Of Sukkot, the Torah teaches: “I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” From this verse, the rabbis of the Talmud engage in what becomes a classic debate of Sukkot—what are these booths in which we are to dwell? Rabbi Akiva says that they are sukkot mamash—real sukkot, just like ones that we build today. Rabbi Eliezer, on the other hand, claims that this verse refers to the ananei hakavod, the clouds of glory with which God led the people; they are metaphorical and not literal. But, more than literal versus metaphorical, there is another tension in these two understandings. Rabbi Akiva focuses on the vulnerability of Sukkot, the impermanence, almost the danger. Rabbi Eliezer takes the opposite view—that the “shelter” of Sukkot is about safety, about protection, about something we can take with us. Shelter as physical and spiritual nurturing. So, as [...]

Sukkot is, more than any other holiday, a holiday of vulnerability. We are required to be open—open to the elements of wind and rain, of cold or blistering heat. We are expected to be uncomfortable—to not have all of our “stuff,” to live without some of the creature comforts. We are enjoined to leave our homes and possessions and to go out to the sukkah, protected only by the wings of the Divine presence. It’s scary, just like the world. But it is also a space for growth, and for incredible potential. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks teaches: What is truly remarkable is that it is called, by tradition, zeman simchatenu, our time of joy. That to me is the wonder at the heart of the Jewish experience: that Jews throughout the ages were able to experience risk and uncertainty at every level of their existence and yet—while they sat betzila de‐mehemnuta, 'under [...]

Tradition teaches that the very first thing we are supposed to do after breaking our Yom Kippur fast is to begin to erect the sukkah. Lox, bagels, and faloodeh down...hammers up. Like all Jewish holidays, Sukkot comes with its list of commandments. In addition to the usual things the Torah likes to remind us about (you know, praising God and offering sacrifices and generally celebrating) there’s also all this stuff the rabbis come to tell us about the height of the walls, the density of the roof, and just how long you need to stay out there if it starts raining during your meal. The answer—by the way—is until the rain changes the consistency of your soup. But the Torah has the final words on Sukkot, and they are remarkable. V’samachta b’chagecha…v’hayita ach sameach. "You shall rejoice in your festivals, and you shall be—ach sameach." It’s usually translated as “nothing but [...]

As we move through these Days of Awe, we hope that these readings and excerpts from Sha’ar HaShamayim, our Stephen Wise Temple machzor, will deepen your worship and High Holy Days experience. Most of our festivals begin with a particular series of blessings. We light candles, kindling light to mark a holy moment. We make Kiddush, sanctifying the time with the sweetness of wine. And we say the Shehechiyanu, offering a blessing of mindfulness and gratitude for the possibilities of the moment. Tonight, of course, there is no wine. And tonight we say Shehechiyanu twice, once at the beginning of the service and once here, toward the end. This time it is not preceded by blessings, but rather, by a dialogue with the Divine. Again and again over these 25 hours, we will ask God to remember the Divine promise of forgiveness, to fully welcome us back into relationship with open arms and with no [...]