for a wall).
The roof of the sukkah (called a sikhakh or schach, from the same root as the word sukkah) must be covered with material that grows from the ground -- such as branches or leaves. The schach must be sufficiently covered so that it gives more shade than sun during the daytime but should allow stars to be visible through the roof at night.
Since the Sukkah will be your “home” for the next seven days, it is customary to decorate it with hanging fruits, flowers, popcorn wreaths, ornaments, etc., from the ceiling, and tape posters of Jewish themes on the walls. Some people even string Christmas tree lights on the outside of their sukkah!
Sukkah Blessings
On the first night of Sukkot, it is considered a mitzvah to light two candles, recite Shehecheyanu, and eat a meal inside the sukkah.
First we light the two holiday candles in the sukkah. Note that unlike Shabbat, we first say the blessing and then light the candles:
We then will say the blessing over the bread and partake of our meal. Traditional foods include stuffed cabbage and kreplach containing fruit or fall harvest vegetables; dishes made with honey and pastries.
There is also a custom of inviting “imaginary guests” (ushpizin) to join us in the sukkah for our meals. On the first night we invite Abraham and for each subsequent night we invite Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and King David.
The Sukkot Bouquet (Four Species)
The Four Species, or arba minim, are four types of organic products the LORD commanded to be used (in Leviticus 23:40) for the celebration of Sukkot. Traditionally these are understood to be:
Etrog (אתרוג), a lemon-like citrus fruit referred to as pri etz hadar [“the product of goodly trees”] that is minimally the size of a hen’s egg. An etrog with an intact pitam (stem) is considered especially valuable.
Note: Some people keep their etrog long after Sukkot to make a sugared fruit soup from it that is eaten on the holiday of Tu B’shevat.
Lulav (לולב), a ripe (green) date palm frond [“branches of palm trees”]. The lulav must be entirely straight with whole leaves that lay closely together and not be broken at the top.
Note: The term “lulav” also refers to combination of all three types of branches that are bound together for ceremonial waving (see below).
Hadas (הדס) three myrtle branches [“boughs of leafy trees”]. The leaves of the hadas grow in tiers of three leaves each. Three hadasim are needed for the lulav bundle.
Aravah (ערבה), the leafy branch of a willow tree [“willows of the brook”]. The branches grow long and are lined with long, narrow leaves. Two aravot are needed for the lulav bundle. Aravot need lots of water or they dry out. Often they are wrapped in a moist towel during Sukkot.
Note: Aravot are also used for a separate ceremony on Hoshanah Rabbah (the last day of Sukkot) when the branches are beaten against the ground until many of the leaves fall out. This ceremony is intended to symbolize ultimate victory over our enemies.
These four items are held together in a bouquet and waved during a ceremony called na'anuim (נענועים) for each day of Sukkot. The usual practice is to recite the blessing(al netilat lulav) and then wave the lulav three times in six directions: forward, to the right, to the back, to the left, up, and down (to proclaim God's omnipresence).
You can purchase arba minim (אַרְבַּע מִינִים) at most good Judaica stores. Usually, each of the four items is packaged separately. The following photo series shows you how we assembled ours for this Sukkot:
First you take the bundle holder and insert the palm branch (lulav) into the center (tighten using the bundle bands as needed). Take the two willow branches (aravot) and insert them into the left chamber, and the three myrtle branches (hadasim) and insert them into the right chamber. Finally, you take the “fruit of the goodly tree” (i.e., etrog) and get ready to recite the blessing...
A young girl holds the lulav and etrog
According to the principle of hiddur mitzvah [beautifying the commandment], most Jews will seek excellent specimens for their “four species.” At any rate, the lulav and etrog should be keep in good condition throughout the festival, since they are needed everyday (except on the Shabbat that occurs during Sukkot) to perform various ceremonies.
Waving the Lulav
On Sukkot, you will first bind all the branches together -- two willows on the left, one palm branch in the center, and three myrtles on the right. Then, hold the bundle in your right hand and then lift them together with the Etrog (pointing downward) in your left hand.
