Sukkah
Sukkah (Hebrew סֻכָּה, plural סֻכּוֹת Sukkot ), German Feast of Tabernacles, is in the Hebrew Bible the name for a created from branches, twigs, leaves, straw and the like hut, which is usually used only for a limited time. Religious Jews build a sukkah every year for the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, which is up to 21 Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, in September or October, the time of harvest, celebrated on 15. During this week, if the weather allows it, eaten in the sukkah, and sometimes stayed.
History
For the time being celebrated only as a harvest festival in the Bible Sukkotfest as it is described in the fifth book of Moses, are the tabernacles, as it is believed, meant the shady shelters in the fields, as well as in the Middle East at the time of harvest are still to be found, in which was probably eaten and celebrated. Only later, after the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile, the festival in a historic feast, and the living in booths during the feast time as a reminder of the wilderness wanderings after the Exodus from Egypt was justified, even though the Israelites were not there in huts, but lived in tents: "For the feast of Tabernacles, which begins after the end of the harvest on the 15th day of the 7th month with a rest day and a week later concludes with a rest day, you must still note: Your take on the first day of the feast of the finest fruits your trees to palm branches, and branches of leafy trees and willows of the brook and then celebrate for seven days with gladness in honor of the Lord your God. Every year you shall celebrate this festival in the seventh month; This arrangement is valid forever, throughout your generations. All the people of Israel across the country have to live these seven days in booths. Your descendants in all future generations should be reminded that I, who, the people of Israel had Mr. once on the way from Egypt to his country dwell in booths. " In addition, the residential recalls in tabernacles of the transience of success and wealth and the vulnerability of man without God's help.
Rules and Traditions
The construction of the Feast of Tabernacles will begin immediately after the end of the Day of Atonement. The Sukkah has only temporary character, it must be in the open air and a roof and at least three walls, however, have the third wall has only a few inches wide. Through the roof, which consists of plant material such as twigs, straw, reeds, leaves, etc., at night the stars should be visible. The walls may be made of any material, their heights are at least 80 cm and no more than ~ ~ 9 m. The Sukkah has an inner surface of at least in conventional construction ~ 56 cm ( length and width of at least 7 Tefachim, where 1 Tefach ( ṭĕp̄aḥ ) corresponds to 9.28 or 7.84 cm ) have.
It is richly decorated inside, generally with the seven species ( schiw'at haminim ) with which the Land of Israel was blessed, namely: wheat, barley, vines, fig, pomegranate, oil ( = olive ) and honey. There are also other fruits, colorful scarves, various decorations made of paper, verses that refer to the feast, images, especially those of the Uschpisin and more.
It is mandatory on the first evening of the festival something - to eat in the sukkah - at least the size of an olive. In bad weather, you should not stay in the sukkah, but there are very strict religious Jews, even heat their sukkah to stay even in bad weather in her can. Women are orthodox conception of the commandment to dwell in tabernacles, free, just as children and people who can not sleep in the open air for health reasons.
After originating from the Kabbalistic teaching practice some Jews symbolically invite every day one of the most important figures of the Bible as spiritual guest in their sukkah a. These seven invisible "guests" who Uschpisin ( אֻשְׁפִּיזִין, Aramaic from Latin hospes ) are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David. In Reform Judaism and female biblical characters, Uschpitsot (Hebrew, Aramaic Uschpitsan ) are invited. At the same time, guests from flesh and blood to be invited to this one should especially take care of the lonely, the homeless and the poor who can not build their own Tabernacles. Even the Jewish communities usually create a Gemeindesukka for those who do not have a sukkah.
Miscellaneous
Built by the architect Daniel Libeskind glass courtyard of the Jewish Museum Berlin is often referred to as the " Feast of Tabernacles ".