I used to go to a synagogue when I still lived in New York, which, like nearly every synagogue, had its local comedian. The essential part of this guy’s shtick was that, on holidays, he said the same thing every year. It was as if his routine depended on a kind of humorous monotony (and every year, it just kept getting funnier and funnier, even though we knew exactly what he was going to say. So much for originality!)
On the first night of Succos, the Rabbi invited the entire congregation to his rather large succa, and it was a miracle that everyone managed to squeeze in. During dinner, it was time for those who felt inspired to speak to say a few word relevant to the occasion. This guy’s turn came around, and I was already feeling a groan coming on. He stood up and said, “I just want to say a word about the meaning of Succos……(pregnant pause) “HUTS!” and then he abruptly sat back down.
The meaning of Succos is “huts.” After Yom Kippur, we begin building these little dwelling places in our yards or porches or wherever we have room. Succos is one of the three festivals in the Jewish calendar when everyone would come to the Holy Temple to bring sacrifices ( Shavuos and Passover are the other two festivals). The Torah commands special sacrifices to be brought, a mitzvah we can no longer fulfill since we no longer have a Temple standing in Jerusalem. The Torah also commands us to build these huts and “live” in them for seven days (outside if Eretz Yisroel, Succos is observed for eight days). A succa can be made out of wood or virtually any material. Although I love Succas made of wood, ours is simply made of plastic sheets and metal bars. This if for convenience so we can easily store the succa year after year. There are many laws and customs governing the building of the succa.
What does the Torah mean by “dwelling’ in the Succa for seven (or eight) days? Some people actually move into the succa with everything they have and pursue all of their activities there. I’ve seen people typing e-mails to their friends in the succa or cooking over a hot plate. It is amazing how some succas can resemble living rooms. In Jerusalem, I once saw a Succa with a nice carpet at the bottom, finished wooden walls, a plush sofa, cabinets and family photos (of course they needed to move all of that furniture back into the house after the holiday, but they really took this mitzvah seriously.)
Many people eat and sleep in the Succa but spend their time doing other activities outside. It is a delight when the entire neighborhood is in individual succas. Last Shabbos we heard every family singing songs in different styles, and there was a real feeling of unity. Succos is a lovely holiday of joy and togetherness and kids enjoy that fact that adults also have their ‘playhouse.”