Sukkot

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1. The Mussaf Sacrifices

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

   A close look at the Musaf Sacrifices reveals a general philosophy about the essence and order of the biblical holidays. This article attempts to uncover the hidden messages in the Musaf sacrifices of each holiday.

2. The War of Gog and Magog

   Haftarot: Chol Hamoed Sukkot

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   What is the relationship between the description of the war of Gog and Magog in Zachariah, which is read on the first day of Sukkot, and the description of the same Armageddon war in Ezekiel, which is read on Shabbat Hol Hamoed? What was the sin of Gog?

3. The Parasha of the Festivals: Its Structure and Significance

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The section dealing with the festivals in Parshat Emor raises a number of questions: What is the connection between Shabbat and the other festivals? Why does the Torah mention the commandments of leket and pe'ah in the middle of this section? Why is there a double conclusion for Sukkot? We can answer these questions by examining the structure of the parsha and its division into two parallel sections.

4. Shmini Atzeret: An Independent Holiday or a Continuation of Sukkot?

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell

5. The Seventy Bulls of Sukkot

   Rabbi Meir Spiegelman

6. The Dual Significance of Sukkot

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

7. The Seventh Month in Nevi'im and Ketuvim

   Elisheva Brauner

8. Preparation for Sukkot

   Dr. Noah Hacham

9. The Spiritual Process of the Holidays

   Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

10. Rain: Danger of Destruction or Dawn of Redemption?

    Elisheva Brauner

11. Educational Perspectives in the Study of Kohelet

    Rabbi David Nativ

    What is the message of the book of Kohelet, and why is it read on Sukkot? A close examination of the book reveals that it is unlike most of the other books in Tanakh.  The reader of Kohelet is struck by the tone of despair that is prominent throughout the book. Its verses consistently voice the lack of meaning and purpose in life, and contradictory phrases abound. This stands in sharp contrast to all other books of Tanakh, where we are accustomed to an optimistic approach and life is infused with meaning through its connection to Torah values. However, there is a clear ideological shift from the beginning of the book to the end. This shift can help us answer the question why we read the book of kohelet on Sukkot - by teaching us that the type of life we live on this earth needs to be molded by permanence.

12. Zechariah 13-14

    Matan Al Haperek

    Rabbi David Sabato

    Perakim 13 and 14 continue the succession of prophecies about the End of Days. Perek 13 includes two short prophecies about the End of Days: the vision of eradicating the pagan gods and prophets (2-6), and the vision of the purification and refining of the nation, which climaxes in the renewal of the covenant between God and His nation (7-9).

    Perek 14: The succession of End of Days prophecies in our book ends with a long and lofty prophecy which describes in detail the war of the End of Days. This prophecy is similar to the prophecy in perek 12. However, while the prophecy in perek 12 dealt with the fate of Jerusalem and Judah, our prophecy expands the perspective to the whole world. The prophecy opens with a description of the gathering for the war and the conquest of Jerusalem (1-2), followed by the appearance of God to go to war with the enemy (3-5). In the end, the transition from dark to light symbolizes the hope which will come after the war (6-9). Unlike Jerusalem which will be secure, the nations will be plagued (12-15). In the second half of the prophecy the prophet describes the kingdom of God over the land which will come after the war (16-21). 

13. Parashat HaShavua Emor - Regalim

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ו | | 23 minutes

    The festivals mentioned in the Torah are central and multifaceted, mentioned a number of times in key places. In our parasha, Parashat Emor, the element at the forefront appears to be the unique mitzvot of every moed(holiday). This shiur attempts to tie in that unique commandment of each regel to the element that seems to be missing from our parasha: how Am Yisrael relate to the Mikdash on the regalim. 

14. Pesach vs. Sukkot - The Freedom of Matzot

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 20 minutes

    When we compare Pesach to Sukkot, we find an interesting phenomenon: they both seem to be holidays lasting seven days, but whereas Sukkot involves actively dwelling in the Sukka for seven days, Pesach is different. There is one packed night of Pesach, followed by seven days of passively avoiding leavened bread. There seems to be no specific requirement of activity. Is this really the way the "festival of freedom" is meant to be? How does the concept of "cheirut" (freedom) fit in, and must we have a second look at the instructions surrounding Pesach?

     

15. Why does Mitzvah Sukkot Apply to Everyone?

    Rabbi David Silverberg

16. The Teshuva Revolution

    Part 2

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    Consistent with the transition detailed from a Temple-based Judaism to a Torah-centered lifestyle, the emphasis in this chapter is decidedly not on the Temple service. Many, if not all, of the practices omitted in this chapter bear significant connections to the Temple service. Ezra’s revolution, which seeks to reimagine Jewish life in the aftermath of the destruction of the First Commonwealth, envisions an observance of the holidays that does not revolve around the sacrificial service.

