Holy Scrollers Previe - Parashat Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot

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Parashat Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
October 15, 2011

Moadim L’Simcha! (happy intermediate days of Sukkot) and Shabbat Shalom:

I hope you’ll join us for our potluck and Sukkot service tonight (potluck at 6:30pm, service at 7:30pm). Sadly, we’ll be eating inside, as it is just too darn wet out there. But hopefully we’ll have a chance to wave the lulav in the sukkah and celebrate Shabbat morning services in the sukkah tomorrow (10:30am).

So – to the Torah portion!

On the Shabbat during the intermediate day of Sukkot (Chol HaMoed), we read Exodus 33:12-34:26. This Parasha occurs after the Israelites are caught and punished for worshiping the Golden Calf. Moses pleads with God to forgive the people and to continue going in the lead through the wilderness. He also asks God to make God’s self known to Moses.

God instructs Moses to carve a second set of stone tablets and to “meet” God at the top of Mount Sinai. There, God passes before Moses and proclaims the Thirteen Attributes “Adonai Adonai, a God compassionate and gracious, etc.” This list of attributes of God is chanted during the High Holy Day and festival services as we take out the Torah scroll.

The Parasha ends with God recommitting to the covenant and declaring some additional commandments. Most of these rules are about how the Israelites should cut down the idolatrous worship places in the Land and how God will drive out the inhabitants. There is also a listing of the Israelite festivals, perhaps to emphasize what constitutes legitimate rituals and worship for the Israelites, lest they be tempted to turn again to idolatry.

We will spend some time with this section of Torah and also turn to the Haftarah for the Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Sukkot. The haftarah, from Ezekiel, is apocalyptic, as is the haftarah for the first day of Sukkot from the book of Zechariah. They both are visions of a war at the end of days in which God wreaks havoc on God’s enemies. This raises the question of why Sukkot would be the time to read texts about apocalyptic battles, and how the Ezekiel piece is related to the Torah portion.

Looking forward to studying with you,
Rabbi G.