The holiday of Sukkot
Today evening begins the holiday of Sukkot or “Feast of Booths”. It falls in mid-autumn, starting on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei and lasts for seven days – this year it begins on the evening of October 6th, after sunset, and lasts until the evening of October 13th. This is the time when the harvest has been gathered, and the cellars already store fresh olive oil. Traditionally, it is one of the most joyful Jewish holidays, but this time it occurs against the backdrop of troubling events. It is especially symbolic that in 2023, Sukkot ended on October 6th, on the eve of the HAMAS attack, and this year it begins on the same day. The thoughts of Israelis these days are with the hostages who have been in captivity for two years, hoping for their soon release.
Many commandments are associated with Sukkot, and the main one is the injunction to live in a sukkah (“booth”) throughout the holiday, in memory of the wanderings in the Sinai desert when the Jewish people left Egypt. In the “sukkah”, people eat, host guests, and even sleep. This recalls the booths in which Jews lived in the desert, and the difficult journey to freedom. The essence of Sukkot is to temporarily abandon the usual way of life, reminding of the times when Jews only dreamed of freedom. Even in days of joy, one cannot forget about the hard times.
Sukkot is not only a remembrance of the past but also a symbol of faith in the future prosperity of the Jewish people!
