In Nehemiah's time, the people highly respected and deferred to God's instructions, being filled with grief when they recognized how far they had strayed. When Ezra read the portion about dwelling in booths, the people diligently constructed booths, something totally neglected since the time of Joshua. Sadly, the breakup of Israel and Judah prompted Jeroboam to establish a counterfeit Feast of Tabernacles, while Judah perverted the existing Feast of Tabernacles, causing God to hate their feasts and ultimately making His own holy days to be forgotten. Leviticus 23:40 contains a command to dwell in temporary booths for seven days (perhaps symbolic of our temporary 70+ tenure on the earth). As the green leaves change colors, celebrants cannot help but reflect on the brevity of their lives. Sukkot was the name of the place Jacob provided for his animals, indicating that the lives of God's people is a journey in which they, like sheep, follow their Shepherd to their ultimate destination.