Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot - 'Kohelet - Sunlight and Shade'

בס"ד

This is dedicated to my maternal grandmother Chaya Rivka bat R’ Kalman Bienenzucht whose yartzheit was on Shabbat

A few weeks' ago, The Beatles' Abbey Road album returned to #1 in the pop album charts (UK) and one of the best songs on the album is "Here Comes the Sun" by George Harrison.

Mishnah Sukkah 1:1

(1) A sukkah which is more than twenty cubits high is not valid. Rabbi Judah validates it. One which is not ten handbreadths high, or which does not have three walls, or which has more sun than shade, is not valid....

The Gemara (Sukkah 22b) raises an interesting question - what if there equal amounts of sunshine and shade - will the Sukkah be kosher?

It replies with the answer, that it all depends on which angle you view both the sunlight and shade.

In the case where you look at the schach and see them being equal, then the sukkah would be pasul (i.e. non-kosher) but if you look at the ratio on the ground, where the beams of sunlight have diffused through the cracks in the schach and therefore appear equal to the amount of shade, then we allow the sukkah and say that the schach is "sufficiently dense" and the shade therefore exceeds the sunlight.

I think this is an important lesson for all of us.

When we judge a situation, we need to take in all the points of view before making a decision about how to act. It would be easy to automatically disqualify the sukkah if you thought that there was an equal amount of shade - but look at the roof and then the ground and make your decision. 

Rabbi Sacks in his Sukkot machzor writes that "The book of Kohelet - 'Ecclesiastes' that we read today is one of the most controversial in the entire Tanach. Its literal translation (from the Greek) is "one who addresses an assembly" - 'kehillah' and its inclusion as part of the canon was highly debated. 

Ecclesiastes 1:1

(1) The words of Koheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Kohelet was none other than Solomon, reputedly, the wisest of men.Yet, reading the book, the Rabbis were struck by what they perceived as being anything but wise, due to its contradictory statements

Shabbat 30a

The Gemara relates that Rabbi Tanḥum delivered an entire homily touching upon both aggadic and halakhic materials surrounding this question. He began and said: You, King Solomon, where is your wisdom, where is your understanding? Not only do your statements contradict the statements of your father David, but your statements even contradict each other. Your father David said: “it is not the dead who praise the Lord....” (Psalms 115:17); and you said: “I thought the dead more fortunate, who have died already, than the living who yet live” - is it better to be alive than dead? Kohelet seems to answer both 'yes and no'!"

Reading through the book, one is initially struck by its depressing, bleak tone and "almost nihilistic" nature - written by a man in his twilight years who appears to be disillusioned and sceptical about the ability of people to change the world.

Yet - there is one word that appears no less than seventeen times in this book. A word that appears only once in each of the first four books of the Torah and 12 times in Devarim. 

The word is Simcha - "joy".

Some examples:

Ecclesiastes 8:15

(15) I therefore praised enjoyment. For the only good a man can have under the sun is to eat and drink and enjoy himself. That much can accompany him, in exchange for his wealth, through the days of life that God has granted him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9

(7) Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your action was long ago approved by God. (8) Let your clothes always be freshly washed, and your head never lack ointment. (9) Enjoy happiness with a woman you love all the fleeting days of life that have been granted to you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you acquire under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

(7) How sweet is the light, what a delight for the eyes to behold the sun! (8) Even if a man lives many years, let him enjoy himself in all of them, remembering how many the days of darkness are going to be. The only future is nothingness!

Kohelet seems to be reminding us that, even when things look bleak and unremitting, joy can be found, somehow. 

It is a challenging book to comprehend, which needs more than the few cursory words I have quoted here - but I think that the message it conveys is that, at this time, during the festival of Sukkot the only chag which is referred to as - Zman Simchateinu - the time of our joy - one should always take the time to look beyond the exterior, to understand the mechanics of what is taking place beneath - had the Rabbis not taken this point of view, it is very possible that the majesty and beauty of Kohelet would have been lost to us, in a similar way that the Book of Maccabees suffered as a result of not being included in the final canon of the Tanach.

