Our ancestors were farmers. That's why the Jewish calendar follows the agricultural cycle. As such, they were far more in touch with the land and the elements than we are today.
Yes, Sukkot is about the time that the Israelites wandered in the desert after leaving Egypt. But the major themes of the holiday are all about the harvest: the Arba'at ha-Minim, the Four Species (a/k/a lulav and etrog); the sukkah, the temporary hut decorated with produce and featuring natural materials that enable those inside to see the sky; the unrestrained joy of this holiday, perhaps the happiest of the Jewish year, that comes with the end of the growing season in an agrarian context.
The real message of Sukkot is very simple: get out of the house! Eat, sleep and live in a shack with no central heating and no real roof for a week. That should remind us of our connection to the soil, the rain, the wind, and the rest of Creation. So bundle up and enjoy! Hag sameah.
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday Kavvanah, 7/13/2011 - Reconnecting with the Morning
All of my most memorable tefillah / prayer experiences have been outside.
As luck would have it, a brown-out at Temple Israel this morning rendered the air conditioner useless, so we picked up the morning minyan and moved it out into the courtyard. Shaharit is really the best service to have outside, not only because the time for reciting it is determined by the rising of the sun, but also because there is nothing more beautiful than gathering as a community to begin the day under the bright morning sky, with birds chirping and a light summer breeze.
The opportunity to pray in a natural environment rather than a climate-controlled, enclosed space enables the resonances of Creation in tefillah. Try it!
As luck would have it, a brown-out at Temple Israel this morning rendered the air conditioner useless, so we picked up the morning minyan and moved it out into the courtyard. Shaharit is really the best service to have outside, not only because the time for reciting it is determined by the rising of the sun, but also because there is nothing more beautiful than gathering as a community to begin the day under the bright morning sky, with birds chirping and a light summer breeze.
The opportunity to pray in a natural environment rather than a climate-controlled, enclosed space enables the resonances of Creation in tefillah. Try it!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wednesday Morning Kavvanah, 2/2/2011 - The Ice Storm
One of the psalms that we read every morning during Shaharit (the morning service) invokes God's role in the natural world, and the power that God summons through storms:
אֵשׁ וּבָרָד, שֶׁלֶג וְקִיטוֹר; רוּחַ סְעָרָה, עֹשָׂה דְבָרוֹ
Fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy wind, fulfilling His word. (Psalms 148:8)
Our ancestors were far less removed from nature than we are today; they did not have central heating or effective weatherproofing. They saw the storm as a sign of God's strength.
We see snow and ice and freezing rain as more of a nuisance than anything else. But it might be helpful to let ourselves be occasionally humbled by nature and God. Perhaps this would lead us to respect both more.
אֵשׁ וּבָרָד, שֶׁלֶג וְקִיטוֹר; רוּחַ סְעָרָה, עֹשָׂה דְבָרוֹ
Fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy wind, fulfilling His word. (Psalms 148:8)
Our ancestors were far less removed from nature than we are today; they did not have central heating or effective weatherproofing. They saw the storm as a sign of God's strength.
We see snow and ice and freezing rain as more of a nuisance than anything else. But it might be helpful to let ourselves be occasionally humbled by nature and God. Perhaps this would lead us to respect both more.
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