Archive for the 'Sukkot' Category

Chag Sameach Sukkot!

Published by Ketzirah Carly קצירה on September 27, 2007 in Holidays and Sukkot. 3 Comments

Things are so busy that I haven’t had time to write my intended post for Sukkot. I’ve been exploring the idea of a local lulav and etrog and REALLY wanted to write something formal up for this year. I guess an impromptu version will have to do.

I forget which book, maybe Arthur Waskow’s Seasons of our Joy, there was a discussion as to how the elements that make up the lulav were partially chosen because they were easily found in Israel. You wouldn’t need to go searching — they were common place.

“On the first day you shall take to yourselves the fruit of the goodly tree, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.” (Lev. 23:40)

While the Torah has a simple enough commandment — we’ve layered all kinds of symbolism, or uncovered all kinds of symbolism, over the centuries. For some the four items represent the patriarchs or matriarchs, for others the four rivers, winds, worlds, and/or elements.

I happen to really like the associations with the four elements. Probably because I understand that the best. The idea of waving a wand made up of the four elements in the six directions — I get that. I also like the association of the matriarchs and patriarchs because it ties into the tradition of the Ushpizin/Ushpizot — now I’m wondering what element each corresponds to. I’m sure one of you already has ideas — so please share.

Here’s my understanding of the associations of the Lulav and Etrog and the Four Elements:

  1. Willow: Water
  2. Myrtle: Air
  3. Palm: Fire
  4. Etrog: Earth

Now, considering these elemental associations and that the etrog is never mentioned by name, what substitutions to locally available plants could you make? Willow is easy to find here in the DC region, so I would still use that. I might be able to find Myrtle, but if not then I would probably substitute Bay, which also has a lovely scent. What to use for the fire element is harder. I thought spice bush, but I have no really good reason why — other than it is plentiful. I guess I need to think about which trees have a fire association. As for the Etrog — I thought of Osage Orange. Both the bark and the fruit have a sweet scent, which is the same reason the etrog was chosen as “the fruit of the goodly tree.” But — Osage Orange isn’t edible so I wonder if this is a good choice or not.

I’ll keep pondering and maybe ask the Ushpizin & Ushpizot their thoughts on during Sukkot.

May you all have joyous holiday and I hope your harvests are abundant.

As we take up our palm branches, willows, myrtles, and etrogim on Sukkot, as we wave them in the six directions, may we come to feel how connected we are to all times and places. As we build each sukkah to be a latticework of light and darkness, may we feel the totality of what we are as bodies and spirits. As we invite our ancestors into the sukkah each evening, may we know we are linked to past, present, and future. As we walk in the circles of the festival, may we find ourselves encircled and sustained by the Weaver of the web of life.
-Rabbi Jill Hammer, Tel Shemesh Newsletter

I can’t think of a better way to end this than to quote my teacher, R’Jill.

Chag Sameach!


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Water Libations

Published by Ketzirah Carly קצירה on October 10, 2006 in Holidays and Sukkot. 1 Comment

One of the lesser know rituals of Sukkot is the pouring of water libations to ensure good rains.  Needless to say, I dig this concept.  If you ever come to a Becoming ritual — you’ll notice that we libate.  Most people think that’s all Angela’s doing, and it is, but it rubbed off on me.  I love pouring out my thanks, prayers, and praise in a physical form!

Then I learn that there’s actually a Jewish use of libations.  Woot!

Sadly, I don’t have a sukkah and Sukkot is one of those holidays that I have yet to really develop a way to celebrate.  It’s a harvest holiday.  I’m an earth-based Jew — WTF?  How can I not have a celebration?  I spent the first day of Sukkot at DC Pagan Pride Day.  Not very Jewish, but it was a festival of booths — so it was oddly appropriate.  Plus, I spent a good deal of the time talking with Baba from the RadFeys, and he told me about his trip to Israel.  It was great, as always, to talk to him.  The next day we had Circle, which fell on the second day of Sukkot this year I thought I would do something, but Angela told me she had a working ready.  Drat.  No Jewy goodness.

Um…but my Pagan Pantheistic friend with a Celtic bent gave me a little surprise.  While she had no particular awareness it was Sukkot.  And she certainly had no idea that it was the second day and the traditional one for the pouring of the water libations.  I actually only learned that the second day was the traditional day that morning as I read the daily page from the Jewish Book of Days.  (shameless plug for R’ Jill’s book).

But, I digress.

Angela had a whole working for Circle around pouring water and breathing into it what we need to harvest.  Hello?  Anyone?  Weirdness.

It was freaking great!  I got to do my water libation and imbue it with my personal “rain” needs to get me through the winter.  I got to share the experience with my spiritual group and my best friend once again proved to me that Becoming is my spiritual home.

May this harvest bring you all you need to make it through the winter.


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Happy Sukkot!

Published by Carly / Chava Chai on October 19, 2005 in Holidays and Sukkot. 0 Comments

Happy Sukkot all! A friend’s LiveJournal post reminded me that I should give a shout-out to the Jewitches too! This is more of an overview of the holiday than a deep exploration. Most of the links are to the OU.org Sukkot pages.

Sukkot is the big fall harvest holiday. We build “sukkahs” which are little huts that you are supposed to reside in for the week, to remember the times when we would live in the fields while harvesting. Like all Jewish holidays there’s about 100 layers to this, so that’s the super simple version. It’s nice to have this big happy festival just after Yom Kippur! It’s like saying, “Yes, we believe that we’ve been written in for prosperity and we’re going to say Thank you!”

We also give offerings of fruit and grain, and make prayers for water. Part of the ritual is to shake a lulav and etrog to the four directions. For those unable to get a lulav this year (there’s a shortage) you can use this handy lulav simulator.

We also welcome “honored ancestors” or Ushpizin into the sukkah. Traditionally these have been just the Patriarchs, Moses, Aaron, and Joseph. But needless to say this list has been expanded a bit to include the ladies, for the non-orthodox. It’s a time to honor and welcome the great ancestors of spirit.

And it means it’s time for me to actually write down my Peeling a Pomegranate meditation and share it!

How do you all celebrate Sukkot?