What is Sukkot

The full moon of Sukkot reveals all that was hidden on the new moon of Rosh Hashanah.

Sukkah (booth) and Sukkot in Torah

You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period: every native in Israel shall dwell in booths.  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.  And Moses declared the appointed festival of Hashem to the Children of Israel.           Vayikra / Leviticus 23:42-44

You shall make the festival of Succos for a seven-day period, when you gather in from your threshing floor and from your wine vat.  You shall rejoice on your festival…and you will be completely joyous.         Devarim / Deuteronomy 16:13-15

Historical, Spiritual, and Agricultural motifs of Sukkot

Not only is it a delightful experience to sit in your sukkah, Sukkot is symbolic of a wealth of historical, spiritual and agricultural motifs.

The ideas about the Sefirot discussed on the Design Influences webpage are found in traditional prayerbooks such as the Artscroll Siddur.

The sukkah reminds us of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt and wandering in the desert. Some say the booths were the clouds of glory that protected the Israelites in the desert. The sukkah is a symbol of Israel’s trust and faith that strength is found in
G*d.  The humble structure it is also a reminder of poverty.

The sukkah expresses the theme of freedom and servitude.  While Passover celebrates physical freedom and Shavuot celebrates spiritual freedom, the sukkah symbolizes inner freedom. Sukkot inspired the founders of the United States to declare the Thanksgiving holiday.  Sukkot is associated with prayers for water.

The sukkah is always a symbol of universal peace.

Sukkot has many names. 

It is also called the Festival of Booths.  The liturgy calls Sukkot The Season of Our Rejoicing and happiness is essential to the celebration.  Some call Sukkot The Day of Sealing of vows, an extension of Yom Kippur.  Sukkot is also referred to as the Feast of Tabernacles.  Sukkot, The Festival of Ingathering, celebrates the final harvest of the year before winter and the produce of the Land of Israel.

We study Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) during Sukkot.

As we sit in the SukkahSoul sukkah surrounded by hanging fruit and feel autumn approach, see the sky and stars through the roof of leaves, our tradition since the Talmudic era calls us to study Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) during Sukkot.

Everything has its season,
and there is a time for everything under the heavens:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot the planted ….
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to wail and a time to dance.

Sukkot is also transliterated as: Succot, Succos, Succoth and Sukkos.

A sukkah is an outdoor garden structure sometimes transliterated as succah and sukka.