The shadow you cast by the light of the Sukkot moon

In 1661, a book of Jewish customs was published in Amsterdam. It was originally written in Hebrew, but, being a book of Ashkenazi traditions and customs, it was translated into Yiddish. The book contains woodcuts of Jewish practices as described by the 14th century Austrian rabbi, Yitzhak Ternau, who provides an overview of the traditions of the Ashkenazi Jews including the rituals of the High Holy Days and the festival of Sukkot.

One woodcut shows a man building his Sukkah, the traditional hut built by Jews in celebration of the festival.

Building a sukkah. (courtesy, the National Library of Israel)

In another image, two Jews are seen examining arba’at ha’minim, the four species used in the Sukkot prayer services.

Carrying the plenty. (courtesy, the National Library of Israel).

The third woodcut depicts the custom of throwing fruit for children to pick up during Simchat Torah, the Jewish holiday that immediately follows Sukkot and celebrates the completion of the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah.

Giving fruit to children. (courtesy, the National Library of Israel)

But of all the woodcuts in the collection, it was the fourth one that truly caught our attention. Why you may ask? Well, perhaps because it is simply so… eye-catching. The woodcut features two men holding one of the four species. One of them is inexplicably headless!

In our attempts to solve this mystery, we asked ourselves and everyone around us if they know why one figure had a head and the other seemed to have lost it?

The picture that piqued our curiosity. (courtesy, the National Library of Israel)

For some, the image was bizarre and jarring, but the National Library experts who came to our aid were surprised people were not aware of this common kabbalistic practice.

Let us tell you a bit about what we learned.

A discussion of common Sukkot practices. (courtesy, the National Library of Israel)

As per kabbalistic tradition, on the night of Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and last day of Sukkot and just one week after Yom Kippur, a devout Jew may find himself wondering, “Have I been sealed into the book of life or death?” He may find himself starting to doubt his fate.

What is a devout Jew full of uncertainty to do in such a scenario? An ancient kabbalistic custom, which can be found among the writing of Nachmanides from the 13th century, offers a solution.

On the night of Hoshana Rabbah, one should step outside and examine the shadow he or she casts by the light of the moon. If the shadow that is cast is that of a whole person, then the believer should have no qualms for he or she has been sealed in the Book of Life. If the shadow appears to be headless, the devout Jew should begin getting one’s affairs in order.

Seventeenth-century Yiddish reads, ‘He struck with the willow, for he has no head.’ (courtesy, the National Library of Israel)

This tradition raises more questions than it answers. After all, it is known that Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the day we are judged and sealed into the book of life or death by God. Kabbalistic tradition explains that, though we are judged on Yom Kippur, the verdict is signed on the night of Hoshana Rabbah and in that window of time, it is said that we can catch a glimpse as to what the final verdict will be.