It’s a chilly autumn day as I write these words. The deep orange of the leaves against a brilliant blue sky animates my view. So does the sukkah going up in our backyard, a step at a time.
Sukkot always comes right on the heels of Yom Kippur, and because of that there’s a danger of the festival going by without the acknowledgement it deserves. Perhaps that’s one reason we’re taught that the first nail is traditionally pounded into the sukkah right after Yom Kippur. Teshuvah – turning and returning on the inside is powerfully connected with Sukkot’s reminder to turn towards the sun and rain, the light and darkness outside. There are other beautiful teachings and opportunities Sukkot offers too.
Sukkot, or sheltering huts, were first used as places for the Israelites to encamp in during their wilderness journey. Many years later, the holiday became one of the three yearly festivals during which first fruit or stalks of grain would be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. Without that Temple, the wonder and bounty of Sukkot still remains.
For we still build these temporary huts, at our synagogues and in our backyards. We bundle up and eat meals in them, and for the intrepid we might sleep in them too! Our sukkot, open to the elements, more fragile than fortified, remind us that we live lives of vulnerability in this world. One strong gust of wind and the structures we depend on can come crashing down. Rather than turning away from this truth, Sukkot encourages us to live within it. Yes, there is much to fear. There is also joy and beauty and goodness. During this festival, we embrace all these parts of the human condition.
We may no longer be a primarily agrarian people, but look at this season of comets and Northern Lights and full moons. Our lives are still guided by the rhythms of nature. And with Sukkot, the harvest comes.
It’s going to be a full weekend at TBD! Join us at 7:00pm tonight for Shabbat services and acknowledgement of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Saturday beginning at 5:00pm is our “Sukkah Crawl” – see our emails and website for complete information. Sunday at noon following Religious School is our Sukkot Open House. Meet in the Sukkah, set up on the side lawn and lovingly decorated by our Religious School Students.
Shabbat Shalom and Moadim L’Simcha (may our festivals be joyous!),
Rabbi Rebecca Gutterman
