Sukkah
What blessing do we make when we eat or sit in a sukkah?
Leishev basukkah — לישב בסוכה.
Complete the set: Lulav, esrog, hadassim, and ______.
Aravos (willow branches).
What does "Ushpizin" mean?
Guests, gifts, or branches?
Guests. The word is Aramaic.
On Simchas Torah, what do we dance with?
The Torah scrolls (Sifrei Torah).
Which Jewish day of rest begins every Friday at sunset?
Shabbos (Shabbat).
Which kinds of food require the brachah לישב בסוכה?
Hamotzi or mezonos foods, if you eat more than an egg-sized amount.
How many hadassim and aravos are needed in a set of Arba Minim?
At least 3 hadassim and 2 aravos.
Who am I? I am famous for welcoming guests, and I lead the Ushpizin on the first day of Sukkos.
Avraham Avinu (Abraham).
What do the words "Simchas Torah" mean in English?
The joy of the Torah / rejoicing with the Torah.
Which planet is nicknamed the Red Planet?
Mars.
What are 2 of the requirements for kosher schach? (bonus points if you get all 3)
1. It grew from the ground.
2. It is now cut off from the ground.
3. It cannot become טמא (ritually impure).
Spot the mistake: "We take the lulav and esrog on every day of Sukkos."
We do NOT take the Four Minim on Shabbos.
We are TWO brothers among the Ushpizin. One led the Jews out of Egypt; the other was the first Kohen Gadol. Who are we?
Moshe and Aharon (Moses and Aaron).
Moshe led the Jews out of Egypt; Aharon was the first Kohen Gadol.
What is the name for the joyful rounds of dancing with the Torah?
Hakafos (hakafot).
Name that mitzvah: You put money in a pushka to help someone in need. What is this called?
Tzedakah (giving to those in need).
How much of the sukkah must be covered with shade from the schach for the sukkah to be kosher?
More than half — there must be more shade than sunlight.
Match ALL FOUR minim to their taste and smell.
Esrog, lulav, hadas, aravah.
Esrog: both taste and smell.
Lulav: taste only, through the dates of its palm tree.
Hadas: smell only.
Aravah: neither.
Double guest challenge: Who leads on the FIFTH day of Sukkos?
Name BOTH the Torah Ushpiz and the Chassidic Ushpiz.
Aharon Hakohen and the Tzemach Tzedek.
Finish-and-start challenge: On Simchas Torah, what is the LAST parshah we read to finish the Torah, and what parshah do we begin immediately afterward?
Vezos Haberachah (Vezot Haberachah), then Bereishis (Bereishit/Genesis).
World map challenge: Name all FIVE oceans.
Then identify the LARGEST one.
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic.
The Pacific is the largest.
Smallest sukkah challenge:
What are the minimum HEIGHT and the minimum FLOOR dimensions of a kosher sukkah? Give both in tefachim.
Minimum height: 10 tefachim.
Minimum floor: 7 by 7 tefachim.
On the FIRST day, an adult borrows a kosher lulav set. The owner says, "It remains mine; you may use it."
Why has the borrower not fulfilled the mitzvah?
How can the owner fix this and still get the set back?
On the first day, the minim must belong to the person doing the mitzvah (lachem).
Give the set as a gift on condition that it is returned, then return it as agreed.
Simply lending it is not enough.
Name the SEVEN Torah Ushpizin in the order followed in Chabad.
Then name the Chassidic Ushpiz who accompanies Yosef.
Avraham, Yitzchok, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, Dovid.
Yosef's Chassidic partner is the Rebbe Maharash.
Two schools, two dates:
A Chabad school in Boston and one in Yerushalayim celebrate Simchas Torah on different Hebrew dates.
Give BOTH dates. Which two holidays are celebrated on the same day in Israel?
Boston: 23 Tishrei.
Yerushalayim: 22 Tishrei.
In Israel, Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah are celebrated on the same day.
Solar system challenge: Name all EIGHT planets in order, starting closest to the Sun.
Then name the TWO planets that have no natural moons.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
Mercury and Venus have no natural moons.