Dear All, A week-long holiday called Succos/Sukkot comes right on the heels of Yom Kippur.  It will start on the evening of (Columbus Day) Monday, Oct 13th.  It commemorates the Israelites' wandering in the desert for 40 years following their escape from slavery in  Egypt.  

This holiday used to be (in the Bible) the most important of Passover/Pesach & Shavuous/Giving of hte Torah on Mt. Sinai.  All 3 were Pilgramice Feasts, going to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The sukkah is a booth with a latticed roof.  Everyone eats at least one meal (at least the 1st meal of the holiday) in the sukkah during the Festival.  Some of the Torah-True, haredi, or CHassidic Jews even sleep there.  The children decorate the sukkah with harvest themes.

We also have special prayers with "props" for this holiday.  We call these harvested plants "the 4 Species."  They are a citrus fruit called the citron, & a group of 3 types of branches that we call the lulav.  The lulav is composed of a palm branch held in a holder made of palm -- the holder contains the palm branch plus 2 willow branches & 3 myrtle branches.  Holding the citron in the left hand, we hold the lulav in our right, & say the appropriate blessing.

We read the Book of Ecclesiastes on the Sabbath that falls within Succos.

RIght on the tail of Succos, we have 2 more holidays right in a row, Hosanna Rabbah (the great hosanna), & Simchas/Simchat Torah.  I'll write about these holidays next week.

Questions?  Comments?  As always, I'm all ears!  Yours in HIm, Deb

Is the fourty years in the desert thing with mose.sorry my spelling is bad today this has tto do with the book in the old testament of exodues one of the first five books in the old testament?????

Thank

cindy

Yes, you are remembering right, Cheap Chic.  The Torah (1st 5 Books of Moses) spends four books telling about the Israelites' escaping from slavery in Egypt, & then becoming a free people.  Those who had been slaves had a "slave mentality," & they had to die out before there would be a generation w/o thta mentality.  Actually, the newer generation still did many evil things, the worst of which was to worship the Golden Calf.

Neither Aaron, the High Priest, nor Moses, his brother were allowed to cross to the Promised Land, due to their sins.  Only the new leader, Joshua, could lead the people into the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land.

During the Desert Generation, the Israelites received the Law of G-d, starting with the Ten COmmandments.

Yours in Him, Deb

The Sukkah mitzvah Dwelling in the sukkah is one of the mitzvahs of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

It is a mitzvah to dwell in a sukkah for seven days.

Dear All, So as not to be confusing, this holiday follows the High Holy Days (Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur).  It won't occur until October 3rd (really starts the evening before).  I'll post ahead of time.  Yours in Him, Deb

way ahead of you this year I study on it since last year wow incrediable story that was with the colden calf thing me Im still doing some reasrch on days Im not to busy need to study more on it and this is a good reminder before the biggie high holy days..

Have one heck of a good day.:)

cindy

It's always good to study Torah/the Bible, dear CheapChic!  Love in Him, Deb

Dear Aall, We read the story of the Golden Calf next on Shabbat/the Sabbath 3/6/10.  (We have a calendar of when we read what portion of Torah.)  Yours in Hiiim, Deb

hmmmmm didn't know that, maybe someday I'll be ahead of the game, really not a game its just worth a good read to get back to simple times for a story to be read to kids about...

Dear Cheap Chic, I applaud you for readign your Bible, & you can start & end jusst wherever your heart desires!  Love inHiim , Deb

Deb, just wanted you to know that I really enjoy these posts.  I learn something about your religion each time and I truly believe the world would be a better place if we all took a little time to learn about each other.  I think we would see that we have so much more in common and wouldn't notice the differences so much.