This past Monday, my wife, Ashirah, was teaching the 2-year-old class at Pals/Kadimah pre-school. They were joyously painting a box in the shape of a sukkah. Each of the children had a paintbrush in hand and a serious face as they approached the cardboard, when of all things, a fire alarm went off. One young lady was so startled the brush went right into her hair, the others were already covered in paint, as they were herded off to the designated place in the TBZ-Broder building. The whole thing felt, just like it should on Sukkot, a holiday that is both a Jewish fire drill and a joyous celebration of life and creativity.
Think about the places in your life where you feel safe? They could be inside your home, or your work, or, perhaps in a familiar space in the outside world. These are the places you might go in an emergency or to regenerate in a difficult day. The Sukkah, a small structure, built to be used just seven days every year, with rickety walls and hanging branches as a ceiling, is a safety zone. Free from the chaos in our lives it is a place where we can find refuge in a difficult world. But it is temporary and fragile, and would do little to protect us in a real emergency. As recent events in Las Vegas have made all too clear, there are few truly safe places in this world we live. The shooting and its aftermath, show how a place of celebration, where 22,000 fans had gathered to hear Country Music, could turn so quickly to a place of devastation. All of our hearts bleed for the victims of such a horrific incident. We all could use a “Sukkat Shlomechah,” a sukkah of peace, to restore our sense of equilibrium. Whether you built your own, or using the one available at CSS, come under the canopy of leaves, and see God’s light shine through.
Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 10/06/2017 by wpadm