Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 06/19/06 2:52 pm:
The three major holiodays that require pilgrimage to the Great Temple by the people are Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentacost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

The following is excerpted from vaious Wikipedia articles.

Passover (Hebrew: פסח; transliterated as Pesach or Pesah), also called חג המצות (Chag HaMatzot - Festival of Matzot) is a Jewish holiday beginning on the 15th day of Nisan which commemorates the Exodus and freedom of the Israelites from ancient Egypt. Passover marks the "birth" of the Jewish nation, as the Jews were freed from being slaves of Pharaoh and allowed to become servants of God instead.

In Israel, Passover is a 7-day holiday, with the first and last days celebrated as a full festival (involving abstention from work, special prayer services and holiday meals). Outside Israel, the holiday is celebrated for 8 days, with the first two days and last two days celebrated as full festivals. The intervening days are known as Chol HaMoed (festival weekdays).

The primary symbol of Passover is the matzo, a flat, unleavened bread which recalls the bread that the Israelites ate after their hasty departure from Egypt. According to Halakha, this bread is made from a dough of flour and water only, which has not been allowed to rise for more than 18-22 minutes. Religious Jews will observe the positive Torah commandment of eating matzo on the first night, as well as the Torah prohibition against eating or owning any leavened products — such as bread, cake, cookies, or pasta (anything whose dough has been mixed with a leavening agent or which has been left to rise more than 18-22 minutes) — for the duration of the holiday.

Origins of the feast
The term Pesach is first mentioned in the Torah account of the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:23). There it refers to the way God "passed over" the houses of the Israelites during the final plague of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, the killing of the first-born. On the night of that plague, which occurred on the 15th day of Nisan, the Jews smeared their lintels and doorposts with the blood of the Passover sacrifice and were spared.

The term Pesach also refers to the lamb which was designated as the Passover sacrifice (called the Korban Pesach in Hebrew). Four days before the Exodus, the Jews were commanded to set aside a lamb (Exodus 12:3) and inspect it daily for blemishes. During the day on the 14th of Nisan, they were to slaughter the lamb and use its blood to mark their lintels and doorposts. Up until midnight on the 15th of Nisan, they were to consume the lamb. Each family (or group of families) gathered together to eat a meal that included the meat of the Korban Pesach while the Tenth Plague ravaged Egypt.

In future years, during the existence of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem, the Korban Pesach was eaten during the Passover Seder on the 15th of Nisan. However, following the destruction of the Temple, no sacrifices may be offered or eaten. The story of the Korban Pesach is therefore retold at the Passover Seder, and the symbolic food which represents it on the Seder Plate is usually a roasted lamb shankbone, chicken wing, or chicken neck.

The English term "Passover" came into the English language through William Tyndale's translation of the Bible, and later appeared in the King James Version as well.

Although the term Pesach is not mentioned until the Book of Exodus, there are indications that at least parts of the feast were observed in earlier times. For example, Genesis 19:3 refers to the "matzot" which Lot served his angelic guests. According to Rashi, quoting Talmud Yoma 28b, the Patriarchs and their families intuited the celebration of all the Jewish holidays, as well as the mitzvot which God would command in the future through the giving of the Torah, and kept the mitzvot voluntarily.

Commandments
Korban Pesach
When the Holy Temple was standing, the focus of the Passover festival was the offering of a lamb (the Korban Pesach, lit. "Pesach sacrifice," also known as the "Paschal Lamb"). Every family (or, if the family was too small to finish eating the entire lamb in one sitting, group of families) was required to partake of one (Numbers 9:11) lamb on the night of the 15th of Nisan (Exodus 12:6). This lamb could not be slaughtered while one was in possession of leaven (Exodus 23:18). The lamb had to be roasted (Exodus 12:9) and eaten together with matzo and maror (Exodus 12:8). One had to be careful not to break any bones from the offering (Exodus 12:46). None of the offering could be left over until morning (Exodus 12:10, 23:18).

Only Jews were permitted to partake of the Korban Pesach. An apostate could not eat from it (Exodus 12:43), nor a hired worker (Exodus 12:45). An uncircumcised male was also restrained from eating from it (Exodus 12:48).

If one missed the opportunity to eat the Korban Pesach, he or she could make it up one month later on the night of the 15th of Iyar (Numbers 9:11), a day which is known as Pesach Sheini ("Second Pesach"). Just as on the first Pesach night, one must not break any bones from the second Paschal offering (Numbers 9:12) or leave meat over until morning (Numbers 9:12).