I remember a TV advert for 'The Guardian' where a skinhead ran towards a well dressed man and violently grabbed him. One's initial reaction was to automatically side with the hapless gentleman until you saw the rest of the ad where it showed how the skinhead" had pulled the man out of the way of some scaffolding which fell and shed its heavy load - the result of which would have probably killed him.

The narration read "an event seen from one point of view gives one impression. Seen from another point of view, it gives quite a different impression. But it's only when you get the whole picture, you can fully understand what's going on"

Coming from the Guardian, that's quite ironic. But nevertheless, its message has always stuck with me.

In conclusion, let us consider how fortunate we are to be able to celebrate these festivals together, here, in a country that has protected us for so many years.

In light of the terrible attacks that our people have been subjected to, over the last year - not least the latest in Germany just over a week ago - it is easy to become disillusioned and pessimistic - but we should also try to look at the big picture and remember how blessed we are to be able to worship freely, compared with the struggles our ancestors faced.

Sukkot, our Zman Simchateinu should remind us that, like the book of Kohelet, even when all seems lost - a chink of joy can pierce the gloom if we let it through.

As we leave our sukkot and enter into the spirit of Shmini Atzeret and ultimately Simchat Torah - we do so, with the hope that the joy we experienced together will light the long winter nights.

"Sun, sun, sun - here it comes". 

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.

Parshat Haazinu: Extinction Rebellion & the Torah's Approach to Making Your Mark

“Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated as XR) is a socio-political movement with the stated aim of using civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to compel government action on climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of social and ecological collapse (Wikipedia)”

"The group was established in the United Kingdom in May 2018 with about one hundred academics signing a call to action in support in October 2018 and launched at the end of October by activists Roger Hallam and Gail Bradbrook, and others  from the campaign group Rising Up!...."

XR’s website, at the time of the group's inception in the UK, stated the following aims:

• Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
• Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss (ie extinction of animal and plant species in their natural habitats) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.
• 3.    Government must create, and be led by the decisions of, a citizens' assembly on climate and ecological justice.

In November 2018, five bridges across our lovely River Thames were blocked. In April, Extinction Rebellion occupied five prominent sites in central London: Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Waterloo Bridge, and the area around Parliament Square."

Last week, XR commandeered an old fire truck and tried to spray fake blood onto the outside of the Treasury. They lost control of the hose and the stunt backfired. Five people were arrested for criminal damage.

As of this writing, XR is actively trying to shut down London City airport having occupied the centre of London since the start of the week. So far, more than 800 protestors have been arrested, with another 220 detained on Wednesday.

Reading XR's list of grievances, there are many that I find I can agree with.

We are in a situation where the environment is under threat and both animal and plant species are at existential risk and I do sympathise with XR's concerns but when stunts like last week's both end up causing damage, at the expense of ridiculing the perpetrators - I wonder if there is a better way to act?

What's the Jewish way to save the world?

Maybe we can learn something from this week's Parasha.

In the very last mitzvah of the Torah #613, we are told:

Deuteronomy 31:19-22

Therefore, write down this poem and teach it to the people of Israel; put it in their mouths, in order that this poem may be My witness against the people of Israel.

(20) When I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey that I promised on oath to their fathers, and they eat their fill and grow fat and turn to other gods and serve them, spurning Me and breaking My covenant,

(21) and the many evils and troubles befall them—then this poem shall confront them as a witness, since it will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring. For I know what plans they are devising even now, before I bring them into the land that I promised on oath.

(22) That day, Moses wrote down this poem and taught it to the Israelites.

Our Rabbis explain that this last mitzvah was for every Jew to write his own Sefer Torah, which would contain the song that makes us the bulk of this week's parasha of Haazinu.

A song which describes what will happen if we enter the Land of Israel and stray from the worship of Gd.

It is interesting to note that the fundamental message contained therein came in the shape of a song.

What is the significance of a song?

Let us think back to the start of Moses' leadership of the Israelites.

When did it really begin? At the shores of the Sea of Reeds.

