Jewish Holiday Reflections

Sukkot: Feeling God’s Presence


"And God said [to Moses] 'See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock and, as my presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with my hand until I have passed you'" (Exodus 33:21-22). God’s love and protection embrace Moses as he is about to encounter God’s presence. To be shielded by the hand of God, to be protected in a place of safety, is to feel God all around us.

Today, God’s presence is often so well hidden in our lives that we’re certain it doesn’t exist. But it does. The smile from a stranger, the outreach from community, the kiss of a memory, the hope for the future – all these sustain us during difficult times and help us realize that we are not alone.

As Yom Kippur focuses on our connection to God and on our spiritual lives, Sukkot takes us into the physical world. North, south, east, west, above and below are the directions we shake the lulav and etrog showing that God’s presence is everywhere. Sukkot reminds us that with the fragility of our material world, there is great joy and blessings to be found even in the simplest of structures.

The truth of this was made more profound last year in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Families and homes were torn from their roots. The delicate balance of our lives and all that we find comforting were brought into clear focus. Sukkot is here to say – we are vulnerable, yet in those moments of vulnerability God is with us, near us, and protecting us if we can find a way to station ourselves in the cleft of the rock and allow the hand of God to be our shield.

From the survivors of natural disasters to the survivors of personal struggles, we learn that rebirth is possible, that rebuilding is possible and that God’s presence, even in times of devastation, is indeed with us. God asks Moses to take the first step. "Station yourself on the rock" – we need to take that step everyday and with every encounter no matter how small it may seem. There is a place near God, if only we move toward it.


© Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, Temple Chai, Cantor Sharona Feller

This Torah Reflection was written by Sharona Feller, retired cantor from Temple Chai in Phoenix and facilitator of the Deutsch Family Shalom Center at Temple Chai. It is brought to you by the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center (a program of the Institute on Aging, and a beneficiary of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties) in collaboration with Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Phoenix, AZ and the Deutsch Family Shalom Center, Temple Chai of Phoenix, AZ.

This article is provided to you by the Twin Cities Jewish Healing Program. Through the wisdom and traditions of Judaism, The Twin Cities Jewish Healing Program offers comfort, hope and strength to people experiencing loss, life challenges, illness, dying and grief. For information about our resources and volunteer visitors, please call 952-542-4840.