Today, in the absence of the Temple, the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach has reverted to being a symbolic food placed on the Passover Seder Plate. It is typically represented by a roasted shank bone and is not eaten at all during the Passover Seder, but is mentioned and pointed to during the Seder ritual.

Matzo
All Jews must eat at least one olive-sized piece of matzo on the first night of Passover. (The rituals of the Passover Seder, however, call for matzo to be consumed at several points during the evening.) According to Halakha, this mitzvah applies even though the Temple was destroyed.

Chametz
Chametz (חמץ) is the Hebrew term for "leavened", which is the opposite of matzah. The Halakha prohibits any Jew from owning, eating or benefiting from any trace of chametz during the entire Passover holiday.

Maror
Maror, or bitter herbs (typically, horseradish or romaine lettuce) must be consumed at the Passover Seder at various times during this ritual. According to Halakha, this mitzvah applies even though the Temple was destroyed.

Recounting the Exodus
On the first night of Passover (first two nights outside Israel), a Jew must recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This mitzvah is performed during the Passover Seder.

Four Cups
There is a Rabbinic obligation to drink four cups of wine (or pure grape juice) during the Seder. This applies to both men and women. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that even the poorest man in Israel has an obligation to drink. Each cup is connected to a different part of the Seder: The First Cup is for Kiddush, the Second Cup is connected with the recounting of the Exodus, the drinking of the Third Cup concludes Birkat Hamazon and the Fourth Cup is associated with Hallel.


Observances
Removal and sale of chametz
In accordance with the mitzvah of not eating or owning leavened products during Passover, religious Jewish families typically spend the weeks before the holiday in a flurry of housecleaning. The object is to remove every morsel of leavened food (called chametz) from all the cupboards and corners in the home. The search for chametz is often a thorough one, as children's rooms and kitchens are cleaned from top to bottom. Although many ensure that not even a crumb of chametz remains, the Halakha only requires the elimination of olive-sized quantities of leavening from one's possession.

After dark on the 14th of Nisan, a formal search for leavened products (bedikat chametz) is conducted. The head of the house goes from room to room and cupboard to cupboard to make sure that no crumbs remain in any corner. There is a custom to turn off the lights in the room being searched and conduct the search using candlelight, a feather and a wooden spoon. Candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the feather can dust crumbs out of their hiding places; and the wooden spoon which collects the crumbs can be burned the next day with the chametz.

Chametz that has a high monetary value (such as liquor which is made from wheat) may be sold rather than discarded. This sale of chametz is conducted via the community rabbi, who becomes the "agent" for all the community's Jews through a halakhic procedure called a kinyan (acquisition). As the agent, the rabbi will sell all the chametz to a non-Jew for a price to be negotiated after the holiday. In the meantime, the non-Jew is asked to put down a small down payment (e.g. $1.00), with the remainder due after Passover. As soon as the holiday ends, the rabbi will contact the non-Jew, to buy the community's chametz back from him.

This sale is considered completely binding according to Halakha, to the point that each householder must put aside all the chametz he is selling into a box or cupboard and assume that at any time during the holiday, the non-Jewish buyer may come to take or partake of his share. Similarly, Jewish store owners who stock leavened food products sell everything in their storeroom to a non-Jew with full knowledge that the new "owner" can claim his property. In the Eastern European shtetls, the Jews, who were often tavern keepers, would sell their chametz in this way to neighboring gentiles, and risk having the non-Jews enter their cellars to drink all the liquor during the holiday—which they often did.


Burning the chametz
In the morning, any leavened products that were found during the search is burned (s'rayfat chametz), and the head of the household declares any chametz that may not have been found to be null and void "as the dust of the earth" (biyur chametz). Should chametz actually be found in the house during the Passover holiday, it must be burnt.


Matzo baking
An image of machine-made matzo, which is the "official" food of PassoverThe weeks before Passover are also the time for the baking of the matzos which will be eaten during the holiday. In Orthodox Jewish communities, men traditionally gather in groups (chaburas) to bake a special version of hand-baked matzo together, called shmurah matzo ("guarded matzo", referring to the fact that the wheat is guarded from contamination by chametz from the time it is cut in the summer until it is baked into matzos for the following Passover). Chaburas also work together in machine-made matzo factories, which produce the typically square-shaped matzo sold in stores.

Matzo by-products, such as matzo farfel (broken bits of matzo) and matzo meal (finely-ground matzo) are used as flour substitutes in the baking of Passover cakes and cookies.

