Sukkot 5772 Peh-resh-samekh Gilad Shalit - Individual versus Collective Rabbi Aaron Goldstein 13 October 2012

Just like the leitmotif of the Exodus from Egypt that is mentioned in virtually every worship service for Jews, I am reminded of historical events linked to current day festivals every erev – evening – service, like last night that I read the Haskivenu prayer: Haskivenu, Adonai Elohaynu, l’shalom, v’hamidaynu malkaynu, l’chayyim. Ufros alaynu sukkat shlomekha. Grant, Eternal God, that we may lie down in peace and let us rise up to life renewed. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace.

The root peh-resh-sin, that provides us with the word ufros in this context means ‘to spread forth/over.’ The Sefat Emet, the Gerer Rebbe notes another use of this root. He cites Jacob having been reconciled with his brother, Esau then journeying to Sukkot, where, “he built a house for himself and made stalls for his cattle, that is why the place was called, Sukkot.” What he had built was not just a shelter but for him and his cattle but he had created shelter that ‘divided’ or ‘set-apart,’ Jacob whose alternative name is Israel, to that of the rest of Creation. This is not a divisive relationship for Jacob cares for his cattle symbolizing anything or anyone other than his own People: he provides shelter for them even if there is a mechitzah involved.

For a further meaning, the Sefat Emet, the Gerer Rebbe allows himself the latitude to play games by switching the same sounding sin to a samekh to derive a remarkably universal message. He states that leading a Jewish life is only meaningful if it contributes to humanity and all Creation, not merely the Jewish People. This interpretation spins on one of my favourite aphorisms found in Pirke Avot (1:3) – the Sayings of our Sages.

“Antigonus of Socho received Torah from Simeon the Righteous. He used to say: Do not be like servants who serve their employer in order to receive a reward (pras); rather be like those who serve without thought of reward. So let the fear/awe of Heaven be upon you.” (p. 616 Siddur Lev Chadash)

In the case of the Biblical, Temple-based cult, this was symbolised on Sukkot by the Israelites bringing seventy bullocks, one for each of the seventy nations of the world. Similarly, the Sefat Emet adds that the Talmud interprets the water libation also offered on Sukkot, as meaning that Israel should pray for God’s dominion to spread over all Creation, just as the waters spread over the altar and the waters of the oceans spread over the earth.

These three interpretations of peh-resh-sin morphing into peh-resh-samekh, provides a beautiful flow of understanding. We pray that God might provide the individual worshipper with a shelter of peace, so that we might prosper enough to recognise those who are different to us, outside of our own immediate sphere of familiarity. This enables us to acknowledge and pray for the welfare of those who we will never directly affect but with whom we empathise as part of God’s Creation.

The flow of interpretation from peh-resh-sin to peh-resh-samekh, also provide potential for a dichotomy of emotions. This was illustrated by the reactions to the announcement of the impending release of Gilad Shalit,  the IDF soldier held for over 5 years in Gaza, in exchange for 1027 Palestinians prisoners currently in Israeli prisons. It would be most poignant if the temporary shelter, the tent erected by his family in Jerusalem to serve as a constant reminder to the Israeli government of his detention would be able to come down by the close of Sukkot. What Hoshanah Rabbot – great songs of thanks to God would be sung on that day.

Yet the deal that has been struck provokes mixed emotions for the families of those whose relatives and friends were killed in terrorist attacks, some at the hands of Palestinian terrorists who will also be released. How can they feel that justice has been done?

We constantly strive with such contradictions in our lives. There are decisions that we constantly make that result in actions that benefit those who shelter under our immediate protection. There are decisions we support that benefit those of our own Community, People or Country but are aware that the benefit may not spread further. One can also lose heart that the minute portion of good that we might do is counterbalanced in global terms by the actions of a country.

As Sukkot reminds us of the harvest, the bounty, the goodness of the planet, we are conflicted daily in our actions to live as ecologically as possible. Should I invest in solar panels when the payback might be years in the future when I might not even live in the house to reap the reward? Why should I lag my loft when the emissions of industry, or of the shop that leaves its doors wide open, when inside it blasts hot or cold air depending on the season, in one day wastes the energy I might save in a lifetime?

“Antigonus of Socho used to say: Do not be like servants who serve their employer in order to receive a reward (pras); rather be like those who serve without thought of reward. So let the fear/awe of Heaven be upon you.”

We do so because it is the right thing to do.

Putting aside for one moment any cynicism that we justifiably hold for the politics of the deal that might just redeem Gilad Shalit, this is a move that reminds us of a principle once held in Israel that we were all so proud of, the sanctity of life, even if it is that of just one individual. We pray that this symbolic decision of the Israeli Government, for once accepting the majority decision of the Cabinet whilst acknowledging the minority view, metamorphoses into a tenet of practice, to do the right thing for the ultimate good of the whole Community, a Country, and all its neighbours. When others act badly, it is no justification to do so ourselves.

When we make our own daily decisions in life, may we be so moved to do the right thing, overcoming our doubts and fears. May our doing good be our routine so that we provide a shelter of peace around those near to us, one that influences others to erect such a shelter and ultimately leads us from peh-resh-sin to peh-resh-samekh– the reward that is found purely in smicha, happiness. Happiness in the knowledge of having done the right thing.

Chag Sukkot Sameach! May we all have and share, a Happy Sukkot.

Amen