My temporary fortress in the wilderness
IT’S TIME TO SET MEND AND BUILD MY TEMPORARY FORTRESS IN THE WILDERNESS
It’s time to enter our temporary home or temporary structures, our fragile, weak, flimsy, wavering structures, that remind us of the permanence of Hashem and the temporary existence of ourselves and this world. On some level it must be scary, it must break our hearts to go into a structure that won’t last forever. We know that nothing holds us here, not a piece of wood, not a roof, not a wall. Only Hashem and our faith keeps us building this “fortress in the wilderness.”
We enter this temporary world, this home, joyfully with love in our hearts and faith in our souls, with an abundance of… decorations.
We decorate it as if those decorations will stay up. We set the tables as if they won’t get blown away. We cook the food as if it won’t get cold. We invite guests to join us in this temporary Makom (place) that can collapse at any moment.
What if it did? What if it did collapse? This structure we build, in this temporary world.
Who would we be? Where would we go? What would we stand for?
Sukkot represents much more than just faith in the Eternal – in Hashem – and the temporary existence of this physical world. It represents how strong the Foundation of Faith is that we have built in ourselves.
Can I withstand the storms that will shutter through me? Can I withstand the winds that blow through me? Can I handle it when I am too cold and shaking to get up? This rickety booth is our protective fortress. This is the fortress God chose for us to examine these Jewish values, these truths, these eternal blessings to the Jewish people.
As King David said, “You protect them in a sukkah from the strife of tongues” Why should such a flimsy structure be a paradigm of protection and safety?” Psalms 31:21
“This is our fortress, our ultimate shelter of security: God’s eternal promise that the Jewish people will return to their land and the House of Israel will be built once again.” Rav Kook
Amos 9:11
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים אֶת־סֻכַּת דָּוִיד הַנֹּפֶלֶת וְגָדַרְתִּי אֶת־פִּרְצֵיהֶן וַהֲרִסֹתָיו אָקִים וּבְנִיתִיהָ כִּימֵי עוֹלָם׃
In that day,
I will set up again the fallen booth of David:
I will mend its breaches and set up its ruins anew.
I will build it firm as in the days of old,
When I read and contemplate these age old words. Wow, do I relate to them now. I am convinced they are more relevant to me today than they were yesterday. We know that nothing is permanent. No one stands forever, I won’t. You won’t. So what do I do with the moment I have the strength to stand?
So I ask myself…
What will I Set as a foundation of faith in myself? How will I Mend this broken world? Why will I Build this temporary “fortress in the wilderness”?