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Rabbi Linda's Weekly Message | October 16, 2024 14 Tishrei 5785 Sukkot |
Dear Friends,
Sukkot is upon us - the holiday of fragile structures, buzzing bees, aromatic etrogs, waving palms, meals eaten outdoors, the reading of Ecclesiastes, and a celebration of simply being alive, amidst the uncertainty of a good harvest and a good year ahead.
Sukkot is the holiday that enjoins us to celebrate the moment and to put ourselves in the now, all the while acknowledging how fragile it all is. It also stresses the importance of inviting others into our fragile abode, whether they be our ancestors or our friends and neighbors. This year, the fragility truly resonates for all of us. We are in the eye of a storm, and we do not have control of what awaits us in the future. But the truth is, we never do.
Our ancestors were wise to create a holiday that celebrates the now, even in times of duress. This year Sukkot seems to come at the perfect time, in a moment where the best we can do is to be in the moment as fully as we can. Now more than ever, we, who live in a non-agricultural setting, have gained an understanding of how interdependent we are as human beings and how much we rely on one another for every kind of sustenance.
Mitzvah of the Week
We live in a moment when it feels like it is difficult to make a difference in the world. Fortunately, living in a democracy means that each of us can make a difference by voting. Americans vote more in national elections, but voter turnout is still smaller than in most democracies. Voting, whether in national elections or local ones, makes a difference. If you're looking for how you can make a difference, show up and VOTE.
It is really a rather simple two-step process.
Step 1: See if you are registered to vote.
Go to VOTEAMERICA. The website has an array of nonpartisan tools and resources for voters in all 50 states and DC - everything you need to register to vote, cast your ballot, and make sure it's counted.
Step 2: When you have checked your own status, take some time to encourage those around you to do the same.
Sometimes we forget that voting is a privilege and that the right to vote was not originally extended to all. Remember, a woman’s right to vote was finally ratified a little over a hundred years ago in 1920 with the 19th Amendment. And although African American men were first given the right to vote in 1870, they were rapidly disenfranchised in the years following Reconstruction. Those rights were finally restored in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act, but continue to be assailed today.
It is easy to forget the importance of each and every vote.
I urge you to do your part and go to the polls for early voting or on Election Day.
| Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu ve'al kol Israel, ve'imru, Amen. |
| May the One who makes peace in the heavens, make peace for us all and all the people of Israel. |
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