SUKKOT

During Sukkot (festival of Tabernacles) Jews move from their houses into a sukkah (plural sukkot), a temporary hut or booth with a flimsy roof of branches or leaves, through which those inside can see the sky. People eat in the sukkah, and more orthodox Jews also sleep there. The sukkah is a reminder of the fragile huts in which the Jewish people dwelt while wandering in the desert during the Exodus. G-d protected them against the elements and this reminds Jews that it is not the bricks or mortar of their houses that provide protection, but G-d himself. Although the Exodus took place in spring, Sukkot is celebrated in autumn, because it would be natural for people to leave their houses in spring, to seek cooler dwelling places and thus the meaning of the huts would be lost. Autumn is also the end of the harvest season, and the granaries are full. Moving to a simpler dwelling place is also a reminder for wealthy people of how the poor live.