Today friends we are having the discussion group in the Sukkah, in the hut because today is obviously the festival of Sukkot, it’s the festival of the tabernacles.

It symbolises that when the Jewish people came out of Egypt and wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, from the time when they went from Egypt to the promised land, Israel. The time of Moses, after the 10 plagues and everything, they had a protective cloud that was with them the whole time and also they lived in temporary accommodation during that time because they were wandering through the wilderness, they didn’t have a sense of permanence in any one place. So therefore that’s symbolised through that not having a proper roof only having branches, it’s a temporary dwelling place.

And before we begin the discussion, we’re actually going to shake the lulav and etrog, we’re going to shake the arbar minim, the 4 species before we get down to our discussion.

 

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al n'tilat lulav.