Sukkot is a holiday rich in tradition and meaning. From the holding of the lulav and etrog to the sitting in a sukkah, the holiday is filled with symbolism to express our relationship to G-d.
Sukkot commemorates the protective “Clouds of Glory” surrounding the Jewish people after leaving Egypt during the 40 years of wandering in the desert. It also commemorates how the Jews lived in temporary dwellings during that same time. So too we leave the safety and security of our homes and put ourselves under the direct protection of G-d Almighty. His protection, in the final analysis, is the only one that matters
“In sukkot you shall dwell seven days, every citizen in Israel they shall dwell in sukkot, in order that your generations shall know, that in sukkot did I cause the children of Israel to dwell, when I brought them forth from the land of Egypt.”
Eating meals, sleeping and spending time in the Ssukkah is a unique religious experience. Some have the custom of decorating their sukkah with fancy decorations while others prefer to preserve its unadorned simplicity. The sukkah is the only mitzvah in which we are completely surrounded by the mitzvah itself; enveloped, as it were, in the Divine presence.
The other well-known mitzvah which pertains to Sukkot is the mitzvah of taking a lulav and etrog. There are actually four elements involved in this mitzvah and all must be present to properly fulfill it. The four elements are etrog, lulav, (palm branch), hadas (avot tree branch), aravah (willows of the brook). A bracha is said on the four species everyday of Sukkot.
When the Jewish people rejoice on Sukkot, our hearts go out to the entire world. That means that ultimately, when G-d brings peace to the earth it will be for all mankind. In those days when the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, the Sukkot festival offerings included seventy oxen, corresponding to the seventy nations, in prayer for peace and harmony among all the nations of the world.
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This article first appeared on sukkahs.com
