Showing posts with label sukkah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sukkah. Show all posts

Friday, September 20, 2013

Home for the Holidays.....from our friends in Jerusalem.

"I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be 
uprooted from the land I have given them," says the 
LORD your God. Amos 9:15

Friday, September 20, 2013

Home for the Holidays.....

This is a phrase that was used in a recent video we watched, which 
will be included in this blog.  It's referring to the holidays that God 
said in the Bible that people were supposed to make a pilgrimage 
to Jerusalem each year - to "come home for the holidays!"  We have 
been so very much enjoying the holidays, we wanted to offer a few 
links that have come our way with those of you who may have 
interest in learning more about Israel, the Jewish people, and 
the Feasts of the Bible. 

For anyone wanting to view the Western Wall (Kotel) Live, here 
is a link to do so.  Please remember that on Shabbats (both weekly 
and other Biblical Sabbaths) the link will not air.  Also be aware 
that Israel is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard timezone.  You 
can click on the TV-Set icon below the live feed to make the 
image become full screen on your computer - then ESC to escape.

http://english.thekotel.org/cameras.asp

Sukkot - The Feast of Tabernacles - is a big celebration for 
the Christian community to come to Israel and show their support.  
ICEJ - International Christian Embassy - has a conference each 
year which can be viewed live as well.  Keep in mind that Israel 
is 7 hours ahead of EST.  You will need to fill out a very simple 
registration to have a username and password to watch each 
event.  The first event is tonight - Friday, 20 September 
beginning at 7 pm Israel time.  We will be attending this 
evening's outdoor event located on the Dead Sea.

http://feast.icej.org/live?

For a really good explanation, there is a video about 1/2 hour 
long explaining the Biblical Feasts.  It is a program called Day 
of Discovery, and the show is called The Appointed Times: 
Jesus in the Feasts of Israel.  It is very well done and filmed 
here in Jerusalem showing some of the sights mentioned in 
the Bible pertaining to the Feasts.

https://dod.org/dod2355.html

Another excellent 1/2 hour program that was filmed recently 
in Israel, also is pertaining to the Biblical Fall Feasts and shows 
clips of life in Israel, especially Jerusalem.  We recommend 
this video as well, to learn more - "From Reverence to Rejoicing." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkGd0DDoq70&feature=youtu.be

For a really good movie to watch, to enjoy and  also learn more 
about Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), we recommend 
Ushpizin - meaning "Guests."  It is our favorite movie!  
It is in Hebrew, but has English subtitles.  It is a quality full 
length movie filmed in Jerusalem.  The husband and wife 
actors are married in real life.  This movie will make you 
laugh and cry, and touch your heart.  We highly recommend it.  
You can watch it below on YouTube, or rent it, or find it however
 else you find movies to watch. :)

Trailer    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I98QNhD8TQo

Full length movie   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgiCDDGdnv4

Here's a few pictures of the inside of our Sukkah.  Our new 
apartment is on the top floor, and has a closed in balcony - 
BUT - the roof retracts so you can build a Sukkah!!! :)





Chag Sameach!!!! ~ Happy Holidays!!!!
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Sitting in the Sukkah - Lorelai Lorelai

Lorelai Lorelai (our Facebook friend shared this)

I sat in the Sukkah at Schwarma Bar on Agrippas with a large Sephardi Israeli family. I was showing them pictures on my iPhone of my family in America when an older Ashkenazi Israeli woman also sat down at the table with us. She began to cry and told her story of how her two grown married children never call or invite her for Shabbos or the Chaggim, etc. 

By the end of her story the Sephardi family had tears in their eyes and discovered they ALL actually lived within a block of each other in the Arnona neighborhood, and they invited the woman to come to their Sukkah for Shabbos tonight. 

The Sukkah is where it all can get fixed, folks. Even those of us whose families are far away either geographically or G*d forbid, emotionally. The Sukkah is where we make new connections and strangers become family, if only for a night.

Chag Sameach, Shabbat Sukkat Shalom to everyone far and near!


