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12
Religious Life
YOM KIPPUR
Sept. 26, 2012
Sept. 14, 2013
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the
culmination of the High Holiday season. It is
the holiest day of the Jewish year. For those
who are physically able to do so, it is customary
to fast for the entire day, beginning before
sundown and for the duration of the holiday.
We refrain from food and drink and other
physical luxuries, expressing our focus on
spiritual values on this day. Together we chant
the Viddui, the confession of sins, and we
specify those sins in the Al Cheyt prayer. Much
of Jewish prayer is in the plural, as we support
each other in the acknowledgement of our
many failings.
Yom Kippur takes place on the 10th day
of the month of Tishrei. We light the holiday
candles and share a final meal before the fast
begins. Those who have lost a loved one- parent,
child, spouse or sibling, light a memorial
candle as well. The synagogue service on Yom
Kippur will include special Yizkor, memorial,
prayers.
Worship begins with the Kol Nidre service.
The haunting melody of this prayer is one of
the most recognizable in all of Jewish liturgy.
The words kol nidrei are translated as “all
vows.” Through this prayer, we consider the
slate wiped clean of any vows to God we may
have made in the previous year. On Yom Kippur
day, we read the story of Jonah, inspired
by the people of Nineveh and their immediate
responsiveness to the call to repentance.
As the sun sets, the pace of our prayers
quickens with the Neilah service, as the Day of
Atonement ends. With one final blast of the
shofar, we return to our homes to break the
fast, with hearts and spirits renewed and ready
to enter the new year.
SUKKOT
Oct. 1-7, 2012
Sept. 19-25, 2013
Four days after Yom Kippur, a day focused
essentially on the spiritual, we celebrate the
fall harvest festival of Sukkot, the Feast of
Booths, starting on 14 Tishrei, the full moon of
the fall equinox. Sukkot is one of the three biblical
pilgrimage festivals on which adult males
were expected to make a pilgrimage to the
Temple in Jerusalem. Each of these holidays
has both an agricultural as well as a historical
reference. Sukkot reminds us of the temporary
dwellings of our Israelite ancestors as they
journeyed in the wilderness for 40 years from
Egypt to the Promised Land. Sukkot is said to
be the foundation of the American celebration
of Thanksgiving.
Traditional Jews construct a sukkah, a
harvest booth, at their homes. Many will sleep
in the sukkah throughout the eight days of
the holiday; certainly we should strive to eat
as many meals as we can in the sukkah. A temporary
dwelling, the sukkah is decorated with
fruits and vegetables, with posters and lights.
Some people save their Rosh Hashana cards
and use those to adorn the sukkah.
The fragility of the sukkah is a reminder
of the fragility of our lives. We reflect on the
transience of our possessions and renew our
commitment to enduring values. As we live
for a week in an insecure dwelling, we think of
those who do not enjoy the substantial homes
with which we are blessed, as we renew our
commitment, as well, to work for a time when
all will enjoy secure shelter.
As we sit in our sukkah, we invite Ushpizin,
“mystical guests,” each night to join the friends
and family who share our harvest hut. It is fun
to consider which historical Jewish personalities
we would like to include if given the opportunity.
In the synagogue, we read the book
of Ecclesiastes at this holiday.
Sukkot is celebrated for eight days in traditional
communities; for seven days by many
in accordance with the practice in the land of
Israel. The first two and last two days are considered
full holidays, in which we abstain from
work. These restrictions are relaxed on the
middle days, known as Chol Hamoed. The Yizkor
prayers are included on the final day of the
holiday, and we recite Hallel, a special series of
psalms of praise, on each day of Sukkot.
The Torah instructs us to shake the lulav and
etrog as part of our Sukkot experience. Known
as the four species, these elements include a
palm branch, willow and myrtle fronds, and
a citron or lemon-like fruit. There are many
beautiful interpretations of the lulav and etrog,
which are waved in six directions as part of
our worship, symbolizing God’s presence
which surrounds us always. The lulav and etrog
represent each person in our community: our
community is incomplete without the participation
of each Jew. They remind us to serve
God with our entire being.
The following is a description of rules and
regulations pertaining to the construction of
a sukkah:
1) It must be less than 30 feet high. 2) The
walls must be strong enough to withstand
ordinary gusts of wind. 3) The shade offered
by the roof covering of the sukkah must
block the rays of sun, yet the stars must be
visible through the roof. 4) There must be at
least three walls, made of any material. 5) The
sukkah must be a temporary structure, so a
screened-in porch or a screened house cannot
serve as a sukkah. 6) It is a mitzvah (a commandment)
to eat meals in the sukkah during
the holiday.
Sukkot is known as He-Chag, The holiday,
the time of greatest joy in our calendar.
HOSHANA RABBA
Oct. 7, 2012
Sept. 25, 2013
Hoshana Rabba takes place on the seventh
day of Sukkot. Tradition suggests that it is on
this date that the High Holiday season truly
concludes, as God seals our Book of Life. We
make seven circuits around the synagogue,
each one characterized by a prayer asking for
God to save us — hence the name “The Great
Hoshanah.” The lulav and etrog are carried in
these processions. In some communities it is
customary to hold a tikkun, an all-night study
session, in anticipation of Hoshana Rabba.
SHEMINI ATZERET and
SIMCHAT TORAH
Oct. 8-9, 2012
Sept. 26-27, 2013
Shemini Atzeret, the Eighth Day of Assembly
and Simchat Torah, rejoicing with
the Torah, are the conclusion of the fall
holiday season. They may be combined as a
one-day observance in many non-Orthodox
communities.
Shemini Atzeret marks the eighth day of
Sukkot. This season marks the beginning of
the rainy season in the land of Israel, so, on
Shemini Atzeret, we add prayers for rain to our
daily liturgy. On Sukkot we offer prayers for
each of the nations of the world. On Shemini
Atzeret, God invites the Jewish people to
linger in the holiday spirit, expressing the
unique closeness between the Holy One and
the people of Israel.
On Simchat Torah, we celebrate the
completion of our cycle of Torah reading, from
Genesis through Deuteronomy, and we begin
our study for the year ahead. We demonstrate
our devotion to learning as we immediately
read the first words of Genesis upon completion
of Deuteronomy. It is a special honor to
be called to recite the blessings for either one
of these readings. Simchat Torah is characterized
by joyous singing and dancing. In many
congregations, the entire Torah scroll will be
unfurled.
Jewish News of Greater Phoenix