Sukkot this year:
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ByEli Bass
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Macks Center for Jewish Education

Themes- What did we find in this video we liked?

Here is the daily weather map from Ynet.

What parts of the Israeli weather report are different from the weather report in MD?

Why water and sukkot?

Who in the Torah struggles with water?

ראש השנה ט״ז א:א׳
מתני׳ בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון בפסח על התבואה בעצרת על פירות האילן בר"ה כל באי עולם עוברין לפניו כבני מרון שנאמר (תהלים לג, טו) היוצר יחד לבם המבין אל כל מעשיהם ובחג נידונין על המים:
Rosh Hashanah 16a:1
MISHNA: At four times of the year the world is judged: On Passover judgment is passed concerning grain; on Shavuot concerning fruits that grow on a tree; on Rosh HaShana all creatures pass before Him like sheep [benei maron], as it is stated: “He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15); and on the festival of Sukkot they are judged concerning water, i.e., the rainfall of the coming year.

Symbolism of Waving the Four Species

The motion and order of the wavings is highly significant.

  1. On a basic level there is simply the arousal of our joy, thanksgiving, and praise of God at the time of the final fruit harvest.
  2. The directions are symbolic of divine rule over nature.
  3. There is the representation of the fertility of the land and the desire for rain.
  4. This is also representative of our complete immersion in the holiday. On one level, we are surrounded by the sukkah. On another level, through this motion (of bringing it toward us), Sukkot enters us. The lulav becomes a conduit of peace and God’s presence from every direction; transcendence and immanence. We gather in and are gathered in.

Through all of these, the themes of Sukkot are played out and interwoven beautifully: redemption, universal peace and brotherhood, completion. (FROM MYJEWISHLEARNING, sourced from

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, עמידה, גבורות ב׳-ה׳

(ב) בקיץ:

(ג) מוֹרִיד הַטָּל

(ד) בחורף:

(ה) מַשִּׁיב הָרֽוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּֽשֶׁם:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Amidah, Divine Might 2-5

(2) From the Musaf of the first day of Pesach until the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres one should say:

(3) He causes the dew to descend.

(4) From the Musaf of Shemini Atzeres until the Musaf of the first day of Pesach you should say:

(5) Causer of the wind to blow and of the rain to fall.10God’s might is as much manifested in causing the rain as it is in reviving the dead. In fact the Talmud (Maseches Taanis 7a) declares in the name of Rabbi Avohu: “The day when rain falls is greater than the day of the resurrection of the dead.” Rabbi Yochanan said, (Ibid, 2a): “There are three ׳keys’ which God retains in His own hands and does not entrust to any emissary: the key to rain, the key to childbirth, and the key to the resurrection of the dead.”

ראש השנה ט״ז א:ט״ו

ומפני מה אמרה תורה נסכו מים בחג אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא נסכו לפני מים בחג כדי שיתברכו לכם גשמי שנה ואמרו לפני בראש השנה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות מלכיות כדי שתמליכוני עליכם זכרונות כדי שיעלה זכרוניכם לפני לטובה ובמה בשופר

Rosh Hashanah 16a:15

And for what reason did the Torah say: Pour water onto the altar in the Temple on the festival of Sukkot? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Pour water before Me on the festival of Sukkot so that the rains of the year, which begin to fall after Sukkot, will be blessed for you. And recite before Me on Rosh HaShana verses that mention Kingships, Remembrances, and Shofarot: Kingships so that you will crown Me as King over you; Remembrances so that your remembrance will rise before Me for good; and with what will the remembrance rise? It will rise with the shofar.

משנה סוכה ה׳:א׳
הֶחָלִיל חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁשָּׁה. זֶהוּ הֶחָלִיל שֶׁל בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה, שֶׁאֵינָה דּוֹחָה לֹא אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְלֹא אֶת יוֹם טוֹב. אָמְרוּ, כָּל מִי שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה שִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה, לֹא רָאָה שִׂמְחָה מִיָּמָיו:
Mishnah Sukkah 5:1
The flute was for five or six days. This refers to the flute at the Bet Hashoevah [the place of the water-drawing] which does not override Shabbat or the festival day. They said: he who has not seen the Simchat Bet Hashoevah has never seen rejoicing in his life.
משנה סוכה ה׳:ג׳
מִבְּלָאֵי מִכְנְסֵי כֹהֲנִים וּמֵהֶמְיָנֵיהֶן מֵהֶן הָיוּ מַפְקִיעִין, וּבָהֶן הָיוּ מַדְלִיקִין, וְלֹא הָיְתָה חָצֵר בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה מֵאוֹר בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה:
Mishnah Sukkah 5:3
From the worn-out pants and belts of the priests they made wicks and with them they kindled the lamps. And there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the light of the Bet Hashoevah.

What do we love about being in control?

Kobi Oz (and Zalman) is reminded that Judaism is constantly pushing us towards humility. How do we feel about this?

How do we connect this feeling of lacking control to your last few weeks?

We focused today on the deep need for water in the land Israel. Is there a way to connect these feelings to the experiences of our students here in the US? If so how?