Out in the Open

This Succos is different from all others. In past years we did something unusual; we moved our tables and chairs to a flimsy, outdoor hut, where we prayed, ate and socialized. This year, though, there’s nothing strange about this activity. A succah almost seems like a normal place to live in because we’ve been living outdoors for months in one form or another.

Since coronavirus struck, we’ve gone through many adjustments. In different countries and at different times, we’ve found ourselves alone and isolated indoors, then placing tables on driveways for walk-by kiddushim, then socializing and celebrating in backyards, davening in parking lots and finally, tentatively, moving indoors again, though often in smaller and more sanitized groups than before.

Whereas Succos used to come once a year to shake us out of our complacency, toss us out of our solid-looking homes and remind us of our dependence on Hashem, a sudden plague has done that for us already.

On Shaky Ground

Hashem has shown us that nothing can be taken for granted — not even toilet paper. We’ve had to renegotiate our religious activities, our jobs, our homemaking, our parenting, our marriages — everything. Our feet are no longer on solid ground.