Preparing Sukkot

The joyous festival of Sukkot is almost two days away and, as usual, a lot of preparations in sight. I must recognize that the menu isn't ready yet, but as a whole bunch of people are expecting something good and tasty for me I should hurry up (at first, with the shopping list). The pitch that my wonderful people gave me was: many fruits (salad included), interesting cooked vegetables and "you will include some 2-3 dishes with meat, isn't it?" (his desperate smile told me that some people need to live more than 2-3 leaves of vegetables).

But, before the proper practical preparations, I had some books to finish preparing the spiritual ambiance of the holiday. First, I started with a very comprehensive book, from the ArtScroll Mesorah Series, about the significance, laws and prayers. After, I followed a more specific lecture about the Halachos of the Four Species, an English and Hebrew versions, when I realized how complicate is the identification process of the kosher species. Some of the information was completely new for me. The little ones were delighted to fine out more about the coming holidays from Yaffa Ganz book on the adventures of Bina, Benny and Chaggai Hayonah.

For the whole family, the Ha-Ushpizin movie offered a lot of food for thought about faith, trust and the trials of being baal teshuva. And I randomly reminded a Rambam saying according to which a real baal teshuva is the one who when reaching the old level is not doing any sin.