Sukkot - Day 851 (Yr 3, Day 118) # 1

Jamestown, ND

This holiday starts 4 days after Yom Kippur.  One of the main highlights of the holiday is that we're supposed to build and live in a sukkah.  Simply put, it is a booth that we are commanded to live in for 8 days.  It is outdoors and it's roof must be made of materials that grow from the ground and you can see the stars through it. There are many symbolic reasons.  The two most common: our ancestors lived in booths while traveling in the desert after leaving Egypt; and it represents that we leave the security of our homes and live in an environment in which we put our full faith in God that he will protect us (you can Google this and probably find many other interesting insights).  Although the commandment is to "live" in it, it's ok to just spend as much time as possible in it - if it's nice out, sit there and read; have as many meals in there as possible; sometimes even just sit in it for a few minutes.  We've never personally slept in it.  The very minimum command is it sit in the sukkah, even if just for a few minutes.

For many years, we always built a sukkah.  It measured about 10' x 20' and was large enough to hold several tables and chairs.  We often had family and friends join us for meals.  This photo from 2013 shows the sukkah before we put the walls up.



Obviously, we couldn't build such a sukkah in a campground.  The last few years, we've been fortunate to perform the mitzvah of sitting in a sukkah at the synagogues we visited (Cary, NC in 2014 and Asheville, NC in 2015).  Unfortunately, since the closest synagogue is 100 miles away (Fargo), we wouldn't have the opportunity this year.  What to do?

We did a little research and found a company that makes small, traveler models.  In fact, the one we found had been designed to be built on a mountain top.  See this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KnmqT-67P8  Here it is all built.  Certainly a far cry from what we used to have.  Yes, the roof should be flat, but it's been incredibly windy and I think it got lifted up slightly.  At least it's tied down tightly enough that it didn't blow away!  And next year I plan to allow myself enough time to put up some decorations.

On Thursday (10/21), we had an amazing surprise visit from Rabbi Grossman and his family (from the Fargo shul) with a "sukkah mobile" (traveling sukkah in the back of a pickup truck).  They were going to Minot and then to Bismarck and needed to pass through Jamestown.  They called about 10 minutes away and asked to stop by to see our sukkah and give us the opportunity to do the mitzvah of waving the lulav (4 species, representing Jewish unity and other mystical reasons.  I highly recommended Googling this).  Mitch was working about 10 minutes away, so he came running home for a little while.  It felt so absolutely wonderful and uplifting to be able to do this and I'm very grateful to Rabbi Grossman for giving us this chance.

Here we are, holding the lulav, and then the Rabbi and his eldest daughter sitting in our sukkah.

      

Some arbitrary notes... this week and next, Mitch is working 12 hour days (6am to 6pm) plus some hours on Friday so that he can finish the assignment as much as possible before we leave here on Monday, 10/31.  I don't envy his starting work in the freezing cold and dark (it doesn't get light until about 7:45).  Yesterday, he had a 2 hour delay due to a flat tire.  Weatherwise, it's been mostly in the low 50s (30s at night) and windy and cloudy, so not very enjoyable for walking.  Of course, this is a heat wave compared to the expected temps in a month or so.