Chabad offers a map of the High Holidays

Sparta — In response to the positive feedback that they received for the Map of the High Holidays, Chabad of Sussex County has decided to map out the remaining Jewish holidays that kick off the Jewish New Year. The first month of the Jewish New Year - the month of Tishrei is filled with holidays. The holidays that mark the first half of the month, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are solemn in contrast to the holidays that mark the second half of the month that are joyous. Sukkot Sukkot is a joyous holiday. For seven days, we are once again the original People of Moses wandering in the wilderness, surrounded by the Clouds of Glory, only now those clouds are the greenery of a festive hut—called a Sukkah. During the entire seven days of the festival, from Fri. night, Oct. 6, until Fri. afternoon, Oct. 13, all meals are eaten in the Sukkah, barring inclement weather. All the common activities of life, when they happen inside the Sukkah, become holy acts. And the entire person is encompassed in this mitzvah, from head to toe. Sukkah Building a Sukkah is simple and fun, but there are certain requirements that must be met. There must be no obstruction between the Sukkah and the sky; it must have at least three secure walls; and the ceiling can only be made of raw materials, not meant for construction or food. Branches of western cedar branches and bamboo poles are two very popular choices for roofing. Ask your local rabbi for more detailed building instructions. Or order one pre-fabricated. Think of the Sukkah as a sort of portal leading you out of time and space. Suddenly, you are no longer alone, but sitting together with every other Jew who sits in a Sukkah. Suddenly, you are no longer stuck in a weekday of 2006, but sharing timelessness and eternity with all the generations of the Jewish People since Sinai. The four kinds There is another mitzvah unique to Sukkot: The Torah tells us to take an etrog (a Mediterranean citrus fruit), a lulav (palm branch), three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches), hold them together and shake them gently after saying the appropriate blessing(s). We do this each day of the festival, excluding Shabbat, from Oct. 8 through Oct. 13, during the daytime. Looks simple, but it’s packed with meaning. The Four Species express the diversity of the Land of Israel, the diversity of human experience and the diversity of the People. What’s interesting is that if you leave out any one corner of that diversity, you can’t say a blessing. All four corners are needed to complete the mitzvah and all four must be held together as one. That’s the way it is with the people: One may be a great scholar, another a major activist, another has everything and another seems to contribute nothing. But every single one of us is a vital, irreplaceable part of the people. Hoshana Rabba Oct. 13 is the day a verdict is issued above: How much rain will descend this year and where. As Earth’s lawyers, we follow ancient customs to influence this decree. All the preceding night, we recite the Book of Deuteronomy and the Book of Psalms. In the morning, we circle the Torah reading platform of the synagogue seven times, lulav and etrog in hand, while reciting the hoshanot. Then, in an ancient rite of profound mystical significance, we beat five willow branches on the floor. SHEMINI ATZERET / SIMCHAT TORAH The joy of Sukkot expands for seven days and then bursts into Shemini Atzeret. The first Lubavitcher Rebbe described this day as a concentrate — a year’s worth of rejoicing packed into 24 hours so that we can take it with us on our journey through the coming year. He taught that as much as a Jew accomplishes on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with tears and prayer he can achieve on Shemini Atzeret with joy, song and dancing. If you only come to shul a few times a year, make sure the joyous times are included. The second evening of Shemini Atzeret, Oct. 14, we celebrate Simchat Torah: All the Scrolls of the Torah are carried from their ark around the bima seven times, with dance and song. Some communities do this the first night, as well. On the morning of the second day, Oct. 15, every man and boy receives an aliyah to the Torah, as we complete the yearly cycle of Torah reading and begin immediately anew. G-d never told us to make Simchat Torah. But on this day, we renew our endless love affair with His Holy Torah—so how could we not celebrate? And when G-d sees us celebrating the Torah He gave us, how could He not celebrate? Even the Torah itself yearns to celebrate—so we provide it the feet to dance. The Torah, it would seem, is a book to study. Whoever got it into his mind to dance with a book? But you have to realize that we Jews have given our lives for Torah for over 3,300 years. Our connection to it goes far beyond scholarship and the mind. It’s something inner, something deep that resonates inside, something we cannot describe with words or with ideas. But with dance and song, an inkling of that inner bond comes out. On Simchat Torah, even more than all the other high and lofty days of Tishrei, the Jewish People rejoice in an awesome oneness. When people study Torah, some understand more than others. But you don’t dance with your head—you dance with your feet. The feet are all at the same level. For more information, and for a list of the holiday programs, call Chabad of Sussex County at 973-726-3333, or e-mail Chabad@JewishSussexCounty.com.