Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

Jewish Family Service invites you to the

h

Promise Of Redemption

Shabbat Hol Hamoed Sukkot:
Exodus 33:12-34:26;
Numbers 29:17-25;
Ezekiel 38:18-39:16.

T

he most fundamental event
sukkah is the schach, the material
of biblical history is the
of vegetable origin (laid over wood
Exodus. It gave to the Jewish
slates, branches or bamboo poles),
people a very special gift. There is a
which forms the roof. The connec-
God who loves, who cares, who wills
tion to nature should not be broken.
human redemption and
It is loosely spread over the
promises that it will happen.
area, but it should not be so
The Exodus was not some-
dense as to shut out rain.
thing that happened once to
Schach is the expression of
the Jewish people in history
the true nature of divine
and then was finished. It was
protection. God is not a
intended to be an ideal that
mechanical shield that pro-
human beings are meant to
tects us from all evil. God
be free; they are endowed
is the presence who gives
with dignity as children of
us the strength to persevere
Rabb i Irwin
God; some day, the whole
and to overcome.
Gr oner
world will be ordered that
The schach teaches us
Specia I to the
each person will know value,
something about the true
Jewis h News
security and justice. The
nature of security and pro-
Jewish religion should offer testimony tection. Human beings try to build up
and to bear witness to this hope.
solid walls of security. We shut out life.
That is why the Torah insists that
We heap up treasures and power and
every Jew must relive the Exodus to
status symbols in the hope of exclud-
that everyone will feel as if he/she
ing death and disaster and the unex-
personally came out of Egypt. Twice
pected. The sukkah argues that at least
a year, the Jewish people actually
once a year we should give up this
reenact the drama of the Exodus — in pseudo-safety. The sukkah does not
the week of Passover and the week of
deny the value of home and human
Sukkot. Sukkot focuses on the wander- effort. We must be able to give these
ing of the Hebrew people in the desert up and if we learn how to renounce
after the Exodus. The central symbol
these factors; then we become the
of Sukkot is the portable booth the
masters and not the slaves of our
Jewish people lived in during 40 years
efforts and our achievements.
of wandering in the desert.
Sukkot calls upon us to count our
Sukkot celebrates the way the libera- blessings. Let us be grateful for the
tion continues. Living in the sukkah
freedom in which we live. Let us be
is meant to recapture the spirit of the
grateful for our Jewish heritage of
Exodus generation who left thick walls which we are a part, for the blessings
under secure roofs to brave the ele-
of community, family and friends.
ments. They placed their confidence in Let us be grateful we can work for
Divine love — which is the only true
and support our charitable functions
source of security.
to help others. Let us thank God for
Rabbi Eliezer said that Sukkot refers the many other untold blessings for
to the booths that the Jews inhabited
which we need only a grateful heart
in the desert. Rabbi Akiva said sukkot
to see.
really symbolize the clouds of glory
that hovered over the Jews, leading the Irwin Groner is rabbi emeritus of
way through the Sinai. Rabbi Akiva
Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland
means the miracle and the celebration County.
are due not only to God who protects,
but to the people of Israel who were
willing to expose themselves to the
Conversation
fiercest storms of history with only the
In some real ways, discuss
intangible shelter of God's presence.
how the sukkah pays tribute to
The most important part of the
Jewish courage and faith.

4

featuring

Rabbi Michael Gold

speaking on

"Do You Have to Love Your Family?"

Thursday,
October 18, 2007

7:00 p.m. Dessert Reception
7:30 p.m. Program

Jewish Community Center
Marion & David Handleman Hall & Auditorium

D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building
6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield
Eugene and Marcia Applebaum
Jewish Community Campus

No charge
RSVP by October 9 to Lori Drucker
(248) 592-2339

Questions? Contact Lori Drucker
or e-mail: ldrucker@jfsdetroit.org

Co-sponsored by

iIjJI Jewish

Federation

Jewish Family Service

of Metropolitan Detroit

of Metropolitan Detroit

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