The sukkah makes physically manifest God’s accompaniment in our lives. It is as if we have created a concrete structure to represent and remind us of the divine aura that surrounds us at all times, wherever we go, accompanying us through the desert of our lives, moving with us as we traverse the journey.
This accompaniment – like the sukkah that represents it – does not always protect us from harm. We are still prey to the elements, to rain and heat and cold and insects, unprotected and vulnerable to attack from external forces like wild animals, soldiers and bandits. This is the reality of our existence. We are not protected. Putting our trust in God does not protect us from suffering and pain, from illness and death.
What good, then, is the sukkah? What, good, then, is divine accompaniment?
It is the only true comfort in this world. Our thick walls and bank accounts and health regimens, they, too, cannot protect us, though we put our trust in them. In an instant, they, too, can fail us. We cannot promise ourselves or our children that everything “will be okay.” We do our best to make it okay, but we have to admit that it may not be.
What are we left with then? The sukkah, the divine presence that is still there with us through it all. We are not protected from suffering, but we are promised accompaniment. We are promised that we will not be left. We are promised that, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. We are promised that we will not be alone.
Is this enough? I believe that it is not just enough, but everything. It is what we most truly want. Imagine a small frightened child facing the real terror of whatever your worst traumatic experience or fear is, imagine that small child, see her shivering and alone – what is it she needs most from you? You cannot tell her it will be okay. She knows it won’t be. But you can hold her hand and say to her – I’ll stay with you through it all. I’ll be right here. That is what God offers us, and that, in our best moments, learning from God, is what we can offer our own young parts and each other.
Photo by Alexey Demidov at Pexels
