Tonight (15th of the Jewish month of Tishrei) begins the Sukkot holiday, which will last seven days.

The name of the holiday comes from the Hebrew word "SukkA", which literally means "a hut covered with branches of plants" (this roof is called "shah"), features of its conduct are described in the Written Torah (Sukkot is mentioned several times in Khumash).

Staying in a hut that should be outside a permanent home, and which is usually covered with palm branches, should remind Jews of the exodus from Egypt and life in the desert, and that, for the sake of freedom, you can temporarily sacrifice home comfort.

In the sukkah, it is customary to arrange meals and receive guests (Ushpizin), on each day of the holiday, the Jews are symbolically "greeted" in the sukka by one of the patriarchs and prophets of the Jewish people (Abraham, Isaac, Yaakov, Moshe, Aaron, Joseph and David).

During the Sukkot prayers, it is customary to keep a "festive set" of their four plants in their hands. This citrus fruit is "etrog", a non-opening branch of the date palm ("lulav"), as well as branches of myrtle ("adas") and willow ("arava").

These plants symbolize different layers of Jewish society (in terms of observance of commandments and doing good deeds), and the command to unite them in one "bouquet" during prayer reminds of the necessity of unity of all Jews - both on holidays and on weekdays.