First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת (Leviticus 23:33-44)

Parsha First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת Summary:

In these verses, we are instructed to observe the festival of Sukkot for seven days. The first of the seven days is a sacred day, one on which we refrain from work. Our ancestors brought sacrifices to the Temple on each of the days and lived in a booth. Why would we be expected to dwell in a fragile booth, exposed to the elements? Perhaps it is so that we do not take our possessions for granted. Anyone who has experienced a hurricane or a fire in their home knows just how fragile our dwellings really are. We are told of the lulav and the etrog and we are commanded to rejoice on each of the seven days. How wonderful to be commanded to celebrate! First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֜וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם חַ֛ג לַיהֹוָ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃ The fifteenth day of the seventh month shall be called sacred for you: you shall not work at your occupations. You shall celebrate a festival of Adonai for seven days. (Numbers 29:12). Sukkot is a beautiful reminder to slow down after the rush of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Before we can celebrate the completion of our annual Torah cycle, we are invited to take a breath and sit in gratitude for all that has been, and for all that can be in our lives.