From the editor, for further insight:

Some sukkahs in Jerusalem:




Sukkah
  • A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes. Wikipedia

    Sukkah

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    For the tractate of the Talmud, see Sukkah (Talmud).
    Main article: Sukkot
    Wooden sukkot in Jerusalem
    Canvas-sided sukkah on a roof, topped with palm branches and bamboo s'chach
    A sukkah (Hebrew: סוכה‎, plural, סוכות sukkot ; sukkoth, often translated as "booth") is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes. The Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) describes it as a symbolic wilderness shelter, commemorating the time God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness they inhabited after they were freed from slavery in Egypt.[1] It is common for Jews to eat, sleep and otherwise spend time in the sukkah. In Judaism, Sukkot is considered a joyous occasion and is referred to in Hebrew as Yom Simchateinu (the day of our rejoicing) or Z'man Simchateinu (the time of our rejoicing), but the sukkah itself symbolizes the frailty and transience of life and its dependence on God.[2]

    Associated activities

    A sukkah in Herzliya.
    The halakha requires eating and sleeping in the sukkah. However, Jews are not expected to remain in the sukkah if they would be very uncomfortable there.[3] For this reason, Jews living at northern latitudes will generally not sleep in the sukkah due to the cold temperatures of autumn nights. Some Jews in these locales will spend some time in the sukkah eating and relaxing but go indoors to sleep.
    When rain falls on the sukkah, one is not required to stay inside. The Mishna in Sukkah 28b compares rain falling on a sukkah to a master who receives a drink from his servant and then throws it back in the servant's face. The analogy is that through the rainfall, God is showing displeasure with the performance of the mitzvah by not allowing the Jews to fulfill their obligation of sitting in the sukkah.[4]
    In Israel and other temperate climates (such as Florida, Australia, and Southern California), observant Jews will often conduct all their eating, studying, and sleeping activities in the sukkah. Many Jews will not eat or drink anything outside the sukkah. Others will drink or eat fruit outside the sukkah.
    In Israel, it is common practice for hotels, restaurants, snack shops, and outdoor tourist attractions (such as zoos) to provide a sukkah for customers to dine in.
    All Lubavitcher Hasidim[5] and some Belzer Hasidim[6] (especially outside Israel) do not sleep in the sukkah due to its intrinsic holiness. Though the halakha doesn't obligate one to eat or sleep in the sukkah if it is raining, Lubavitcher Hasidim will still eat there.
    A popular social activity which involves people visiting each other's Sukkot has become known as "Sukkah hopping". Food is laid out so that participants will be able to recite the various required blessings.[7]

    Structure

    Sukkot on graded apartment balconies in Jerusalem
    According to halakha, a sukkah is a structure consisting of a roof made of organic material which has been disconnected from the ground (the s'chach). A sukkah must have 3 walls. It should be at least three feet tall, and be positioned so that all or part of its roof is open to the sky (only the part which is under the sky is kosher.)
    In practice, the walls of a sukkah can be constructed from any material which will withstand a normally anticipated terrestrial wind. If the material is not rigid, and therefore will sway in the wind, the sukkah is not kosher (Talmud, Sukkah 24b). Accordingly, there is a discussion among contemporary halakhic authorities whether canvas may be used for walls: Some, such as R. Ovadiah Yosef (Shu"t Yechaveh Da'at 3:46) hold that even the slightest degree of swaying in the wind will disqualify the sukkah walls, and thus canvas cannot realistically be employed. Others, such as the Chazon Ish, permit motion to and fro of less than three handbreadths, thereby facilitating the usage of canvas walls. The specific details of what constitutes a wall, the minimum and maximum wall heights, whether there can be spaces between the walls and the roof, and the exact material required for the s'chach (roofing) can be found in various exegetical texts.
    Porch sukkahs in Bnei Brak.
    A sukkah can be built on the ground or on an open porch or balcony. Indeed, many observant Jews who design their home's porch or deck will do so in a fashion that aligns with their sukkah building needs. Portable sukkot made of a collapsible metal frame and cloth walls have recently become available for those who have little space, or for those who are traveling (in order to have a place to eat one's meals).

    Roof covering

    Different types of kosher s'chach serve as roofs for sukkot: woven bamboo mats (far left and right); palm leaves (center).
    The roof covering, known as s'chach in Hebrew, must consist of something that grew from the earth but is currently disconnected from it. Palm leaves, bamboo sticks, pine branches, wood and the like can all be used for s'chach, unless they were processed previously for a different use.[8]
    There must be enough s'chach that inside the sukkah there should be more shade than sun. However, there must be sufficient gaps between the pieces of s'chach so that rain could come through.

    Decorations

    Safra Square Sukkah, Jerusalem, 2009
    Many people hang decorations such as streamers, shiny ornaments, and pictures from the interior walls and ceiling beams of a sukkah. Fresh, dried or plastic fruit — including etrogs and the seven species for which Israel is praised (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates; see Deuteronomy 8:8) — are popular decorations.
    Some families also line the interior walls with white sheeting, in order to recall the "Clouds of Glory" that surrounded the Jewish nation during their wanderings in the desert. The Chabad custom is not to decorate the sukkah, as the sukkah itself is considered to be an object of beauty.[9]

    Drive-through


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    Sunday, September 15, 2013

    Happy Sukkot (Succot) - Feast of Tabernacles - starts sundown on Wednesday 09.18.13

    Happy Sukkot!

    Bible Feasts:

    Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 that the Jewish feasts and celebrations were a shadow of the things to come through Jesus Christ. And though as Christians we may not commemorate these holidays in the traditional biblical sense, as we discover the significance of each, we will certainly gain a greater knowledge of God's Word, an improved understanding of the Bible, and a deeper relationship with the Lord.

    Sukkot - Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths:

    Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles is a week-long fall festival commemorating the 40-year journey of the Israelites in the wilderness. It is one of the three great pilgrimage feasts recorded in the Bible when all Jewish males were required to appear before the Lord in the Temple in Jerusalem. The word Sukkotmeans "booths." Throughout the holiday, Jews continue to observe this time by building and dwelling in temporary shelters, just like the Hebrew people did while wandering in the desert. This joyous celebration is a reminder of God's protection, provision, and faithfulness.

    Time of Observance:

    Sukkot begins five days after Yom Kippur, from the 15-21 day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (September or October).  



    Russian

    Photo by Steve Martin 
    in Jerusalem area succa - 2009








    Have succa will travel!



    Knowing the faith of the early American settlers, 
     am sure they knew of the Feasts of the Lord 
    and in giving Thanksgiving to Him!

    Fruits of the Harvest - Succot!



    Photo by Steve Martin - 2009 in Jerusalem
    - on the Vision for Israel Succot Celebration tour 
    with Barry Segal



    Happy Sukkot to our Jewish friends, and those who love Israel worldwide! The Lord's blessings be on ye heads!

    Steve and Laurie Martin
    Love For His People, Inc.



    More on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) 
    from a Christian perspective 
    (as shared by Mary Fairchild):

    Scripture Reference:

    The observance of the Feast of Tabernacles is recorded in Exodus 23:16, 34:22; Leviticus23:34-43; Numbers 29:12-40; Deuteronomy 16:13-15; Ezra 3:4; and Nehemiah 8:13-18.

    About Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles:

    The Bible reveals dual significance in the Feast of Tabernacles. Agriculturally, Sukkot is Israel's "thanksgiving," a joyous harvest festival to celebrate the ingathering of grain and wine. As an historical feast, it's main characteristic is the requirement to dwell in temporary shelters or booths in remembrance of God's protection, provision and care during their 40 years in the wilderness. There are many interesting customs associated with the celebration of Sukkot. These are explained in detail by About.com's Judaism Guide, Ariela Pelaia.

    Jesus and Sukkot:

    During Sukkot, two important ceremonies took place. The Hebrew people carried torches around the temple, illuminating bright candelabrum along the walls of the temple to demonstrate that the Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles. Also, the priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam and carry it to the temple where it was poured into a silver basin beside the altar. The priest would call upon the Lord to provide heavenly water in the form of rain for their supply. During this ceremony the people looked forward to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Some records reference the day spoken of by the prophet Joel.
    In the New Testament, Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles and spoke these amazing words on the last and greatest day of the Feast: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38 NIV) The next morning, while the torches were still burning Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12 NIV)

    More Facts About Sukkot:

    • The booth of Sukkot is called a sukkah. These shelters consist of at least three walls and are framed with wood and canvas. The roof or covering is made from cut branches and leaves, placed loosely atop, leaving open space for the stars to be viewed and rain to enter.
    • It is common to decorate the sukkah with flowers, leaves and fruits.
    • Today, the requirement to dwell in the booth can be met by eating at least one meal a day in it. However, some Jews still sleep in the sukkah.
    • Since Sukkot is a harvest celebration, typical foods include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
    • More about Sukkot.
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