JewshMus'gs Fri-Shabbat, 10/6-7 (HoshanaRaba/Sh'miniAtzeret)

[hollygail]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:

Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[gazelle18]

Hi all,
Sorry to have been MIA this week! I return home tomorrow, and will catch up Sunday . Good shabbos!

[hollygail]

There's a limit on how many characters (letters/spaces, etc.) you can use in the title of the thread... I had to abbreviate a lot to fit in all the parts I wanted to include for the title of today's thread...

And here are the last two interpretations of the meaning of the sukkah, according to Rabbi Ronald Isaacs (who is a contemporary of ours).

9. The sukkah is also portrayed in the liturgy as a symbol of peace, known in Hebrew as the sukkat shalom. For instance, in the prayer Hashkiveinu (“cause us to lie down,” part of the Friday evening liturgy) the worshiper petitions God to “spread over us the shelter of Your peace.” The prayer concludes with these words: “Praised are You, God, Who spreads a shelter of peace (סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם, sukkat shalom) over us, over all God’s people Israel, and over Jerusalem.”
10. An interesting archaeological study was made in Elephanti, Egypt. They found several business contracts describing real estate dealings that included the phrase: “Upon prompt payment I deed you this land.” And then this phrase is followed by a second surprising phrase: “This simcha with joy, love, and happiness.” After a careful study of the comparative language of real estate contracts, scholars have learned that simcha (usually translated as some sort of festive occasion) in ancient languages has a second meaning, namely, that of “acceptance.” Thus, the phrase z’man simchateinu might be rendered not “time of rejoicing” but “moment of acceptance.” Sitting in the sukkah might be Judaism’s way of teaching us that we need to recognize that there are parts of life that are flimsy and frail [side note: Louise, we finally get to see your perspective through Rabbi Isaacs' eyes!]. We need to set aside a special moment to recognize and accept that which is difficult. Reciting the phrase z’man simchateinu as part of the Sukkot liturgy is a consciousness-raising device.

Any responses to either/both of these final interpretations, according to Rabbi Isaacs, regarding the meaning of the sukkah? Any additional things you might want to say about either the sukkah itself or the week-long fall harvest festival? Today is Hoshanah Rabah [the seventh day of Sukkot is a semi-holiday in its own right. Still counted among the days of Chol haMoed (intermediate days of the festival), this day’s name means “the great hoshanah.” A hoshanah is a series of seven liturgical poems calling upon God to rescue and redeem the Jewish people, primarily by sending rain. And it's when we change from saying morid hatal, "causing the dew to fall," to mashiv haruach umorid hagashemn causing the wind to blow and the rain to fall, in the beginning of the second benediction of the amidah which is said at morning, afternoon and evening services every single day of the year. (For a quick and instructive peek into Hoshanah Rabah, see www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hoshanah-rabbah/).

In many congregations (though not all), Sh'mini Atzeret (tomorrow, sometimes translated as the 8th day of in-gathering) and the following day, Simchat Torah, rejoicing in the Torah, are smooshed together into one day, as is the case in Israel. But Sunday begins a new week, so I'll stop here.

Shabbat shalom and gut shabbes, everyone!

[peachymom1]

Good morning everyone, and thank you, Holly, for an interesting week.

I like the interpretation of simcha as acceptance, in addition to the meaning of joy. And I always look forward to the prayer for rain on Shmini Atzeret, then adding "mashiv haruach umorid hagashem" to the Amidah. I remember DD35 asking me about that part of the Amidah when she was studying for her bat mitzvah; her Torah portion was Breishit, the first Torah reading after Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. In our shul, the b'nei mitzvah also lead the Admidah, so DD35 wanted to know why she add to add the line about the rain, when we weren't doing it in the months leading up to her bat mitzvah. I can't believe it's been 22 years since that wonderful simcha, which was indeed an acceptance (of responsibility on her part, of her new stage of maturity on ours) as well as joy.

I went to urgent care yesterday after work, because I'd had abdominal pain for two days that kept getting worse. It turned out to be muscle spasms, not a digestive tract blockage (which I've had before) or appendicitis, so I have pain meds and Lidocaine patches and feel much better. I am extremely grateful for access to good medical care, and I'm very glad I don't have to bale on reading Torah tomorrow and Sunday.

Everybody have a wonderful day and a great weekend! Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! peachymom1, I'm glad it wasn't anything serious!! Feel better soon!!

Re today's topic: Acceptance of good things definitely leads to joy. Acceptance of difficult things leads to wisdom.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

PS --- See you Sunday with my doing the leads for the week!

[louise]

An aside, one of my rabbi's daughters is named Shoshana. Here email is shoshanaraba@XXXX.

A shelter of peace but somehow a vulnerable shelter of peace. It is perhaps always so. The alternate translation of z'man simchateinu I am quite taken by - especially when we hold both meanings together in our mind. A day of rejoicing and also of acceptance - perhaps we experience it each time it is said according to what resonates with us at that time. I think we would be more likely to pair a difficult time with a need for acceptance. Interesting!

Weather report here is lousey for tomorrow. RAIN. We are not likely to be able to take the torahs out into the street - always way more fun somehow then just goig around the room indoors.

I'm going to make pumpkin donuts for Sunday kiddush (baked not fried). Saw a recipe in the NYT recently that I haven't been able to get off my mind! I got special baking pans. Will let you know!