“Let all who are hungry come and eat.” Wait, why are we quoting the Passover Haggadah? Isn’t the next holiday Sukkot? In fact, our sages tell us that “All Israel is worthy to sit in one Sukkah. The Sukkah is the Divine Embrace; and there is nothing better for Hashem than embracing us all together. So really, Sukkot is a time when we should be thinking about those that may not have a Sukkah and make sure that they are included.
In Crown Heights (the Chabad neighborhood in Brooklyn) there are families that have a sign on their Sukkah entrance that declares this to a be a “Sukkah Kol Dichfin,” paraphrasing that quote from the Haggadah, a Sukkah where anyone is welcome to come and eat. There is one famous Sukkah that stretches longer than a football field. It takes up half a block and there is a steady stream of people that come and eat.
Years ago, I heard a great story about this phenomenon. Rabbi M. was a teacher at a Jewish high school in Flatbush. Before Sukkot, he told his students to come to Crown Heights one night of Chol Hamoed (the intermediate days of the holiday) and join him for some refreshments and a shmooze in his Sukkah. A group of guys traveled to Crown Heights to take him up on his offer. They rang the bell and a woman answered the door. She showed them out to the Sukkah and brought some refreshments for them to enjoy. They sat and ate, waiting for Rabbi M. to come out and join them. After about 20 minutes they asked the hostess if everything was ok with Rabbi M. because they were waiting for him. She laughed and said, “Oh, Rabbi M’s family lives next door, you must have gotten the address confused.” They were floored at her instant hospitality without even knowing who they were. She didn’t bat an eyelash or ask them why they had come until they brought it up.
As we prepare to celebrate this holiday of Jewish unity, let each of us make an effort to include someone that may not otherwise be included. Imagine how much joy we can spread to ourselves and others by taking this initiative. Not to mention how happy Hashem is when we are all together. Chag Sameach and enjoy the hug from Hashem.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Sukkot
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin