How should we observe the Feast of Sukkahs/Tabernacles/Booths / Sukkot and the 8th Last Great Day?

Answer From The Annual Reading Schedule - Week 28 Notes For Leviticus: First of all, for any observance we must remember that Yahweh does not like iniquity or unrighteousness and assembly to be mixed together (Isaiah 1:13). What this means is that we cannot be hypocritical. We can't be pretending to follow Yahweh when it comes time for an observance, and then on all other days living wickedly without any regard for the laws of Yahweh. We can't oppress the poor, the fatherless, and the widow a day before a feast, keep the feast and rest, and then go back to oppression the day after the feast and expect that Yahweh will be pleased with us.

We need to make sure that we are not pretending and that we are looking at the way we live and our hearts to see if they are in line with Yahweh's laws. If we're just pretending on feast days and other observances and not really following Yahweh in the rest of our life, then He will not be pleased with our fake attempts to keep His Set-Apart Days. Now, to the specifics of this question:

Chag HaSukkot – The Feast of The Tree Huts (known by some as Feast of Tabernacles / Booths) and the 8th Last Great Day are mentioned in this reading in Leviticus 23:33-43. The 1st and 8th days are to be treated like the weekly Sabbath with no work permitted, food prepared in advance, and set-apart gatherings to read the Scriptures. However, in addition to all that, we should be rejoicing even MORE all 8 days. There is a special emphasis placed on rejoicing during this feast so feasting and being glad, giving thanks for the harvest, offering up praises, and making a joyful noise should be a core focus of all 8 days.

Deuteronomy 16:15 shows that we are to be "ONLY rejoicing!" What a great commandment! We see in Leviticus 23:40 we are to take four things:

1) Fruit of a Tree of Magnificence (could be branches from citron trees, fig trees, olive trees like the Russian Olive, or other good quality fruit trees – the higher quality the better)
2) Hands of Erect Palms (Possibly meaning Palms or Palm fronds of Date Palms)
3) Branch of Tree of Intertwined, Dense, Thick Foliage (could be any thick leafy trees, including Oak, Cypress, Myrtles, or others)
4) Willows of Wadi (Stream/River) (this is probably a weeping willow branch)

These branches combined can be used to make a structure which in Hebrew is called a "Sukkah" and would be understood in English as a "Tree Hut". The plural of "Sukkah" is "Sukkot" which is where we get the name of the Feast of The Tree Huts. How could you have a Passover without a Passover Lamb? Similarly, how can we have a Sukkot without a Sukkah? The Sukkah made from branches is an inseparable part of the Feast of Sukkot. It is the Feast of The Tree Huts!

To prepare for the first day of the Feast, we build a Sukkah from branches. No rope is needed. If you get three large branches with forks in them, you can easily interlock three of them with each other to make a stable tripod that stands on its' own for each corner of the Sukkah. The thicker the diameter the better for stability. Then, you can lay on a long cypress branch from corner to corner to create the outline for the roof of the Sukkah. From there, you can lay other branches across those main branches going across from corner to corner and before you know it you'll have a leafy covered structure that looks like a giant bush. You can also stand up leafy branches on the outside of it to make a few leafy walls as well. However, the most important part is the ceiling to keep out the rain and provide shade from the sun. Believe it or not, with enough branches you can keep out most if not all of the rain. Light but leafy branches like large date palm fronds are ideal to help with this because they add little weight but give a lot of rain coverage. But it's important to have stable corners also and strong stable branches for the outline of the roof of the Sukkah.

Most people interpret that you can build a Sukkah by using lumber or tarps or even just set up a modern tent to be your Sukkah. Perhaps those structures are similar to a sukkah in the sense that they are temporary structures, however, we can see in Nehemiah 8 that when they kept Sukkot nobody set up a tent. Everyone went and got branches and made Sukkahs. (Yes, I know "Sukkahs" is grammatically incorrect – we're mixing a Hebrew word Sukkah with the English plural "s" at the end – but let's move on from that.)

Some have interpreted that the poor could make a Sukkah while the rich who could afford tents could use a tent. However, that would imply the Sukkah was a "poor man's solution" and the tent was the "rich man's solution". If that were the case, that would imply the tent is the higher quality solution, correct? Because Yahweh would obviously want the more expensive solution if two options are available to us. However, we see in Nehemiah 8 they put a Sukkah made from branches in the House of Elohiym which shows me that Yahweh wants a real Sukkah from branches. If he wanted a tent, then they could have pitched a tent in the courtyard of Yahweh's house, but they didn't. So I am fairly convinced that Yahweh wants just what he asked for: Sukkahs to be made out of branches. Even if a tent is "permissible", it appears the Sukkah would still be the preferred choice by Yahweh as we see in Nehemiah 8. However, I am not convinced that using a tent is really obeying what is commanded. I will share more reasons why shortly.

As a side note: It makes sense that they used the olive branch in Nehemiah 8 to fulfill the requirement to get fruit of a tree of magnificence because the olive is used for keeping the menorah in the set-apart place lit, so the olive is very magnificent if you look at it from that perspective.

Also, it's good on the first day and during the feast to take the 4 species of branches with the fruit on one and actually wave them and rejoice (if you can get a smaller branch from each small enough to wave). At the least, we like to wave the palm branch, but I would like to actually get a lulav and Etrog and maybe an olive branch with olives on it in the future (instead of a citron that is disconnected from the branch)! I don't know the traditional dance but that's OK – we can make up our own new dances to rejoice before Yahweh!

When they came out of Mitsrayim (Egypt), did they have tents? Exodus 12:13 shows that they lived in houses, not tents. Exodus 12:22 seems to confirm this by stating to put the blood on the doorposts and lintel. I would venture to say that they probably did not have tents immediately when leaving Mitsrayim (Egypt) and that they had to create these tents from scratch in the wilderness out of goats' hair, etc.. Perhaps it's possible some of the shepherds who tended sheep in the field may have already been in tents, but it appears from Exodus 12 that the general population lived in houses and therefore it is quite possible they had no tents.

With no tents, and needing shade, a Sukkah is an easy alternative until they had time to create tents from the goats' skins/hair. In fact, notice that one of the first places they came to in Exodus 13:20 when they were leaving Mitsrayim was Sukkot! How about them tater tots? Looks like this may be where they first started building their Sukkahs during the first Feast of Unleavened Bread. Later in Exodus 15:27 we see where they came to 70 palm trees. Perhaps these first parts of their journey where they made Sukkahs for shade is what Yahweh meant when He said in Leviticus 23:43 to know that He made the children of Yisra'el (Israel) dwell in Sukkahs?

I would expect after some time that almost everyone had their own tent for their family. So at that point, what would they be doing different around Sukkot time in the wilderness? They were already dwelling in tents during most of their time in the wilderness, so dwelling in a Sukkah would remind them of that specific, shorter period of time immediately following their Exodus out of Mitsrayim and how they dwelt in Sukkahs (Sukkot). It would also point us back to remembering their very first Feast of Unleavened Bread which may have been partially spent in a Sukkah when resting. Also, the fruit tree branch would be a constant reminder to give thanks for the harvest, which we see is important in Zechariah 14. If the nations in the future do not come up to keep the feast, which is a feast where we should give thanks for the harvest also, then they end up not getting any rain which would result in not having a harvest the next year, right? So we should give thanks for the harvest. Also, by the time the world's "thanksgiving" rolls around we have already given thanks for 8 days and their thanksgiving day becomes unnecessary.

It is good to give thanks all of the time, but after keeping Sukkot and the 8th Last Great Day, the observance of an additional day that the world calls "thanksgiving" does seem more like something for people who haven't kept the feast of Sukkot. For me, I don't need it so I don't observe it. That's what Sukkot is for.

As another side note – I do recognize there are some who are in prison or disabled in a nursing home or in other situations beyond their control where they cannot build a Sukkah. There were years I wanted to do a real Sukkah and just had not gotten it done for whatever reason, whether it be lack of preparing or saving up to make it happen, etc.. However, if we are able to make one, we should because it is part of keeping Sukkot. If you can't do one by yourself, then maybe you can contact other believers who you will be keeping Sukkot with and as a group effort build a Sukkah that all can enjoy while at the feast together!

So to observe Sukkot we treat the 1st and 8th days like weekly Sabbaths, we build a Sukkah before the feast, and during the 7 days of Sukkot we try to dwell in the sukkah as it says in Leviticus 23:42. To "dwell" probably means to use the sukkah as you would a house – have some meals in it, gather to sing and rejoice in it, give thanks in it, spend time reading Scripture in it – DWELL. Don't just wake up out of a small tent and hop out in the morning and spend the rest of the day outside – make a Sukkah and have meals in it, rejoice in it, sleep in it (if you can safely), DWELL in it! It is EXCITING!!!! The more stable you make it and the more leafy branches you use to protect from rain and sun, the more able it is to be a place where you and others can dwell and eat and rejoice!

Rejoice all 8 days, offer prayers, thanksgivings, and TONS OF SONGS OF PRAISE TO Yahweh!!!!! Have set-apart gatherings with Torah readings on the 1st and 8th days, AND EAT ALL THE TASTY CLEAN FOOD YOU LIKE! Be careful though to not eat so much you get sick! It is best if you can travel to a feast site with lots of other believers otherwise you will really miss out on how Sukkot is supposed to be also.

According to Deuteronomy 31:10-11 the whole Torah should be read every 7th year. Some interpret that as just referring to the book of Deuteronomy but I think it's possible we should read the whole Torah given through Mosheh from Genesis to Deuteronomy over the 8 days so that everyone will hear the Torah and learn, including children.

It should be noted that on the 8th Last Great Day we do not have to dwell in Sukkahs, so sleeping indoors would be permissible on the 8th day. Also, if you are sleeping in a Sukkah and get rained out at night I could understand going inside, but then during the day we should make attempts to make use of the Sukkah by having meals and rejoicing and gatherings in it if possible, even if it is raining.