Sukkot Research Paper

Depending upon the religious background, one may use the word “Hoshana or Hosanna” during church services. This word means “Save Us!” Jewish use this word during the celebration of Sukkot when reciting a daily prayer called a Hoshanot from the Hebrew word for salvation. The Sukkot festival is to recognize that God provides and protects along with reinforcing a feeling of vulnerability. Followers are expected not only to remember God protects them, but to also change their living environment during this festival to gain a better insight as to what their ancestors endured. While this may seem a bit ominous, it is not since another name for the Sukkot festival is the Feast of the Tabernacles. Feast in Hebrew means to “dance and rejoice.” The Sukkot festival is considered to be the most joyous of Jewish festivals and a time to dance, rejoice, …show more content…
Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty year period when the people of Israel lived in the desert after exodus from Egypt. Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival which thanks God for a good crop.
Along with Passover and Shavuot, Sukkot is considered a pilgrimage festival. These festivals were set aside in biblical times for people to travel (or make pilgrimage) to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and to offer a personal sacrifice for thanksgiving. It is no longer obligatory for the Jewish to make this pilgrimage or sacrifice, and as such, not many Jewish individuals keep this aspect of the festival tradition.
Originally, Sukkot centered on celebrating the yearly harvest following learned pagan traditions. Since such celebrations did not follow the moral and value guidelines of the rabbis, the rabbis decided to use the following from Leviticus to give this celebration Jewish