The official newsletter of Sokol Tours- your guide in Israel.

1. Daniel’s DerechYour monthly journey to the Land of Israel with tour guide Daniel Sokol
SUKKOT IN JERUSALEM-
A TRAVELLING TRADITION
Three times a year the Jewish nation would make a
pilgrimage to the Bet Hamikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem.
Journey with us and discover the amazing event that took
place every Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot. We’ll also learn
about some amazing discounts on accommodations-
from the times of the Temple!
Just for Kids
A great origami project to hold all of
the candy that you’ll get when you
go sukkah-hopping!
Issue 3 ~ October 2009 ~ Sukkot Special
Copyright 2009C
You’ve Gotta See This!
Discover one of the largest gatherings of
the Jewish people taking place this Sukkot.
We’ll give you a hint- you’ll get blessed at
the same time!
US line: 412-567-5932 ~ Cell: 050-818-3786 ~ sokoltours@gmail.com ~ www.sokol-tours.com
Ask the Tour Guide
Buying a lulav and etrog in Israel versus
bringing it with you on the plane.
Go through the pros and cons in the
Ask the Tour Guide section.

2. ?
On Daniel’s Derech...
Welcome to the Sukkot Special Edition of Daniel’s Derech! In this issue we will travel throughout time as
we discover Sukkot from then and now. Explore the pilgrimage that the Jewish people made to the Bet
Hamikdash (Temple) three times a year and get in on some ancient discounts in our Feature Article. Can’t
decide whether to bring your lulav and etrog from back home? Check out the pros and cons in the Ask the
Tour Guide section! Take part in a gathering of 30,000 Jews for the Birkat Cohanim (Priestly Blessing) in
You’ve Gotta See This!, and much more.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday from our sukkah in Israel,
Daniel
Interested in a specific topic and want to see it featured in a future issue of Daniel’s Derech?
Send us an email at sokoltours@gmail.com!
Have a question about a particular site in Israel, or need a recommendation for an
upcoming family trip? Send us an email at sokoltours@gmail.com with “Ask the Tour
Guide”in the subject line. Maybe your question will be featured in a future issue!
Should I bring my lulav and etrog with me from the States,or will I
be able to buy a set once I arrive? I’m arriving a day before Sukkot
begins- will that be enough time to get one?
Q:
This is a personal preference.
Some tourists prefer to buy
their lulav and etrog back
home in a place that they are
familiar with. The TSA (Transportation
Security Administration) has issued a
statement stating that they are aware
that travelers will be transporting their
lulav packages, and that this will pose no
problems to airport security.
On the other hand, buying a lulav and
etrog in Israel is an amazing experience.
Not only do you get the pleasure of
shakingalulavthatwasgrownintheHoly
Land, but you also have the excitement
of visiting the lulav and etrog shuks,
markets, that spring up throughout
the land in the week preceding Sukkot.
Even the day before Sukkot, hundreds of
these stands can be found on the street,
in parking lots, storefronts, etc. Many
have rabbanim on the premises to look
over your selection to ensure that it is
kosher. It is a fantastic experience to buy
your lulav and etrog in Israel and I highly
recommend it.
A:
your lulav and etrog in Israel and I highly
Daniel’s Derech, October 2009, Sukkot Special 1
?AsktheTourGuide

3. Are you tired of paying for expensive
hotels when you visit Israel for Sukkot?
Well, jump back in time to the era of the Bet
Hamikdash (Temple) for some great savings
and deals! During the Temple times, Jews from
all over Israel, and even the world, would travel
to Jerusalem three times a year for the holidays
of Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot on something
called “oleh l’regel”. The bustling city of
Jerusalem would suddenly become filled to the
brim with Jews of all walks of life, all
coming to visit the holiest site in Judaism.
As the guests began to arrive in the city,
the residents of Jerusalem would throw open
their doors and welcome the travelers into
their homes, to sleep, eat, and stay during the
duration of their visit. Special hotels with
enormous mikva’ot (ritual bath) complex
were established in prime locations to help
to accommodate the influx of guests. In fact,
recent archaeological digs have unearthed
JinSukkot erusalema 2,000 Year Old Tradition
Daniel’s Derech, October 2009, Sukkot Special 2

