Along with Passover and Shavuot, Sukkot is one of the Shalosh Regalim -- the three pilgrimage festivals -- described in the Bible on which Jews would journey to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices.

Like most Jewish holidays, Sukkot has many names. It is called Hag HaSukkot -- the Festival of Booths. It is also known as Hag HaAsif -- the Festival of the Ingathering. This phrase refers to both the ingathering of pilgrims at the Temple in Jerusalem and the ingathering of the harvest. Finally, Sukkot is known as Zman Simchateinu -- the Season of Our Rejoicing. The sense of joy and celebration associated with Succot contrasts sharply with the seriousness that characterizes the High Holy Days that precede it.

The holiday of Sukkot is inextricably linked to the agricultural cycle in the Land of Israel. Sukkot coincides with the season of the fruit harvest -- specifically the grape harvest. From the major symbols associated with the holiday, to its customs and observances, to the texts of the liturgy, the holiday of Sukkot reinforces the profound connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel on a broad range of levels.

The holiday of Sukkot lasts for eight days in Israel (seven days of Sukkot plus Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah observed on the same day) and nine days outside of Israel (seven days of Sukkot plus Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah observed on separate days). Jewish law distinguishes between the first and last days of the holiday period -- which are designated as Hag (holiday) -- and the intermediate days which are called Chol HaMoed. On Chol HaMoed, the rabbinic restrictions that apply to the Sabbath and festivals (regarding working, travel, shopping, etc.) are relaxed. In Israel, only the first and eighth day of the holiday carry Shabbat-like prohibitions. Outside of Israel, such restrictions apply to the first two days and the last two days (the 8th and 9th days) of the festival. [Reform Jews in general don't observe the extra day of holiday mandated by the Rabbis for those living outside the land of Israel.]

While the Jewish holiday of Sukkot is not as well known or as widely observed as Passover, it is an ancient celebration -- vividly described in the Bible -- and a time when some of the most joyful and colorful observances in all of Judaism take place.

The Hebrew word Sukkot refers to the booths or huts that Jews build to mark the holiday. These temporary structures have a dual meaning. First -- and most foremost -- they are a symbolic of the dwellings that the Hebrews lived in following the Exodus from Egypt before entering the Land of Israel. In Leviticus it says: "You shall live in booths seven days; all the citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations shall know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt (Leviticus 42-43)." They are also reminiscent of Sukkot's origins as an ancient agricultural festival. In Israel, the holiday of Sukkot coincides with the fruit harvest (especially the grape harvest). During the harvest season, the Israelites would build such temporary shelters out in the fields. Dwelling in the Sukkah is a metaphor for the impermanence of life.

A Sukkah (the singular of Sukkot) is by definition a temporary structure. It may have four walls or it can have three walls and attach to a permanent structure like a house. The wall of a Sukkah can be constructed out of any material -- wood, metal, fabric, even plastic -- but the roof of the Sukkah (Schach in Hebrew) must be composed of some type of organic material that has been detached from the ground. Tree branches, corn stalks, and bamboo are commonly used materials. In Israel, of course, palm branches are the material of choice. The Schach must be placed in such a way that there is more shade than sun inside the Sukkah (optimally, one should be able to see the stars at night). Among traditional Jews, there is a custom to start building the Sukkah the same evening that the Yom Kippur Fast ends.

Traditional Jews eat all of their meals in the Sukkah during the holiday. It is an honor to have guests in your Sukkah to share a festive holiday meal. Among traditional Jews, it is also customary to host parties for children in the Sukkah. Some synagogues sponsor "Sukkah Hops" in which members meet up and walk from Sukkah to Sukkah usually enjoying light refreshments and a L'Chaim (a sip of Schnaps) at each stop along the way. Some observant Jews will sleep in the Sukkah as well.

While it is not specifically mandated in the Bible, it is a widely observed custom to decorate the Sukkah. Fruits and vegetables -- real and plastic -- are hung from roof of the Sukkah. Lights, pictures, and even brightly colored streamers and elaborate ornaments are used. Almost every traditional Jewish family has a supply of children's art work that is lovingly displayed in the Sukkah each year.

There is a custom to ceremonially "invite" the Ushpizin (Aramaic for guests) -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David -- to visit the Sukkah during the holiday. According to Jewish lore, these eminent Jewish forefathers visit each Sukkah during the seven-day festival. Posters and other representations of the Ushpizin are often used to decorate the walls of Sukkah. In some Sephardic communities, an empty chair is set aside for them to symbolically occupy. In a modern twist on tradition, there is a movement to add our Jewish foremothers -- Sarah, Rivkah, Leah, Rachel, Dinah, Miriam, and Ruth -- to roster of Ushpizin and to ceremonially invite them to become honored guests in the Sukkah as well.

In Israel, the municipalities trim the palm trees right before Sukkot and people freely take the branches to use as Schach on their Sukkot. In Jerusalem, there is a Sukkah on almost every balcony and in every courtyard. Hotels and restaurants have their own grandly decorated Sukkot for holiday guests and patrons. It is fascinating to walk around the different Jerusalem neighborhoods and admire the range of design skills, decorating styles, and materials used in making Sukkot.

