3/17/2023 0 Comments Wandering willows video![]() ![]() In the land of Israel, Sukkot is seven days long outside of Israel, it’s celebrated for eight days. The Talmud declares that “One who did not see the Celebration of the Place of the Drawing of the Water never saw celebration in his days” (Mishna Sukkah 5:1). Each night of the holiday people sang and danced from the Temple to the spring of Shiloach nearby, where they would draw pitchers of cold, clear water and bring them back to the Temple. When the ancient Jewish Temples stood in Jerusalem, Jews would come to Jerusalem from all over the Land of Israel on Sukkot. ![]() Sukkot comes at the start of the rainy season in Israel, and since ancient times it’s been associated with water. The Torah uses the word joy ( simcha) more in connection with Sukkot than with other holidays. The prayers refer to the holiday as “ zman simchateinu – the time of our joy”. It’s common to wish people Chag Sameach on all Jewish holidays, and on Sukkot it’s particularly apt. Chag SameachĬhag means holiday in Hebrew. It’s similar to the Jewish people: no matter what our level of knowledge or observance, we’re all one people. If even one is left out, one doesn’t fulfill the mitzvah. The Aravah has neither smell nor taste: it’s likened to a Jew who has neither Torah learning nor good deeds.ĭespite their different roles, these four plants must be brought together to perform the mitzvah of shaking the lulav. Lulav plants produce delicious dates, but have no smell: the lulav is likened to a person who studies Torah but doesn’t do any good deeds.Ī Hadas smells fresh and wonderful, but myrtle plants produce no fruit: they are likened to a person who does good deeds but without any knowledge of Torah. It’s likened to a person who learns much Torah and does many good deeds. The Etrog has a beautiful, lemony smell, and if it’s grown privately (without the many pesticides that commercial etrog farms often employ) it has a beautiful taste as well. Together, these four plants remind us that we bring our whole selves to perform this mitzvah on Sukkot. Many note that the shape of an Etrog resembles a heart, the shape of a Lulav is like a straight spine, the shape of leaves on the Hadas looks like eyes, and the leaves on the Aravah recall the shape of a mouth. The arba minim are widely known by their Hebrew names: Etrog (citron) Lulav (palm branch) Hadas (myrtle branch) and Aravah (willow branch).Įach plant in the arba minim is laden with symbolism. (The three branches are placed together in one hand while the citron fruit is held in the other hand.) Holding these four types of plants together, we then wave them forward and backward, left and right, up and down, symbolizing the fact that God is all around. You shall take for yourselves…the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date palms, myrtle branches, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before Hashem, your God, for seven days (Leviticus 23:40).Įach morning, except for Shabbat, Jews take these four plants together in their hands and make a special blessing. (See Arba Minim below.) Arba Minim – The Four SpeciesĪ key mitzvot of Sukkot, the arba minim (literally, the Four Species) are four different types of plants that we bring together each Sukkot: Aravah – Willow BranchĪ willow branch that’s one of the four species used on Sukkot. While our sukkot are made of much more prosaic materials, they still remind us that we live in God’s loving embrace. The great sage Rabbi Eliezar taught that these original sukkot were composed not of earthly materials but of the otherworldly Clouds of Glory ( Ananei Hakavod in Hebrew) which God sent to our ancestors to lead them on their way as they wandered through the desert, heading to the Land of Israel (Talmud Sukkot 11b). The Talmud notes that the original sukkot were the structures our ancestors lived in after leaving Egypt while they were wandering in the desert. ![]() So that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took them from the land of Egypt I am Hashem, your God (Leviticus 23:42-43). You shall dwell in booths for a 7-day period every native in Israel shall dwell in booths. Ananei Hakavod - Clouds of GloryĪ central commandment of the holiday of Sukkot is to spend time in temporary outdoor huts called sukkot: The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is full of beautiful customs and traditions – and a lot of strange terms for the uninitiated. Here’s a guide to some of the key words associated with this week-long festival. ![]()
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