The BiG Story
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to the south, the west, the north and
finally up and down. (This also is
done during the Halle/ prayers [joy-
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ful psalms praising God] at your
synagogue or temple services.)
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In the days of the Temple, Sukkot
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was a pilgrimage holiday, when Jew-
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ish families from everywhere would
come to Jerusalem. Sukkot back then
also included Simchat Beit haShoeva
the Water-Drawing Festival, when hol-
nks
iday celebrations featured musical
icon holiday mainly t rough the
Oil SU rne food,
and dance presentations, often with
relentless efforts . of Sarah
ust asi there is a tie between
torches, in God's honor. So joyous
Sukkot and the fall harvest, there is Josepha –ale of Boston, editor of
In
were these events, which lasted until
the popular Ladies' Magazine.
a similar connection between
dawn, that tradition says that whoever
ey both come in the fall
Passover (Pesach), the holiday
did not experience one had never
anc are regarded as harvest
commemorating the Exodus from
really seen a festival.
festivals and occasions for
Egypt, and the spring harvest of
Today, once the sukka has been
giving thanks.
barley.
built, it's mostly a matter of eating on
Some who believe there is a
in the autumn, when most of the
this holiday. (One should eat when-
direct connection between the Jew- crops planted in the spring have
ever possible in the sukka. The
ish holiday of Sukkot and the
borne fruit ready for harvest, Amer-
exception, of course, is too much
American holiday of Thanksgiving,
icans celebrate Thanksgiving. The
rain.) Some communities, though,
argue that Thanksgiving is a deriv-
popular story has it that with the
have a custom of "sukka hopping,
ative of Sukkot. The effect is to
November holiday, Americans
in which children make visits to
Judaize Thanksgiving or American-
recall the first Thanksgiving —
friends'
sukkot, where they'll find a
ize Sukkot.
when the Pilgrims who had sur-
tasty snack awaiting them.
A closer examination of the histo-
vived a bitter winter, planted their
As with a number of other Jewish
ry behind the holidays reveals that
crops, and in the fall celebrated
holidays, Sukkot has many names
each stands alone.
the bounty of the New World with
in the Tanach [holy books of the
Because Sukkot is a major Jew-
their helpful Indian friends.
Hebrew Bible]. The most familiar is
1827, she began writing editori-
ish holiday, its origin can be found
It's true that the 102 Pilgrims
probably "Feast of Tabernacles," (in
als pushing for a national Thanks-
in the Torah. In Parshat Emor
who came on the Mayflower in
Leviticus and Deuteronomy), but
giving holiday "to offer to God
(Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-43), God
1620 survived a winter that
these also include "Feast of the
our tribute of joy and gratitude
first commands the Jewish people
killed almost half of them. With
Ingathering" (Exodus) "The Feast" (I
for the blessings of the year."
to celebrate Sukkot. The festival
the agricultural advice of local
Kings) and "Feast of the Lord" (Leviti-
She also wrote to governors,
lasts a full week, and the Jews are
Indians, by fall 1621 the settlers
cus and Judges). Observed also as
ministers, newspaper editors and
instructed to live in booths so that
did harvest a bumper crop.
a harvest holiday (see sidebar), the
every U.S. president.
they should remember that God
William Bradford, governor of
main theme of Sukkot is the time
Her persistence paid off. In
caused the Children of Israel to
the colony, declared a day of
when the Israelites were dwelling in
1863, President Abraham Lincoln
dwell in booths when [God] took
thanksgiving. Together with the
booths in the desert.
issued a proclamation setting
them from the land of Egypt."
chief and 90 men of the
The Torah directs us to relish the
(Num-
aside the fourth Thursday in
Later, in Parshat Pinchas
Wampanoag tribe, the celebra-
holiday
and to make certain that
November (this year: Nov. 25) as
bers 29:12-38), God presents a
tion lasted three days. It had eat-
everyone, regardless of his financial
the national Thanksgiving Day.
long list of the animal, grain and
ing, foot races, jumping matches
status, is able to have a joyous sea-
Looking to Sarah Hale's rationale
wine sacrifices for each day of
and target shooting with bows
son, as well. One way to do this is
for Thanksgiving, the Jewish peo-
Sukkot.
and arrows (by the Indians) and
to invite a less fortunate family for a
ple are taking stock of the past
It is only in Parshat Re'eh
guns (by the whites). But after-
meal in the sukka.
year each Rosh HaShana. On
(Deuteronomy 16:13) that the Torah
ward, the Pilgrims never regularly
Perhaps because they come at the
Sukkot, when we sit in our flimsy
connects Sukkot and the harvest:
celebrated a day of thanksgiving.
end of Sukkot, the last two days of
booths, we recognize that our ulti-
"You shall make the festival of Sukkot
In 1789, President George
this holiday are probably the most
mate security lies not in the hands
for a seven-day period, when you
Washington proclaimed a day of
overlooked celebrations on the Jew-
of humans, but in God.'
gather in from your threshing floor
thanksgiving, but the order was
ish calendar.
and from your wine cellar."
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9/24
1999
70 Detroit Jewish News