Sukkot Videos

[muman613]

Shalom,

Tomorrow night the festival of Sukkot begins for Jews throughout the world. The word Sukkah is translated as 'Booth' or 'Hut' and as always Jewish law covers many aspects of defining if a Sukkah is 'kosher' or not. There are several Torah commandments involved with this 7 day Holiday and they are basically to 'live' in the Sukkah which the sages interpret to mean to eat our meals there, and to 'shake the lulav and etrog'. We are supposed to sleep in the sukkot but since most Jews live in the diaspora and the weather is not always conducive to sleeping in the 'outdoors' we can be excused from sleeping in the booth.

I just got my lulav and etrog set this evening. I had to stop off at a friends home where my Rabbi had dropped it off.

This is a joyous time, a time to feel that our 'sins' have been forgiven and we are going into the new year victorious. It is said by the sages that shaking the lulav (a date palm branch) is symbolic of a sword which we raise...

Here are some explanations from torahtots.

http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/sukkot/sukotstr.htm

The Yom Tov of Sukkot (rhymes with "Sue COAT," and in Yiddish, "Sukkos" rhymes with "BOOK us,") begins at sundown of the 14th day of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur. And what a change it is. We go from the most solemn day of the year to one of the most joyous times.

This year (2013), Sukkot, also called Zman Simchateinu, (the time of our gladness), starts at sundown, Wednesday, September 18th, and lasts for seven days. Sukkot is immediately followed by two separate Yomim Tovim (holidays), Shemini Atzeret on Thursday, September 26th, and Simchat Torah on Friday, September 27th, but we commonly think of them as part of Sukkot.

In Eretz Yisroel, The Yom Tov of Sukkot lasts for seven days followed by one separate Yom Tov, - Shemini Atzeret on Thursday, September 26th.

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MELACHA (WORK) ON SUKKOT

The Yom Tov of Sukkot is mentioned in Vayikra, Parshat Emor 23:34, in Bamidbar, Parshat Pinchos 29:12, and in Devarim, Parshat Re'eh 16:13. No work is permitted on the first and second days of the Yom Tov, and on the last days, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

The "work" prohibited on Sukkot is the same as that prohibited on Shabbat, except that cooking, baking, transferring fire and carrying, all of which are forbidden on Shabbat, are permitted on Sukkot. When Sukkot falls on Shabbat, all bets are off, and all Shabbat restrictions must be observed.

Work is permitted on the intermediate days, days 3 thru 7 (except Shabbat of course). The intermediate days are called Chol Ha-Mo'ed. In Eretz Yisroel, The first and last day of the Yom Tov, are days on which no work is permitted. Work is permitted on the intermediate days, days 2 thru 7 (except Shabbat of course).

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TAYSHVU K'AIN TA'DURU

The Mitzvah to "dwell" in a Sukkah means to live there, and includes sleeping in the Sukkah. The Talmud states, Tayshvu K'ain Taduru. ("Dwell in the Sukkah as you would live in your home.") However, if the weather, climate, and one's health precludes sleeping in the Sukkah, one can fulfill the Mitzvah by simply eating all of one's meals there. One should however, make an effort to live in the Sukkah as much as possible, including sleeping in it.

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The first video I will post is a song about Sukkot by the Fountainheads...

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Now WebYeshiva gives a short discussion of the Holiday...

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Sukkot, a hug from Hashem...

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Here are some photos I have taken of my Etrogim over the years...

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The Lubavitch Rebbe during davening, and shaking the 4 species.

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One of my favorite Israeli movies is Ushpizin, the story about a Breslov family in Israel being granted a couple of miracles. These miracles come amidst a lot of pain and suffering, both between the husband and wife and the guests.



Here is most of the scene when the first miracle happens:



Here is the 'trailer' for the movie:



Here is the entire movie on YouTube (Running length 1hr30min):

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Just about 40 minutes till the Festival of Sukkot begins here...

To follow up on an idea I posted in the thread above... The idea that the Lulav acts as a sword or a spear as we wave it in victory...

http://www.aish.com/tp/i/m/48929357.html

Sukkot(Leviticus 22:26-23:44)

The Joy of Victory

The lulav and etrog are weapons of war and the fact that we hold them shows us to be the victors. But in what contest? And how are these plants to be viewed as weapons?

"But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the crop of the land, you shall celebrate God's festival for a seven day period ... You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date palms, twigs of a plaited tree, and brook willows; and you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God, for a seven day period." (Leviticus 23: 39-40)

The rejoicing of Sukkot is thus associated by the Torah with the commandment of taking the four species. This association has been explored extensively by the commentators using many different approaches. This is what one Midrash has to say about it:

This commandment is a parable that describes two people who contend in a legal battle before the King. Although the two people were not informed in whose favor the judgment was issued, they can figure it out by looking to see who walks out still holding his weapons. Thus Israel along with the nations of the world face the Divine judgment on the Day of Atonement. We cannot tell which one emerged victorious, which is why God commanded You shall take for yourselves ... You can see from the fact that Israel emerges from before God holding its palm leaves and citrons, its lulav and etrog, that Israel emerged victorious. (Midrash Rabba, Vayikra 30:3)

Apparently, the lulav and etrog are weapons of war that the vanquished would need to surrender; the fact that we hold them shows us to be the victors. But in what contest? How are these plants to be viewed as weapons? What is the association between facing judgment on the Day of Atonement and this victory? What is the true connection between the Day of Atonement and the joy of Sukkot?

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Birchat Kohanim at the Kotel today:

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Breslev Hallel Sukkot: