When Shabbat occurs immediately following a festival -- as it does this year -- an "eruv tavshilin" (i.e., food for at least one "meal" that is set aside in advance for Shabbat) must be prepared prior to the festival, so that it should be permitted to prepare food for Shabbat during the festival. For details, visit Chabad.org

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Torah Reading

Sukkot, Chol Hamoed, Shabbat: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26

Sukkot, Chol Hamoed, Shabbat - Day 1: Numbers 29:17-22

Sukkot - Shabbat Ch"H: Ezekiel 38:18 - 39:16

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October 16 (14 Tishrei), is Erev Sukkot – the beginning of the week-long holiday celebrated by dwelling in the sukkah, taking the Four Kinds of plant species and rejoicing. This is followed by Shemini Atzert/Simchah Torah (October 23 to 25). 

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When we expose ourselves to the elements in sukkahs (greenery-covered huts) we commemorate G-d sheltering our ancestors as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Four Kinds express our unity and our belief in G-d’s omnipresence. Coming after the solemn High Holidays, Sukkot is a time of joy and happiness.

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The first two days (or one day in Israel) are yom tov, when work is forbidden, candles are lit in the evening, and festive meals are preceded with Kiddush and contain challah dipped in honey. The remainder of the days are quasi holidays, known as chol hamoed. We dwell in the sukkah and take the Four Kinds every day (except for Shabbat, when we do not take the Four Kinds).

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Chabad.org

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A sukkah is an embrace. You sit inside and G-d is hugging you. All of you, from head to toe.

Whatever you do inside your sukkah—sip a beer, chat with a friend, answer your e-mail, or just sleep soundly—all is transformed into a mitzvah, a secure and timeless connection with the Infinite.

And then, when you leave the sukkah to enter the world, you carry that hug with you.

All of life can become an embrace. A hug with the Infinite.

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Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

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The world as a whole displays multiplicity and divisiveness, the very opposite of the Divine unity. The four species, on the other hand, signify unity, transcending worldliness and displaying submission to the Divine unity. They are themselves physical, growing in-and thus part of-the world, but they are used as a mitzvah for the Divine service. Thus they elevate physical reality and render it into an instrument for the Divine unity, revealing the concealed principle of unity inherent in G-d’s creation.

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The four species thus effect the fulfillment of the prophecies that “all shall call upon the Name of G-d to serve Him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:9), and “G-d shall be King over the entire earth: in that day G-d shall be One and His Name One” (Zechariah 14:9), which shall come about with the speedy redemption by Moshiach. 

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From an article by Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet

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Once the Baal Shem Tov sat with his disciples for the festive meal of Rosh Chodesh, and his face was serious. The disciples knew from previous occasions things that would put their Rebbe in a more joyous mood, and they tried, but with no success.

Then, a certain village-dwelling Jew entered, named Reb Dovid. Immediately upon his entry the Baal Shem Tov was full of joy—he treated him warmly, gave him a place to sit, and also gave him a piece of his "hamotzi" (bread).

This matter caused the disciples to have questioning thoughts—the whole Holy Society were not able to rouse joy, and only a villager was able to do so?

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The Baal Shem Tov sensed their questions, and sent Reb Dovid off to do something, and when he left he said to them:

This Reb Dovid works hard, by the sweat of his brow, for every penny he earns. During the year he saves a penny at a time to buy an etrog for Sukkot, until he assembles the sum and travels to the city and buys an extremely fine one, and he has great joy from it. Since he is poor, and his wife is of bitter spirit, it angered her considerably that he does not care about the condition of his household, since he spends money on an etrog and rejoices over it. In her bitterness she broke the pitom (tip) of the etrog (rendering it possul, unfit for use).

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Now, besides the money that he spent on the etrog, there were many obstacles to bringing it, water to cross, bad roads, so that it all added up to much hard effort. Yet, when he saw what his wife had done he was not angry, but said: "It appears that I am not worthy of such an etrog. Truly, does a simple Jew like me deserve such a fine etrog?!"

"From the time of the Akeidah (the 'Binding of Isaac')," concluded the Baal Shem Tov, "there was not such a test of character, and therefore I treated him so warmly."

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(Sefer Hasichot 5696, p. 148)

Chabad.org

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