Torah Portion
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Sukkot: The Generous Joy
Of Being Vulnerable
(Deuteronomy 16:14). The sukkah is sup-
posed to be a happy party — and who-
ever heard of a party without guests?
Moreover, the Torah specifically includes
the downtrodden of ancient Israelite soci-
ety into the sukkah. It commands, "You
shall rejoice in your festival, with your
son and daughter, your male and female
lilir by is it that poor people
slave, the Levite, the stranger, the father-
are often more
less and the widow in your
hospitable than
communities." The boundaries
the rich? Have
between family and strangers,
you never noticed that as
between peers and the poor,
homes in America grew bigger,
are all broken down as we
informal hospitality became
acknowledge our common ori-
rarer?
gins and our common destiny.
It is always surprising when
Like Passover, a joyous festi-
I bring groups to Israel, how
val that reminds us of our slave
readily tiny apartments are
origins, Sukkot stands for the
opened up to accommodate
lovely period of simple living,
numerous guests. For
RABBI DANIEL when we were like newlyweds
Americans, this ungrudging
NEVINS
with God, "walking in the
hospitality often comes as a
Special to the
wilderness, in a land unsown."
refreshing change and makes
Jewish News
(Jeremiah 2:2) In
us embarrassed of the high
Deuteronomy, the word sim-
wall of privacy that we erect
chah, or joy, is repeatedly con-
around our castle homes.
nected to the poor. If our celebration
Perhaps this also explains why Sukkot
includes the needy, then our joy will be
became the holiday of hospitality. When
deeper and more meaningful.
things are simple, it's easier to extend
On Sukkot, we depart from the
yourself and invite others in. Yet this
homes that pamper and isolate us and
assertion defies common sense. After all,
live outside for a week. We remember
it's much more challenging to entertain
what it was like for our ancestors in dis-
in a sukkah. It's often crowded, can be
tant (and in recent) times to be vulnera-
chilly at night and you run the risk of
ble refugees. We express gratitude to God
pine needles falling in the soup. We sel-
for the gift of shelter, and we try to prove
dom have our best furniture in the
our worthiness by emulating Avraham.
sukkah, despite the Talmud's statement -
As our houses and our cars become
that a person should put his finest vessels
ever larger and more luxurious, as home
in the sukkah (Tractate Sukkah 28b).
theaters and broadband Internet connec-
Why do we rush to reserve guests for our
tions reduce the need to go outside, there
sukkah every year?
is a danger of becoming isolated and
Part of the explanation comes from
insensitive to the needs of others.
the mystical custom of inviting the ush-
Sukkot, with its celebration of sim-
pizin ilayin — exalted guests of biblical
plicity, unlocks our hearts, restores our
fame — to share our sukkah meals
perspective and inspires us to welcome in
(Zohar Vayikra, Emor, 103b). We invite
guests. Sukkot teaches us a simple truth
them in before we ourselves can enjoy
— there is more joy in looking at a table
the sukkah. As long as these celestial
full of people eating stuffed cabbage than
guests are coming, why not add some
in watching the most-exciting movie on
human counterparts? If Avraham Avinu,
your giant screen TV
famed for his hospitality, is looking on, it
would be embarrassing not to share our
meal with guests! Thus we connect the
mitzvah of hospitality (hachnasat orchim)
with the mitzvah of Sukkot.
The Mishnah says that during
Another explanation for the higher
Sukkot, "we make our homes tem-
hospitality relates to the Torah's entreaty
porary, and our Sukkot permanent."
to "be joyous on your holiday."'
What activities can be transferred to
the sukkah to fulfill this command?
Daniel Nevins is a spiritual leader at
Shabbat Sukkot:
Leviticus 22:26-23:44;
Numbers 29;12-16•
Zachariah 14:1-21.
Conversations
Adat Shalom Synagogue.
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consultation with a Shawn Ray Fons
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