Passover dishware
Due to the strict separation between matzo products and chametz during Passover, families typically own complete sets of serving dishes, glassware and silverware that are reserved for use during Passover only. Ashkenazic families who purchase new pots or silverware for the holiday will first immerse them in boiling water to remove any traces of chametz-based oils or materials that may have touched them. Some Sephardic families have the custom of using the same glassware for Passover as they do during the year, but will wash the glasses thoroughly first.


Fast of the firstborn
On the morning before Passover, the fast of the firstborn takes place. This fast commemorates the salvation of the Israelite firstborns during the Plague of the Firstborn (according to the Book of Exodus, the tenth of ten plagues wrought upon ancient Egypt prior to the Exodus of the Children of Israel), when, according to Exodus (12:29): "...God struck every firstborn in the Land of Mitzrayim (ancient Egypt)...." In practice, however, most firstborns only fast during the morning prayer service in synagogue. This is due to the widespread custom for a member of the congregation to conduct a siyum (ceremony marking the completion of a section of Torah learning) right after services and invite everyone to partake in a celebratory meal. According to widespread custom, partaking of this meal removes one's obligation to fast.


The Passover Seder
It is traditional for a Jewish family to gather on the first night of Passover (first two nights outside the land of Israel) for a special dinner called a Seder (סדר—derived from the Hebrew word for "order", referring to the very specific order of the ritual). The table is set with the finest china and silverware to reflect the importance of this meal. During this meal, the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special text called the Haggadah. Four cups of wine are consumed at various stages in the narrative. The Haggadah divides the night's procedure into these 15 parts:

Kadeish קדש (Recital of Kiddush blessing and drinking of the First Cup of Wine)
Urchatz ורחץ (The washing of the hands)
Karpas כרפס (Dipping of the Karpas in salt water)
Yachatz יחץ (Breaking the middle matzo; the larger piece becomes the afikoman which is eaten later during the ritual of Tzafun)
Maggid מגיד (Retelling the Passover story, including the recital of the "Four Questions" and drinking of the Second Cup of Wine)
Rachtzah רחצה (Second washing of the hands)
Motzi / Matzo מוציא / מצה (Eating the matzo)
Maror מרור (Eating of the maror)
Koreich כורך (Eating of a sandwich made of matzo and maror)
Shulchan Oreich שולחן עורך (lit. "set table"—the serving of the holiday meal)
Tzafun צפון (Eating of the afikoman)
Bareich ברך (Blessing after the meal and drinking of the Third Cup of Wine)
Hallel הלל (Recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals; drinking of the Fourth Cup of Wine)
Nirtzah נירצה (Conclusion)

The Seder is replete with questions, answers, and unusual practices (e.g. the recital of Kiddush which is not immediately followed by the blessing over bread, which is the traditional procedure for all other holiday meals) to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children at the table. The children are also rewarded with nuts and candies when they ask questions and participate in the discussion of the Exodus and its aftermath. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for the afikoman, the piece of matzo which is the last thing eaten at the Seder. The child or children who discover the hiding place of the afikoman are rewarded with a prize or money. Audience participation and interaction is the rule, and many families' Seders last long into the night with animated discussions and much singing. The Seder concludes with additional songs of praise and faith printed in the Haggadah, including Chad Gadya ("One Kid Goat").

The holiday week
Like the holiday of Sukkot, the intermediary days of Passover are known as Chol HaMoed (festival weekdays) and are imbued with a semi-festive status. It is a time for family outings and picnic lunches of matzo, hardboiled eggs, fruits and vegetables and Passover treats such as maccaroons and homemade candies.

The prohibition against eating leavened food products and regular flour during Passover results in the increased consumption of potatoes, eggs and oil in addition to fresh milk and cheeses, fresh meat and chicken, and fresh fruit and vegetables. To make a "Passover cake," recipes call for potato starch or "Passover cake flour" (made from finely granulated matzo) instead of regular flour, and a large amount of eggs (8 and over) to achieve fluffiness. Cookie recipes use matzo farfel (broken bits of matzo) or ground nuts as the base. For families with Eastern European backgrounds, borsht, a drink made from fermented beets, is a Passover tradition.

Some hotels, resorts, and even cruise ships across America, Europe and Israel also undergo a thorough housecleaning and import of Passover foodstuffs to make their premises "kosher for Pesach", with the goal of attracting families for a week-long vacation. Besides their regular accommodations and on-site recreational facilities, these hotels assemble a package of lectures, children's activities, tours and a "rabbi in residence" to entertain Passover guests. Each meal is a demonstration of the chefs' talents in turning the basic foodstuffs of Passover into a culinary feast.







