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Building a Sukkah in Hurricane Territory

10/9/2011

 
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The Temple Men's Club put up our sukkah this morning while I was teaching Confirmation class. I didn't hammer a single nail or put up a single palm frond on the roof. My job was just to admire the wonderful job they did. It looks great, and I told them so.

However, that didn't stop one of the men from reminding me: "Sure, if it doesn't get blown down before Sukkot!"  It has been very windy the past few days in Southern Florida and, in this territory at this time of year, you never know when a hurricane will come to visit.

That seems to me to be the main point of a sukkah. According to the Talmud (B. Sukkot 28b), we are supposed to consider the sukkah to be our home during the days of Sukkot. For the holiday, a flimsy shack that could be blown over by a stiff wind becomes our permanent home. That other house—the one built out of concrete, brick and steel—is a glorified outhouse. The sukkah becomes the home that reminds us of the true meaning of security and permanence.

What things give us true security in life? We live as if it were the trivial details of our lives—our jobs, the banks where we keep or money, an insurance policy, and our brick and mortar homes. The sukkah is there to remind us that none of those things provides any real security. The things in life that are lasting and real are the things that we usually think of as ephemeral—friendships, community, and love.

We build a sukkah half with sticks and half with hope. It is a testament to our belief that, even in a world filled with all sorts of hurricanes, we discover true security and permanence in the way we treat each other.
Scott
10/9/2011 12:28:41 pm

The sukkah building meant something slightly different for me but your conclusion of friendship and community was the same as mine.

Here we were; a little less than a dozen men, from different backgrounds, different parts of the US, transplanted here to the Treasure Coast for a myriad of different reasons: building a sukkah together.

Some led at first, others led in the middle and others led the clean up . We worked as one in the building of this structure. The basic framework of the sukkah was described to us, and then, we began to build.

We could of all stayed home today, slept a little longer, do some chores around the house, but we chose to support our Temple, our Jewish community, our children.

After the completion of the sukkah, some of the children came out to decorate the inside of the sukkah. The beaming smiles on their little faces wanting to hang their newly crafted decorations inside the sukkah lit my heart.

The feeling of joy, community, friendship and being part of something bigger then just my own small part of the world is indescribeable.

Building something from nothing brings people together in a common goal. That is what a part of being Jewish means to me.

Our history is frought with rebuilding. But our common goal is living the ways of Torah and G-ds word. This will help to build our Jewish community, friendship and something bigger than us all.

Shalom
Scott

Reb Jeff link
10/9/2011 02:37:00 pm

Thanks, Scott. That's a great portrait of a community in action!

Susan Le Gresley
10/9/2011 09:20:10 pm

There was never any reference to the Tabernacle blowing down in a wind, and that was pegged down with silver tent pegs which I assume could only be placed in sand. I think it had some bronze posts which were screwed into something a bit smaller than the base for a sun umbrella. They must have had some high winds as well. It is surprising what faith in the community, and trust that God does give us the blueprint for building Him a place on Earth as it is in Heaven, can achieve - when we get a bag of tools out and a few good men with a will to make it happen.
May your palm fronds only waft gently in any weather. It looks wonderful and very sturdy to me.


Reb Rachel link
10/9/2011 11:40:50 pm

Roofed with palm fronds -- just like I remember from my childhood in south Texas! *nostalgic*

Ethan built me a beautiful sukkah frame yesterday. He keeps qualifying his work by saying that he hopes the wind doesn't blow it down; I will have to remind him of exactly what you've said here -- that the impermanence and fragility is part of what makes it a sukkah (indeed, is part of what defines our lives writ large.)

And your sukkah looks lovely!


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