Haazinu and Sukkot

Parashat Haazinu is made up almost exclusively of a song that Moshe sang to the People of Israel in the moments before he ascended to Har Nevo where he would pass away.  The song speaks about God, Israel, history and the future.  It focuses on the relationship between God and the People of Israel: 

For the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment. 

He found him in a desert region, in an empty howling waste…

Like an eagle who rouses his nestlings, gliding down to his young,

So did he spread His wings and take him.

 

But the relationship between God and Israel, like all relationships would be tested:

       You neglected the Rock that begot you, forgot the God who brought you forth…

       I will hide My countenance from them, and see how they fare in the end

 

God may hide His face, but in the end, He will always be there:

        For the Lord will vindicate His people, and take revenge for His servants.

The theme of God’s protection is certainly on display on Sukkot.  Sukkot is a holiday to let go and let God.  We leave the comfort of the 4 walls of our homes, to dwell in temporary huts with canvas that sway in the wind.  We leave the security of our weatherproof roofs for the uncertainty of bamboo schach.  And yet, we call this holiday, Zman Simchateinu, the time of our joy.  We rejoice in the knowledge that we are putting our trust solely in God.  Just as our ancestors travelled in the desert some 3,000 years ago with nothing to protect them but God’s Clouds of Glory, we display that we too, are in the protection of God. 

While sitting in the Sukkah this holiday, find some time to feel God’s loving embrace as we are sheltered by the wings of God.