Thursday. October 12.1989—THE BUtLETIN^~5
ucpol cpmifieiiiorales Jew^ to ProEnised Land
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JERUSALEM — The long israeli summer draws to a close. The crops are gathered, the fruit ripens and is harvested. It is the Hebrew month of Tishrei and the 15th day is the Festival of the Ingathering. It is also known as Succot, the Festival of Booths.
You-shall live in booths seven days: all that are Israelite born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when Ibrought them out of the land of Egypt.. .(Lev. 23:42-43)
The Succa, or booth, commemorates the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness. The month of Tishrei was the season when almost all pasturage in the Sinai desert had disappeared and water pools were dry, so they would gather the flocks and move to a desert oasis of date palms, where water abounded. Even today Israel's nomads, the Beduin, gather at oases at this time of the year. The dates which haye reddened and ripened are harvested and spread in the sun to dry, and date honey is made by squeezing out the thick, sweet juice.
We are told in the Book of Nehemiah (S: 14-17) that the Biblical booths or tabernacles were made from the branches of wild olive, myrtle and palm. Today we construct Succot variety of materials, but they must be no taller nor lower than 20 cubits (30 feet) — to convey the lesson that we should be.heither too proud nor tod humble. The roof must becovered with palm fronds or some kihd of greenery through which it is possible to glimpse the sky.
^Succot perpetuates the precept that G-d is One forever and Judaism imparts this message by symbolism and ritual. In addition to dwelling in booths, Succot is one of the three Pilgrim Festivals when we are commanded to come up to Jerusalem. We are also commanded to rejoice after the solemn days of awe — in fact, it is repeated three times: "You shall rejoice before the L-rd . yoiir G-d seven days."
When we attend synagogue, we take with us the lulav and etrog, the myrtle and the willow — the four species. The palm frond reminds us of our history, when the Jews wandered in the desert. Willows grow close to the River Jordan, which flows into the Dead Sea. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan, under Joshua's leadership, they were instructed to set up 12 large stones from the Jordan as a memorial; It is likely that they were also told to select willow branches and to weave them into the four species for the Succot festival.
The myrtle has a delightful fragrance and grows wild in the woodlands of Galilee, and Jews sanctify it as a symbol of peace and brotherhood. The etrog — a citrus fruit — symbolizes the beauty of the fruit harvest aiid can be picked at Succot,Thus the four species teach us about the terrain of Israel and how the natural elements form the basis of imagery in the. Bible and in ritual. They connect the People of Israel to the Land of Israel,
The Festival of Succot ends with SimchatTorah —the Rejoicing of the Law, It is a joyous festival whose agricultural nature is more than ever relevant today when Jews have returned to inhabit Eretz Israel to sow and reap the grain and fruit of the Land;- wzps
JERUSALEM
"When do Jews and Gentiles rejoice
together? Only when it rains!" No, this is not a recent quotation in response to droughts which had been recently parching the earth in the United States from Ohio to California, It was written by Joshua B, Levi in the Midrash (Gen, Rabbah 13:6), For drought is the scourge of the earth, and rain its greatest blessing.
In the southern U.S., where lush farm fields became sand dunes last year, due to the worst drought the country has suffered since 1934, residents were ordered to use only "grey" water
"Despite previous problems, govern-nierital aittfudsis toward hurnain rights have Improved recently In the Arab world."
FACT In 1987 at the United Nations, "repre-. sentatives of traditionally hostile Arab nations, .. joined to fight the^recognltion of an Arab human-rights group. The group, the Arab Organization for. Human Rights, has applied for consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The group was set up In 1983 In Cyprus because Its founders yvere not sure they would be welcome In the Arab world" (New York Times, March 5,1987),
The organIzatlon later was able to move to Cairo and worked with Amnesty International, the Arab Lawyers' Union and similar groups, the newspaper reported. It added that "the problem Is that some Arab countries consider any charges of rights violations as Interference."
In discussion of the group's request, "the Soviet Union aligned Itself with the Algerian observer In expressing reservations . .." Arab opponents persuaded Oman, the only Arab member on UNESCO at the time and neutral at first on the application, to oppose It. The Times noted that "most Arab countries have not ratified the; International human rights conventions : , Syria and Iraq, sworn enemies, banded together with Algeria to back Oman.'' In the end, the Arab Organization for Human Rights' request for consultative status was denied; the group said It would submit a new application In 1989.
Just as theUnited States has used the status of human rights in the Soviet Union as an Indicator of the sincerity of latter's proclaimed peaceful intent, so does Israel measure the Arab vydrld. As Dan Schueftah, an Arab affairs expert at Hebrew University's Truman Institute has noted, "Practically every Arab regime came to power, through violence, maintains power through violence and probably will los6 power by violence." He added that once Israel's neighbors begin to recognize the individual rights of their citizens and evolve toward more consensual politics, they will be more likely to recpgnize Israel's rights and to deal with It non-yiplently.
Reprinted from Myitis and Facts, a publication of Near East Research, Inc. Complete copies of Afyjf/is and Facts are available for U.S. $3.95 from Near East Report, 500 North Capitol street, N.W,, Washington, D.C. 20001.
left after bathing to sprinkle on their gardens. People were advised: "The best thing for us to do is pray for rain."
