Question 1 The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is also known as the Feast of _____.
Also known as the “Festival of Booths,” Sukkot is instituted in Leviticus 23:34 as “the LORD’s Festival of Tabernacles.”
Question 2 Sukkot follows closely after which important Jewish holiday?
In Leviticus 23:33-34, “The LORD said to Moses” that Sukkot is to be celebrated “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month…and it lasts for seven days,” and falls four days after Jews observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The festival lasts for eight days outside of Israel, and the biblical seven in the Holy Land.
Question 3 Sukkot is known as being a time of _____.
In contrast to the somber and introspective High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur) that precede it, Sukkot is a joyful time.
All of the above
Question 4 If the High Holy Days are so somber, what is it that Jews celebrate so joyfully on Sukkot?
While Sukkot commemorates more than one religious and historical motif, it has its roots as a fall harvest festival. Grapes, olives, and other crops are finally harvested in Israel at this time of year, and the Holy Land’s farmers also pray for the first rain and the start of a new and fertile year of planting.
The building of the Temple
The giving of the Torah
None of the above
Question 5 So if Sukkot commemorates something besides the harvest, what is it?
Sukkot also is a time for the Jewish people to remember the 40 years of difficult wandering their ancestors endured in the Sinai Desert after Moses led them from slavery in Egypt and how God provided for them during that time.
Moses in the bulrushes
The Israelites wandering in the desert
The Israelites entering the Promised Land
The building of the Second Temple
Question 6 If the holiday is about wandering in the desert, then what does the word Sukkot even mean?
While the Jews wandered through the Sinai, they lived in temporary booths they built and that could be taken down and carried on their journey. A singular booth is a sukkah and multiple booths are sukkot, where the holiday gets its name.
Question 7 When the Jewish people today build a sukkah, or temporary booth, what is its purpose?
The sukkah consists of four walls of wood, canvas, or other material. Its roof is made of branches or leaves that are thatched loosely together so that those inside can see the stars above. In keeping with the festive spirit of Sukkot, the sukkah is decorated with flowers, fruit, and paper chains. Families and friends gather together in the sukkah to eat meals, and if the weather permits, some even sleep in the sukkah, under the stars of God’s beautiful creation!
All of the above
Question 8 Which American holiday was most likely inspired by Sukkot?
It is thought that the American Pilgrims were inspired by the Bible’s account of Sukkot when they instituted the autumn holiday we now call Thanksgiving—a time of family, food, and fellowship that offers us an opportunity to show our gratitude for the blessings God has given us.