lulav
A date palm frond with myrtle and willow sprigs attached; used in Sukkot rituals.
Sh'mini Atzeret
"Eighth day of assembly;" conclusion of Sukkot.
sukkah
"Booth" or "hut;" temporary structure associated with the agricultural festival of Sukkot; plural: sukkot.
Sukkot
Seven-day fall agricultural festival associated with temporary booths or huts.
Tu BiShvat
"15th of Shevat;" New Year of the Trees; Jewish Arbor Day, which is a minor festival.
ushpizin
"Guests" (Aramaic); mythic guests invited to the sukkah.
Yizkor
"Remember;" memorial service held on Yom Kippur and on the last day of Pesach, Shavout, and Sukkot.
I Will Shelter You
Way back in July 1990, when my daughter Katie was two years old, Ellen turned to our little girl and said, "Tell Daddy something he doesn't know." Katie whispered, smiling shyly, "Today is Mommy's birthday." Can you say doghouse?
How Do We Make God Holy?
The point of being Jewish is to have a relationship with God. Yet, a relationship implies a certain give and take, and there is precious little in the Torah that talks about what we have that God could possibly need. What can we give to God?
Tearing a Hole in Being
At the end of Parashat Emor, a disturbing incident is related. In the heat of a fight, a man curses God and is stoned to death for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:10-23). It is understandable that readers may be repulsed by this narrative, and shocked and angry to find it in the Torah.