10 - THE BULLETIN — Thursday, October 12.1989
SUCCOT —THE ROOT OF ALL THINGS
EFRAT, Israel — THERE HAS BEEN BARELY A 'CHANGE^toeatch our breaths after the last blast of the shofar at the end:ohYom KippUE and we're already pulling out the hammers,, saws, and nailsin order to coiistruct the fragile walls of the Succa. There are various explanations as to why these two festivals,'whichN:seem so radically different on the surface, appear back-to-back; Td like to touch on several. ' The M id rash draws pur aitentioh to an implicit moral in the very fadt that only 96 hours separate ascetic, meditative Yom Kippur from ekrthy, physical Succot. When the Book of Judgment is bpehed oii RbshHashana, the righteous are judged to life and the wicked judged to death. Those in the middle, the vast majority, receive a reprieve of ten days of repentance culminating in the judgment of Yom Kippur.
Given this sceharib, we imagine a defendant leaving the courtroom in a state of shock, lips sealed as he steals into some quiet corner to await the verdict.
In a similar vein, we could reasonably expect the mood of Yom Kippur to end with a silent slipping-away so as not to spotlight the sins of the nation.
Instead, the Jews leave the courtroom with the stride of victory in their step. For the next few days, excitement reigns. The air is alive with the'ardmas of the etrog, myrtle and willow brances as well as the palm fronds that will be held aloft as the worshippers chant the daily Hallel service.
Holding the palm fronds as^ a banner of victory expresses a clear belief thsit their sins have been absolved and forgiven, with faith in G-d that the verdict is life. This blaze of certainty, the Midrash teaches, is at the heart of the transition between one festival and the next.
The Midrash also speaks on the Succa — this temporary dwelling we!re commanded to remain in for seven days — as a manifestation of the "clouds of glory" which accompanied the wandering Jews m the desert after they were absolved for the sin of the golden calf.
Since this took place right after Yom Kippur, entering the succa connects us to the theme of forgiveness and the bliss inherent in feeling protected on all sides by the "clouds of glory"; the succa's walls may beephemeral but its essence is eternal, like the clouds of glory.
third insight sees^t^^^ as underscoring a profouhd dialogue between the spiritual and the physical. Yom Kippur is a day when even the simplest Jew,
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merging with G-d;.begins to support angelic wings as he livesfor 25 hours in a state of spiritual intensity.
Not only do we avoid food and drink, devoting the entire day to prayer, but there is even a custom to stay up all night studying the Yom Kippur temple services or simply reciting Psalms in the synagogue.
However, a surge of spiritual energy without proper grounding could cause a shock to the Jewish eco-system. This is what Succot is all about — the grounding of spiritual energy awakened on Yom Kippur.
It provides the pure spirituality of Yom Kippur as a conduit by which to transform the physical world. Everything about Yom Kippur is spirit, everything about Succot is physical; Succot is rooted in the real world, the realms where life is actually lived, a world of touch, taste^ sense, and smell.
In other words, the energy of Yom Kippur — with its wise strategy for intensifying the relationship between G-d and man by forbidding the world of the senses — would dissipate if not for the four species we pluck from the earth and the physical succa covered by harvested vegetation in which we live for seyen days.^'^V ;
The Kohelkt Rabbah (Ch, 7:32) suggests yet another connection whein it describes, in allegoric fashion, a group of bandits locked in jail. Devising an escape route, all manage to fleeexcept one prisoner who opted to remain. The next day the prison guards surround the remaining prisoner and, instead of praising his good behavior for not crawling out with the others, he is beaten fniercilessly.
"Fool, why didn't you escape when you had the chance?" And the text concludes that G-d will eventually address all the wicked similarly: "The escape route was before you — the possibility of repentance laid out — so why didn't you return to Me when you had the chance?"
If we think about it, the prisoner must have grown so comfor-tablein jail that he'd forgotten he was still behind bars. Being human means adjusting to the most extreme conditions in order to survive; being cursed means that after adjusting we totally forget what life before imprisonment was like. "Oh G-d, don't test me to see how much I can get used to" are the words of an old Yiddish prayer. Taking the analogy of the prisoners a step further, we realize
that often our daily lives are self-created prisons resulting from being locked into negative, destructive relationships with those closest to us — parents, children, friends. Opportunities to break free from our self-imposed prisons find,us indifferent; the tragic irony is that there is an escape route which manifests itself most clearly during the time of year dedicated to repentance.
, InhisLaws of Repentance, Chapter 2, Halacha 4, Maimo-nides describes specific actions required for the repentance process. We're familiar with the process of keeping away from what initially caused us to sin, but Maimonides also suggests that the penitent change his name (as if he's no longer the same person who committed the sins) and exile himself, exchanging his Own familiar four walls for'another home.
These latter suggestions parallel what occurs during Succot; The underlying character of this festival is the act of leaving your home and becoming another person for seven days — literally, figuratively, psychologically.
