From the Cyber Torah Archives

Rosh Hashanah this year at Rodef Sholom was wonderful. People left services spiritually and emotionally charged. One congregant said to me that the best thing about the experience had been the affection and caring we all felt for one another. He said that it flowed in many directions: the congregation's affection and care for me, mine for the congregation, and everyone's warmth towards Cantor Smith. He left feeling warm and part of something that made him feel worthwhile and cared for.

I wish each of you a happy and healthy New Year. I look forward to being together for Yom Kippur and for many other occasions in the years to come. The next two E-mails will be devoted to the upcoming Holiday of Sukkot, Oct 15-24.

Sukkot is the best Jewish Holy Day there is. Sure, the High Holy Days get the best turn out, and Passover has the best home ritual (I love the Seder) - but Sukkot is simply the most fun. The Rabbis referred to Sukkot as "He-Khag" meaning The Holy Day because it is the paradigmatic holiday. Further, the Sages teach that we are actually commanded to be happy on Sukkot since it is known as the "Holiday of your Joy." So what is so great about Sukkot?

Unlike the High Holy Days, which are Synagogue / prayer based, Sukkot is based on a number of activities and rituals that include but go far beyond the Synagogue. For this letter, I want to explore one of those home rituals, building a Sukkah.

During Sukkot each family is commanded to build a Sukkah. Building a Sukkah can be very elaborate (as the Sukkot here at RST will be) or very simple. The bare bones requirements are: three walls which are at least 4 feet high (M. Sukkot 1:1) which encloses a space big enough for two people. The Sukkah must also have a roof. The simplest Sukkah possible involves taking four plastic poles and securing them in the ground. At that point, three walls need to be attached to those poles. The walls can be as simple as canvas or plywood. The walls must simply be attached to the poles and the ground so that they are rigid, fixed walls. In addition, the Sukkah can have walls that are part of the existing house. For the roof, a any type of plants material can be used, as long as enough space is left to see the stars. I will provide bamboo from my back yard to anyone who needs. Decorations can be anything pretty, whether paper chains, posters, or fruits vegetables and flowers.

Building a Sukkah is a family bonding experience. Carol has been planning ours for a while now. I know there will be both joy and frustration as we build our Sukkah and that is precisely what makes it so wonderful. Families remember Passover Seders together, they remember Thanksgiving - even the time the Turkey burned or wasn't finished. Building a Sukkah gives us a shared Jewish experience, a family commitment to finding meaning together through our love for one another.

In the Mishnah, M. Sukkot 2:9, the Rabbis teach that "One should make the Sukkah the primary residence, and the regular home became the temporary dwelling place." We are used to our homes and our belongings. We enjoy our material possessions, but they can take possession of us. Once a year we put them aside. We watch less TV than usual, we sleep outside in the fresh air, we eat meals outside and we remember a simpler time. We share a space much smaller than that to which we are accustomed. By so doing, we remember God and we remember family.

Few of us feel as though we spend enough time with our families. Other tasks pull us away and keep us from sharing time together. The whole notion of "Quality Time" is an attempt to make meaningful and valuable that time we do have together. Our tradition recognized this problem thousands of years ago and gave us rituals like that of building a Sukkah. When we share such experiences, we move beyond "Quality Time" and experience Holy Time with our families and friends.

I pray that we all have a meaningful and enjoyable Sukkot Holiday. Anyone interested in building a Sukkah can contact me either through E-mail or by phone and I will be happy to help guide you in observing this Mitzvah.