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How to Observe the Customs and Rituals of Sukkot, Hoshanah Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah

Five days after Yom Kippur we observe the Festival of Sukkot, one of three major pilgrimage festivals mentioned in the Torah (Passover and Shavuot are the others).

According to rabbinic tradition, we construct Sukkot (booths) to commemorate our ancestors' 40 years of wandering in the desert following the Exodus from slavery in Egypt.

The Festival of Sukkot lasts for seven days (beginning at sundown on September 23rd until nightfall on September 30th in 2018). Each day of the festival has a unique significance.

• The first two days of the holiday are Yom Tov, a sacred time during which we abstain from work, light candles, and prepare Kiddush before a festive meal.
   
• The intermediate days of Sukkot (beginning at sundown on September 25th and lasting until sunset on September 29th) are known as Chol Hamoed. During this time, we spend time with our family in the sukkah, but otherwise return to our daily routine.
   
• The Festival of Sukkot concludes with Hoshanah Rabbah, meaning “the great hoshanah.” A hoshanah is a series of seven liturgical poems calling upon God to rescue and redeem the Jewish people, primarily by sending rain.
   
• The final two days of Sukkot (beginning at sundown on September 29th until sundown on September 30th in 2018) are also holidays in their own right. We celebrate Shemini Atzeret for two days in the diaspora but only one day in Israel. Rabbinic tradition ascribes the second day of Shemini Atzeret as Simchat Torah, the day on which we finish our yearly reading of the Torah.

The origins of Sukkot are found in an ancient autumnal harvest festival. Indeed it is often referred to as Hag HaAsif, “The Harvest Festival.” Much of the imagery and ritual of the holiday revolves around rejoicing and thanking God for the completed harvest. However, Sukkot also commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after the revelation at Mount Sinai. We construct a Sukkah to represent the temporary shelters that our ancestors lived in during those 40 years.

What are the Sukkot rituals?

There are many mitzvot associated with Sukkot which include:

• Constructing the Sukkah. The Sukkah is a temporary structure where we welcome loved ones, share meals, and sleep. A Sukkah must have at least three walls and a roof made of organic material like pine branches or bamboo, called S'chach. Customarily, we decorate the Sukkah by hanging fruit, paper chains, streamers, and pictures of Rabbis.
   
• Welcoming the Ushpizin. In addition to inviting friends and family into our Sukkah, we should also expect a visit from seven mystical guests known as the Ushpizin. Traditionally, the seven Ushpizin are our ancestral forefathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David. Recently, many Jewish families have expanded the custom to include Ushpizot, our biblical foremothers Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Avigail, Huldah, and Esther.
   
• The Four Species. In commemoration of the bounty of the Holy Land, we hold and shake four species of plants (arba minim) which include the Lulav (palm frond), the Hadas (myrtle branches), Aravah (willow branches), and the Etrog (a citron). We use these items during the celebratory Psalms of Hallel, and the special Hoshanah prayers recited only during Sukkot.

What is Hoshanah Rabbah?

Hoshanah Rabbah is the seventh and final day of Sukkot, a day on which God judges the Jewish people to be worthy or not of seasonal rains. We host a special service in the synagogue during which we recite seven hoshanot prayers in seven hakafot, or processions, around the sanctuary. At the end of the Hoshanah Rabbah service, we take the willow branches from our Lulav sets and strike them on the floor, symbolizing the removal of sin from our lives.

What is Shemini Atzeret?

The High Holy Days conclude with Shemini Atzeret.

Truthfully, the origins and purpose of Shemini Atzeret are unclear. While Hoshanah Rabbah is technically the final day of Sukkot, the Rabbis treated Shemini Atzeret (and Simchat Torah) as a part of Sukkot because its significance is unequivocally informed by Sukkot itself.

Shemini Atzeret is a solemn occasion (mikra kodesh). The word Atzeret means gathering or assembly. In biblical times, Shemini Atzeret was a day when our ancestors would congregate in Jerusalem. Shemini means eighth, a possible reference to the seven days of Sukkot, which has ended. Indeed, we only observe the mitzvot associated with Sukkot for seven days.

The Haftarah recited on Shemini Atzeret provides context: “On the eighth day (King Solomon) let the people go. They blessed the king and went to their homes, joyful and glad of heart over all the goodness that the Lord had shown to His servant David and His people Israel” (Book of II Kings - 8:66).

Samson Raphael Hirsch, a 19th-century Orthodox rabbi who lived in Germany, offers an appealing interpretation. He infers the meaning of the holiday from the word atzeret, which he renders as “to gather” or “to store up.” Accordingly, on this eighth day of Sukkot, the final day of celebration, we must store up the sentiments of gratitude and devotion acquired throughout the entire fall holiday season; nearly two months will pass until we celebrate another holiday, that of Hanukkah.

Thus we can conclude that Shemini Atzeret brought a close to both the Festival of Sukkot as well as the High Holy Days.

The Talmud furthers our understanding of Shemini Atzeret, teaching that: “The eighth day Regel bifnei atzmo, is a festival unto itself…a lottery (for priestly duties) in and of itself, a blessing of time in an of itself, a festival in and of itself, an offering in and of itself, a song in and of itself, and a blessing in an of itself.”

Therefore, while Shemini Atzeret is directly connected to Sukkot, we consider it a distinct holiday "in and of itself.”

What is Simchat Torah?

Simchat Torah (“The Joy of the Torah”) is a joyous day on which we conclude and re-commence our annual Torah readings, celebrate the Torah, and commemorate the cyclical nature of the Jewish calendar.

After the final Torah reading, we immediately commence a new cycle from the beginning of Genesis (from a second Torah scroll); this is because as soon as we conclude studying the Torah, God's infinite wisdom, on one level, we immediately start again, this time to discover new interpretations.

The highlight of Simchat Torah are the hakafot, processions in which we march and dance with the Torah scrolls around the synagogue. It is also customary to eat sweet foods on Simchat Torah, as a final commemoration of the Jewish New Year and as a celebration of the sweetness of Torah.

Unlike Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah is not a festival unto itself. For Jews living in the diaspora, Simchat Torah is merely the second day of Shemini Atzeret. However, in Israel both both Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah fall on the same day. Simchat Torah is also an opportunity to honor members of the congregation who have been active in the community.


When are Sukkot, Hoshanah Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah services at Beth El?

Services for Sukkot, Chol Hamoed, Hoshanah Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah are as follows:

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23RD - EREV SUKKOT:
9:15 a.m. Morning Service
10:00 a.m. Sukkah decorations
6:00 p.m. Sukkot Service

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH - SUKKOT (FIRST DAY):
10:00 a.m. Morning Sukkot Service
6:00 p.m. Evening Sukkot Service

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH - SUKKOT (SECOND DAY):
10:00 a.m. Morning Sukkot Service
6:45 p.m. Evening Sukkot Service

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH - EREV SHEMINI ATZERET/HOSHANAH RABBAH:
9:15 a.m. Morning Service
6:00 p.m. Evening Service

MONDAY OCTOBER 1ST - SHEMINI ATZERET/EREV SIMCHAT TORAH:
10:00 a.m. Morning Service (Yizkor)
7:00 p.m. Evening Service

TUESDAY OCTOBER 2ND - SIMCHAT TORAH:
10:00 a.m. Morning Service
6:45 p.m. Evening Service