The other prominent Torah commandment associated with Sukkot is the Four Species (the Arba Minim): palm branch (Lulav), three myrtle boughs(Haddas), two willow branches (Aravot) and the citron (the Etrog). In Leviticus 23: 40, it says: "On the first day you shall take the product of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Eternal your God for seven days."

The palm branch, the myrtle, and the willow are bound together and are collectively known as the Lulav. The citron is a lemon-like citrus fruit. In order to fulfill the commandment to rejoice before the Lord by waving the Four Species, the Lulav is held in the right hand and the Etrog in the left. After saying the traditional blessing, one shakes and points the Lulav and Etrog three times in each of the four compass directions -- north, east, south, west -- as well as upwards and downwards. While women are not legally obligated to wave the Lulav and Etrog, they are not forbidden to participate either.

On each day of the Sukkot holiday, the congregation parades around the synagogue carrying their Lulavim and Etrogim and reciting Psalm 118:25 (We beseech you, O Lord, save us). These ceremonial processionals are known as Hoshanot. During Sukkot, the four species are paraded around the synagogue sanctuary in a circuit once each morning. On Hoshanah Rabbah, there are seven circuits.

The 7th day and last official day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabbah (the Great Hoshanah). It is so named because there are more Hoshanot (processionals around the synagogue carrying the Lulav and Etrog) performed on this day than on all the previous days of the holiday put together. This day is marked by a special service in which worshippers carrying their Lulavs and Etrogs circle the synagogue seven times. The other ritual associated with Hoshanah Rabbah is the beating of the Willow branches (Aravot). Willow branches are beaten against the floor five times. In some communities, the Shofar / ram's horn is also sounded during the Hoshanot processions on Hoshanah Rabbah.

Because the Torah describes the Lulav as Hadar -- goodly or beautiful, Jews take care in selecting the plants used to make them. In Jerusalem, you will see Orthodox Jews crowded around kiosks searching for the the straightest palm branches, the freshest myrtle boughs, the willow branches with the most leaves, and the most perfect and unblemished citron.

One reason that Sukkot is called the Season of Our Rejoicing is because it incorporates several other distict holidays. In Temple times, the city of Jerusalem was the scene of extraordinary celebration and spiritual ecstasy during the week-long festival of Sukkot.

Simchat Beit HaShoevah
(Rejoicing at the Place of the Water Drawing)
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Water Libation Ceremony was performed every morning of the Sukkot holiday. This ancient ceremony was designed to invoke God's blessing for rainfall in the Land of Israel in accordance with the passage from Isaiah: "And you shall draw waters with joy from the well of salvation (Isaiah 12:3)." Every day, throngs would gather in the Temple Courtyard to watch as water poured on the altar as a libation. Lit by torches, the water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam in the biblical City of David. Songs of praise to the Lord, exuberant dancing, and Levites playing harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets accompanied the scene. Since the destruction of the Temple by Imperial Rome in 70 CE, this ceremony can no longer be observed, but according to the Mishnah (Rabbinic commentaries on the Bible), "He who has not seen Rejoicing at the Place of the Water Drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life."

Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
The eighth day of Sukkot is called Shemini Atzeret. Shemini Atzeret is a separate holiday from Sukkot (Sukkot formally ends with Hoshanah Rabbah), but thematically the holidays are linked. The Rabbis explained the relationship between Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah in a parable: God is like a king who invites all his children to a feast to last for just so many days. When the time comes for them to depart, He says to them: "My children, I have a request to make of you ... Stay yet another day, I hate to see you go." With Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah the Season of Rejoicing is coming to a close, and the Jewish people are lingering trying to savor every last moment like honored guests in the Palace of the Lord.

The word Shemini means eight and the word Atzeret means assembly or holy convocation. Special services are held on Shemini Atzeret and in Israel, one no longer permitted to eat (or sleep) in the Sukkah. Shemini Atzeret is the day that Tefilat HaGeshem -- the prayer petitioning to bring rain to the Land of Israel in its proper season -- is recited aloud. Even though this may seem irrelevant to a Jew living in Seattle, for example, the continued recitation of the Prayer for Rain (and others prayers like it) serves an essential purpose. It heightens the connection all Jews feel with the Land of Israel -- regardless of where they may reside. In Israel, the observances of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are held concurrently (they share the same day). Outside of Israel, Shemini Atzeret lasts for two days and the observances associated with Simchat Torah take place on the 2nd day.

