Oct 26 2008
In some aspects Sukkot is similar to Pesach and in others it differs. It is similar in that they both occur on the 15th of the month; Pesach falls on the 15th of Nissan in the spring and Sukkot falls on the 15th of Tishrei in the autumn. They both last for a week and open with a day of Hag followed by Hol Hamoed. However in their practical observance in the Diaspora there is a major difference. Pesach is a festival that attracts a lot of attention even among the unaffiliated. The festive Pesach meal is widely observed and those who do so are conscious of the Exodus story which we celebrate. Further proof of this interest is the major food industry built around the festival, reflecting a high level of interest in the purchase of Pesach products.
The interest in Pesach should be contrasted with that of Sukkot. There are many Jews in the Diaspora who are totally oblivious to Sukkot’s existence (in Israel the first day of Sukkot is an official public holiday and the days of Hol Hamoed are semi-public holidays). Even among those who are aware of the festival in the Diaspora, many do not observe the festival mitzvah of building a sukkah even though they may have the physical space to do so.
Why is there this discrepancy between the interest in the two festivals? Perhaps it is directly tied to the essence of their celebration. We celebrate Pesach to mark the Exodus from Egypt, one of the most epic moments in Jewish history. At this momentous event the Jewish People was born. G-d intervened in history and delivered the Jewish people out of the bondage of their Egyptian persecutors correcting an injustice that had been imposed by anti-Semitic Pharaohs. This “supernatural” intervention culminated in the miraculous final plague that smote the Egyptian first born, “persuading” Pharaoh to acquiesce and release the Jews from slavery.
The reason for our celebration of Sukkot is radically different. The reason for Sukkot appears in Lev 23:43 “That the future generations should know that I placed the Children in Sukkot when I took them out of Egypt.” Whether these were physical abodes or spiritual constructs is a difference of opinion in the Talmud. While these opinions differ on the details, they both agree that the purpose of the construction of Sukkot was to protect the Children of Israel from the natural elements during their sojourn in the desert.
In comparing the two events Sukkot pales against Pesach. The Exodus from Egypt was a unique heroic and dramatic occurrence. The protection of the Jews in their sojourn in the desert was very mundane; dwelling in a sukkah was neither dramatic nor heroic! Thus it is a small wonder that Pesach has such an attraction while Sukkot is “relegated” to a festival of minor significance. Yet the Torah earmarks Sukkot for seven days of rejoicing and from its perspective there should be no difference in the observance of Pesach and Sukkot!
Having lived through these last few weeks of the economic tsunami that has swept the globe, we have now a renewed appreciation for the security which the sukkot in the desert provided. With the current turbulence our sense of existential security has become an issue. Years of savings may be endangered as a result of a disaster beyond our personal control; an event we were not prepared for. Now we can all appreciate the miracle of being protected from the elements and its importance for our health and personal stability.
It is this miracle that the Festival of Sukkot comes to celebrate. It is critical that we celebrate the security of the mundane provided by the Almighty with the same level of intensity that we celebrate the epic Exodus from Egypt.
Hopefully with this in mind many more will be aware of Sukkot this year and in the future, celebrating the protective mundane care that we were provided with in the Desert.
Hag Sameach (Happy Holiday)