Shavuot (Hebrew שבועות, "[seven] weeks" pronounced: shah-voo-OH-t) is one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It is a major Jewish holiday, and is also known as the Feast of Weeks. Greek-speaking Jews gave it the name Pentecost (πεντηκόστη) since it occurs fifty days after Passover. Not counting the day of Passover itself, the holiday is 49 days after Passover, which is a jubilee of days. This ends the Counting of the Omer.

Shavuot has many aspects and as a consequence has been called by many names. In the Hebrew Bible it is called the "Feast of Harvest" (Hebrew: חג הקציר, Hag ha-Katsir; Ex. xxiii. 16) and the "Feast of Weeks" (Hebrew: חג שבעות, Hag Shavuot; ib. xxxiv. 22; Deut. xvi. 10), also the "Day of the First-Fruits" (Hebrew יום הבכורים, Yom ha-Bikkurim; Num. xxviii. 26).


Connection with harvest
In ancient Israel the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness (Jer. v. 24; Deut. xvi. 9; Isa. ix. 2). It began with the harvesting of the barley during the Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Shavuot. Shavuot was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest. According to Ex. 34:18-26, Shavuot is the second of the three festivals to be celebrated at the sanctuary. The Israelites are to bring to the sanctuary "the first-fruits of wheat harvest," "the first-fruits of thy labors which thou hast sown in the field." These are not offerings definitely prescribed for the community; "but with a tribute of a free-will offering of thine hand . . . shall you rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and daughter,.. the Levite that is within your gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow" (Deut. xvi. 9-12). In Lev. xxiii. 15-22 there is a regularly appointed first-fruit offering which the whole community must bring. Various animal sacrifices were enjoined, and no work was permitted.


In Rabbinical literature
The festival is known in the Mishnah and Talmud as Atzeret. This term is usually translated a "solemn assembly," meaning the congregation at the pilgrimage festivals. The name is applied also to Passover (Deut. xvi. 8) and to Sukkot (Lev. xxiii. 36). In post-Talmudic and geonic literature the Biblical name Shavuot was resumed.

Shavuot falls on the 6th of Sivan and never occurs on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. In many communities outside Israel, the holiday is celebrated for two days.

Shavuot is the fiftieth day of 'Omer (counting of the grain offering). During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem the first-fruits were offered as well as a sacrifice of two loaves of bread from the new harvest, etc. (Lev. xxiii. 15-21).

"The morrow after Sabbath"
Regarding the Biblical commandment to offer the 'omer "on the morrow after the Sabbath" = (ib. verse 11), the ancient scholarly rabbis maintained that "Sabbath" here means simply a day of rest and refers to Passover. The Sadducees and Boethusians disputed this interpretation, contending that "Sabbath" meant "Saturday." Accordingly they would transfer the count of "seven weeks" from the morrow of the first Saturday in Passover, so that Pentecost would always fall on Sunday. The Boethusians advanced the argument "because Moses, as a friend of the Israelites, wished to give them an extended holy day by annexing Pentecost to the Sabbath." Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai then turned to his disciples and pointed out that the Law purposely fixed the interval of fifty days in order to explain that the seven weeks, nominally, do not necessarily begin from Sunday (Men. 65a, b). See also Pharisees. Karaite Judaism today continues to follow the interpretation that the Sabbath in question was the Sabbath occurring during Passover rather than the Passover itself [1].

The traditional festival of Pentecost as the birthday of the Torah (i.e. "the time our Law was given"), when Israel became a constitutional body and "a distinguished people," remained the sole celebration after the Exile. The Shavuot prayers have references to this and particularly to the precepts deduced from the Torah. Kabbalists (adherents of Jewish mysticism) arranged a special service for the eve of Shavuot, consisting of excerpts from the beginning and end of every book of the Bible and Mishnah, which abridgment they considered tantamount to the reading of the complete works, and accepted as the approval of the Law.


