The beauty of Simchat beit haShoevah

Hi,

"One who never saw the Simchat Beit haShoevah (the Water celebration in the Beit haMikdash, conducted on Succot, as part of our prayers for rain) never saw joy.

"One who never saw Jerusalem in its glory never saw a beautiful city. One who never saw the standing Temple never saw a beautiful building."

מי שלא ראה שמחת בית השואבה לא ראה שמחה מימיו. מי שלא ראה ירושלים בתפארתה לא ראה כרך נחמד מעולם. 

(Talmud, Succah 51b)

מועדים לשמחה,
Mordechai

Bring on the rain!

Hi,

"Rabbi Akiva said: The Torah says, 'Bring a measure of barley on Pesach' at the time of barley, so that the grain will be blessed. 'Bring the first wheat on Shavuot' at the time of trees, so that the fruit of trees will be blessed. 'Bring water libations on Succot' so that the rains will be blessed. 'And regarding any from the families of the land who do not ascend to Jerusalem to bow to the King, the Lord of hosts, the rain will not fall upon them. (Zecharyah 14)'

(Tosefta Succah 3:18)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai

The Joy of Succot

Hi,

"Although there is a mitzvah of rejoicing on all holidays, there was an extra joy in the Temple on the holiday of Succot, as it is written, ‘And you shall rejoice before HaShem your Gd for seven days.’

"How did they do this? On the eve of the first Yom Tov they would establish a place for women above and men below in the Temple, to prevent the groups from mixing, and then they began to rejoice from the night following the first Yom Tov. On each day of Chol haMoed they would begin to celebrate after they brought the daily afternoon afternoon, for the duration of the day and the entire night."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yom Tov 8:12)

Good moed,
Mordechai