October 6, 2012
INTERMEDIATE SABBATH OF SUKKOT
1st Aliyah (P. 76)
The “Golden Calf” incident precedes this Torah portion. By
retelling the story of Israelite infidelity, at the very moment
Israel was about to receive the Ten Commandments, the major
characters, including God Himself, re-emerge or appear as real
personalities or people we can relate to. Even the minor
characters seem to come to light. Everywhere in this “Golden
Calf” story there are fierce emotions--doubt, anger, panic,
courage and fear. The entire story being told, in Exodus, seems
to be unraveling. The outcome, the survival of the Jewish
people, hangs in the balance. From this precarious situation
comes Moses’ plea to God. The stage is now set to learn new
revelations about God and, in particular His personality and
very nature. The eventual outcome is a new understanding of
God and a new Covenant.
2nd Aliyah (Levi) (P. 76)
Moses pleads to Adonai saying, “Now if I truly have gained Your
favor, let me know Your ways. Then Moses said, “Consider that
this nation is Your people. He asked God not to abandon His
people and to lead the way.
3rd Aliyah (Shileshe) (P. 76)
God agrees to go along with Moses’ suggestions. Then pushing
the situation a bit further, Moses asked to behold God’s
presence. Adonai answers, “I will make all My goodness pass
before you. Moses hides in a clef and is allowed to view God’s
back, all the while being shielded by God’s hand.
4th Aliyah (Rive-e) (P. 76)
Moses carves two tablets and then goes up the mountain. God
passes before him and Moses said:
Adonai, Adonai, El (God)
Rachum (compassionate)
V’chanum (gracious)
Erech apayim (slow to anger)
V’rav chesed (abounding in kindness)
V’met (truth)
Notzer chesed la’ alafim (extending kindness to the
thousandth generation)
Nosei avon vafesha v’chata’ah (forgiving inequity)
V’nakei (who cleanses when we are genuinely sorry)
Then a Covenant is made.
5th Aliyah (Ha me she) (P. 77)
Certain rules and conditions are attached to the Covenant
including: tearing down idols, not worshipping any other god.
The people must observe the Feast of Weeks, Passover and
must offer the first born and first fruits to God.
6th Aliyah (She she) (P. 77)
What’s going on here? Why is this abbreviated Torah portion
being read on the intermediate Shabbat of Sukkot? As you
know, during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we lay bare,
before God, our sins and our fervent hope to become spiritually
renewed. We repent and ask for forgiveness. In this part of
Exodus, we are experiencing a personal Revelation that is
revealing Adonai’s personality. In this portion we view God’s
compassion, graciousness, kindness and forgiving nature. We
are experiencing an intimate, very touching moment between
Moses and God. It is this intimate moment that we are trying
to recreate when asking Adonai for Grace. It is true that Adonai
is a God of justice but it is equally true that He is also a Deity of
mercy. During this time of year, we are asking God to show His
mercy, even if we do not deserve it. Traditionally, Sukkot is
considered the time of the final sealing of God’s judgment.
Tomorrow, Hashanah Rabbah is when the God seals our fate
and our beseeching for forgiveness and mercy comes to an end.
Since this Torah portion reveals the compassionate side of God,
we read it when our fate is being decided or sealed hoping for
God’s compassion and mercy. We chant during Sukkot:
Hosha na. (Save us) Because You are our God, please help
us.
Hosha na. Because You are our Creator, please help us.
Hosha na. Because You are our Redeemer, please help us.
Hoshana. You seek our welfare, please help us.
This chant is very ancient. It may even have been sung to
accompany Temple processions. Some of them were written
by early liturgical poets who also followed the simple pattern of
the early hymns. All of them are litanies--brief, simple,
repetitive alphabetical songs that enable the congregation to
join in a chorus. They all repeat the same theme--salvation.
This type of chant was probably also recited on special days of
crisis, when the people would hold fasts and appeal to God for
help (taken from the Conservative Sim Shalom Siddur).
7th Aliyah (Shive-e) (P. 78)
In a poem “We reach for You our God”, we can experience
Pricilla Stern’s, desire to know God more intimately. Perhaps
her thoughts could help our search to come closer, as Moses
did, to God.
We reach for You, our God,
from our quiet places.
May we stand still,
for a brief moment, and listen to the rain--Stand still for a brief moment, and watch the play of
sunlight, and the shadow on the leaves.
For a brief moment---listen to the world.
Let us stop the wheels of everyday, to be aware of Shabbat
and to find the stillness of the Sanctuary, which the soul
cherishes. Renewal the Covenant of an ancient people.
We need a quiet space to test the balance of our days. We
need to weigh our own needs against the heaviness of the
world’s demands. The balance is precarious--steady us with
faith.
Quiet places and stillness--where we will hear our own best
impulses speak. Quiet places and stillness--from which we will
reach to each other. We will find strength in silence. And with
this strength, we will turn again to Your service.
Maftir (P. 79)
Haftorah (P. 80)
“Ya-a-mode, Ya-a-mode, Ele-e-ezar ben Daveed v’Shrona, Maftir
Chazak”
or:
“Ya-a-mode, Ya-a-mode, Ben ben Moshe, Maftir Chazak”