Shabbat Chol Moed Sukkot
On the Shabbat which takes place during Sukkot, we read passages from Exodus, with the action taking place just after the Israelites had danced before the Golden Calf and Moses had shattered the tablets. Moses goes back up the Mountain, prays for the People, and returns 40 days later with a second set of tablets. When he returns, he brings not only a second set of Tablets but also the Thirteen Attributes of God quoted here.
Ex. 34:6-7 “Adonai, Adonai, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…”
If this verse sounds familiar, you probably attended services on Yom Kippur just days ago when we recited them over and over again. Obviously, we recited these verses in the hope that our sins would be forgiven due to God’s mercy
But Sukkot is not only about hope: it is about joy. Indeed, as I’ve noted before, it is a rare time when we are instructed to be joyous. (The Hebrew phrase is “u’smach-tem”).
Perhaps we are commanded to be joyous because we have so recently been fearful. The introspection of the Days of Awe is not an easy experience, nor is dwelling in a flimsy sukkah comfortable. So, let’s enjoy the holiday, and give thanks that we can in fact find joy in our lives.
