You shall live in booths [sukkot] seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the LORD your God. (Leviticus 23:42-42)
Dear Friends,
Of all our holiday observances, I suspect that Sukkot is among the most challenging to explain to someone unfamiliar with Judaism. I imagine a conversation might go something like this…
“So Yom Kippur ends, and then what?”
“Oh, we go right into another holiday. This one is a week long.”
“Really? And what do you do during this holiday?”
“Well, we build flimsy huts that lack doors and have incomplete roofs that won’t keep you dry if it rains. And we live, or at least eat our meals in them.”
“Huh. That’s… interesting.”
“Oh, and we take a palm branch, a branch of myrtle, a twig of willow, and a big lemon-like fruit known as an etrog. We hold all four together and wave them in every direction.”
“You take foliage and wave it around?”
“Yes, it is a reminder that God’s presence is everywhere.”
“Okay. If you say so…”
Honestly, from the outside, the rituals of Sukkot seem rather odd. The meaning behind those rituals, though, is anything but odd.
The ritual of moving into a sukkah for a week is a reminder of life’s impermanence.
The openness of the sukkah reminds us both of nature’s beauty and of our reliance upon the larger world.
The waving of the lulav and etrog reminds us to open our eyes and see the holiness surrounding us.
The tradition of ushpizin, symbolically inviting historical figures into our sukkot, reminds us that we have inherited a rich tradition that is now ours to safeguard and protect.
Rashbam (c.1085-c.1158), the grandson of the great teacher Rashi, offered yet another lesson we might draw from this week’s observance. He taught,
... Remembering all this [living in sukkot in the desert], you will have ample reason to be grateful to the One Who has provided you with all of your present wealth and comfort. You must not fall into the trap of thinking that all this success is due to your own efforts. …
Rashbam on Leviticus 23:42-42
In other words, for Rashbam, the sukkah’s being open to the elements and thereby providing some but only partial protection from them is a reminder that any comfort or success we enjoy in life is a gift to be appreciated rather than a right to which we are entitled. His perspective echoes a warning from Moses to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the land of Israel. It stated,
When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy 6)
and
When you enter the land that the Eternal your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that the Eternal your God is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the Eternal your God will choose to establish the divine name. You shall go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, “I acknowledge this day before the Eternal your God that I have entered the land that the Eternal swore to our fathers to assign us.” (Deuteronomy 26)
In other words, for the Rashbam, Sukkot was an annual reminder to begin the new year with hearts filled with gratitude for all we have. With that in mind, I want to offer a few words of my own gratitude.
Thank you to our administrative, custodial, and security staff for helping to make these the smoothest Holy Days I can remember.
Thank you to our programming staff for organizing and running amazing programs, including our concurrent Children’s Programs and Services and Teen Kol Nidre Service.
Thank you to Peter Candela and our amazing musicians for providing such magnificent music.
Thank you to my clergy colleagues for their heart, soul, and dedication to our community. From the music to the sermons and drashes, I was personally inspired by them and could not ask to work with a better team.
Thank you to Ryan Jacobson, Chris Joy, and the Josh Littman Audio-Visual Fund for helping to make services accessible to those both in the sanctuary and worshipping remotely.
Thank you to TSTI President Bryan Bloom and our Board of Trustees for their support and tireless work for our entire community.
Thank you to all of you for being part of this sacred community. It was such a joy to see so many of you over the holidays.
Thank you to those of you who have already, or plan to, support our High Holy Day Appeal. The Appeal isn’t merely an annual fundraiser. It is one of the ways we fulfill our mission and commitment to being a warm, welcoming community that will never turn anyone away for financial reasons. Your support in helping to ensure a strong TSTI is more important now than ever before. I am personally grateful for your generosity and commitment.
Shanah Tova and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Sermons:
Rabbi Cohen Rosh Hashanah and Anthem
Rabbi Cohen Kol Nidre Sermon and Anthem
Rabbi Klein Yom Kippur Morning Sermon and Anthem