From Egypt, Back to Egypt, or With Egypt

This week, we will celebrate the Biblical Holy Day Sukkot, also known in English as Tabernacles. Sukkot is an eight day harvest festival that is to be a joyful party by commandment. That’s correct, G-D actually commanded His people to have a party to celebrate the harvest. This harvest celebration was commanded to be celebrated while living in a sukkah (a temporary booth). The reason for living in a sukkah is so that no matter who blessed our harvest, we should always remember that, at one time, the people of G-D, Israel, were slaves in Egypt, were delivered by G-D, and then spent 40 years in the wilderness because they lacked the faith to enter into the Land of Promise: Israel.

This year, as in most years, people from our synagogue family will be camping in tents, or sukkot, in an open area behind our synagogue building. We cook food over an open fire and spend time fellowshipping with each other. The children play, songs are sung, parents take turns yelling at their children, and then take turns yelling at each other for yelling at the children. It is like a huge family reunion and is honestly one of the most enjoyable weeks every year. After all, we are commanded to have a celebration of joy.

While Sukkot is by design a celebration, it is also by design a time of reflection. As I prepare to sit around the fire this weekend, I am thinking about three different groups of people. All three of these groups were also represented in the wilderness. The first group of people are those who are doing all they can to walk in faith. They are not perfect, but they are trying as hard as they could to follow the “fire” and the “cloud” and listen to and obey the voice of G-D. The second group are those people whose hearts are back in Egypt. No matter what happens in their life, their response is always that things were better “back in Egypt…” The third group are those who are living among the people of Israel and don’t want to go back to Egypt, but instead they want to bring Egypt along with them and make it a part of their new life.

As we celebrate an Appointed Time such as Sukkot, I believe that we should all take some time to search our hearts to find out which one of these three groups represent how we are living. Are we part of the first group that, while knowing we are not yet perfect, are moving towards perfection day by day? Are we striving to hear G-D’s voice and walk according to His Word? Or, are we a part of the second group that, even though we walked away from our personal Egypt physically, we never disconnected spiritually, and deep within our hearts we desire to be back in Egypt? Or, maybe we are a part of the third group, the group that left Egypt physically, but rather than leaving Egypt behind, we have continued to carry our Egypt along with us, trying to somehow fit Egypt inside Israel (a group that wants the blessing of Israel, wants to fellowship with Israel, and even wants the G-D of Israel, as long as they are allowed to continue to live like an Egyptian)?

During the season of Sukkot, I pray that each of us will take stock of where we are and which of these groups we are a part of. If, after deep introspection and honest personal reflection, you find yourself a part of the first group, praise G-D! Please pray for those in groups two and three. If, after prayer, you find yourself in either groups two or three, please understand that you are on the precipice of what was written in Hebrew 6:4-6:

4 For it is impossible for those who once were enlightened—having tasted of the heavenly gift and become partakers of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, 5 and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the olam ha-ba , 6 and then having fallen away—to renew again to repentance, since they are again crucifying Ben-Elohim for themselves and publicly disgracing Him.

The people described in these verses above are just like those in groups two or three. Each one has been delivered from their Egypt and is on their own wilderness journey. They have seen and experienced the power of G-D personally. They know better, yet for whatever reason, choose to live in ways that fall short of the complete deliverance from Egypt/Sin that G-D has promised us. These people forget the real reason we live in a sukkah on Sukkot. They have somehow lost connection to the truth that the only reason we can truly celebrate G-D’s blessings with Joy is because G-D has completely delivered us from our own Egypt.

It is my sincere prayer that if you are living your life in either group two or group three as described above (that you are either heading back toward your Egypt or you are dragging your Egypt with you while trying to live within Israel), that you will reach out to G-D in prayer and repentance, and then reach out to the people who love you for prayer and encouragement.