And that is exactly what Jews do every year on the last day of Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles, For seven days they have given up the comfort of their homes "to dwell in booths" and to take in their hands the four species: the palm branch, citron, myrtle and willow. These lulav and etrog were once part of the service in the Temple, and we now hold them while reciting Hallel,and wave the lulav during the chanting of certain Psalms.
A very important feature of the Feast of Tabernacles is the prayer for rain, which, in Israel, is said at a time marking the beginning of winter and the rainy season. The world, says the A//5/?A7t//7, is judged for rain at Succot. To this day we recite a prayer for it on the last day. of the festival, as rain is Israel's, life-blood; Abundant rainfall means prosperity; drought means disaster lor the country's kibbutzim, moshavim and agricultural settlements.
Linked to the prayer for rain is another Succot ceremony, mentioned in Isaiah, emphasizing the value of water. It is known as drawing of waters. In Temple times, it was practised with great enthusiasm, although no-pne is certain of its origin. It began on the second evening of Succot and lasted for six nights.
Jerusalemites and pilgrims flocked to the outer court of the Temple, where an enormous golden candelabra was fed with oil by young priests until flames leapt to the sky. The most pious men led a torch dance, and the Levites led the people in chanting hymns and psalms to the music of flutes, harps and cymbals. They danced and sang until dawn, when the long procession wended its way to the pool of Shiloah.This pool was formed by the overflow of water in Hezekiah's tunnel which led from the Gihon spring into the city.
At the pool, a golden ewer was filled with water and brought back to the Temple, where the High Priest poured it over the
Richard Nowitz/WZPS
COHANIM praying at the Western Wail during festival of Succot.
altar with a libation of wine.
Today, there is no Temple, no altar and no water in the pool of Shiloah, but "the drawing of the waters" is symbolically recaptured every year during the intermediate days of Succot with singing, dancing and rejoicing in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City.
And today, Jews all over the world remember Israel's need for rain on the last day of the festival. It is a long prayer which begins during the Amidah with the words:
Thou causest the wind to blow and the rain to descend. From the heavenly source He sendest down rains softening the earth withilieir crystal drops. Water Thou hast called the symbol of Thy power: it refresheih with its drops all breathing creatures and it will some day.quicken those who exalt the power of rain.u ? ^ r * ta-I .
After six more verses, the prayer for rain concludes with the reader chanting and the congregation responding:
For Thou art the L-rd our G-d who causeth the wind to blow and the rain to fall:
For a blessing and not for a curse. Amen. For life and not for death. Amen. For plenty and not for famine. Amen.
It is a fitting benediction to end a festival in which three times we are commanded to rejoice, and which after so many solemn festivals like Fishab-Av, Rosh Hashanaiind Yom Kip-pur - Succot gives us its blessing:
May you have nothing hut joy! \v/.i>s
Jerusalem-based writer/author/poet Dvora Waysman continues to contribute insights into the cycle of the Jewish year. "
Return to Israel for RahelMeira's birth
By PAUL ACEMAN
We returned to Israel to give birth to our child. It sounds somewhat of a crazy idea and maybe some would even call it misadventurous, but for usand for our daughter Rahel Meira, this was perhaps the most important decision of our lives.
When we first found out about the pregnancy, we both felt how important it would be for our child to be born in Israel, even if we were not to remain there to live. To be born a Sabra helps pave one's future in Israel in many ways. Also spiritually, the roots of one's origin of birth run very deep.
Vancouverite Dr. Paul Aceman wrote from Israel to share joyous news Yi\X\k JWB\ publisher/senior editor. Mazal Toy to the three Acemans in Jerusalem and to the grandparents in Vancouver, the Jack Acemans.
Even knowing this, however,the whole idea of returning to Israel in time for the baby's birth seemed unrealistic if not. impossible. It would be a race to the finish to complete our studies and pack up in time to fly safely during the latter part of pregnancy, to settle and acclimatize to a new environment before the delivery.
The logistics seemed overwhelming. We were particularly concerned about finding a good doctor and a suitable hospital, for we would take no unnecessary risks with the pregnancy, labor and delivery of our first child.
For a while we put the whole idea of i-etiirriihg to Isiraerin the back of our mind.s and focused instead on preparing for exams and writing a thesis in our respective fields: Everyday ne\ys reports in Vancouver as well as those broadcast on te^^^^^ networks painted a picture of Israel being a dangerous place to
Then the "Bus 45" terrorist attack! Eve Zilberman's interview followed in which she concluded that we should not give in to fear and she herself would not be deterred from taking her daughter to Israel! This contrasted with the articles JIVB published by Wendy Narod-Maon which, in its first installment, detailed the "horrors" of living in Israel and could be enough to dissuade some people from ever leaving Vancouver even to visit. But our hopes were inspired by Eve Zilberman and we felt her commitment to Israel akin to ours. Our child's Jewish identify could not be better served than by being born and raised in
DR. PAUL AlsSD SHEILA ACEMAN with Rahel Meira in Jerusalem.