'If atonement is not granted on Rosh Hashana, I will grant it on Yom Kippur, and if they do not attain atonement on Yom Kippur, I will grant it on Hoshana Rabba.'
Jews from Arabic speaking countries have a unique way of celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Take an insider's look at the holiday celebrations of Israel's Sephardic Jewish communities.
Noting that his government already freed 207 of the captives abducted by the terrorists, Netanyahu said the diplomatic and military pressure, primarily through the Israel Defense Forces’ campaign in Gaza City, 'flipped the script' on Hamas.
Concern for our material possessions does not represent indulgence, but the opposite. We learn this lesson from our forefather Jacob and the Festival of Sukkot.
The word "Sukkot" means "huts" or "booths", referring to the booth-like structures that Jews are to eat their meals in over the course of the holiday, and preferably to sleep in too!
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are timeless lessons of continuity, growth, study and celebration of all of God's gifts, especially the spiritual ones.
Throughout our long history, Jews have overcome all sorts of obstacles to observe the mitzvah of sukkah. But perhaps one of the most striking instances is the sukkah built in Mexico City in the year 1603 by a crypto-Jew named Sebastian Rodriguez.
The Festival of Sukkot allows us to take a step back, to appreciate the material possessions that God has given us and to understand how to use them for spiritual means.
Until Jacob, no one in history ever had built huts for their cattle! Until then, cattle had to brave the elements. Whether it was hot or cold, dry or rainy, the cattle were simply always outdoors, always exposed.
IDF soldiers will commemorate Sukkot in the Sukkah, honoring tradition and their history, symbolizing their forebears' endurance during the 40-year desert trek.
During the times of the Temple, this ceremony was held once every seven years when all of Israel – men, women, and children – were gathered in Jerusalem for the Sukkot festival.
What is Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah all about? Is it merely a continuation of the week-long holiday of Sukkot or does it have its own special purpose?