The Feast of the Tabernacles – Sukkot - Teachings & Meanings

The Feast of Sukkot has many meanings and teaches us many lessons.

As an example, we have to live in the Sukkah 7 days: to live, sleep, eat…everything. Like our ancestors lived in the Sukkah in the desert.

When the people of Israel wandered through the desert God surrounded them and protected them with a cloud of holiness. The flexible somewhat open walls and roof of the Sukkah are a metaphor and remind us of the cloud with which God protected us in the desert.

A Sukkah is a temporary place of residence. This is to remind us, that even we are sojourners on this world.

Ushpizin (in Aramaic the meaning is: guests). According to the Kabbalah we have a special guest in the Sukkah. Altogether, 7 very important guests. On the 1st day Abraham. 2nd day Isaac. 3rd day is Israel (Jacob). 4th day Moses. 5th day Aharon. 6th day Joseph. 7 day David.

As we have already mentioned, this is a feast where we host many guests in the Sukkah, and we usually serve them food and drinks. The 7 Ushpizin, we only spiritually host in the Sukkah, each one on the day mentioned above. In our prayers, we mention each Ushpizin on the day he is the guest in the Sukkah.

As you already know we celebrate Sukkot 7 days and the 8th day is called: ‘Shmini Atzeret’. I will separately post about that in 2 days’ time, on the 8th day of Sukkot.

In the video you can learn more lessons about Sukkot. Enjoy the video.