Now, turn the etrog right-side up, put both hands side-by-side, and then shake the lulav three times in each direction: front, right, back, left, up and down. These six directions indicate the surrounding presence of God.
Here I’m “waving the lulav” after reciting the blessing
If this is the first time you do this for Sukkot, recite the Shehechyanu blessing:
The lulav is shaken during the Hallel (praise psalms sung right after the Amidah in the morning service) as well as during the Hoshanah - a hymn that begins with Hosha’ na [save us] that is sung during the service. Normally the Torah is taken from the Ark and set on the bema and the congregation circles it in a processional (called hakafot) while shaking their lulavot and carrying their etrogim.
Sukkot Torah Readings
The Torah Reading Cycle is suspended for the holiday week of Sukkotas well as for Shemini Atzeret (sometimes referred to as the eighth day of Sukkot). CH”M means Chol haMo’ed, an interim day.
Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, and Shemini Atzeret Torah readings are from Leviticus 22-23, Numbers 29, and Deuteronomy 14-16. These readings detail the laws of the mo’edim or "appointed times" on the Jewish calendar and include the mitzvot regarding the festival of Sukkot.
On Simchat Torah ("Celebration of the Torah") we conclude, and begin anew, the annual Torah-reading cycle. First we read the Torah section of V’zot Haberakhah, and then we read the first chapter of Genesis (the beginning of next Shabbat's Torah reading).
Detailed readings are as follows. Note that when one of the intermediate days of Sukkot (Chol Ha-Mo’edim) falls on Shabbat, the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) is read before the reading of the Torah. To ensure accuracy, always consult a good Jewish calendar:
During the seven days of Sukkot a sacrificial pouring out of water (called a “water libation”) was performed at the Temple (Sukkah 51a-b). The water was drawn by the High Priest from the pool of Shiloach (Siloam) and carried back to in the courtyard of the outer Temple in a golden pitcher. When the High priest would pour out the water, the people would wave their lulavot and sing:
“Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.”
Psalm 118 was viewed as a Messianic Psalm -- and when Yeshua the Mashiach indeed appeared during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8-9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13), He was initially greeted with shouts of “Hosanna!” and waving lulav as the Messiah King come to deliver the people of Israel (see also Revelation 7:9-10).
The Temple Light Show
After the water ceremony, during the evening, special festivities called Simchat Bet HaShoevah [happiness of the house of the water-drawing] occurred. During this time the four towering menorahs were lit up and the priests would put on a “light show,” performing torch dances while the Levites sang and played music. These shows would occur every night of Sukkot, all through the night. These festivities were apparently so spectacular that the Jewish sages have said, "He who has not seen the rejoicing at the Simchat Bet Hasheavah, has never seen rejoicing in his life" (Sukkah 5:1).
It was also during this time of Sukkot that Yeshua the Mashiach revealed Himself to be the Light of the world (John 8:12, 7:2, 37). Moreover, Yeshua used the very water from the pool of Shiloach (Siloam) to heal the man born blind, enabling him to see the Light of the world.
Future Fulfillment
The festival of Sukkot has a prophetic dimension awaiting fulfillment. As the Day of Ingathering of the harvest, Sukkot prefigures the gathering together of the Jewish people in the days of the Messiah’s reign on earth (Isaiah 27:12-13; Jeremiah 23:7-8). Indeed all of the nations of the earth that survived the Great Tribulation will come together to worship the LORD in Jerusalem during the Feast of Sukkot (Zechariah 14:16-17).
Sukkot also foreshadows the LORD’s sheltering Presence over Israel in the millennial kingdom. No longer will Israel be subject to the oppression of the goyim, but God Himself will place His sanctuary in her midst (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
Yeshua the Mashiach did indeed come to “sukkah” (or “tabernacle”) with us (see John 1:14) in order to purge our sins from us and to redeem us to Himself. Yes, by the eye of faith we see the revelation of the True Shechinah of the LORD God Almighty in the Person of Yeshua our beloved Mashiach. Nevertheless, we still eagerly await His return to establish His Kingdom and set up His everlasting Sukkah with us -- so that that we may know, love, and abide with the Him forever!
