October 1, 2009
Dear Friend of Israel,
At sundown tomorrow, Jews begin observance of the festival of Sukkot. In contrast to the gravity of the High Holy Days that just ended, Sukkot brings an atmosphere of joy, reflecting the biblical command to "Be joyful at your feast." (Deuteronomy 16:14) In fact, Sukkot is known as "the time of our happiness."
As described in the book of Leviticus, Sukkot is a time for the Jews to exult in God's bounty, whether His munificence in taking them out of bondage in Egypt or providing them with a plentiful harvest (the festival usually coincides with the end of the season). Ultimately, though, Sukkot is about trusting God and relying completely on our relationship with Him. For the festival, Jews are commanded to build sukkot—booths in which we "dwell" for the duration of the holiday. (The singular is "sukkah.") The little huts may look somewhat funny dotting American backyards, but are breathtakingly beautiful when they cling to seemingly every corner of Israeli apartment buildings in Jerusalem. For eight days (seven in Israel), Jews "dwell" in these sukkot, eating, socializing, and even sleeping in them.
Meant to remind us of the shelters in which the Israelites lived during their sojourn in the desert, sukkot deliberately are built to be temporary, impermanent: They have no fixed walls and their roofs are made of palm fronds or bamboo mats, something loose enough such that one can see the stars while resting inside.
The Biblical description of the Jews wandering in the desert tells us that, "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of clouds to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light…." (Exodus 13:21) Jewish tradition usually refers to the cloud pillar as "the Clouds of Glory," referencing the Divine Presence and Protection they evidenced and provided. This terminology hints at the deeper meaning of Sukkot: Ultimately, our protection and our sustenance come from God and our complete trust in Him.
Our homes, our livelihoods, our safety, our health… we have an obligation to do all we can to provide and safeguard them, but, ultimately, they come from Him. That truth would have been far clearer to the ancient Israelites wandering in the desert, led and shaded by clouds during the day, warmed and lit by fire at night, sustained by manna, sleeping in stopgap huts they'd pitch each night. Their utter dependence on their Creator was self-evident, while we can delude ourselves that all we have—materially and otherwise—grows out of our own efforts or skill. Sukkot reminds us that it all comes from God, and that we are utterly dependent upon Him.
That truth, then, is the source of Sukkot's joyousness, "the time of our happiness." For what greater delight, what deeper pleasure can there be than the knowledge that God is with us, at every moment? That He is the source of everything, and that we are His beloved children and servants? We dwell in booths to remind us of all this, and, in so doing, we are spending time with our Most Beloved, dwelling with the Ineffable.
It is only God, and our complete trust and reliance upon Him, that provides permanence in a world that is ever-changing.
The time of our happiness is the time when we sit together in impermanent huts, exulting in our closeness to and reliance upon our Creator and appreciating the long-lasting kindnesses—family, friends, faith—He has given us. It is a time, truly, to marvel: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)
Whether you are Christian or Jewish, I hope that this time of happiness will deepen your faith and give you a greater sense of God's presence in your life. And may we all pray for the time when the whole world will be able to dwell under the shelter of God's dominion, in peace.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President
http://www.ifcj.org/site/News2?abbr=rabbi_&page=NewsArticle&id=29675&news_iv_ctrl=1481
© 2009 International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
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