Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism

Member Login
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Get To Know Us
    • HCRJ Photo Gallery
    • Our Rabbi
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board Of Trustees
  • Worship with us
    • High Holy Days
    • Shabbat Services
    • Family Shabbat
    • Special Shabbats
    • Havdalah
  • Connect with Us
    • Contact HCRJ
    • Find Us
    • Media
    • Connect with Our Friends
    • All Rabbi’s Messages
      • Monthly Messages
      • Weekly Reflections
  • Learning
    • Religious School
      • Philosophy
      • Registration
      • Calendar
      • Meet Mike Mason
      • Special Programs
      • Pictures
    • Youth Learning
      • HOUSTY
      • URJ Greene Family Camp
      • Prayer Library
    • Adult Learning
      • Jews around the World
      • Film Screenings
      • Tacos and Torah
      • Lunch with the Rabbi
      • Book Discussions
      • Jewish/Muslim Christmas
      • Basic Judaism
      • Marriage and Merlot
  • Social
    • Groups
      • Social Action
      • Senior Chai
      • Boomers and Friends
    • Events
      • Bingo
      • Mah Jongg Game Day
      • New and Prospective Member Shabbat
      • HCRJ Open Golf Tournament
      • Cars, Coffee & Conversation
      • Bark Mitzvah
      • Interest Group
      • HCRJ at the Astros
  • Calendar/Events
  • Membership

October 19, 2016

October 19, 2016 by Justin Deutsch

Dear Friends,

If you happened to have gazed into the sky on Saturday or Sunday night this past weekend, you would have notice a blindingly bright full moon. It was enormous; it was magnificent, and it was the perfect moon to help remind us of some central concepts surrounding the Festival of Sukkot.

Sukkot, along with the other two Jewish Harvest Festivals (Passover and Shavuot) begins on the full moon, and this is for a reason. For our ancestors, this bright orb in the night sky provided much needed light as they made their way to Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices.

While we may not see the moon in the same light as our ancestors, we can certainly appreciate its beauty. For us today, we can use the lunar aspects of Sukkot as a way to appreciate the rhythms of nature. The sukkah (booth) that we erect each year is designed specifically to enable us to immerse ourselves in the natural world and see ourselves as part of grand network that pulses with divinity.

Sukkot also invites us to celebrate our place in cycles of life and encourages us to live according to the following passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes (which is the book of the Bible we read on Sukkot): “. . . there is no better thing under the sun than for one to eat, drink and be joyful.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15).

Sukkot is a festival filled with remarkable wisdom. From the fall structures we construct to the nature-based rituals we perform, Sukkot helps us recognize that we are all part of something much greater than ourselves. As complex as life can often seem, Sukkot reminds that the simple pleasures are what matter most.

L’Shalom-Steve

Filed Under: All Rabbi's Messages, Weekly Reflections

Rabbi’s Message Categories

  • All Rabbi’s Messages
  • Weekly Reflections
  • Monthly Messages
  • Sermons
  • Religious School
  • Events
  • Monthly Bulletins
  • Find Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Membership
  • Member Login

801 Bering Drive | Houston, Texas 77057 | Phone: 713-782-4162| Fax: 713-782-4167| hcrj@hcrj.org

Copyright © 2021 Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism All Rights Reserved

Website Development by Levy Marketing Group