Creatively Imagined

With the leaves just beginning to turn various shades of gold and russet and the air turning chilly, it is clear that autumn is upon us. And with the start of fall comes a slew of Jewish holidays. Having just finished the reflective, self-examining High Holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it is now time to rejoice with Sukkot and Simchat Torah. When contemplating my life over the past year, it is my relationships with others that comes first to mind. Who have and I hurt and how? What could I have done differently or better? Do my friends and family know how much I value them, how my life is shaped by them—by their presence, words, and actions in my life?

What we do as an individual affects others. We are not self-sufficient, self-sustaining islands. The things we say or don’t say, the decisions we make or don’t make, the actions we take or don’t take all have consequences. Consequences that affect those around us and the relationships we have with our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and even strangers. That is what I have thought about this past holiday, and what we are still reminded of in this holiday of Sukkot.


While the sukkah demonstrates our dependence upon nature, the four kinds or species represent our dependence upon others. The four species that are taken into the sukkah: the etrog (citron), lulav (palm frond), hadas (myrtle), and aravah (willow) each have unique attributes. The etrog has both a taste and an aroma, the lulav has a taste but no aroma, the hadas has an aroma but no taste, and the aravah has neither taste nor aroma. Put together, each species makes up for what the others lack. Some interpretations state that these four species represent different types of Jews. In essence, without family, friends, and significant others, we would not feel whole or complete. Our relationships with others help provide the missing pieces, they make up for what we as individuals lack.

The end of the festival, which results in Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, again brings to mind the messages of the High Holy days. For just as they signal a new year, Simchat Torah marks the end of the annual Torah reading cycle. The book of Deuteronomy is finished, and we begin again with the book of Genesis. We start over at the beginning, hopefully learning something new, hopefully bringing new insight into a new year. So when Simchat Torah comes around, let’s all dance with a Torah scroll (for when else can you do that without looking weird), and lift our glasses to making this year better than the last. L’chaim!