Tonight, Wednesday, September 26, we begin the festival of Sukkot, building and dwelling in temporary booths to recall how the Israelites traveled in the desert, sheltered in booths by God’s protection.  Jewish tradition specifies that the sukkah must be a temporary dwelling, covered with “skhach” made of branches or other leafy green stuff, so sparsely that the stars can be seen and the rain drop through. 

The sukkah’s walls are generally sturdy enough only to keep the wind out.  This year, the Israeli press reports that the Municipality of Jerusalem has constructed one sukkah entirely out of candy (which would probably become quite sticky, were it to rain there...!), and the city is calling it a “Sukka-riah” (a play on the Hebrew word for sugar: sukkar).  Very cute!
  

Spending time in the sukkah draws our attention to the impermanent nature of life.  Rabbi Hayyim Alfandari (late 17th century-early 18th century, Constantinople) noticed that the Torah’s verse that requires Jews to live in the sukkah specifies that “every Israelite citizen must dwell in the sukkah” (Leviticus 23:42), although with no other mitzvot in Judaism is the word “citizen” used.  He deduced that it is incumbent upon Israelite citizens, those who have rights, wealth, privileges and security, to experience the vulnerability of the sukkah, so they will be sensitive to the reality of those without (in Meotzreinu Hayashan, p. 58).
  

May you have a joyous Sukkot holiday, one filled with thanksgiving for the goodness in your life.  Chag same’ach!
 - Rabbi Andy Vogel

Sinai Update – Week of September 2-8, 2007
Parashiyot N’tzavim – Vayelech (Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30)
Preparing Ourselves for the High Holy Days – Rabbi Andy Vogel

As Rosh Hashanah begins one week from tonight, on Wednesday, September 12, we continue the month-long task of preparing ourselves for the New Year. 
  

According to Jewish sacred myth, Rosh Hashanah is the day on which the universe was born.  Tishrei, which begins with Rosh Hashanah, is the month in which the first human begins, Adam and Eve, were created, and, again according to Jewish sacred myth, the month in which the barren women of the Bible were able to conceive.  The rabbis of the Talmud also calculated that Tishrei was the month in which Biblical Joseph was released from prison (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 10b-11a).  In other words, Jewish tradition has taught that the month that begins next week is one of unlimited potential.  If we wish, we can find liberation from that which traps and limits us, and begin anew with a clean slate, just as if the world were reborn along with us. 

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, each of us should pause to consider in what ways we wish to start anew, be released from our limitations, and experience a brand new year.
- Rabbi Andy Vogel