    Putting Esther and Nehemya together, it appears that repairing the Jewish People’s social fabric was a major point of emphasis for both post-exilic communities. It is almost as if Tanakh implies that Jews of Persia and Israel sought to “undo” the sins of previous generations, in which the wealthy trampled upon the poor and there were irreparable divisions between the different classes of society. Both Esther and Nehemya worked to create greater unity by emphasizing the importance of generosity at times of communal celebration, so that no one would feel excluded.

    The extraordinary moment of solidarity around the celebration of Sukkot – with all the difficulties it raises regarding contemporary observance of that holiday - coupled with the dramatic impact of the Torah reading ceremony just a few days earlier, combines to make the events of Nehemya chapter eight some of the most climactic known to biblical history.

17. Ki Tavo: In the Garden of Eden

    Rabbi Jay Kelman

18. Haftarat Sukkot - Earthquakes

    Rabbi David Silverberg

19. Test yourself: Do you know your Biblical Sukkot facts?

    HaTanakh.com Staff

20. Sukkot and the Attribute of Justice

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    If we compare the way in which the festivals in the month of Tishrei are treated by the Torah and by Chazal, we arrive at an interesting observation: the impression one gets from the Torah's description is of days of joy and happiness, in apparent contrast to the dimension of justice so strongly emphasized by Chazal. Through an analysis of the holiday of Sukkot, we can understand the central motif of the prayers for rain, which occupies an important position in the Sukkot ritual. 

21. Why Kohelet is Worthy of Being in Tanakh

    Rabbi David Silverberg

22. Pesach and Sukkot, the Mishkan and the Mikdash

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    We find in the Torah two distinct calendar systems.  On the one hand, the Torah explicitly establishes that the year begins with the month of Nissan: "This month shall be for you the first of the months; it is for you the first of the months of the year" (Shemot 12:1).  

    The occasion of Yom Kippur, though, marks the "new year" of the yovel (Vayikra 25:9-10).  And yet, the Torah also speaks of the festival of Sukkot as occurring "when the year ends" (Exodus 23:16), and requires conducting the hakhel ceremony "at the end of seven years, at the time of the shemitta year, on the festival of Sukkot" (Deuteronomy 31:10). 

    What exactly is the nature of this calendar, and how does it relate to the calendar that begins with Nissan?  How can we view the festival of Sukkot as marking the end of the year, if Yom Kippur signifies the beginning of the year?  This point also bears relevance regarding the relationship between the Mishkan and the Beit Ha-Mikdash. 

    The dedication of the Mishkan took place on the first of Nissan –the onset of the "historical" new year (Shemot 40:17).  The dedication of the Temple, by contrast, took place in the month of Tishrei, during the festival of Sukkot (I Melakhim 8:1-2,65). How might this be explained?

    The Mishkan and the Mikdash express different perspectives with regard to Am Yisrael's position in the world.  The Mishkan represents a temporary condition.  The Beit Ha-Mikdash expresses stability.

23. The Place of Sukkot in the Cycle of Festivals

    Rabbi Yehuda Shaviv

    The way in which the Torah divides the discussion about Sukkot is somewhat surprising: part of it is included in the portion dealing with the festivals, and the rest is included afterwards as a sort of addendum. An analysis of the text reveals that the days of Sukkot are the epitome of all the festivals of the year, and the joy of these days is the culmination of the joy of all the festivals.

24. From Inside to Outside: Yom Kippur and Sukkot

    Dr. Yonatan Feintuch

    Sukkot follows almost immediately after Yom Kippur and both share in the atmosphere of Tishrei – one of soul-searching, gazing at the year gone by, atonement, and looking towards the future. Still, as we know, these festivals are very different in essence, mood, and in the laws that characterize them.

    In this article I suggest that the two holidays sit at opposite poles of single continuum: one that stretches from inwardness to outwardness.

25. The “Festival of Sukkot” and the “Festival of the Ingathering"

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

    The Torah associates the three pilgrim festivals with two distinct concepts. First, the Torah relates them to the Exodus from Egypt. The Torah also associates the pilgrim festivals with the natural aspect of Eretz Yisrael, its agricultural cycles.

    Not a word about any historical memory of the Exodus and the giving of the Torah is mentioned in relation to the “Festival of the Ingathering” (Sukkot) in Shemot.  However, the section on the festivals in Sefer Vayikra  clarifies that Sukkot is celebrated in the seventh month, joining it to the Festival of the Ingathering. 

    In our discussion, as we relate to the offerings listed in Bemidbar, we argue that the “Festival of Sukkot” and the “Festival of the Ingathering” are in fact two festivals on the same date - two distinct festivals that occur simultaneously. In Devarim, they two aspects are explicitly linked to convey an important message counteracting the dangers of excessive pride at the agricultural abundance. 

