Succos- October 13-20
Succos (Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōs ; “booths.”) and also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, Tabernacles, or the Feast of Ingathering, is a festival that occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishri (early- to late-October). In Judaism it is one of the three major holidays known collectively as the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrim festivals), when historically the Jewish populace traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Derivation
The word Succos is the plural of the Hebrew word succah, meaning booth or hut. During this holiday, we are instructed to construct a temporary structure in which to eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. The succah is reminiscent of the type of huts in which the Jews dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, and is intended to reflect God’s benevolence in providing for all the Jews’ needs in the desert.

Duration in Israel and in the Diaspora
In Israel Succos is a 7-day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a Yom Tov with special prayer services and holiday meals. Outside the land of Israel, the first two days are celebrated as Yom Tov. The remaining days are known as Chol HaMoed (“festival weekdays”). The seventh day of Succos is called Hoshanah Rabbah and has a special observance of its own.

Eating in the Succah
If it is raining on the first night of Succos: One should wait approximately one hour to see if the rain will stop. If the rain continues he should go into the Succah; say the Kiddush with the “Shehechiyanu” blessing, wash as one usually does before the consumption of bread and eat at least a kizayis of bread in the rain. He should NOT say the blessing of “leishev baSukkah.” He may then complete his meal in the house. After the meal, he should wait until slightly before the Halachic midnight to see if the rain will stop. If the rain stops, he then washes, enters the Sukkah again, says the brocho “leishev baSuccah,” eats at least a kibeitza of bread and then says Birkas haMazon.

On the second night, if it rains, one need not wait at all and he may begin his meal immediately in the house. Kiddush with “shehechiyanu” is made in the house. At the end of the meal, before saying the Birkas Hamazon, even if it is still raining, he should eat a kizayis of bread in the Sukkah in the rain. Again, a bracha of “leishev baSuccah” is not said. A bracha of “shehechiyanu” is not needed for the succah on the second night. One may then go back into the house to say the Birkas Hamazon. According to many opinons, even on the second night, one should wait again until slightly before the Halachic midnight to see if the rain stops. If the rain does stop then the procedure is the same as the first night.

On all other days or nights of Succos, if the rain is so strong in the Succah that if it was raining in the house a person would be driven out of his home to find other shelter, or if the rain is ruining his food, preventing him from eating, he need not eat in the Succah. If one has already started his meal inside, and the rain stops, he may complete his meal in the house.

Chol HaMo’ed
The second through seventh days of Succos (third through seventh days outside the land of Israel) are called Chol HaMo’ed (חול המועד – lit. “festival weekdays”). These days are considered by Halakha to be more than regular weekdays but less than festival days. In practice, this means that all activities that are needed for the holiday-such as buying and preparing food, cleaning the house in honor of the holiday, or traveling to visit other people’s sukkahs or on family outings-are permitted by Jewish law. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday-such as laundering, mending clothes, engaging in labor-intensive activities-are not permitted. Jews typically treat Chol HaMo’ed as a vacation period, eating nicer than usual meals in their succah, entertaining guests, visiting other families in their sukkahs, and taking family outings.

On the Shabbos which falls during the week of Succos (in the event when the first day of Succos is on Shabbos, Koheles, Ecclesiastes, is read in Israel while diaspora communities read it the following Shabbos which is Shemini Azeres)( or during Chol HaMo’ed), the Book of Ecclesiastes is read during morning synagogue services. This Book’s emphasis on the ephermeralness of life (“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity…”) echoes the theme of the succah, while its emphasis on death reflects the time of year in which Succos occurs (the “autumn” of life). The second to last verse reinforces the message that adherence to God and His Torah is the only worthwhile pursuit.

Hoshanos
In the synagogue, each day of Succos, the worshippers parade around the synagogue carrying their lulavim and esrogim and reciting Psalm 118:25 (Ana HaShem, hoshia nah..”, “We beseech you, O Lord, save us…” followed by special prayers.)

This ceremony commemorates the Aravah (willow) ceremony in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, in which willow branches were piled beside the altar, with their tops branching over it, and worshipers paraded around the altar reciting the same verse.

