A message from Rabbi Sara Abrams
Emerging from the High Holy Days, our tradition grants us a reprieve in the form of Sukkot, which begins on the full moon this Monday. It is one of our three pilgrimage festivals. On Sukkot, we gather with friends and family to celebrate the harvest and to pray for rain—so that our crops and bounty may continue. Along with sitting outside in sukkot (booths), we are commanded to share the holiday with guests and to practice hospitality.
Maimonides writes in his Mishneh Torah:
“Whoever locks the doors of his yard on the holiday and eats and drinks with only himself, his sons, and his wife—and does not provide food and drink to the poor and bitter people—this is not considered the joy of a mitzvah, but rather the joy of his stomach.”
It is not enough for us to fill our own bellies with the delights of the land—we are compelled to share them. In sharing the bounty, we elevate our own satiety into the spark of a mitzvah. Food and joy are meant to be mingled with others, to serve as a connecting force. If you are a host, it enriches you to serve; if you are a guest, you give to your host by enjoying the meal shared.
I hope you will break bread with many people outside your inner circle this year—to nurture conversation and curiosity in the other, and to give and receive God’s bounty in community.
I also hope you’ll join TBT and Shalom Bayit at our Sukkot Celebration on October 11th. I look forward to breaking bread with you, shaking the lulav and etrog, and rejoicing in the holiday together!
Rabbi Sara