Sukkot

Sukkot
Rabbi Denise L. Eger

With the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur behind us our attention turns immediately to the great Festival of Sukkot. Celebrated four days after Yom Kippur, this is the festival of the harvest and the idea of abundance granted by God! As the gates of heaven closed at the Neilah service we were renewed and uplifted for a New Year. The holiday of Sukkot then becomes an opportunity to celebrate this new life and all that is good!
For a week our Sukkot celebrations remind us of the joys and sweetness of our lives. The sweet smell of the etrog and the leaves of the lulav affirms the sweetness of a life renewed. The opportunity to welcome guests both ancient guests like Abraham and Sarah and our friends and family and neighbors into our Sukkah affirms the joy of relationships and the mitzvah of hospitality. We share food and drink with our guests in the Sukkah and enjoy a time of connection with those we love and care about. This is an ultimate affirmation of the goodness of life and the abundance that God grants to us!
In ancient times Sukkot was the most important Festival. One of the three pilgrimage holidays along with Passover and Shavuot, this holy week was known as THE FESTIVAL. Jews from around the world would descend upon Jerusalem. There they would give thanks for the fall harvest in the Temple and visit with family and friends.
For each of us, the week of Sukkot presents an opportunity to give thanks for all the goodness in our lives. Even in a time of economic challenges or health challenges there is still much to be thankful for. How we manage the crisis is the opportunity to come to know how God can bring strength for those so challenged. Sukkot and its emphasis on reaping an abundant harvest and looking toward a year of bounty can help us learn to reframe our situation. It can help you look and see where the blessings in your life really reside. And perhaps inspire you to move in new directions.

The sukkah that we build on this festival is part of that inspiration. When we sit in our sukkah (or a friend’s or neighbor’s sukkah) we understand that the sukkah is temporary. It is a fragile hut. And with a strong rain or strong wind the whole booth might blow over. But instead we celebrate in it and eat and some even sleep outside in their sukkah. With our family and friends we see that there is abundance to our lives even if we are in a temporary situation. And for this we give thanks. The relationships that we build and nurture are the community that can help us cope with crisis and challenge. So even if we have challenges we come to learn we aren’t alone and that God too dwells in the Sukkah as the Holy Divine Spirit dwelt in the Temple of old.

So this Sukkot festival, build a sukkah for yourself even if you have never done so. Put it on your balcony if you live in a condo or apartment. If you are lucky enough to live in a home, put it in your yard. If you want instructions on how to build a sukkah click on this link http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Sukkot/At_Home/The_Sukkah/Laws/Building_a_Sukkah.shtml
There are many kits available too. But take some time this week to make the effort. It will lift your spirits. Sukkot begins Friday night October 2.
I wish you a very happy Sukkot filled with the recognitions that life is good and God grants us a Divine measure of abundance!

Shalom,

Rabbi Denise L. Eger

Posted by Eric at September 30, 2009 12:45 PM