Sukkōt is one of most
prominent and most celebrated Jewish festivals of the year. It is a biblical
holiday for our Jewish brothers. Following the more solemn Day of Atonement or
Yom Kippur, Sukkōt is the time to rejoice. It is celebrated for seven days, as
a traditional way to remember the trials and hardships the Jews brothers went
through to escape the slavery they suffered in Egypt. Their arduous journey
through the desert from Egypt to Israel took over 40 years.
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Pray with lulav during Sukkot at the Western Wall in
Jerusalem
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They traveled and
braved the harsh desert environment without any real shelter or a sturdy roof
above their heads. By some miracle, there would always be clouds in the sky,
which provided them temporary shelter from the unforgiving heat of the sun in
the desert. Jewish ancestors referred to the cloud cover as clouds of glory. And their belief in God Almighty is so strong
and they relied on that belief. Manna rained from the heavens, providing them
with food until they reached their destination.
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| Etrog, silver etrog box and lulav, used on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot |
Sukkōt, the plural of sukkah, is the Hebrew word for booth or
tabernacle. These are temporary and flimsy dwellings that the Israelites
constructed as their shelter during their exodus in the desert. These simple
booths provided them a place to stay, sleep and eat while taking a brief rest
from their trek.