Each day, we sing the Shira - the song that our ancestors sang after they witnessed the miracle of the splitting of the sea. It was the precursor to the provision of manna and the giving of the Torah. It described the way we felt about Gd, our independence, our salvation from Pharaoh and the Egyptians and the bright future that lay ahead.

It opened the way to our journey towards the Promised Land.

And here, we complete that journey with another song. Forty years later, as Moses completes his last journey on the day of his death.

In both cases, the Torah uses a song to describe our emotions and feelings.

Can there be a better way to convey a message, than through the medium of song?

When we think of those significant moments in our lives, how many of them are accompanied by some sort of soundtrack?

Whether it is the clapping and singing at barmitzvah/batmitzvah or wedding or sadly, the mournful sound of a memorial prayer when we bid farewell to our loved ones - music is our companion through life.

It accompanies us wherever we go and whenever we arrive at our destination.

The harsh words that comprise some of the verses of Haazinu are somehow softened by the magnificent language used in the verses.

"Deuteronomy 32:14-18

(14) Curd of kine and milk of flocks;

With the best of lambs,

And rams of Bashan, and he-goats;

With the very finest wheat

— And foaming grape-blood was your drink.

(15) So Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—

You grew fat and gross and coarse—

He forsook the God who made him

And spurned the Rock of his support.

(16) They incensed Him with alien things,

Vexed Him with abominations.

(17) They sacrificed to demons, no-gods,

Gods they had never known,

New ones, who came but lately,

Who stirred not your fathers’ fears.

(18) You neglected the Rock that begot you,

Forgot the God who brought you forth.

Yet, throughout this, Gd will not forsake us.

Deuteronomy 32:26-29

(26) I might have reduced them to naught,

Made their memory cease among men,

(27) But for fear of the taunts of the foe,

Their enemies who might misjudge

And say, “Our own hand has prevailed;

None of this was wrought by the LORD!” 

28) For they are a folk void of sense,

Lacking in all discernment.

(29) Were they wise, they would think upon this,

Gain insight into their future:

Deuteronomy 32:30-32

(30) “How could one have routed a thousand,

Or two put ten thousand to flight,

Unless their Rock had sold them,

The LORD had given them up?”

(31) For their rock is not like our Rock,

In our enemies’ own estimation.

(32) Ah! The vine for them is from Sodom,

From the vineyards of Gomorrah;

The grapes for them are poison,

A bitter growth their clusters."

You can deliver a devastating message, but you need to consider the medium that you are employing - And this is where I believe that XR has missed the proverbial 'trick'.

Blocking bridges, occupying the centre of London and spray-painting Government buildings is counterproductive. If you want to really get your message across, do so intelligently - as we have learned, the medium is as important as the message.

You can have the greatest message, but if you don't know how to utilise the medium, it's like drinking the finest quality wine poured out of a watering can.

Perhaps we haven't completely taken in the lessons that we read year-in and year-out from the Torah. We are still making mistakes and some of our less salubrious brethren have indeed grown fat, gross and coarse. The Jewish man whose reprehensible behaviour led to the rise of the '#metoo' movement is a sad but relevant example.

But that doesn't mean the messages are any less relevant today than they were 3,300 years ago. We know that we can all strive to do better - and the Torah tells us how we can go about this.

In a few weeks’ time, we will read about the sin of the Garden of Eden, when we first abrogated our responsibility for 'looking after the environment' by the eating of the fruit - and the subsequent banishment which led to all kinds of disasters.

Had Adam and Eve looked at the consequences of their actions, maybe they would have made different decisions.

I'm not in PR and I don't have the answers but if XR wants to get its message across in a succinct, refined and more successful manner, they could do a lot worse than looking at the Torah for ideas.

Sometimes the smallest activities have the greatest impact.

The Scribbler is back!

It's been a while but here I am again...older, maybe a tad wiser and keen to share some ideas. As you may know, I qualified as a Rabbi earlier this year and am very blessed to be leading a wonderful community. I thought it would be fun to share my sermons with a wider audience, so I will be posting them here. Feel free to comment but please try to be polite!