Abstract

The Sukkah of Shalom

The article looks at the sukkah of shalom, which is the shelter of peace, in Jewish culture. In 2001, just a few weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Jewish community celebrated the harvest festival of Sukkot. In our evening prayers throughout the year, just as we prepare to lie down in vulnerable sleep, we plead with God, "Spread over us Your sukkah of shalom--of peace and safety." Why does the prayer plead for a sukkah of shalom, rather than a temple or fortress or palace of shalom, which would surely be safer and more secure? For much of our lives we try to achieve peace and safety by building with steel and concrete and toughness. But the sukkah reminds us: We are in truth all vulnerable. Even the widest oceans, the mightiest buildings, the wealthiest balance sheets, the most powerful weapons did not shield us. Only a world where all communities feel vulnerable, and therefore connected to all other communities, can prevent such acts of rage and mass murder. Not every demand of the poor and disempowered is legitimate simply because it is an expression of pain. But can we ask: Have we ourselves had a hand in creating the pain?