WE SHALL REJOICE
Today marks the last day of Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles, known as Hoshannah Rabah ( The Great Salvation), and it is a day in which we are commanded to rejoice in the LORD.
Leviticus 23: 33-36 and 39-43
Here in Jerusalem, all who are able, build succot (temporary shelters) and eat together in them, celebrating the goodness of the provision of the Lord. This time is also a kind of harvest festival, celebrating the ingathering of the Fall harvest.
Friends celebrating in a Succa
Here in Israel this day is also Simchat Torah (outside the Land it is tomorrow), the day in which the cycle of Torah readings is completed and the new cycle begun. It is a day of rejoicing which, in traditional Jewish circles, is marked by unbridled joy surpassing even that of the joy of Succot.
Today also marks the official beginning of the rainy season and from today until Passover prayers will be made each day for abundant rain in Israel. I was so thrilled this morning to feel that freshness in the air, and the stirring of the breeze, which precedes the first rains. Rain is indeed forecast to arrive later this week, according to the meteorological service. You have to live through a hot Israeli summer (and this year it has been hotter than most) and 8 months without a drop of rain to break the heat or settle the dust, to truly appreciate the blessing of rain. When the first rains fall it is not uncommon to see adults and children alike rushing outdoors and dancing in the streets rejoicing in the rain.
As I was browsing the 'net' looking for a suitable illustration I came across this one, which so sums up life in Israel I felt I must copy it here.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/19/b1/3a/19b13ac7c5976891327d9e5d79363558.jpg
How apt it is. This year, in this most joyful of holidays, we have once again been stricken with horror and sadness and loss. The week has been marked by an escalation of terror and unrest especially here in Jerusalem and in the surrounding areas.
Four days ago, a young Jewish couple, Eitam and Na'ama Henkin were driving back from a class reunion with four of their six children in the back of their station wagon. As they drove past the Palestinian village of Beit Furik, gunmen affiliated with the PLO approached their car and shot both adults to death at point blank range, in front of the children aged between 9 years and 4 months. The children were physically unharmed but no doubt will be scarred for life. Eitam was a doctoral student at Tel Aviv University, where he had won the prestigious Natan Rotenstreich Scholarship, and his wife, Na'ama was a graphic designer who ran her own studio. What now will become of their six children after such a horrific trauma?
 |
| Eitam and Na'ama Henkin and the car in which they were brutally murdered. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4706203,00.html
On Saturday night Aaron Bennett and his wife Adele and their two children were on the way to the Western Wall to pray when they were attacked by a knife wielding terrorist. Aaron was killed, his wife seriously injured, his infant son lightly injured and their baby daughter physically unharmed in the attack. A second man, Rabbi Nechami Lavi, was also stabbed and killed when he rushed from his home to try and help the Bennett family. He leaves behind a wife and seven children.
Aaron Bennett (left) and Rabbi Nechamia Lavi victims of terror
The terrorist who carried out this cowardly attack was Mohammed Halabi who was shot dead by security forces at the scene.
Just a few hours later another Palestinian terrorist, Fadi Aloun, stabbed and wounded an 18 year old Israeli teenager near the Damascus Gate in the Old City. This terrorist too was shot dead by security forces. The attacker was a resident of East Jerusalem's Issawiya neighborhood and he had earlier written on his Facebook page "Either martyrdom or victory." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4706801,00.html
On the Eve of Rosh Hashanah another man, Alexander Levlovitz, returning from celebrations, was stoned by Arab youths right here in my neighborhood of East Talpiot. His car to veered off the road into a ditch and hit a pole, killing him and lightly injuring the other occupants of the car. Four youths from the neighboring village of Sur Baher have been arrested.
![The scene of the car crash September 13, 2015 resulting from a rock-throwing attack in East Talpiot, Jerusalem in which Alexander Levlovitz, 64 [inset] was killed. (Arik Abulof/ Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services/Courtesy)](http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/2015/09/rescue-and-fire-e1442184606802zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.jpg "The scene of the car crash September 13, 2015 resulting from a rock-throwing attack in East Talpiot, Jerusalem in which Alexander Levlovitz, 64 [inset] was killed. (Arik Abulof/ Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services/Courtesy)")
The scene of the car crash September 13, 2015 resulting from a rock-throwing attack in East Talpiot, Jerusalem in which Alexander Levlovitz, 64 [inset] was killed. (Arik Abulof/ Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services/Courtesy)
For some time now there have been ongoing riots on the Temple Mount where youths have barricaded themselves in the El Aksar Mosque and from there attack worshippers and the security forces with rocks and firebombs. Rioting is also occurring elsewhere in the city on a daily basis, mainly in the Arab villages of East Jerusalem. In the face of the rising tensions and unrest the Old City was closed down on Friday for all but Israeli citizens and tourists.
In addition to this escalating tension and the possibility of a Third Intifada, there have been a series of rocket and missile attacks coming out of Gaza. On September 18 two missiles were shot down over the city of Ashkelon and a rocket landed in the city of Sderot. Last night too a rocket was fired from Gaza, sending residents of nearby town scrambling for their shelters, but the rocket fell short landing inside the Gaza Strip. This brings to around 14 the number of rockets and missiles fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip since the 'ceasefire' of August 2014. Stray rocket fire has also spilled over the border from Syria from time to time. In my last blog update I wrote about the setting up of Russian air bases in Syria. This week Russia has begun bombing missions inside Syria aimed at destroying all opposition to the Assad regime, attacking both 'moderate' rebel groups and the more rabid Day'ish militias. Russia tried to enlist the support of the USA in this operation but there is a fundamental difference of opinion in that the US does not want to see Assad in power at the end. With all that is going on here and in our neighboring lands we could be forgiven for not feeling very festive at this time. Yet we are a people who specialize in 'dancing in the rain'. We will not allow our enemies to stop us from living life to the full and rejoicing in it. Yesterday I did a little shopping in a local Mall and was impressed by the happy holiday atmosphere there, in spite of the heavy things happening in the city. The Mall was heaving with smiling, laughing children, and their equally happy looking parents and grandparents. The Mall even permitted free parking for the holiday. This year the Muslim holiday Eid el Adha coincided with the Feast of Succot. Last weekend our congregation went for a retreat for two nights at a kibbutz. On the Saturday we all went to the water park run by the kibbutz hoping for a quiet lazy day at the pool. It was not to be!! The water park was packed to capacity as busloads of Arabs from the West Bank and elsewhere arrived to celebrate too. We had a giggle about how far from the 'apartheid state' Israel really is as we rubbed shoulders with hijab clad Muslims and celebrated our respective holidays together without any sign of friction or tension.   
Such are the ironies of life in Israel: tension and tolerance, violence and peace, hatred and respect. We will go on and we will choose life, and we will 'dance in the rain'. And what is more we choose to celebrate life and rejoice in the LORD.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
|
