Succoth

Also called, Booths, a succa (Succoth, plural) is a temporary dwelling which is erected every fall. It reminds us of the temporary huts our fathers dwelled in when journeying out of Egypt through the wilderness. The succa is put up just before Yom Kippur and taken down after Sh’mini Atzeret. The succa is to be used for eating and, weather permitting, for sleeping.

Traditionally, we eat fruits and vegetables in abundance. This festival is in celebration of the fall harvest and we try to represent the bounty of this harvest in our meals. The succa also reminds us that we dwell in a house which is temporary. We are looking forward to Ha-olam (the age to come) in which our bodies will no longer be a problem for us. Succoth prophecies the time when the Messiah will establish His kingdom which shall never end.