Tikkun Lel Shavuot
The reading occupies the pious till morning; others finish it at midnight. The collection is called Tikkun Lel Shavuot ("Preparation for Pentecost Eve"). The Pentateuch reading contains three to seven verses from the beginning and the end of every parashah (or sidra). Some of the important sections are read in full, as follows: the days of Creation (Gen. i. 1-ii. 3); the Exodus and the song at the Red Sea (Ex. xiv. 1-xv. 27); the giving of the Decalogue on Mount Sinai (ib. xviii. 1-xx. 26, xxiv. 1-18, xxxiv. 27-35; Deut. v. 1-vi. 9); the historical review and part of Shema (ib. x. 12-xi. 25). The same method is used with the excerpts from the Prophets: the important ch. i. of Ezekiel (the Merkabah) is read in full. The Minor Prophets are considered as one book: the excerpts are from Hos. i.1-3, Hab. ii. 20-iii. 19, and Mal. iii. 22-24 (A. V. iv. 4-6). Ruth is read in full; and of the Psalms, Ps. i., xix., lxviii., cxix., cl. The order of the twenty-four books of the Scriptures is different from the accepted one: probably it is an ancient order, as follows: (Torah) Five Books of Moses; (Prophets) Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel; (Minor Prophets) [Hagiographa] Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Chronicles, Ezra: all from the 24 books. Next, the excerpts from mishnayyot are read, the beginning and end of every treatise, in all sixty-three, with some important chapters in extenso; next, the Sefer Yeẓirah; the 613 precepts as enumerated by Maimonides (see Commandments, The 613). Later, excerpts from the Zohar bearing on the subject were added, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which a Kaddish di-Rabbanan is recited.

The Zohar calls the time between Passover and Pentecost the "courting days of the bridegroom Israel with the bride Torah." Those who participate in the tiḳḳun celebration are the Temple-men meaning those "of the King [God]." The Zohar has two epigrams on Pentecost: (1) "In the twin month [zodiac sign of Gemini] the twin Law [written and oral] was given to the children of twin Israel [Jacob and Esau]." (2) "In the third month Sivan the treble Law [Pentateuch, Prophets, and Hagiographa] was given to the choice [Hebrew word similar to word for three] people" (Zohar, Yitro, 78b).

Because the Law was given on Pentecost, the Rabbis wished to make that day the most enjoyable holy day. R. Joseph ordered a third (best) calf for the festival, saying: "Were it not for this day how many Josephs would there be in the street!" ("without the Law there would be no distinction of scholarship," Pes. 68b). A popular custom on Pentecost is to eat dairy foods and cheese-cakes in honor of the Law, which is likened to "honey and milk" (Cant.iv. 11). The meat meal follows the milk meal. These two meals represent the two loaves of bread, formerly offered in the bikkurim offering at the Temple service.

In the synagogue the scroll of Ruth is read because the story of Ruth embracing Judaism and the description of the scene of harvesting are appropriate to the festival of the Law and of the harvest. Another reason given is that King David, a descendant of Ruth, died on Pentecost (Sha'are Teshubah to Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 494).

Floral decorations and confirmation
The custom widely prevails of displaying greens on the floors and of otherwise decorating the home and the synagogue with plants, flowers, and even with trees. The greens serve to remind one of the green mountain of Sinai; the trees, of the judgment day for fruit-trees on Pentecost (R. H. i. 2); they also commemorate the harvest festival of former times.






Sukkot (סוכות or סֻכּוֹת sukkōt, booths) or Succoth or Sukkos is a Biblical pilgrimage festival which occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishri (mid- to late-October). The holiday is also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, Tabernacles, or the Feast of Ingathering. In Judaism it is one of the three major holidays known as the Shalosh Regalim, which mark the three times during the year that the Jewish populace travelled to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. During this holiday, Jews eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep in a sukkah, a temporary structure (see below). The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of huts in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, and reflects God's benevolence in providing for all their needs in the desert.

In Israel (and among Reform Jews), Sukkot is a 7-day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals. Outside the land of Israel, the first two days are celebrated as full festivals. The remaining days are known as Chol HaMoed (festival weekdays). The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabbah and has a special observance of its own.

The day immediately following Sukkot is a separate holiday known as Shemini Atzeret, "the Eighth (Day) of Assembly." In Israel, the celebration of Shemini Atzeret includes Simchat Torah. Outside the land of Israel, Shemini Atzeret is celebrated on the day after Sukkot and Simchat Torah is celebrated on the day after that, bringing the total days of festivities to eight in Israel and nine outside Israel.

Sukkot laws and customs

The sukkah
The central symbol of Sukkot is the sukkah, a temporary dwelling place. According to the Torah, men and boys over the age of bar mitzvah are required by the Torah to lesheiv (לישב, meaning to "sit" or "dwell") in a sukkah during the entire 7-day holiday. (Women and girls are exempt from this mitzvah, although if they would like to eat or sleep in a sukkah, they are certainly allowed to. They will also pronounce the special blessing before eating bread or cake in a sukkah: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah.") In Conservative Judaism, the mitzvah to lesheiv is incumbent on all Jews over the age of b'nai mitzvah, both male and female.

