Re'eh

Re’eh – See!

This week’s Torah portion begins “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse…”

What does it mean to see, to not avert our gaze, to take in fully what is right in front of our eyes? Are we only talking about actual vision, or are we being asked to look more deeply?

Watching my mother lose her sight over the last years of her life was a lesson that is now deeply embedded within me. Even as she lost more and more of her vision, she was able to take in those around her, but the effort on her part was enormous. She saw, not with her eyes, but with every other sense available to her. To really see is to be present, and to be present takes a great deal of effort.

Let us focus on one aspect of these week’s Torah portion where we are commanded to observe Sukkot: “You shall observe the Festival of Sukkot seven days, after you have gathered in your grain and your wine; And you shall rejoice in your festival, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are inside your gates. Seven days you should hold a festival for God …and you will have nothing but joy.” (Deuteronomy 16:13-15)

At first glance it might seem that we are being asked to be happy, to be joyful. We all know that joy is not something that can be legislated. Someone else telling you to be happy simply will not work. There is something else going on here. We are being asked to do something my mother did whenever people gathered to visit her -- to make an occasion of it. We are told that the festival of Sukkot is a time to rejoice and gather together with all the people in your life -- your friends, your family, and those you work with. In particular, we welcome those who are vulnerable and those who might not be in a place where celebrating comes easily. We can only rejoice when everyone is present.

As Sukkot is a harvest festival and we are not farmers with fields to harvest, our task is somewhat different. Our task is to open our eyes and see who needs to be fed and be part of that process as we turn it into a celebration where all are welcome.

This process is a challenge. We at Tehillah are working on meeting that challenge as we write a grant to assist those in need of sustenance. Please share your thoughts with us on how to bring this vision of the joy of sharing to fruition. Contact me at RabbiLindaSC@congregationtehillah.org. It is one way that we can shed light in the darkness.