Simchat Torah
(The Rejoicing of the Torah)
Simchat Torah marks the end of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings and the beginning of a new year's cycle. (In this case, the word Torah refers to the Pentateuch or first five books of the Bible). Each week in a traditional synagogue, Jews publicly read a few chapters from the Torah (starting with Genesis Chapter 1 going straight through Deuteronomy Chapter 34). As proof that the cycle of Torah readings has no beginning and no ending, on Simchat Torah, the last Torah portion of Deuteronomy is read followed immediately by the first chapter of Genesis. This is a time of joyful celebration. There are processions around the synagogue carrying Torah scrolls and accompanied by joyful singing and high-spirited dancing known as Hakafot. As many people as possible are given the honor of reciting the blessing over the Torah on Simchat Torah. This is known as an Aliyah to the Torah (Aliyah is Hebrew word for ascending or ascencion -- it is also coincidently the word for immigrating to Israel). In a traditional synagogue, all the men and the boys over the age of Bar Mitzvah age are called up for an Aliyah (in a progressive synagogue, women and girls over the age of Bat Mitzvah may also be called up). Sometimes, entire families are called up at one time. There is also a custom that all the children under Bar / Bat Mitzvah age have their own Aliyah. They crowd around the reader's table while a
a large Tallit / Tallis (prayer shawl) is suspended over their heads.

During both the evening and the morning services, the Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and are passed around the congregation to be cradled, held aloft, and paraded around the synagogue These ceremonial processions are punctuated by joyful singing and exuberant dancing. As many people as possible are given the honor of carrying a Torah scroll. The singing and dancing that sometimes continues for several hours. Seven official Hakafot processions are conducted around the sanctuary. Children carrying plush stuffed toy Torahs or paper scolls join in the processions (when they aren't being danced around on the shoulders of the loving parents). For many Jews, this is as "hands on" and personal as they ever get with Torah scrolls. It is an deeply moving and spiritually uplifting experience.

In Jerusalem, it is customary for students from different Yeshivas (institutions of religious learning) to parade through the streets then converge en masse at the Wailing Wall on the morning of Simchat Torah. Led by Torah Scrolls carried under a canopy literally thousands of Jews sing and dance their way through the streets to the Western Wall in a procession that stretches for as far as the eye can see.

For many Jews (myself included), Sukkot is the favorite Jewish holiday of the year. Gathering together in the Sukkah and sharing a festive meal with family and friends on a sunny autumn afternoon --or an Indian summer evening under a harvest moon -- can be profoundly memorable. As a single parent living in a non-Jewish neighborhood, I joyfully built a small Sukkah and festooned it with paper chains and plastic fruit. My elementary school-aged son and I ate our holiday meals in our cramped hut(which was about the size of a small bathroom). We invited guests to join us. With walls made of bright blue plastic tarps (I do live in rainy Seattle after all), I can only imagine what the Gentile neighbors must have thought of our "new addition" to our family home.

Sukkot is also the source of one of my favorite Midrashim (Rabbinic homilies). According to the Sages, the Four Species that make up the Lulav and Etrog represent four different types of Jews. The Etrog has a good taste and a good fragrance. It represents a person with both wisdom (Torah learning) and good deeds. The Hadas (myrtle) has a good fragrance, but is inedible. It represents a person who has good deeds, but lacks wisdom. The Lulav (palm branch) is edible, but has no smell. This represents the person with wisdom, but without good deeds. The Aravah (willow) has neither taste nor smell. It represents a person with neither good deeds nor Torah learning. According to the Rabbis, just as each plant in the Four Species has a special purpose, each group within the Jewish community has its own unique role in God's divine plan (and together the sum is infinitely greater than any of its constituent parts).

Our fabulous finds and great values will make online shopping one of your favorite guilty pleasures.

At NicheMarketplace, we strive to offer our customers an online emporium of unique products and distinctive gifts.

Whether you're searching for plus size apparel, designer accessories, fashion jewelry, Jewish / Judaica treasures, holiday collectibles, upscale home decor, or hand-blown art glass, our goal is to offer our buyers "the complete shopping experience"-one that is convenient, hassle-free, and fun.

Customer satisfaction is vitally important to us. We know our buyers have many online shopping options. Because we appreciate our customers and want them to shop with us again, we strive to ensure that every online shopping experience will be a completely positive one.

Let us be your online personal shopping service. Regardless of what you're searching for, we want to be your one-stop shop for one-of-kind merchandise and gifts. Most importantly, you can click with confidence because every NicheMarketplace purchase is 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed.

Sign up for our E-mail newsletter and receive our Ten Top Tips for Winning Online Auctions, as well as a FREE GIFT with your next purchase from NicheMarketplace.

Go to HOT TIPS & FREE GIFT at: NicheMarketplace--Your Online Emporium

This recipe comes from the Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant cookbook (from the Moosewood Collective). This soup can be served warm on a chilly autumn evening or at room temperature on a balmy Indian summer afternoon.

LIGHTLY SPICED TOMATO SOUP

1 c. finely chopped onion
1-2 T. vegetable / olive oil
1 small chile seeded and minced
or a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. tumeric
1/4 t. cardamom
1/8 t. cloves
6 c. tomato juice (46 ounce can)
1 c. water or vegetable stock
optional garnishes plain yogurt & poppadums

In a soup pot, saute onion in oil until translucent. Add chile and spices and saute another minute stirring constantly. Add tomato juice and water. Simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Optional -- Serve topped with a spoonful of plain yogurt or poppadums. For a heartier soup, add one cup of cooked rice while simmering.