Joy

 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.

Being Remembered

 Ha’azinu

Deut. 32:1-52

 

Précis: The parasha, the shortest in the Five Books, containing only 52 verses, begins with the “Song of Moses,” a hymn sung by Moses within sight of the Promised Land. The song contrasts God’s fidelity with the faithlessness of the People, and the need of the People to learn from their history under God’s care. Moses predicts that Israel’s enemies will be overcome. He is told to climb a mountain to see the Promised Land he will not enter, as he prepares for his death. This is the last parasha read on Shabbat in the annual cycle: the final parasha (V’zot Habracha) is read traditionally on Simchat Torah.

 

Deut. 32:1 “Give ear, oh skies, so that I may speak and let the earth hear what my mouth says.”

 

Moses begins his song with these words, addressed not only to the Israelites but to God and all of humanity. We usually read this parasha with  pity for Moses, whose dreams of leading the People into the Land of Israel are ended. However, on the other hand, Moses has been granted a great privilege: he sees that the work of his lifetime will succeed. He faces death shortly, but he will go there knowing that his life has been worthwhile. He has achieved. He will be remembered.

            During the recently concluded Days of Awe, we have looked closely at our actions over the past year (or years!) and our hopes for the future, without knowing whether or not we will merit remembrance by future generations. Some of us are fortunate enough to have descendants who will honor their memory. Others face the reality that they will not be so fortunate. For them, a hope of being remembered rests on their actions which have affected others; it may be through philanthropy, community building, or being known as founders of Jewish institutions.

            As we approach Sukkot, when we are commanded to be joyful, let us find joy in a life worthily lived, with hope that we have somehow made a difference to others, be they family, friends, or our communities.