Editing Sukkot (section)

=== ''Chol HaMoed'' intermediate days ===
{{Main|Chol HaMoed}}
[[File:Soukkah (Sukkah) fin du XIXe siècle, Autriche ou Sud de l'Allemagne - Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme.jpg|thumb|Interior of a 19th-century painted sukkah from Austria or South Germany, Painted pine, 220 × 285.5 cm,  [[Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme]]]]

The second through seventh days of Sukkot (third through seventh days outside the Land of Israel) are called [[Chol HaMoed]] ({{lang|he|חול המועד}} – {{abbr|lit.|literally}} "festival weekdays"). These days are considered by [[halakha]] to be more than regular weekdays but less than festival days. In practice, this means that all activities that are needed for the holiday—such as buying and preparing food, cleaning the house in honor of the holiday, or traveling to visit other people's sukkot or on family outings—are permitted by Jewish law. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday—such as laundering, mending clothes, engaging in labor-intensive activities—are not permitted.<ref>''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'', ''[[Orach Chayim]]'', 530</ref><ref name="ou-moed">{{cite web |last=Krakowski |first=Rabbi Y. Dov |title=Hilchos Chol HaMoed |url=https://www.ou.org/holidays/sukkot/hilchos-chol-hamoed/ |publisher=Orthodox Union |date=10 April 2014 |access-date=29 September 2019}}</ref>

Religious Jews often treat Chol HaMoed as a vacation period, eating nicer than usual meals in their sukkah, entertaining guests, visiting other families in their sukkot, and taking family outings. Many synagogues and Jewish centers also offer events and meals in their sukkot during this time to foster community and goodwill.<ref name="com-fest">{{cite news| last=Pine|first=Dan|title=Community festivals celebrate Sukkot with food and fun|newspaper=J |url=https://www.jweekly.com/2011/10/07/community-festivals-celebrate-sukkot-with-food-and-fun/|publisher=Jweekly|date=7 October 2011|access-date=5 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="ref-sukkot">{{cite web|title=Sukkot: The Festival of Booths|url=https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/sukkot|publisher=ReformJudaism.org|access-date=5 December 2020}}</ref>

On the [[Shabbat]] which falls during the week of Sukkot (or in the event when the first day of Sukkot is on Shabbat in the Land of Israel), the [[Ecclesiastes|Book of Ecclesiastes]] is read during morning [[synagogue]] services in Ashkenazic communities. (Diaspora Ashkenazic communities read it the second Shabbat {eighth day} when the first day of sukkot is on Shabbat.) This Book's emphasis on the ephemeralness of life ("Vanity of vanities, all is vanity...") echoes the theme of the sukkah, while its emphasis on death reflects the time of year in which Sukkot occurs (the "autumn" of life). The penultimate verse reinforces the message that adherence to God and His [[Torah]] is the only worthwhile pursuit. (Cf. [[Ecclesiastes|Ecclesiastes 12:13,14]].)<ref name="Kohelet">{{cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Hanan |title=Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ecclesiastes-kohelet/ |website=MyJewishLearning.org |date=15 September 2002 |access-date=29 September 2019}}</ref>