Sukkot
Sukkot this year reminded me of Avi celebrating Sukkot for his last time last year.
His chair at our dinner table inside the Sukkah was empty, with no one sitting in it to make Kiddush, enjoy the food, help bring out the food and to put up with his Abba's annoying questions.
I led the evening Festival services this year, as I had done on one of the days last year. This time, Avi was not there to finish them up by chanting the Yigdal, which concludes with the verse, "God will resurrect the dead in His great lovingkindness. Blessed forever is the praise of His Name," which Avi had firmly believed in.
When Rabbi Adler instructed the congregation this morning on how to hold the etrog and lulav, I recalled how Avi had had to hold them the opposite way because of his left-handedness.
Last year, Avi and I shared the etrog and lulav as we walked in the Hoshanot processional. I would walk part way with them before handing them off to Avi.
Not this year.
His chair at our dinner table inside the Sukkah was empty, with no one sitting in it to make Kiddush, enjoy the food, help bring out the food and to put up with his Abba's annoying questions.
I led the evening Festival services this year, as I had done on one of the days last year. This time, Avi was not there to finish them up by chanting the Yigdal, which concludes with the verse, "God will resurrect the dead in His great lovingkindness. Blessed forever is the praise of His Name," which Avi had firmly believed in.
When Rabbi Adler instructed the congregation this morning on how to hold the etrog and lulav, I recalled how Avi had had to hold them the opposite way because of his left-handedness.
Last year, Avi and I shared the etrog and lulav as we walked in the Hoshanot processional. I would walk part way with them before handing them off to Avi.
Not this year.
posted by Jay Lapidus at 8:02 PM
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