Maran ata, LORD Yeshua!
Sheltering Presence - A Sukkot Meditation
After the LORD delivered the Jews from slavery in Egypt, He said, “Follow me into the wilderness, into an unsown land” (Jer. 2:2). Over two million people - men, women, and children - heeded the call and left for the Promise of God.
Now the desert is a hard, dry place. Unless you were prepared with provisions and protection, a trek through it could be life-threatening, perhaps even suicidal. But consider what it must have been like for two million people! What would they eat or drink? Where would they find shelter? How would they avoid the scorpions, snakes, and other perils?
In a word, the LORD Himself sheltered the Jews with Clouds of Glory and supernaturally provided for them during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus. God performed miracle upon miracle, sustaining the people in the midst of the desert and its dangers.... Consequently, He commanded Moses that these acts of Divine Chesed be commemorated as the festival of Sukkot (Lev. 23:34; Deut. 16:13-16).
The word sukkot (סֻכּוֹת) is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah (סֻכָּה), meaning a “booth” or “hut.” In traditional Judaism, a sukkah is a temporary structure used for “living in” (i.e., primarily eating meals or entertaining guests) throughout the eight day festival of Sukkot (“Tabernacles”). The purpose of the sukkah is to remind us of the type of huts the ancient Israelites dwelt in as they made their trek through the dangers of the desert.
According to halakhah (Jewish law), the minimal sukkah must have two complete walls with a third wall at least the “length of a handbreadth.” The walls can be made from any material, though the structure must be covered with a “schach” (סכך, thatched roof) made from only organic material (representing the Clouds of Glory). It is customary to decorate the sukkah by hanging fruit from the schach and adding other decorations. Since a sukkah minimally is contructed of two walls (that resemble a bent arm) and a third wall (that resembles a hand), some of the sages says it represents God’s arm wrapping around us to give us shelter (a “divine hug”). The traditional view, however, is that the Sukkah is meant to remind us of the Clouds of Glory that protected the Jewish people while they sojourned in hostile and dangerous desert conditions.
The Torah states that we are to rejoice during the appointed time of Sukkot - samachta b’chagekha (שָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ) - and immediately reiterates that we are to be “altogether joyful” - hayita akh sameach (הָיִיתָ אַךְ שָׂמֵחַ). (Deut. 16:14-15) For this reason, the sages called the eight days of Sukkot “Z’man Simchatenu,” the time of our happiness.
But why are we commanded to “rejoice” and be “altogether joyful” during the season of Sukkot? Here are a few reasons:
First, the festival recalls the great Exodus from Egypt and the miracles that God performed on behalf of the Jewish people. Since we are related to them and owe our faith to them, we should therefore be thankful and rejoice at God’s sustaining care and providence of our faithful ancestors.
Second, God Himself “tabernacled” with the camp of Israel in the wilderness. God’s Sukkah is called the mishkan (מִשְׁכָּן), a word rendered as skeine (σκηνη) in the Greek translation (LXX). Moses was given the design for the mishkan on Sinai so that the LORD Himself would dwell in a tent in the midst of the people of Israel: shakhanti b'tokham - “that I may dwell among them” (Exod. 25:8). The covering of God’s Sukkah was actually the cloud of God’s Glory (Exod. 40:35-36). The Apostle Paul referred to the Jews being immersed (“baptised”) by the surrounding Shekhinah Glory of God in their midst (1 Cor. 10:1-2).
Third, after settling in the Promised Land, Sukkot became associated with the Festival of Fall Harvest, Chag Ha’asif (חַג הָאָסִף), or the “Feast of Ingathering” (Exod. 23:16, 34:22). This was an autumnal celebration of thanksgiving for the fruit harvest, held during the full moon of Tishri.
Fourth, King Solomon dedicated the Jewish Temple on Sukkot (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7). The Shekhinah glory of the LORD descended to light the fire on the altar and filled the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7:1-10).
