Friday, September 28, 2012

Sukkot primer

The Festival of Sukkot begins this coming Sunday (for 2013, Wednesday, September 18) at sunset.  You can read the basics here.

See also my Concerning halachically-permissible ways to take a shower on a Yom Tov/major holiday


The following is copied from my (updated and reorganized) "What to say when" file in Word (with apologies for being unable to copy the original formatting):

• Amidah for Chol HaMoed

o Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv/Arvit (Nov. 2, 2011 update)—regular weekday or Shabbat version, to which one adds Yaaleh V’Yavo.

o Musaf—Shalosh R’galim version (which includes additions for Shabbat).

o During the Amidah prayer of the Maariv/Arvit/Evening Services that mark the end of the first day(s) of Yom Tov and the beginning of Chol HaMoed, one recites Atah Chonantanu, after which one is permitted to do necessary work during Chol HaMoed.

Hallel

• October 22, 2008 update: On Sukkot, including Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Hallel is always Full Hallel—there’s never a Half-Hallel during Sukkot.

• Aliyot

o Shabbat:

 If any of the Shalosh R’galim, including Chol HaMoed, fall on Shabbat, they always have the 7 aliyot that are standard on Shabbat.

o Weekdays:

 Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed—4;

 Shalosh R’galim and Rosh HaShanah—5;

 Yom Kippur—6.

• Readings--April 8, 2012 (post-havdalah) correction:

o For the 1st 2 days of the Shalosh R'galim Sukkot, the reading from the 1st Torah scroll is Leviticus 22:26-23:44, from Parshat Emor (leave the corners of the field for the poor; commandments re lulav and etrog, sukkah, etc.).

o For Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot, the reading from the 1st Torah scroll is Sh'mot/Exodus 33:12-34:26, from Parshat Ki Tisa.

o For Hoshana Rabbah, the reading is B'midbar/Numbers 29:26-34, from Parshat Pinchas (the source of all maftir readings for Shalosh R'galim and the Yamim Noraim).

Birkat HaMazon/Grace After Meals

• October 18, 2011 update: When reciting Birkat HaMazon/Grace after Meals on Chol HaMoed, one does *not* recite the HaRachaman for Yom Tov.


• November 2, 2011 update re Birkat HaMazon from the comments to this post:

Larry Lennhoff said...

Also we say 'Sukkah David HaNofelet' both during YT and Chol Hamoed Sukkot, even if we aren't eating in the sukkah because of rain or other factors.

WED OCT 19, 01:43:00 PM 2011

Where and what to eat

October 22, 2008 update: Rabbi __ says that one is forbidden to eat only bread and mezonot (including rice, I’ve heard) outside of a sukkah during Sukkot. That sounds reasonable to me. (Note to self: Stock up on corn (fresh or frozen), corn thins, corn chips/and/or mezonot-free corn tortillas, and on potatoes and/or potato chips.) He also says that one is permitted to eat outside of a sukkah if one’s health would be harmed by eating therein. This is of particular relevance for seniors during cold weather. I think he said that one may eat indoors in rainy weather.

September 28, 2012 update:  Buckwheat and quinoa, not to mention corn and/or quinoa pasta, should be on the "permissible" list, too, unless one accepts the tradition, held by some, that one is only permitted to eat "sheh-hakol" foods outside of the sukkah (see below).

Halachic head-scratcher (as in, "Huh?!")
From: [me]

To: [deleted]

Subject: Halachic head-scratcher (as in, "Huh?!")

Date: Friday, October 17, 2003 3:00 PM

According to one of my co-workers, it's assur (prohibited) for Jews (in her community, this probably refers to men only) to eat any foods requiring a blessing "fancier" (higher in halachic status?) than "shehakol" during Sukkot unless they're eating in a sukkah, which would pretty much limit me to tuna and chocolate for lunch. (Any excuse for chocolate will do :).) [My husband] tells me that one of his frummer colleagues from his [former full-time job from which he retired] days would simply not eat at all if there were no sukkah available. Talk about conflicting halachot,

a.. how on earth can you possible "rejoice in your festival" ("v'samachta b'chagecha") when you're fasting,

b.. and isn't it assur/forbidden to fast on a Yom Tov?

(My perception is that Yom Kippur is the exception that confirms both rules.)

Hoshanot question

• October 18, 2011: I think I overhead [my husband] confirming with Cantor __ that the Hoshanot of Sukkot and Hoshana Rabbah can only be recited if one has a minyan. (Is this true?).  Hoshanot explanations:  Page-length, full of fascinating detailsFour paragraphsThree paragraphs.


Shabbat Shalom, and Chag Sameach/Happy Holiday.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Woodrow said...

I actually had one day where I didn't eat in a sukkah till dinner. I definitely spent more time in sukkahs than usual this year because I am so close to a certain frum neighborhood where half the kosher places have sukkahs.

Had lots of fruit, lox for breakfast. Nuts and a banana for lunch, then early dinner. With judicious use of fruits and vegetables you can actually eat plenty. (I was traveling back to NYC during afternoon so that's another loophole but I didn't feel like taking advantage of that- I figured I'd be eating plenty of pizza for dinner so that was enough flour for me).

Fri Oct 05, 04:24:00 PM 2012  
Blogger Shira Salamone said...

Personally, I'm always happy to have an excuse to eat out. :) But it really is a pity that we have to leave our own neighborhood just to eat in a kosher restaurant, and all the more so to eat in a sukkah.

Wed Oct 10, 02:30:00 PM 2012  

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