Wednesday, October 8, 2014

A Haiku For Sukkot

It is odd to me that a sukkah is supposed to remind of us of living on the road, of not having a real home.  But here I am, far from home, and I can't get a sukkah built.  How did that happen? 

Anyway, I love Sukkas.  I like the big old sukkah my buddy Ruth used to build and how she would invite us all over to shake the lulav and eat some nuts in there.  And there was a lot of talking and stuff like that.  Mainly stuff like that.

Remember that time I wrote a blog post on the date palm, the myrtle, and the willow?  Yeah, that was a good post.  In case you've forgotten, there are a couple meanings ascribed to all the stuff in the lulav, plus the etrog.  Don't forget the etrog.  But, one of the most popular interpretations is that the etrog and the lulav are  like certain kinds of Jews:

The etrog, which has taste and scent... oh, how nice they smell... that is like a good Jew who has both good works and a lot of learning.  In other words, a smart cookie who walks the talk.

The date palm has taste, but no scent.  Seriously, you can't smell anything at all from it.  So that's like a smart woman who doesn't put any of her learning into practice. 

The myrtle is just the opposite, it has a nice scent, but don't eat it because it doesn't taste like anything.  That's like a Jew who maybe does some mitzvot or something, but there's no learning behind it.

Finally, you have the willow.  Now, the willow is kind of interesting.  It has no taste and no smell.  But somehow it is still in the lulav.  I think the willow can teach us a lot about who is in and who is out in the Good Jew category... or maybe some other categories too.  It offers nothing.  Nothing at all.  But, even the date palm and the myrtle together don't merit a blessing without it.  Even the useless willow is important.  There's a thought for sukkot!

And here's my haiku:

Blood moon ushers you in
Leaves fall and wind crisps
Sukkah shelter me!

You can find all the Bible business on that in Leviticus 23:40, btw.  I looked it up.  Yes!  I have a Bible.  Shesh...

1 comment:

  1. Sometimes you thrill me when I especially need it...this is one of those times...thank you (I know what ¨stuff like that¨ is, well, maybe). Mil abrazos, Len

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