Shabbat Sukkot

            Shabbat Shalom v’moadim l’simcha! This Shabbat, our scriptural calendar takes a break from the chronology of the Torah. On Sunday, as we celebrate Simchat Torah we will read from the last parasha of Deuteronomy and the first parasha of Bereshit, but for Sukkot we revisit Exodus chapters 33-34. This Torah reading tells us of Moses’s and God’s special relationship, and what God allowed Moses to see of the Divine Spirit. It has the verse we refer to as “The 13 Attributes of Mercy” that is a part of our High Holy Day liturgy. And it concludes with the commandments for the three Festivals, including the Festival in Ingathering, Sukkot.

The Haftarah, from the exilic prophet of Ezekiel, tells us that God will make the Holy Spirit seen through natural disasters expressing God’s displeasure at those who displace the Israelites from their homelands and cause them to question God’s love for them. We see that God has many manifestations, the wave of goodness that passes by Moses in the cleft of the rock, the Divine inspiration for the Commandments on Mount Sinai, and the wrath that causes earthquakes and landslides. We see too that the Earth, though it predates us by billions of years and will last long after we’re gone, is not eternal and steadfast as is God. The face of the earth can be shifted if God so chooses and everything is temporary.

At this time of year, we celebrate the fall harvest, and we cele brate God’s shelter through times of upheaval. Sukkot reminds us of our physical bounty, and the Sukkah reminds us of our ancestors wandering in the wilderness whose bounty was thanks only to God. And we remember as we sit in our temporary huts with roofs of organic material that will decay, that nothing in life lasts forever. Neither bounty nor hardship is eternal. And so it is with this remembrance in mind that we read Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes, as the Festival Scroll for Sukkot. You probably know the words of the first half of chapter 3 of this scroll, we will sing them in Pete Seeger’s tune at the end of the service. But if you are less familiar with the rest of the 11 and a half chapters, it’s pretty nihilistic. Ascribed to Solomon, the words are written in the first person by a wealthy and wise king who is simply over it all. Everything in life is fleeting, and none of it really matters in the world to come, so what is the point, asks Kohelet. God will see to it that each thing is done in its season, and man really does not have the power he thinks he does. However, they aren’t really sad verses. They remind us to pursue the things in life that will truly uplift us. To trust in a higher power and a greater world, not in possessions or material wealth. To appreciate love and the warmth of friendship. To keep a keen perspective of a situation and never fall into either despair or manic excitement, for both will lead to mistakes.

This Shabbat, let us take a moment to appreciate all that we have, to remember those who have not, and to express our gratitude to those who provide for us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Let us take this opportunity of openness and wisdom to broaden our love and strengthen our community. May we find shelter, comfort, bounty, and peace this Sukkot and throughout the year. Amen and Shabbat Shalom.