October 30, 2013

As the holiday of Sukkot drew to a close a couple weeks ago, a big transition occurred in the traditional prayer service.  Daily Jewish prayer includes a plea, a supplication for moisture - different forms of precipitation.  Since our ancient prayers originated in the Ancient Near East, with Israel especially in mind, they consider the normal weather patterns of that region.  From Pesach until Sukkot, the prayer is for the dew to rise up from the vegetation.  While from the end of Sukkot until Pesach, we insert a prayer for the winds and the rain to return.

With a pre-Halloween snow storm, preceded by the wind stripping the Aspens of their golden leaves this prayer certainly seems to make sense at this time of year.  The prayer, at its core, is our people's recognition of how tied into the seasons we are as human beings.  The water cycle is something that we are deeply connected to here in the west.  Not just the tourism engine that drives our town, but certainly fire hazards and overall well being our environment.  Our Jewish tradition not only recognizes this connection to the natural world, but understands that some is beyond our control.  When it stretches beyond our reach to truly affect it, we turn to the divine mystery of this beautiful created world, hence the prayer. 

Yet, there is much we can do.  Simply by being conscious of our resources, teaching our  young people about this deep connection between Judiasm and nature and by celebrating the rain (or snow) in its season!