come into our sukkah!
sukkahs in our neighborhood
*if picture doesn't load...let me know, I can email it to you
Today was the official holiday of Sukkot (to see some Sukkot information scroll to the bottom of this post). We had brunch in our neighbor's sukkah this morning and it was incredible to eat the food, listen to the Torah reading, the reading of the blessings and also watch them do other traditional celebratory things (lulav & etrog). Ya'ir's family was all there along with all the neighbors in our building that don't have sukkahs (if you don't have a yard, you don't have a sukkah...we heard it's "illegal" to build a sukkah indoors). It was relaxed and welcoming. We had sweet potato/potato hash, a flour tortilla-like thing that you fill with boiled eggs & salsa, breads, salads and awesome espresso! The kids ran and played with the neighbor kids for over 2 hours! It was wonderful! It's amazing to be part of this community of people and for Jack & Violet to have "neighborhood friends" to play with (ranging in ages of 3-12). Such a blast!
The kids went down for a nap & John was busy writing a 20 page paper so I set out with my camera to take pictures of sukkahs. I had no idea it would be so eventful! I was handed food, invited in to eat a couple time! I was also welcomed in to visit or welcomed to just come in and see the inside of the sukkahs. Each one is festively decorated - some people hang entire framed artwork inside & others hang garland, lights & pictures of their favorite rabbi's. Some are big & some are small. Some are nice tent/metal structures & others are plywood with shower curtains for walls! The time of day I was walking around was bbq'ing time and there was smoke in the air, the smell of meat cooking, lots of voices & laughter, music & merriment!
Another family made the offer again that Smadar made to me - this hilarious family I just met says, "come, eat dinner at our house any night of Sukkot or any Shabbat! You are welcome in our home!" I sat with them, ate bbq & drank Coke! They introduced me to the whole family as if I were an old friend. Their house was a tiny, dirty, disorganized old mess (ha, it was!) but no mention of that-they were just happy to have me there enjoying a meal in their sukkah.
I had such a great time that when the kids woke & John was at a spot to take a break we set out to see more sukkahs! The same thing happened again! We were offered food to take for our walk, invited into sukkahs to eat & welcomed like we were part of the family! The kids had a blast & were treated so special - being handed toys to play with, food to eat, Coke to drink & lots of attention!! One group invited us to join them Wednesday night for the final night of Sukkot where the Torah scrolls are closed & there is dancing in the streets in celebration! It's like inviting complete strangers to your Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner or Easter lunch.
It's so difficult to put into words how it feels to be with the people here. We are strangers to them and they treat us like family!
Mom, you're right - it's totally like Abraham welcoming "the strangers" (Genesis 18:1-8):
"The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
*Last night as I read this story again I realized that it goes on to say that the strangers have a special message for Abraham & Sarah (that they will have a son) - this message is life-changing! Hmmmm...we also have a message that is life-changing. Please pray that we would have boldness to share this message.
These lessons in hospitality are really hitting me. This last week has changed my life in how I see hospitality and in welcoming a stranger. It's a whole different ball game when you're the stranger being welcomed in.
As we walked home John said, "this is how it should be for us. This should be how we would approach Thanksgiving or Christmas...welcoming a complete stranger into our home to share a meal with us & making them feel like family."
Incredible.
חג שמח! (happy holidays!)
Sukkot
-
commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel
were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters.
- lasts seven days. No work is permitted on the first day of the holiday but is permitted on the remaining days.
- lasts seven days. No work is permitted on the first day of the holiday but is permitted on the remaining days.
- the commandment “to dwell” in a sukkah (temporary shelter) can be fulfilled by simply eating all of one’s meals there; however, if the weather, climate, and one's health permit, one should live in the sukkah as much as possible, including sleeping in it (which I saw today).
- A sukkah must have at least three walls covered with a material that will not blow away in the wind.
- A sukkah may be any size, so long as it is large enough to fulfill the commandment of dwelling in it.
- The roof of the sukkah must be made of natural material that grew from the ground and was cut off, such as tree branches, corn stalks, bamboo reeds, sticks, or two-by-fours. This covering must be left loose, not tied together or tied down. The covering must be placed sparsely enough that the stars can be seen, but not so sparsely that more than ten inches is open at any point or that there is more light than shade.
(From the JUC Friday A.M. Post – Oct 7)- A sukkah may be any size, so long as it is large enough to fulfill the commandment of dwelling in it.
- The roof of the sukkah must be made of natural material that grew from the ground and was cut off, such as tree branches, corn stalks, bamboo reeds, sticks, or two-by-fours. This covering must be left loose, not tied together or tied down. The covering must be placed sparsely enough that the stars can be seen, but not so sparsely that more than ten inches is open at any point or that there is more light than shade.
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