Before Yom Kippur even ends, we're already building

by Rabbi Daniel Gropper

"OUR SAGES TEACH: As soon as the fast of Yom Kippur concludes, pound the first nail into the sukkah! To everything there is a season—a time for prayer and looking inward, a time to go outside and build."

This reading is found on page 661 of our Mahzor. It's one of my favorites for the simple reason that it looks past the holiday of Yom Kippur. It looks, with hopeful vision, to what comes after instead of remaining in the dread of the day.

Stick with me — this ends with donuts, sushi, and bourbon.

The teaching of pounding the first nail into the sukkah comes from Rabbi Moses Isserles (Poland, d. 1572 — a direct ancestor of our congregant Leslie Goldschmid). Isserles teaches that by starting to build the sukkah immediately after the close of Yom Kippur, we move from one sacred mitzvah to the next, fulfilling the words of Psalm 84:8 about the righteous: "they go from strength to strength." Our tradition teaches that the righteous — and that's all of us, potentially — are never at rest. They strive for something better, at any age.

Guests at our break-fast know that at some point we'll ask them to haul the poles of our sukkah up from the basement to the patio. They do it wholeheartedly (maybe it's worth the free bagel, whitefish, and scotch) — fulfilling a mitzvah, and doing something that will bring others delight. And if you've ever built a sukkah, you've felt the satisfaction — and the sweetness — of eating a meal or two under its branches.



I know not everyone is into having a strange structure in their backyard. Not everyone is great with tools. That's why we build a sukkah on the front lawn of our shul. It's a public one, for you and your family to enjoy. But you have to build it first.

Our communal building project begins tomorrow at 11:00 AM.Come. Build. Bring your kids. Someone has to nail in the stuff at ground level. There will be donuts and cider and lots of mitzvah points. View all the details.

Then, during Sukkot, come to:

• Sushi Under the Stars for the Women of CSR: Thursday, October 1, 6:00 PM

• Bourbon and Bible (with catered dinner & drinks) with Achim/Brotherhood for the men of CSR: Thursday, October 1, 7:00 PM

See you on Yom Kippur. And see you during Sukkot.

G'mar Hatimah Tovah (May it all land well. See you on the other side),

Rabbi Daniel Gropper