It later became customary (based on Deut. 31:10) that every seven years pilgrims would gather in the Temple Courtyard during Sukkot to listen to the reigning king read passages from the Torah. This ceremony was called Hakhel (הַקְהֵל, "assemble"), and it certainly was a joyful time.
Fifth, the Scriptures record that Sukkot was the very first holiday observed after the Babylonian captivity, when the Second Temple was dedicated (Ezra 3:2-4).
Sixth, over time Sukkot became the single most important festival held in the Promised Land, called “the Feast of the Lord” (חַג־יהוה, Lev. 23:39; Judges 21:19) or simply “the Feast” (1 Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:8). Along with Passover and Shavuot, Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that united all Israel in holy celebration. Pilgrims from all over Israel (and indeed the world) would annually come together and erect countless colorful booths near the Temple. They would purchase their four species (arba minim), light campfires, decorate their sukkas, and make themselves merry in celebration of the fall harvest. They eagerly anticipated the famous Water Drawing Ceremony of the Temple (nisuch ha-mayim), the dramatic light shows, the special music and the waving of lulav.... After the solemnity of Yom Kippur, Sukkot was a time of camping out and rejoicing in the LORD’s provision and love.
Seventh, it’s likely that Yeshua (Jesus) was born during Sukkot, since the same verb that says He “dwelt” with us (σκηνοω in John 1:14) derives from the same root used in the LXX to refer to both the mishkan (Tabernacle) and the individual tents of Sukkot (σκηνος). As Mashiach ben Yosef, He attended the festival but did so “secretly” (John 7:8-10); when He comes again as Mashiach ben David, it will be openly, with the “Clouds of Glory” (Matt. 24:30, Rev. 1:7). Note also that the two great themes of Sukkot (during the Second Temple period) were 1) water, and 2) light. It’s likely that Yeshua referred to Himself as both the “Living Water” (John 7:38) and the Light of the world (John 8:12) during the “drawing of the house of water” ceremonies during this festival.
Finally, when Yeshua returns to establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth, He will once again “tabernacle” with Israel in Jerusalem (Ezek. 37:27-28; Rev. 21:3). The visible manifestation of the LORD, the Shekhinah glory, will be seen as a shining fire over all of Mount Zion (Isa. 60:1,19, Zech. 2:5), and all of the nations of the earth will journey to there to celebrate Sukkot (Zech. 14:16-19). “Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy” (Isa. 4:5).
Note: This hope is expressed in the prayerbook blessing for the end of Sukkot: “May it be Your will, Adonai our God and the God of our forefathers, that just as I have fulfilled the mitzvah and dwelled in this (earthly) sukkah, so may I merit in the coming year to dwell in the Sukkah of the Skin of the Leviathan.”
Midrash says that in the world to come the Messiah will cause the “Leviathan” (a giant fish created on the 5th day of creation) and the “behemoth” (a giant ox) to destroy one another (Leviticus Rabbah 13:3). From the beautiful skin of the Leviathan God will construct sukkas to shelter the righteous (Bava Basra 75a). The remainder of Leviathan’s skin will stretched out over Zion as a canopy, and the light streaming from it will illumine the whole world. This is sometimes called “the Sukkah of the Skin of Leviathan.” Within these canopies, the righteous will eat the meat of the Leviathan and the behemoth in great joy.
But how is the modern observance of celebrating in a sukkah supposed to be joyful? After all, the usual amenities of life are missing there.... How does “dwelling” in a frail little hut invite us to be happy?
Sukkot reminds us that we are sojourners, too, just passing through.... Like father Abraham, we live in a foreign land as ger v’toshav - “strangers and sojourners,” looking forward to the City of God (Heb. 11:9-10). We do not need the so-called securities that this world can offer us -- including a stable stock market -- to be happy and provided for, chaverim -- not if we truly understand that we are surrounded by God’s sheltering Presence. What more could we want, especially as we consider this fleeting and moribund world we live in? As Paul said:
This slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the tent (σκηνος), which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. (2 Cor. 4:17-5:2)
