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In
the aftermath of the unprecedented terrorist atrocities of September 11th.,
people across the globe are feeling vulnerable, fragile, uncertain, and afraid
of what's going to happen next.
Of course, by the time this is published, something else will be
happening... All
those who witnessed the attacks, saw the naked face of radical Evil.
But that was not all we saw.
In the same moment, the force of Goodness also showed its face:
in the courageous response of the survivors and the bereaved; in the
heroic struggle of the passengers on the fourth plane, intent on foiling the
hijackers' plan; in the self-less efforts of the rescue workers; in the
ordinary ways in which ordinary men and women reached out to help one another
and others in need. At
Sukkot, Jews celebrate all the fruits we enjoy - both actual and metaphorical
- of our labours for Goodness.
At the same time, we acknowledge the fragility of Life.
On the one hand, the Lulav we shake in all directions - North,
South, East and West, Heavenwards and towards the Earth - proclaims the
Oneness of Creation and the bounty of God.
On the other hand, the flimsy Sukkah we build and inhabit,
confronts us with the other side of Life in which material blessings
easily evaporate, and Existence becomes a realm of insecurity and uncertainty.
The message of Sukkot is that Life incorporates both dimensions
- and that it is possible to enjoy Life's blessings and to live with
insecurity simultaneously.
Chag
Sameiach |
