SUCCOS, MONDAY, OCTOBER 13
- Mincha: 6:35 PM
- Candlelighting: 6:37 PM (On Yom Tov candles may also be lit after sunset, 6:55 PM, but only from a pre-existing flame)
- Special Note: If it is raining on the first night of Succos: One should wait approximately one hour to see if the rain will stop. If the rain continues he should go into the Succah; say the Kiddush with the “Shehechiyanu†blessing, wash as one usually does before the consumption of bread and eat at least a kizayis of bread in the rain. He should NOT say the blessing of “leishev baSukkah.†He may then complete his meal in the house. After the meal, he should wait until slightly before the Halachic midnight, 1:13 AM, to see if the rain will stop. If the rain stops, he then washes, enters the Sukkah again, says the brocho “leishev baSuccah,†eats at least a kibeitza of bread and then says Birkas haMazon.
SUCCOS, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
- Shacharis (Lulav & Esrog are used): 8:30 AM
- Succah Hop for Parents and Children: 4:15-6:15 PM
- Rothstein Home, 6627 Crestland (Stop #1)
- Ruttenberg Home, 6628 Windrock (Stop #2)
- Rich Home, 7119 Bremerton (Stop #3, we will go to shul from the Rich’s succah)
- Mincha followed by class: 6:35 PM
- Maariv: 7:35 PM
- Candlelighting (from a pre-existing flame): Not Before 7:33 PM
- Special Note: On the second night, if it rains, one need not wait at all and he may begin his meal immediately in the house. Kiddush with “shehechiyanu†is made in the house. At the end of the meal, before saying the Birkas Hamazon, even if it is still raining, he should eat a kizayis of bread in the Sukkah in the rain. Again, a bracha of “leishev baSuccah†is not said. A bracha of “shehechiyanu†is not needed for the succah on the second night. One may then go back into the house to say the Birkas Hamazon. According to many opinions, even on the second night, one should wait again until slightly before the Halachic midnight, 1:12 AM, to see if the rain stops. If the rain does stop then the procedure is the same as the first night.
- On all other days or nights of Succos, if the rain is so strong in the Succah that if it was raining in the house a person would be driven out of his home to find other shelter, or if the rain is ruining his food, preventing him from eating, he need not eat in the Succah. If one has already started his meal inside, and the rain stops, he may complete his meal in the house.
SUCCOS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15
- Shacharis (Lulav & Esrog are used): 8:30 AM
- Mincha followed by class: 6:35 PM
- Maariv: 7:35 PM
- Havdallah (on wine only in the succah)
THURSDAY, CHOL HAMOED 1, OCTOBER 16
- Shacharis : 6:30 AM (Tallis, & Tefillin without a brocha, are put on after Yishtabach)
- Mincha: 6:35 PM
FRIDAYÂ CHOL HAMOED II, OCTOBER 17
- Shacharis : 6:30 AM (Tallis, & Tefillin without a brocha, are put on after Yishtabach)
- Candlelighting: 6:32 PM
- Mincha/Kabbalos Shabbos/Maariv: 6:30 PM
SHABBOS CHOL HAMOED III, OCTOBER 18
- Shacharis (Lulav & Esrog are not used): 8:30 AM
- Koheles is read in Shul
- Chumash Class: 5:05
- Mincha/Shalosh Seudos: 5:50 PM (Shalosh Seudos will be in the Rich Family succah, 7119 Bremerton Ct. Men & women are invited.)
- Shabbos Ends: 7:34
SUNDAY, CHOL HAMOED IV, OCTOBER 19
- Shacharis: 8:00 AM
- Mincha: 6:25 PM
- Simchas Beis HaShoeiva (Succos Celebration): 8:00 PM. Members and Friends of Congregation Toras Chaim are invited to sing, eat, and hear words of Torah, with a special guest speaker, TBA. In the Rich’s succah, 7119 Bremerton Ct. For adult men and women only.
- Many have the practice to stay awake on the night of Hoshana Rabbah steeped in the study of Torah.
HOSHANA RABBAH, CHOL HAMOED V, MONDAY, OCTOBER 20
- Shacharis : 6:30 AM (Tallis & Tefillin without a brocha are put on after Yishtabach). From the perspective of its status as a Yom Tov, Hoshana Rabbah is the same as any other of the Chol HaMoed days. However, many extra prayers are added to the service on Hoshana Rabbah. The reason for this is that throughout the Yom Tov of Succos we are judged concerning the fate of our water supply. On Hoshana Rabbah, the judgment is finalized. The conclusion of any period of Judgment is our last chance to influence the Divine Judgment and, therefore, it is of great importance to us. The Chazzan wears a Kittel as on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
- Mussaf: At the conclusion of Chazzan’s Repetition, we take out all of the Sifrei Torah from the Aron HaKodesh and bring them to the Bimah where members of the congregation hold them while the rest of the congregation, led by the Chazzan, march around the Bimah seven times with their Lulavim and Esrogim; all of the Hoshanos for Hoshana Rabba are said; when we get to â€Taaneh Emunim†we put the Four Species down and we take the special Aravos of Hoshana Rabba (the custom is to take five stems that are bound together) into our hands (anything that invalidates the Arovos of the Four Species during Succos invalidates these Arovos on Hoshana Rabba); at the end of the Hoshanos we beat the Arovos against the floor five times according to custom.
- The schedule for Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah will be posted during Chol Hamoed.