Sukkot: Remembrance of Dwelling 40 Years in the Desert

Ultra Orthodox Jews drag palm tree branches for their Sukkot (booth), to be used during the festival of Sukkot (the feast of the Tabernacles), in the Ultra Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, on 12 October 2008. The Sukkot feast will start tomorrow at sundown to commemorate the exodus of Jews from Egypt.

The word Sukkot in Hebrew means “booths” and Sukkot is known as the festival of Booths or the feast of the Tabernacles. In history, Sukkot was considered the most important festival and was simply referred to as ha-chaq (the festival).

Sukkot has to do when the Jewish people wandered in the desert for forty years as punishment for what occurred during the event that led up to Yom Kippur and the fact that within this time period, along with the Arab Palestinians were not to be able to return home to Palestine until this time period was over by Allah (G-d’s) command.

An Ultra Orthodox Jewish man walks past a wooden Sukkot which will be used during the celebration of the Sukkot (Tabernacles) Festival, in the Ultra Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood, on 13 October 2008; in Jerusalem.

During this time period, everyone lived in temporary dwellings, which the Jewish people called, “booths,” which the plural word, is Sukkah. The Arab Palestinians just thought of these temporary dwellings, just as what they where, “temporary dwellings.”

Ultra Orthodox Jewish children walking past wooden Sukkah, in Jerusalem.

This particular festival was so the Jewish people would not forget this part of history and this particular festival was to last seven days; which this event can be found in Leviticus 23: 42-43.

Over time, numerous events have been added to this festival which was not the original intention by Allah (G-d).

As to other elements that are thought by some to be related to Sukkot, it has never been relayed or understood; accept other then the original intention. I first learned of this particular event many years ago as a child, by my mother and as many other thing‘s in learning; added unto my knowledge over the years.