Sukkot: The Festival of Booths

Sukkot is among us! Sukkot (the Festival of Booths or Ingathering) begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and lasts seven days, with the first and eighth days set apart as sacred assemblies when no regular work is done. It is both an agricultural feast and a memorial of the Exodus. The Israelites are commanded to dwell in booths made from branches for seven days so that future generations remember how God made them live in booths after bringing them out of Egypt. They are also told to rejoice before God by taking “the fruit of goodly trees, palm branches, thick trees, and willows of the brook.” The festival marks the time of ingathering at the end of the harvest year, when the people are to celebrate joyfully with their families, servants, and strangers in their midst, offering daily sacrifices as prescribed. It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals during which all males are to appear before God in the place He chooses. The Torah describes Sukkot as a time of dwelling in temporary shelters, so the central act of celebration is to build and live in a sukkah, a booth made from branches and leaves. This structure recalls the fragile shelters used by the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt. For seven days, people are to eat, rest, and spend time in these huts, remembering both their ancestors’ journey and their dependence on divine protection. The sukkah’s covering must be made from natural plant material—such as palm, willow, or other leafy branches—so that sunlight and starlight can still be seen through it, symbolizing both shelter and openness to the heavens.

The Torah also commands that on the first day of Sukkot, one should take the fruit of goodly trees, palm branches, thick trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before God for seven days. These plants represent the abundance of creation and the joy of the harvest. The celebration is meant to be full of gladness and gratitude, shared with one’s family, household, servants, Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows—everyone is included in rejoicing. The offerings of fruit and branches are not only symbols of prosperity but reminders that the land and its produce belong to God, who grants life and sustenance. Practitioners build a hut or sacred space from branches of willow, olive, palm, or local trees, or, if that is not possible, create a small indoor altar covered with leaves. Upon these leaves are placed fruits of every kind, bread, olives, and a lit oil lamp. Each day, incense is burned and its smoke is waved seven times toward the altar, three times toward oneself, and once toward the terafim (household spirits). Prayers are offered to Asherah, thanking Her for the harvest, the shade of Her trees, and the life She sustains. After the seven days, small portions of the offerings are given to the household spirit and to the earth, and the rest of the fruits are eaten in joy, completing the circle of offering, gratitude, and renewal.

Finally, Sukkot is a time of rest, worship, and thanksgiving. No regular work is to be done on the first and eighth days, marking them as sacred convocations. Each day of the festival includes offerings to God, as described in Numbers 29, reflecting devotion and gratitude for the year’s harvest. Pilgrims in ancient Israel would travel to the sanctuary—the place God chose—to present these offerings and celebrate in His presence. Altogether, Sukkot is a festival of remembrance, joy, and communion with the divine, uniting the memory of deliverance from Egypt with thanksgiving for the abundance of the earth. Blessings for Sukkot: Blessing for ablution: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, baruch ma'aseh yadecha, asher kidashtanu bamayim, v'tahartanu b'mayim l'avod et-fanekha b'taharah Blessing when offering Ketoret (myrrh, frankincense, and benzoin soaked in wine and salt): Ani mabhir et ruhi, b'vasam hakadosh, K'mo k'toret shema'an b'rachot. Yekum ohavim eleycha, Ve'shalom al Yisra'el. Blessing when offering Water Libation onto a Matzeba: Ani manif et ha-kos hazot, Le-hash'ka et toratcha b'libi, Baruch Atah, Eloheinu, She'zeh ha-mayim, she-yakum birkat'cha. Blessing when offering oil libations: Ani manif et ha-kos hazot, Le-hash'ka et nafshi ba-shemen, Baruch Atah, Eloheinu, She-hin'chat'ah et ha-shemen be-chayeinu. She-yas'ach et asham ve'er'yam, K'mo she-esh sha'atuach shemen ve-or. K'she'ani shofekh et ha-shemen, Yachazek barutekhenu be-er nishemetenu. Blessing when offering wine libations: Ani manif et ha-kos hazot, Levarekh et ruchi be-yayin, Baruch Atah, Eloheinu, She-shit'ata et ha-yayin be-varkhatcha. She-yaneech et Toratcha ba-lev, K'mo she-esh mavi yayin ve-or, K'she'ani shofekh et ha-yayin, Yit'basheh le-birakhah u-le-shalom. Blessing for offering fruits and food items: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, baruch borei p'rot ha'adamah, asher kidashta et-haproth v'hatz'machim, v'atah m'varech et-hamizbe'ach b'proth hazeh. Blessing for offering grapes: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'gefen, ki b'eden hagefen matei chesed la'asot bo yom u'lahafech bo massa. Naseh kavodecha mezamen bo li b'heilech u'lasheif bam hama'aseh. Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'gefen. Blessing for offering figs: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'etz, ki azvurei adamah mevi'im p'rotei ha'etz, b'zeh hazzahav v'hat'furos, nas'u me'avah v'sa'ef ha'ilan v'habarut bo no'am b'einei ha'olam, Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'etz. Blessing for offering pomegranates: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'etz, ki baruch hazeh b'ruchato v'ezro, p'rotei mehem yit'asher v'hazahav mikach, riyot v'tamrurot mei'hasdei ha'olam, hamotzi tu'evot mehem v'rim barut mihem, Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'etz. Blessing for offering olives: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'zayit, hazahir le'hista'ef et ha'zayit, ki mi ya'aseh v'ta'ashir et ha'etz, v'yafarseim et habarut b'einei ha'olam, hamotzi et ha'zayit min haaretz, Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei ha'zayit. Blessing for offering dates: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei hatamarim, hazahir asher tish'ta'ef bo kol ha'olam, ki nikrot im hatamarim v'hem azvurot, hamotzi et ha'protei min haaretz, lehashiv et ha'etz b'chesed, Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei p'rotei hatamarim Hymn to Asherah: Asherah ha-ne'adarah, etz ha-chayim ha-ne'eman,

Shechinah b'toch ammah, or ha-olam ba-s'tarim.

B'yadekh koach v'rachamim, ahavah shel em le-vaneha,

Ba'anapayikh nishmarim ha-tzaddikim, b'tzelekh nuachah ha-nefesh.

At ha-yah v'tiheye, at b'toch ha-b'ree'ah u-me'ever lah,

Yachad im Adonai, sh'mo ha-echad, at memale't kol chayim.

Elayikh niqra, elayikh nasa koleinu,

B'rachamayikh at mor'edet ha-geshem, b'chakhamatekh at zor'at ha-or.

Ka-em at locheshet la-vanim, k'malkah at zohe'ret ba-shamayim,

K'navi'ah at mora et ha-derech, k'esh at me'irah la-not'rim.

Lo yesh sh'tayim, ki at ha'achat,

At Eloheinu, at atzeh qad'sheinu, at ha-makor v'ha-sof.

Asherah Adonai, baruch shemekh le-olam va-ed!