This primary resource is a plaque that would hang in a Sukkah. It depicts the seven “guests” who are traditionally invited, one per night, to join us in the Sukkah. These guests are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David. In addition to the seven names of the guests a variety of Jewish symbols are illustrated.
The Temple is illustrated in the centre of the plaque; the Western Wall (Kotel Ha’Ma’Aravi) is depicted beneath the Holy of Holies – possibly because it is the only remnanant of the Temple that is visible to the eye today. The plaque is entitled “I invite to my meal the illustious guests” followed by the verse from Psalm 113 “From the rising of the sun until its setting, the name of the Lord is praised.”
Each of the first four “guests” is given the characteristic of an animal and the appropriate quote from Ethics of the Fathers 5:20. Abraham is “be bold as a leopard”, Isaac is “be as light as an eagle”, Jacob is “be as fleeting as a deer” whilst Joseph is “be as mighty as a lion.” Moses and Aaron are not given an illustration while King David’s name is placed above the picture of the Temple. Below the illustration of the lion and the eagle are two illustrations. The first illustration is of the Sacrifice of Isaac and show the alter, knife and the Ram. The other illustration shows a table set under a tree and a house with an open door – this might be a depiction of Abraham’s hospitality. The texts along the base of the plaque are the prayers recited as each “guest” is invited into the Sukkah, and when they leave.
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Sukkot - According to the Torah, the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) has two central commandments. The first is that Jews should live in a temporary abode (Sukkah) for seven days (eight days outside of Israel). The second is that on every day of the festival, Jews take the Four Species (Arba’at HaMinim) in hand and make a blessing over them.
Sukkah - During the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles), Jews are commanded, according to the Torah, to leave their permanent home and live in a temporary abode (Sukkah) for seven days. The Sukkah’s purpose is to provide shade and must therefore be built under the sky (not under a balcony). The walls can be made of any material so long as they are secure whilst the roof (Schach) must provide more shade than light during the day but provide enough room to see the stars at night, thereby giving a sense of a temporary abode. The Ushpizin is a Sukkot tradition started by the Kabbalists in approximately the 16th century.
