Well, Sukkot begins at Sundown on October 17, 2005. I’m supposed to build this Sukkah thing, which is a booth with two-and-a-half walls. Then, I’m supposed to dwell in it.
Since I’m no longer allowed to build a Sukkah out of couch cushions after the Spilled Grape Juice Incident, I’m pitching a tent on the patio and throwing leaves on top. Or maybe I’ll just hide under the patio table with chairs as walls, possibly a trash bag or two draped over the side.
We don’t have the patio table umbrella yet. The old one got ruined by the dismantling process during Rita, so I ordered a new one. I think the patio umbrella folks are in cahoots with the weather people. Kickbacks and such. Corrupt jerks.
Anyway, I know it’s not supposed to be waterproof and there’s supposed to be corn and squash and other vegetables hanging from it, but I figure grilling some peppers next to the tent will be a near enough pitch.
There’s also supposed to be four dried herbs and plants as part of the ritual. Well, I’ve got plenty of dead pepper plants, so those will have to do. I spend all that time and effort i nthe spring to come up with lots of dead plants by October. At least I’m consistent.
Don’t think of these changes to the ritual as perverting and wimping out from tradition. I’m assimilated, darn it.
I wonder if it’s okay to have WiFi in a sukkah.
Jewish Tent City time.
I wonder if it’s okay to have WiFi in a sukkah.
Absolutely. WiFi is a basic human right, at least in San Francisco; the mayor said so yesterday. I’m not making this up, although I don’t think that I can find the link anymore.
Ahh… Traditions.
I mean no disrespect, but what is the point of following a tradition if the general populace who observe said tradition have no idea why they are even observing the tradition.
Sorry, just bad memories coming to the surface.
Elvenbane, it depends on what you view as the purpose of the tradition. If its only for us and our memories, then do whatever you want.
If you think there’s some transcendent God watching to see how you do it, then I’d suggest doing it right or not at all. I’m pretty convinced God never graded on a curve.
Is barbecue involved?
As long as it looks good and promotes basic hunan rights (kung pao for me).
Doesn’t Yom Kippur come first?
It celebrates the great 40 year wilderness campout.
Yes, I definitely agree that God does not grade on a curve in those instances.
I don’t have anything against traditions, I follow a few myself, I just feel it very important to know why you are following the tradition. Odds are, there is an important message you should be getting, and if you don’t get the message, you are missing out.
Agreed Elvenbane. As far as I can tell thought, the leason of most traditons is: this is a very silly thing with no purpose, but God wants you to do it, so do it. If it had a point, you wouldn’t really be doing it for God.
Laurence, I used to live right beside the local Yeshiva, and last year someone rolled up in a pickup truck with a Sukkah built on the back of it. If that’s allowable, then I don’t see why WiFi wouldn’t be.
I do not believe God tells you to do something without giving you a specific reason as to why you are doing it. I believe that everything God asks us to do is to teach us something specific, or to re-teach us. 🙂 We aren’t doing things for God, but to remind us of something. What that something is, is why we are observing a tradition. Knowing that tradition is as important as the act.
Wi-Fi in a sukkah, why the hell not? But then again, I’m a Jewess of the Reformed variety, and the least frum person I know, so my opinion probably isn’t going to carry much weight anywhere.
I’m just thrilled to find this site, because I was beinging to think I was the ONLY gun-loving, Republican Jewish chick out here.
Shannah Tovah!
We invent many of our own traditions that actually lean away from God.
Exodus 31:13 “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel saying, “Verily my sabbaths shall you keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”‘”
Read Leviticus 23 to appreciate the plural reference regarding sabbaths.
Jeremiah 16:19-21 tells what it’s like to find out the truth about Santa Claus. Sorry, Frank.
Hey, Frosty, Orthodox, gun-loving Republican Jew-chick here!
Wi-Fi in a sukkah? Definitely! (But only on the middle days of the holiday. On the first two and last two days computers and other electronic devices are verboten.)