This Sunday night, September 30th, 2012 we will celebrate the festival of Sukkot.
The Sukka is a 'hut' consisting of four walls and a very fragile covering or 'sekhakh'.
The Torah says: 'In Sukkot you shall dwell for seven days... so that your generations shall know, that in Sukkot I hosted the children of Israel, when I brought them forth from the land of Egypt.. (Vayikra- Leviticus Chapter 23).
During seven days we abandon our homes and establish ourselves in the Sukka. We eat, study, and -weather permitting- sleep in the Sukka. We bring part of our furniture to the Sukka and make it as comfortable and beautiful as possible.
Sukkot commemorates the forty years journey of the Jewish people. When we left Egypt in route to the Promised Land. During those years, HaShem Almighty protected us in the dessert from weather inclemency, wild animals and other dangers. He provided us with food and water and satisfied all our needs. By living in the Sukka, in a sense, we re-live those glorious days leaving the safety and security of our houses and putting ourselves, once again, under His direct protection which ultimately is the one that matters.
There are many details and specifications as how to build the Sukka.
The basic principles are:
-The walls must be built first. They could be done by any material capable of withstanding an "average" wind.
-Then we do the 'sekhakh' or covering for which we can use wood of all kinds, including bamboo branches, or leafy branches, tree branches, etc.
The 'sekhakh' should provide shadow but it does not suppose to protect us from rain.
Candle Lighting 6:24 p.m.
Shabbat Ends 7:30 p.m
√ For more information about building your Sukka go here.
√ For information about Minyanim, community activities, and times for the Holidays see Kanissa news