Simchas Beis HaShoeivah
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, a unique service was performed every morning throughout the Succos holiday: the Nisuch HaMayim (נסוך המים-lit. “pouring of the water”) or Water Libation Ceremony. According to the Talmud, Succos is the time of year in which God judges the world for rainfall; therefore this ceremony, like the taking of the Four Species, invokes God’s blessing for rain in its proper time. The water for the libation ceremony was drawn from the pool of Shiloah in the City of David, and the joy that accompanied this procedure was palpable. (This is the source for the verse in Isaiah: “And you shall draw waters with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:3).

Afterwards, every night in the outer Temple courtyard, tens of thousands of spectators would gather to watch the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah (Rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing), as the most pious members of the community danced and sang songs of praise to God. The dancers would carry lighted torches, and were accompanied by the harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets of the Levites. According to the Mishnah tractate Succah, “He who has not seen the rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life.” Throughout Succos, the city of Jerusalem teemed with Jewish families who came on the holiday pilgrimage and joined together for feasting and Torah study. A mechitza (partition separating men and women) was erected for this occasion.

Nowadays, this event is recalled via a Simchas Beis HaShoeivah gathering of music, dance, and refreshments. This event takes place in a central location such as a synagogue, yeshiva, or place of study. Refreshments are served in the adjoining succah. Live bands often accompany the dancers. The festivities usually begin late in the evening, and can last long into the night.

Hoshanah Rabbah
From the perspective of its status as a Yom Tov, Hoshana Rabba is the same as any other of the Chol HaMoed days. However, many extra prayers are added to the service on Hoshana Rabba. The reason for this is that throughout the Yom Tov of Succos we are judged concerning the fate of our water supply. On Hoshana Rabba, the judgment is finalized. The conclusion of any period of Judgment is our last chance to influence the Divine Judgment and, therefore, it is of great importance to us. The Chazzan wears a Kittel as on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Hoshanah Rabbah: Mussaf
At the conclusion of Chazzan’s Repetition, we take out all of the Sifrei Torah from the Aron HaKodesh and bring them to the Bimah where members of the congregation hold them while the rest of the congregation, led by the Chazzan, march around the Bimah seven times with their Lulavim and Esrogim; all of the Hoshanos for Hoshana Rabba are said; when we get to “Taaneh Emunim” we put the Four Species down and we take the special Aravos of Hoshana Rabba (the custom is to take five stems that are bound together) into our hands (anything that invalidates the Arovos of the Four Species during Succos invalidates these Arovos on Hoshana Rabba); at the end of the Hoshanos we beat the Arovos against the floor five times according to custom.

Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah
The holiday of Shemini Atzeres (שמיני עצרת – lit. “the Eighth [day] of Assembly”) is a separate festival that follows immediately after Succos, on the eighth day (eighth and ninth days outside the land of Israel). The family returns indoors to eat and sleep in their house, special synagogue services are held, and holiday meals are served. However, outside of Israel many have the custom to still eat in the Succah on Shemini Atzeres, but not on Simchas Torah.

Shemini Atzeres is a separate holiday in respect to six specific issues. However, it is considered part of an eight-day holiday regarding a seventh issue. These issues are explained in the Talmud, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 4b. There is a dispute amongst the commentaries regarding what those six issues are. Two of the main opinions are Rashi and Tosafos.

In Israel, Shemini Atzeres lasts for one day and the festivities of Simchas Torah (שמחת תורה) coincide with it. Outside of Israel, Shemini Atzeres lasts for two days and the festivities of Simchas Torah fall on the second day. Simchas Torah (lit. “the joy of the Torah”) is an especially happy day on which the very last portion of the Torah is read in the synagogue during morning services and, in order to convey the idea that Torah study never ends, the very first portion of the Torah (the beginning of Genesis) is read immediately after. All the men and boys, and in more liberal congregations all the women and girls, over the age of bar mitzvah are called up to the Torah for an aliyah, and all the children under the age of bar mitzvah are also given an “aliyah” called Kol HaNa’arim (all the children)-the youngsters crowd around the reader’s table while men hold up a large tallit to include them all in the aliyah.

Both during the night service and the morning service, all the Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and all the worshippers engage in rounds of spirited dancing. Seven official circuits around the reader’s table (called “hakafos”) are made, although the dancing can go on for hours.