4. Daniel’s Derech, October 2009, Sukkot Special 3
these “hotels” right outside of the Western
Wall, by the Southern Wall Excavations (be sure
to visit these and more on your next tour with
Sokol Tours!).
And one of the most amazing parts of this
whole experience? The Jerusalemites did this
for no charge! They housed and cared for a
huge number of guests, whom they most likely
had never even met before, completely for free.
This is an extraordinary example of mitzvat
hachnasas orchim, welcoming guests, at one of
its greatest points.
How was this all possible? What was the
reason that the residents of the holy city would
offer their hospitality for free?
“Renting homes in Jerusalem is prohibited for
they belong to all the tribes” -Tosefta, Maaser
Sheni. We see from this gemara that
the portion of Jerusalem belongs
to all of the tribes of Israel. If
that is so, then the idea of “what’s
mine is yours, and what’s yours is
mine” is extremely applicable in
Jerusalem- especially during the
three major holidays.
There must have been some
compensation for these noble
hosts. We learn from the
gemara that the oleh regel, the
people traveling to Jerusalem
for the holidays, would take the
hides from their sacrifices in
the Temple and give them to
their hosts. The Yerushalmis
would then be able to sell
the hides for a profit.
If you have ever traveled to
the Old City, especially during
Sukkot and other holidays,
one of the first comments is
usually how crowded it is inside the walls. With
the overpowering number of people there, you
almost always bump into an old acquaintance
from somewhere around the world (and it is so
crowded that we do mean bump!). However,
back then,“never did a person say it was too
crowded in Jerusalem, and never did a person
say to his friend, ‘I couldn’t find a bed to sleep
on in Jerusalem’” - Avot.
Not only did the residents of the city throw
open their homes in a beautiful display of
kindness, it appears that the city literally
stretched itself to comfortably accommodate
each and every person who came to its walls.
So the next time you are visiting Israel for
Sukkot, be sure to go to the Old City and
really experience what Sukkot in Yerushalaim
is all about.
Sukka Decorations in Jerusalem

5. The Birkat Cohanim gathering at the Kotel on Sukkot
What it is: The Birkat Cohanim, Priestly Blessing, is a special blessing given by the Cohanim during
the prayer services. It is recited daily in Israel and on holidays throughout the rest of the world.
Where it is located: The Western Wall Plaza
Why we love it: Twice a year, on Sukkot and Pesach, thousands of people gather to the Kotel Plaza
to hear this blessing. In an event that is reminiscent of the aliyah l’regel, the thrice yearly pilgramage to
Jerusalem, the Plaza becomes packed with visitors from around the world. Wall-to-wall people come to
pray the morning davening and to recite amen when the Cohanim give this holy blessing. This year, the
Kotel Plaza saw some 30,000 visitors for the Birkat Cohanim.
There is a small town outside of Jerusalem called Motza.
You know the one- that small building at the side of the 1
highway as the road makes a sharp curve between Mevaseret and
Jerusalem. Well, during the times of the Bet Hamikdash (Temple)
the residents and visitors to Jerusalem would flock to this town
to pick their aravot, willows, for their lulav bundles (the aravot
are part of the four species in the lulav package). Because of the
service that this town provided for so many of the Jewish people
(don’t forget that hundreds of thousands were travelling to the
holy city for Sukkot), the town of Motza was exempt from paying
the king’s taxes (gemara Sukkah).
!!You’ve SeeGotta This
?Did
YouKnow
Daniel’s Derech, October 2009, Sukkot Special 4

6. Kids
Just for
idsids
Origami Candy Basket
Daniel’s Derech, October 2009, Sukkot Special 5
Use Origami folds to create a basket just right for all of the candy
you are going to collect when you go Sukkah-hopping!
Begin with a square sheet of paper- the bigger the better, just be
sure that it is a perfect square.
(Directions and pictures are courtesy of www.activityvillage.co.uk)
2. Bring the top corner down
to reach the bottom. Crease well,
and lift the flap up again.
3. Fold the right corner across
and line it up with the crease.
1. If there is a design or color
on one side of the paper, place
that side down, so that you don’t
see it. Fold it in half diagonally.
4. Repeat for the left corner
and then flip the whole thing
over to its back.
5. Fold the basket in half so that
the flaps are on the outside.
6. Using a pair of scissors, cut
along the dotted line.
7. Open the basket and fold
the top corner down.
Repeat on the other side.
8. You are ready to fill the basket
with Sukkah-hopping candy!