According to Halakha, a sukkah is a structure consisting of 2 1/2, 3, or 4 walls with a roof made of an organic material which has been disconnected from the ground (the s'chach). It should be at least three feet tall. Portable sukkahs are available for those who have little space, or when travelling (in order to have a place to eat one's meals). The sky should be mostly visible from the location where the sukkah is built.

In practice, the walls of a sukkah can be built from anything ranging from wood to canvas to aluminium, and the roof material can range from pine branches to palm fronds to bamboo. The walls may also be part of a house or fence. The specific details of what constitutes a wall, how short/tall a wall can be, whether there can be spaces between the walls and the roof, and the exact material required for the s'chach can be found in various exegetical texts.

S'chach is the Hebrew name for the material used as a roof for a sukkah. S'chach has to have grown from the ground, but then must be disconnected from it. Palm leaves, bamboo sticks and pine branches and even wood as well as many other types of organic material could all be used for s'chach unless they were processed for a different use.


Many people hang decorations such as dried or plastic fruit, streamers, shiny ornaments, and pictures from the interior walls and ceiling beams of a sukkah. Families may also line the interior walls with white sheeting, in order to recall the "Clouds of Glory" that surrounded the Jewish nation during their wanderings in the desert.

In Israel and in temperate climates, Orthodox Jews will conduct all their eating, studying, and sleeping activities in the sukkah. Many Jews will not eat anything except water or fruit outside the sukkah. In Israel, it is common practice for hotels, restaurants, snack shops, and outdoor tourist attractions (such as the zoo) to provide an eating sukkah for their guests. Sukkas can also be seen on apartment balconies. On the directive of their rebbe, Lubavitcher Hasidim differ from other Orthodox Jews in that they don't sleep in the sukkah due to its intrinsic holiness.

In cold climates such as the Eastern United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, full observance of the mitzvah of sleeping in the sukkah is almost impossible. Jews in these locales will spend some time in the sukkah eating and relaxing but go indoors to sleep. Though one need not eat or sleep in the sukkah if it is raining, Lubavitcher Hasidim will still eat there.

Although the festival of Sukkot is a joyous occasion, and is referred to in Hebrew as Yom Simchateinu (the day of our rejoicing) or Z'man Simchateinu, (the season of our rejoicing), the sukkah itself symbolises the frailty and transience of life. It also reminds its dwellers that true security comes from faith in God, rather than from money or possessions.


Ushpizzin
Many Jews observe the custom of inviting seven spiritual "guests" (known as ushpizzin) to be with them in their sukkah. These ushpizzin are the seven "shepherds" of Israel. They are:

Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Joseph (the three Patriarchs and Jacob's most famous son)
Moses (the most important Hebrew prophet)
Aaron (Moses's brother, the first Kohen Gadol, or High Priest)
David (the most important king of Israel)
According to tradition, each night a different guest enters the sukkah first and the other six follow him. The custom of inviting guests to the sukkah also includes living guests; many people invite family, friends, neighbours, or people who are alone to join them for a snack or a meal. These guests may be Jews or gentiles.


The Four Species

The Tosher Rebbe of Montreal, Canada waving the Four Species during HallelOn each of the seven days of Sukkot, the Torah requires the Jew to take Four Species of plants and to wave them in a specific pattern. These species are: the lulav (date palm frond), hadass (bough of a myrtle tree), and aravah (willow branch)—which are bound together and collectively referred to as the lulav—and the etrog (a citron, a lemon-like citrus fruit). These plants are usually sold in religious communities during the days preceding the festival. However, in some Reform communities where these plants are not available locally, other plants such as reeds are substituted for one or more of the four species.

The Four Species are waved as follows: The first three species are held in the right hand, while the etrog is held in the left hand. The user holds his or her hands apart while saying the special blessing, "Blessed are You, God our Lord, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to take the lulav". Then the user brings his or her hands together so that the etrog touches the lulav bundle, and points and gently shakes the Four Species three times in each of the four directions, as well as up and down. Symbolically, this ceremony is a prayer for adequate rainfall for all the vegetation of the earth in the coming year.

In Orthodox circles, the mitzvah of waving the lulav and etrog is mandatory each day of Sukkot (except Shabbat) for men and boys over the age of bar mitzvah. Women are not obligated to wave the lulav and etrog, but they may do so if they choose. In Conservative and Reform circles, all Jews over the age of b'nai mitzvah perform the waving ceremony.

The waving ceremony is usually done in the synagogue during the daily prayer services, although it can also be done in the privacy of one's home or sukkah. During the first six days of Sukkot, all the worshippers in the synagogue leave their seats and make a complete circuit around the sanctuary in a procession with their lulavs. The lulav and etrog are shaken during the recital of Hallel. On the seventh day of the holiday, known as Hoshanah Rabbah, the worshippers make seven circuits around the sanctuary.

