Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Sukkot Laws: A Quick Survey

I’ll be sharing a cornucopia of plentiful Sukkot delights over the next 8 days or so. I do hope you keep the Feast in love with family and friends. If you are Jewish and have not discovered the joys of this most merry aspect of your heritage, I hope to be an encouragement. If you are a Christian and wish to join with Israel in some aspects of these holidays, I hope to be a source of education and information. Blessings and peace to you and yours this Sukkot holiday. What follows is a quick summary of the days of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, the laws of the Sukkah, and the laws of the Lulav and Etrog. The Days of Sukkot and Simchat Torah According to tradition, the Sukkah should be built the day after Yom Kippur, even if it is the eve of the Sabbath. This is based on a principle that when it is possible to fulfill a mitzvah, one should not delay (cf. Isaac Klein, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, p. 160). The four days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot are festive. Tachanun is not recited in the morning prayers. Fasting is prohibited (Klein, p. 160). Yet on the afternoon leading up to Sukkot one should refrain from eating in order to have a healthy appetite at the feast. The first day of Sukkot is...