    Though the pilgrimage commemorations and the "stay-at-home" celebrations each focused on a different aspect, eventually, the ideal of Devarim was realized and the nation was more united in its celebrations of both holidays together.

26. “Ka-Arava”: Sukkot and Zechariah's Prophecy of Redemption

    Prof. Yoel Elitzur

    What aspect of the festival of Sukkot pertains to the nation of Israel and its history? The verse, “I made the Israelite people live in booths” (Leviticus 23:43) does not really answer our question, as the verse does not refer to any particular date in the month of Tishrei, but rather to the overall experience of the nation of Israel.

    The answer to the question is provided by the prophet Zechariah, in a prophecy that we read as the haftara on the first day of Sukkot.

27. The Symbolism of the Four Species

    Rabbi Meir Shpiegelman

    The Torah establishes the obligation to take on Sukkot four species – the lulav, etrog, hadas and arava.
    In practice, we actually take seven species: one lulav, one etrog, three hadasim and two aravot. We will explore the symbolic connections between the Sukkot species and the "seven species" of the Land of Israel, and we will trace the implicit biblical links between the four species and water via a close reading of the "nisukh ha-mayim" descriptions in the Musaf Offerings for Sukkot. 

    Wherein lies the significance of this parallel betweenthese groups? Generally, kedusha (sanctity) manifests itself in the world in one of three ways: time, place and people. The highest level of kedusha is attained when these three forms of kedusha merge, when a sacred person enters a sacred place at a sacred time. The unique sanctity of Sukkot combines all three categories of kedusha together with the four species – the symbol of God's providence.

28. The Symbolism of Sukkot

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

    There are two distinct mitzvot associated with Sukkot, with no immediately apparent connection
    between them: the obligation to live in a sukka, a temporary booth, and an obligation to "take" four special species (and shake them). 

    Why does God want us to remember that we dwelled in booths when He took us out of Egypt? What is important about remembering the desert experience in general?  What is the meaning of the enigmatic four species? And how does Shmini Atzeret fit in?

    The additional joy of Sukkot derives directly from the fact that the entire holiday is an experience of being
    "before God," in God's presence. Normally, this is associated with being in the Temple in Jerusalem. But on Sukkot we discover the possibility of being in God's presence anywhere, even the desert. 

29. “May the Merciful One Rebuild for Us the Fallen Sukka of David”

    Rabbi Yehuda Amital

30. The Inauguration of the Temple on Sukkot

    Rabbi Yaakov Medan

    King Shlomo inaugurated the First Temple on the festival of Sukkot. It appears that the timing of the event was not coincidental, but rather the result of Shlomo’s intentional planning. Why?

    We find a few possible inspiring factors from the rest of Tanakh, such as that of Hakhel, the Clouds of Glory, and the inauguration of the Mishkan (around the time of Pesach).  We then discuss the inauguration of the Second and future Temples.

    It appears that Shlomo arranged that the Temple inauguration would coincide with the festival of Sukkot in order to emphasize the Temple’s role in bringing the entire world to belief in God via Am Yisrael. 

31. The Sukkot Celebrated By Those Who Returned To Zion From The Babylonian Exile

    Rabbi Yaakov Medan

    There are two important novelties in the festival of Sukkot celebrated by those who returned from the Babylonian exile. First, it seems that they were hearing of the mitzva of the festival of Sukkot for the first time in their lives. How could that be?       

    The second novelty is the Biblical comment that since the days of Yehoshua bin Nun the festival of Sukkot had not been celebrated in such a grand manner. Is it true that the people of Israel did not celebrate the festival of Sukkot in such an embellished way during the days of David, Shelomo, and the other righteous kings? What was special about the sukkot that were erected in the days of Ezra and Nechemya?

    It may be suggested that the novelty in the celebration of Sukkot in the days of Nechemya lies in the unique intensity of the way the festival was celebrated. 

    When the people of Israel dwell in Jerusalem across from the Temple, when they occupy themselves with the Torah and accept it upon themselves anew – as they had done at Mount Sinai – the Shekhina rests around them and upon them.

32. The Fruit and the Flower

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    The four species relate to different aspects of the botanical world. They combine in a comprehensive manner, in order to generate the appropriate religious response. The source, the majesty, the overflowing abundance and the produce are all represented. However, there seems to be one botanical aspect that was ignored, one field of agriculture that was omitted. The flower is not represented. Why is the beauty found in nature overlooked?

    Beauty here is not an independent goal but rather is yoked to a higher purpose. Only thus can the aesthetic be redeemed and used to enhance human creativity and to inspire exalted spiritual objectives.