The mitzvah derives from the commandment in the Book of Leviticus: "And you shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of goodly (meaning of Hebrew uncertain, but modern Hebrew "citrus") trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook" (Lev. 23:40). The use to which these species are to be put is not indicated; this gave rise to divergent interpretations at a later time. Two breakaway sects, the Sadducees and the Karaites, maintained that they were meant for building the sukkah, as would appear from Neh. 8:14-18, while their opponents contended that they were to be carried in the synagogue procession.


Chol HaMo'ed
The second through seventh days of Sukkot (third through seventh days outside the land of Israel) are called Chol HaMo'ed (חול המועד - lit. "festival weekdays"). These days are considered by Halakha to be more than regular weekdays but less than festival days. In practice, this means that all activities that are needed for the holiday—such as buying and preparing food, cleaning the house in honor of the holiday, or traveling to visit other people's sukkahs or on family outings—are permitted by Jewish law. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday—such as laundering, ironing and mending clothes, engaging in labor-intensive activities, or performing business activities—are not permitted. Orthodox Jews typically treat Chol HaMo'ed as a vacation period, eating nicer than usual meals in their sukkah, entertaining guests, visiting other families in their sukkahs, and taking family outings. Nightly Simchat Beit HaShoeivah celebrations round out the holiday schedule.


Simchat Beit HaShoeivah
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, a unique service was performed every morning throughout the Sukkot holiday: the Nisuch HaMayim (נסוך המים—lit. "pouring of the water") or Water Libation Ceremony. According to the Talmud, Sukkot is the time of year in which God judges the world for rainfall; therefore this ceremony, like the taking of the Four Species, invokes God's blessing for rain in its proper time. The water for the libation ceremony was drawn from the pool of Shiloah in the City of David, and the joy that accompanied this procedure was palpable. (This is the source for the verse in Isaiah: "And you shall draw waters with joy from the wells of salvation" (Isa. 2).

Afterwards, every night in the outer Temple courtyard, tens of thousands of spectators would gather to watch the Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (Rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing), as the most pious members of the community danced and sang songs of praise to God. The dancers would carry lighted torches, and were accompanied by the harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets of the Levites. According to the Mishnah tractate Sukkah, "He who has not seen the rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life." Throughout Sukkot, the city of Jerusalem teemed with Jewish families who came on the holiday pilgrimage and joined together for feasting and Torah study.

Nowadays, this event is recalled via a Simchat Beit HaShoeivah gathering of music, dance and refreshments. This event takes place in a central location such as a synagogue, yeshiva, or place of study (refreshments are served in the adjoining sukkah). Live bands often accompany the dancers. The festivities usually begin late in the evening, and can last long into the night.


Hoshanah Rabbah
The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabbah (הושענא רבא, Great Supplication). This day is marked by a special synagogue service in which seven circuits are made by the worshippers with their lulav and etrog. In addition, a bundle of five aravah branches is taken and beaten against the ground, accompanied by a series of liturgical verses ending with, "Kol mevasser, mevasser ve-omer" (A voice brings news, brings news and says)—expressing hope for the speedy coming of the Messiah. The reasons for the latter custom are rooted in Kabbalah.

Abudarham speaks of the custom of reading the Torah on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah, out of which has grown the modern custom of meeting socially on that night and reading from Deuteronomy, Psalms, and passages from the Zohar; reciting Kabbalistic prayers; and eating refreshments. In Orthodox Jewish circles, men will stay up all night learning Torah.

Among Sephardic Jews, prayers known as "Selihot" (forgiveness) are recited before the regular morning service (these are the same prayers recited before Rosh Hashanah). In Amsterdam and in a few places in England, America, and elsewhere, the shofar is also sounded in connection with the processions. The latter practice reflects the idea that Hoshanah Rabbah is the end of the high holiday season, when the world is judged for the coming year.


Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
The holiday of Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת - lit. "the Eighth [day] of Assembly") is a separate festival that follows immediately after Sukkot, on the eighth day (eighth and ninth days outside the land of Israel). The family returns indoors to eat and sleep in their house, special synagogue services are held, and holiday meals are served.