When we enter the succa; old habits kre checked at thedoorj and we seC'things^afresh. The weeks pribr to Succot have provided us with the maps and codewords:^ necessary :for e'Scape (repentance), and as we sit inside its walls, everything about this temporary, fragile abode makes us feePdifferent; we lookTat people differently; we respond differently, even familiar food tastes differently. ' ^
Thus, a^ simple act of entering the siicca makes it possible to escape our predictable-way of thinking about the world.- By the festival's end, we are nO lOhger ^vho we were wheit we first walked iiiside; if this results in a substantial change in our relationships with our spouses, children, parents arid friends^ or enemies ^ then our repentance has taken root. .If Succot did not arrive \yhen it did, the mprnin^^^^ ICippiir, we'd probSblySise
ais we went about our daily routines; an anti-climactic feeling;^ maybe even a bout of post-kippiir blues. Succot is;quitbsimply^^ the physical veissel tpliarneiss^he purity of Yom Kippur, radiate irig its light throughout th^^ ShabbaiShalom^a
Rabbi Shlomd Riskin is Chief Rabbi ofEfrat, Israel and Dean of the Ohr Toi-ah Institutions.
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From Page 5
We had to make the decision for our baby flrw^ ourselves. Were we really as committed as we said we were? Were we going to live in fear of our neighbors in Israel mpre sp, than we feared a walk down Girariville street at night? There were no easy answers, except both of us felt a deep commitment to our individual Jewish roots that includes more than the observances and chagim. The words of Hillel began to haunt us: "If not now, when?"
Each Of us had reached a point in our lives where the next moves were so vital and important, ones whose consequences would be felt for generations to come. We had the "good life" of Vancouver, that was like an anesthetic. We talkied a lot about Israel, we were concerned about Israel, we had opinions and critiques about Israel, but always from a distance. And what would be waiting for us there? Bureaucratic frustrations, unemployment or at best, a "job" that was never to be like that which I knew was possible in Vancouver as an obstetrician arid gynecologist.
After all I had just completed . many years of study late in life.. Sheila was completing a master's degree in agronomy and heading towards a Ph.D. in the area of her choice. Did we have the c6urage to uproot ourselves and return home? ; ^. As you see, we did decide to return home. We packed up a few things, notable among these was 3; very small wicker bed which fitted very neatly ■ into a duffle bag along witb diapers, baby clothes, rubber pants and more diapers. Exactly one week after Sheila had finished her master's degree thesis defence, we were flying on El Al during the 36'ih week of her pregnancy. Once the people on the plane saw her tummy (and with some firm requesting on our part), we were seated comfortably for the long journey home. Since our arrival we have
found changes in Israel. Sheila was last here as a student at the Hebrew university 17 years ago, whereas I had been back frequently over the years. The air polliition has been upsetting to see, but the cleanliness of most places is a J de%ht in coritifa^^tO:?^^ The biggest difference between Vancouver and Israelis noticed in the people. By comparison the people in Israel are alive and responsive.,- ■ ■■ /
While buying an item in a store one day, we asked the saleswoman where we could purchase a needle and thread. The woman replied she had none for sale but that she herr self would be pleased to'mend whatever needed repairs!
Of course the economic situation weighs heavily on people in general and the intifada is present daily although not in a way that touches us first hand. In fact, apart from what we read in the daily newspapers and what we hear from those serving in the army in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, we would not be aware of its existence. Life continues, not as normal, but continues.
Most people are genuinely moved by our decision to return. Several Israelis befriended us immediately with offers of help, baby clothing, transportation and yes, lots of advice.
Four weeks after arriving.
Pair get Torch Award
the labor and delivery took place at Hadassah hospital,: Eirikerem, Jerusalem.
During pre-natal visits to Hadassah/we met several doctors and riiidwives and this helped at-the time of delivery because we were neither strahgek^s^^With the -'hbfef|jirtal^ -staff nor was the labor and delivery area foreign to us. We were lucky and hit a night when a private labor-birthing room was available. Sheila was so well relaxed that labor and deliyeiy went qiiickiy-and' ' smoothly — in the words of a good friend who helped capture the events on film, "It was a piece of cake."
Rahel Meira was born Sept. 7,1989 at 10:20 p.m. We were so moved that each of us said several blessingis which we felt appropriate The assisting doctor then asked us if we were c^a// (religious). We responded jthat we \yeren't really by the usual definition, but with the help of G-d, friends and some courage, we found ourselves in Jerusalem having given birth to a very beautiful daughter.
to Nazi crimes sought
NEW YORK - The Australian government has requested assistance from the World Jewish Congress in the investigation of suspects involved in war crimes in Lithuania during the Second World War.
To aid the investigation, Australian authorities are seeking survivors of the following towns andcities in Lithuania wrip liave personal knowledge of the killing and persecution of Jews in those areas:
Alsiad, Balbirishok, Yani-shok, Krakinova, Kuzi, Lin-kuve, Poukroy, Posvol, Rad-vilishouk, Riteve, Semilshouk, Utyan, Vilki, Zhager, Kupi-shok, Alite, Deguciai, Kash-edar, Kretingen, Lazdey, Maliat, Pounivez, Rakistais, Rasseyn, Rakishok, Vilkomir, Veviya, Zasle and Zezmer.
Individuals with information should contact Bessy Piipko, World Jewish Congress, 501 Madison Avenue, N.Y.; NY. U.S.A. 10022, or call (212) 755-5770. jta
New Year iareelings to All Our Friends and Custoniiers
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Brown, chairman of the board • of Summit Office Supply in •New York, and William Walter, president of U.S. division, ACCO International Inc. in Illinois, were presented with the 1989 Torch of Liberty Award by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. .11a
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