Sukkot

Meditation for Sukkah

I can totally get behind a ritual to celebrate joy! In our war weary world, with so much suffering and pain within the human family, it's easy to put our attention to "being with" the difficult things and sidelining joy until something good happens. We're probably all guilty of this, to some extent. Sukkot suggests that good is there all the time; joy is there for the taking. If only we rely on G-d.

In the Jewish faith, Sukkot is the holiday of rejoicing. There is a link above for a sukkah meditation that sheds light on the meaningful process of sukkah sitting.

It was my pleasure last week to sit with my friend Debbie in her sukkah on the first day of Sukkot. This experience wasn't completely new to me. Although this time, I was focused on the spiritual lift: being in Love with joy. The experience was refreshing.

Debbie gave me reading material ahead of time at my request. I didn't want to enter this holy space without clear intention. So I enjoyed some basic research. I will say, though, that for a person of faith, although not Jewish, I felt the power of the discipline. Joy was magnified through the observance.

The sukkah represents G-d's protection of the ancestors as they traveled through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. It is said that a miraculous cloud-covering shielded the people on their journey. The sukkah, a temporary dwelling made of wood, covered with branches, simulates a safe haven, reminding the faithful of G-d's kindness, a reaffirmation of G-d's trust. This holy hut is kept up for 7 days and nights. All meals are consumed in the space. It is regarded as home for this period. Debbie's sukkah was decked out with hanging fruits of all kinds, special familial objects and significant images upon which one could meditate.

Within a sukkah, there is the observance of the Four Kinds: citron, palm frond, myrtle twigs and willow twigs. Each day of Sukkot, a blessing is recited (Hallel) as the Four Kinds are waved in the six directions: up, down, forward, backward, right and left. The Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, and in action the intrinsic unity of the people and the time of their joy!

As my friend did her recitation, rocking ever-so-slightly back and forth, heel to toe, the speed of the Hebrew words seemed to transcend the moment. The ritual was both simple and rich: the personal action taken was the prayer, the words (some of them sung) were an other worldly music, somewhat like the hovering clouds of God's provision so long ago, bringing that incredible Love, the Great Protection, into real time. (I will say that my friend has a lovely voice, lending to the ethereal nature of the experience.)

This was not a performance, but a devotion. I was not just observing, but experiencing. The unity of friends through prayer is powerful, indeed.

As I mentioned, part of the sukkah decorations were photo images, laminated to withstand the weather. I took a photo of a photo of the Wailing Wall that hung near my seat. The result, a happy accident of sun glare on the plastic casing, letters and numbers bleeding through from the other side, is shown below. Eerie in a good way, I think. The prayers of so many, from pilgrimage after pilgrimage, seem a present energy. Almost an animation of spirit through the power of the sukkah Light.

My friend fixed a gorgeous lunch! We laughed and nibbled, talked about faith and friendship and G-d.
It was a perfectly delightful day, a meaningful day.

I had to stop back, after my evening obligations, to photograph the sukkah Light in the dark (grin). I just couldn't get enough of it. The space was glowing. Debbie had more friends there, sharing another meal, the unity of all visitors that day and from the ages, resonating in this temporary dwelling, the permanence of G-d's Love.