In Israel, Shemini Atzeret lasts for one day and the festivities of Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה) coincide with it. Outside of Israel, Shemini Atzeret lasts for two days and the festivities of Simchat Torah fall on the second day. Simchat Torah (lit. "the joy of the Torah") is an especially happy day on which the very last portion of the Torah is read in the synagogue during morning services and, in order to convey the idea that Torah study never ends, the very first portion of the Torah (the beginning of Genesis) is read immediately after. All the men and boys over the age of bar mitzvah are called up to the Torah for an aliyah, and all the children under the age of bar mitzvah are also given an "aliyah" called Kol HaNa'arim (all the children)—the youngsters crowd around the reader's table while men hold up a large tallit to include them all in the aliyah.

Both during the night service and the morning service in Orthodox synagogues, all the Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and all the worshippers engage in rounds of spirited dancing. Seven official circuits around the reader's table (called "hakafot") are made, although the dancing can go on for hours.

In the Former Soviet Union, Simchat Torah was the day on which Jews gathered in the street outside the synagogue to dance and proclaim their Jewishness openly. Refuseniks were often inspired by that Simchat Torah celebration to pursue other Jewish religious practices in secret, despite Communist oppression.


The holiday in the Bible
In the Hebrew Bible, Sukkot is called:

“The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths)” (Lev. 23:34; Deut. 16:13, 16; 31:10; Zech. 14:16, 18, 19; Ezra 3:4; 2 Chron. 8:13)
“The Feast of Ingathering” (Ex. 23:16, 34:22)
“The Feast” or “the festival” (1 Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:8)
“The Feast of the Lord” (Lev. 23:39; Judges 21:19)
“The festival of the seventh month” (Ezek. 45:25; Neh. 8:14)
“A holy convocation” or “a sacred occasion” (Num. 29:12)
In later Hebrew literature it is called “chag,” or "[the] festival."

Sukkot was agricultural in origin. This is evident from the name "The Feast of Ingathering," from the ceremonies accompanying it, and from the season and occasion of its celebration: "At the end of the year when you gather in your labors out of the field" (Ex. 23:16); "after you have gathered in from your threshing-floor and from your winepress" (Deut. 16:13). It was a thanksgiving for the fruit harvest (compare Judges 9:27). And in what may explain the festival’s name, Isaiah reports that grape harvesters kept booths in their vineyards (Isa. 1:8). Coming as it did at the completion of the harvest, Sukkot was regarded as a general thanksgiving for the bounty of nature in the year that had passed.

Sukkot became one of the most important feasts in Judaism, as indicated by its designation as “the Feast of the Lord” (Lev. 23:39; Judges 21:19) or simply “the Feast” (1 Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:8). Perhaps because of its wide attendance, Sukkot became the appropriate time for important state ceremonies. Moses instructed the children of Israel to gather for a reading of the Law during Sukkot every seventh year (Deut. 31:10-11). King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem on Sukkot (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7). And Sukkot was the first sacred occasion observed after the resumption of sacrifices in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3:2-4).

In the time of Nehemiah, after the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites celebrated Sukkot by making and dwelling in booths, a practice of which Nehemiah reports: “the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua” (Neh. 8:13-17). In a practice related to that of the Four Species, Nehemiah also reports that the Israelites found in the Law the commandment that they “go out to the mountains and bring leafy branches of olive trees, pine trees, myrtles, palms and [other] leafy trees to make booths” (Neh. 8:14-15). In Leviticus, God told Moses to command the people: “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook” (Lev. 23:40), and “You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Lev. 23:42-43). Numbers, however, indicates that while in the wilderness, the Israelites dwelt in tents (Num. 11:10; 16:27). Some scholars consider Leviticus 23:39-43 (the commandments regarding booths and the four species) to be an insertion by a late redactor. (E.g., Richard Elliott Friedman. The Bible with Sources Revealed, 228-29. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2003.)

Jeroboam son of Nebat, King of the northern Kingdom of Israel, whom Kings describes as practicing “his evil way” (1 Kings 13:33), celebrated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, one month after Sukkot, “in imitation of the festival in Judah” (1 Kings 12:32-33). “While Jeroboam was standing on the altar to present the offering, the man of God, at the command of the Lord, cried out against the altar” in disapproval (1 Kings 13:1).

According to Zechariah (Zech. 14:16-19), Sukkot in the messianic era will become a universal festival, and all the surrounding nations will make pilgrimages annually to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast there. (A modern interpretation of this resulted in a recent holiday celebrated in Jerusalem by non-Jews, "The Feast of Tabernacles".) Sukkot is here associated with the granting of rain, an idea further developed in later Jewish literature.

Observance of Sukkot is detailed in Mishnah and Talmud tractate Sukkah, part of the order Moed (Festivals).

Hope this helps.

Elliot