HOLIDAYS 101
in the fast lane can buy a prefab sukkah and bamboo mats. The blessing: Before eating in the sukkah, the following blessing is recited (made when your meal or snack includes a grain-based food): Baruch atah Ado-nai, Elo-heinu melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu bemitzvotav, vetzivanu leishev basukkah. Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah. LULAV & ESROG Every day of Sukkot (except Shabbat) we bless and shake the arba minim, a.k.a. “Four Kinds.” They are a palm branch (lulav), two willows (aravot), a minimum of three myrtles (hadassim) and one citron (etrog). The first three kinds are neatly bundled together—your arba minim vendor can assemble it for you. Not all sets of arba minim on the market are kosher. Check with your rabbi. And treat your set with TLC—they’re fragile goods! Arba minim is a man’s obligation. For women, it’s optional but encouraged. The best place for doing this mitzvah is the sukkah, the outdoor holiday booth. Hold the lulav in your right hand (unless you’re a lefty), with its spine facing you. Face east and say: Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Melech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitzvo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu al netilat lulav. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding taking the lulav.
Pick up the etrog in your left hand. [On the first day of Sukkot (or the first time on Sukkot you get to do this), at this point say: Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu melech ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yima-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.] Bring the lulav and etrog together— you’ve done the mitzvah! The custom is to wave the arba minim in all six directions—south, north, east, up, down and west. Take along your arba minim to the synagogue for the morning services. We wave them again during the Hallel prayer, and then parade them around the synagogue during the Hosha’anot ceremony. Jewish unity is one of the central themes of Sukkot. The four kinds you are holding symbolize four types of Jews, with differing levels of Torah knowledge and observance. Bringing them together represents our unity as a nation—despite our external differences. So if you don’t have your own set, contact the nearest Chabad center and we will share it with you. Note: On the first two days of Sukkot, the mitzvah can be fulfilled only using one’s own set. As such, if using someone else’s set, it needs to be given as “a present, conditional on its return.” You can then use the set—your set—and then you return it, as a gift, to its original owner. (Courtesy of Chabad.org and Rohr Jewish Learning Institute)
Meditation on the Sukkah By Miriam Lippel Blum
For seven days we dwell Under the sun and stars in this fragile hut Sheltered only by branches once rooted in the ground. We leave the solid fortresses of our houses Where we are lulled into false security, closed in, Where we need not look at the vastness of the world and G-d. Here, open under the sky, faith is the only shelter. Remember the Israelites wandering in the desert. We, too, wander in deserts, Lonely, through drifting sands of passing time, Searching the heavens for living waters and shady resting places, A place within ourselves to call home. * The Tanya says: “The second soul… it is truly a portion of Hashem above.” Some people display their Divine soul more than others. Miriam Lippel Blum did so to an exceptional degree. She was a Jewish educator who was responsible for the careers of thousands of Jewish teachers around the world. She was also a poet and writer whose works enlightened all who read them. Her attention
and love brought change to Tucson and, in fact, to people in many, many countries. 11 Miriam left this world on July 6, 2021 --her husband Bennett Blum, MD
