A custom originating with Lurianic Kabbalah is to recite the ushpizin prayer to "invite" one of seven "exalted guests" into the sukkah. These ushpizin (Aramaic אושפיזין 'guests'), represent the "seven shepherds of Israel": Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David, each of whom correlate with one of the seven lower Sefirot of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. According to tradition, each night a different guest enters the sukkah followed by the other six. Each of the ushpizin has a unique lesson to teach that parallels the spiritual focus of the day on which they visit, based on the Sefirah associated with that character.
Many also recognize a set of seven female shepherds of Israel, called variously Ushpizot (using modern Hebrew feminine pluralization), or Ushpizata (in reconstructed Aramaic). Several lists of seven have been proposed. The Ushpizata are sometimes coidentified with the seven prophetesses of Judaism: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Hulda, and Esther. Some lists seek to relate each female leader to one of the Sefirot, to parallel their male counterparts of the evening. One such list (in the order they would be invoked, each evening) is: Ruth, Sarah, Rebecca, Miriam, Deborah, Tamar, and Rachel. (adapted from Wikipedia)
Many also recognize a set of seven female shepherds of Israel, called variously Ushpizot (using modern Hebrew feminine pluralization), or Ushpizata (in reconstructed Aramaic). Several lists of seven have been proposed. The Ushpizata are sometimes coidentified with the seven prophetesses of Judaism: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Hulda, and Esther. Some lists seek to relate each female leader to one of the Sefirot, to parallel their male counterparts of the evening. One such list (in the order they would be invoked, each evening) is: Ruth, Sarah, Rebecca, Miriam, Deborah, Tamar, and Rachel. (adapted from Wikipedia)
תִּיבוּ תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין עִילָאִין, תִּיבוּ תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין קַדִּישִׁין, תִּיבוּ תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא...
יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלקַי וֵאלקֵי אֲבותַי שֶׁתַּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתְךָ בּינֵינוּ וְתִפְרוס עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלומֶךָ...
Sit, sit, [you] lofty guests; sit, sit [you] holy guests; sit, sit [you] guests of faith.
May it be Your will in Your Presence, Eternal One, my God and God of my ancestors, that You have Your Divine Presence rest upon us, and that You spread out Your sukkah of peace upon us.
Getting our Ushpizin/ot Deck of Cards Ready:
- Take 10 index cards and a marker.
- On each card (up to ten), write the name of a person, real or fictional, living or dead, that you would like to invite into the sukkot this evening.
- I suggest that everyone between five and ten cards.
- Our cards will make a unique deck of Ushipzin/ot cards.
- We divide into two teams to play a game to invite our Ushpizin/ot into the sukkah.
Monikers - Ushpizon/Ushpizot Edition
For three rounds, each team gets 30 seconds to make their team guess as many of the Ushpizin/ot on the cards as possible. The team take turns until we have gone through the whole deck. Then we move to the next round.
For three rounds, each team gets 30 seconds to make their team guess as many of the Ushpizin/ot on the cards as possible. The team take turns until we have gone through the whole deck. Then we move to the next round.
- Round One: Use your words! Make your team guess who is on the card. The only rule is that you cannot say any part of their name.
- After Round One, we will all share one of our Ushpizin/Ushpizot and share one trait about them that we admire.
- After Round One, we will all share one of our Ushpizin/Ushpizot and share one trait about them that we admire.
- Round Two: You get one word. Make your team guess who in on the card with only ONE WORD. That is all you get to use. Choose...wisely.
- After Round Two, we will all share another of our Ushpizin/Ushpizot and suggest what lesson we can learn from their lives.
- After Round Two, we will all share another of our Ushpizin/Ushpizot and suggest what lesson we can learn from their lives.
- Round Three: Gesticulate Wildly. Make your team guess who is on the card with only gestures, like charades.
- After Round Three, we will all share another of our Ushpizin/Ushpizot and suggest a a blessing that they might have offered us on this evening of Sukkot.