Haazinu and Sukkoth

Haazinu and Sukkoth

This week we study Haazinu and await the approach of Sukkoth.

It’s the moment when we hear the leaves beginning to curl and fall, and some of us…in dry climates…  know that rain is on its way. It’s the decree of change served by God, the final push before renewal.  We are so at the edge of the seasons…of consciousness… and in full reception now of the light with-held by Hashem (until sunset Yom Kippur). This new boost is giving us the push we need to rise out of our old skins, our old masks, our husks, the kelipot if you like.

Think of it this way.  We all have a million sparks within our bodies pushing  to rise back to the nexus of creation, to the Great Light,  where we were born.  Soul after soul, center after center…it is all rising within the death of our old-selves.

Great light, according to Rashi, is expressed in small droplets for the people.  It’s how we can see where we are going.  Too much though will overpower our beings,  break us down,  frighten us. The rain after all is said to be the vision of God upon earth.  And this vision, this light, needs to be gentle to be embraced by those of us who have yes, purified our souls as best we can on Yom Kippur, but who still are not completely capable of the absolute radiance.

 Of course we know that rain creates dew and vice-verse.  And we all know how dew differs from rain. Dew rises up. Rain comes down.  If rain is God’s vision to us, dew is our soul-vision within us to God. It’s all happening now or soon, blessings and offerings and not the same for everyone.  And this is important…. that we reflect up the amount that we can. That we know our capabilities. That we know our boundaries. And that we allow our old words and visions, our old habits and vows, our useless fears and doubts, all of these that we have discerned and recognized… to peel away from our consciousness and then merge with the earth and the greater waters . This peeling away is what allows us to  be in the columns of rain-light that move in both directions connecting us to Hashem.

This is sensual, sexual, dynamic, continual, beautiful, powerful. 

There is only room here for deep recognition, or so says Kohelet.  All is that recognition.

Just think if Moses was not in a place of recognition.  His death, which is actually the final huge propelling that we all need to enter the Promised Land, would mean nothing.

Therefore if Moses was not in a place of recognition,  and did not die with fullness and that final yearning, that absolute push, we could not make our pilgrimage to the Holy Temple.

 According to sages, Sukkoth is one of three festivals in which we are commanded to make that pilgrimage.

How can we relate this to the world? Well, I was fortunate recently to have been able to visit Alaska.  Today in Alaska we are at the end , the finale of the salmon run. In Ketchican I was staring at these..many…. huge  salmon pushing  to get upstream. There were  dead salmon, struggling salmon, salmon eggs, salmon flapping and jumping over rocks.

You can’t live in Ketchican, I immediately realized, and not be deeply conscious of the salmon run.

The guide told us what they had been through over the past few months. Bears were reaching for them. Humans were fishing for them.  Eagles were diving for them. There were obstacles after obstacles. And like I said many were dead but many were still alive and pushing.

Now imagine if all of these salmon are inside of us,  rising… rising. This is what it is to be God, to walk in His ways. Imagine if the biggest, most lithe and capable salmon suddenly dies within you. This is not a tragedy. It’s a way to make room and propel-up  the huge schools that follow.

That is what transformation is.

And I stood at the stream in Ketchican outside of the Native Museum  very close to some totem poles and I sent blessings to the salmon, trying to put enough light in them so they could finally return to their place of creation.

This is all we can do really. Know that we are rising fast in the God-light.  And watch. And celebrate in the death-toll of our old-selves. And help others, help as much as we possibly can with compassion, patience and joy.