Curriculum Checklist The Week of Sukkot Sukkot in the Jewish Calendar The Mitzvah of Sukkah The Four Species - Arba Minim The Mitzvah to rejoice on Sukkot The Libation of Water - Simchat Beit Hasho'eva Yom Tov Observance The Intermediary Days - Chol Hamoed Hoshana Rabba Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah The Week of Sukkot The 4 days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot Sukkot - The Feast of Tabernacles Chol Hamo'ed - The Intermediate Days Hoshana Rabba - The Great Hoshana Shmini Atzeret - The Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly Simchat Torah - The Day of Celebrating the Torah Isru Chag - The Day after the Festival Sukkot in the Jewish Calendar Sukkot - the last of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals Sukkot - the conclusion of the Ellul, Rosh Hashana, Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur cycle The Mitzvah of Sukkah The Torah commandment - "In Sukkot you shall sit seven days" Building a kosher Sukkah: materials, number of walls, measurements, greenery for roofing - "sechach", decorations Beautifying the mitzvah - "hidur mitzvah" : "This is my God and I shall worship him with beauty" (Shmot 15) The obligation to live/eat in the Sukkah for men, women, children and ill people What if it rains? Candle lighting in the Sukkah - saying "Shehechiyanu" The Bracha for the Sukkah The seven Ushpizin - for more information click here. Sukkah - a mitzvah we perform with our whole bodies Reasons for the mitzvah - to remember how God sustained the Jews in the wilderness and to exhibit our trust in God For more information click here. The Four Species - Arba Minim The Torah commandment - "And you shall take you on the first day, the fruit of the tree "hadar", and branches of palm trees, and a bough of the tree "avot", and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days" (Vayikra 23) The 4 species and how they are bound together The blessing over the four species Holding the four species - the "pitma" of the etrog (citron) Shaking the lulav - "na'anuim": *  Four times during the Hallel prayer and every morning *  Shaking in all directions Reasons for shaking: To proclaim God's omnipresence On Sukkot the world is judged for rain for the entire year. Shaking in all directions symbolizes our supplication to God to restrain harmful winds and dews To symbolize our prayers for water as none of the four species can exist without water. The symbolism of the four species: Correspond to four types of Jews Represents a person's limbs Beautifying the mitzvah, "hidur mitzvah" - buying the best, no expenses spared! For more information click here. The Mitzvah to rejoice on Sukkot The Torah mentions joy with reference to Sukkot more frequently than to any other festival: *  "And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God" (Vayikra 23) *  "And you shall rejoice in your festival" (Dvarim 15) *  "And you shall be only joyous" (ibid) Sukkot is also known as "Zman Simchateinu" - the season of our rejoicing For more information click here. The Libation of Water - Simchat Beit Hasho'eva The practice in Temple times Modern day celebrations Simchat Beit Hasho'eva - a paragon of joy: "He who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life." Yom Tov Observance Preparing for the festival: *  Haircut *  Bath/shower *  Cutting nails *  Clean clothes *  Ensuring that the poor are provided for *  Mikve for men *  Preparing sumptuous foods Celebrating the festival: *  Festive meals of meat and wine *  Treats such as new clothes, candies etc *  Learning Torah *  The prohibition to mourn *  Candle lighting and the blessing of "shehechiyanu" *  Kiddush and two challah loaves *  Two festive meals in the day and one at night The differences between observing Shabbat and Yom Tov More...