This is the holiday of Sukkot. I don’t feel much like celebrating. It is also international peace day. Last week, I and several of my colleagues went to the Elgin City Council meeting to hear the proclamation read that this is peace weekend and that Elgin is an international city of peace.
What does this mean? How do we understand this in light of this week’s headlines? 12 killed at the United States Navel Yard in Washington DC. 24 people shot in Chicago last night.
Ufros Aleinu demands of G-d to spread over us the shelter, the sukkah of G-d’s peace. From this we learn that, as I said yesterday, peace is fragile, as fragile as a sukkah. We are told that we need to pray for peace, to work for peace, to actively pursue peace, to run after it. We use the phrase Shabbat shalom, a Sabbath of peace and Shalom Bayit, peace of the house. We are taught that world peace can only happen when there is peace in our own homes. We are commanded to not stand by idly while a neighbor bleeds.
Well our neighbors are bleeding, and bleeding, and bleeding! What is it that can be done? It is not enough to throw up our hands and say, “Nothing can be done.” How do we avoid becoming numb to the violence that is so pervasive. My college roommate lives in Newtown Connecticut. On that horrible day in December I spent much of my Friday afternoon with her on the phone. Her first grader was safe. Then we spent much of Patriots’ Day on the phone as we watched the Boston Marathon bombing unfold. Columbine, Fort Hood, Aurora, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, a manufacturing plant in Minnesota, all told 62 mass shooting since 2002 in thirty states. No one is immune. No one can think, “It can’t possibly happen here.” Last night the violence included a young baby in a stroller.
I don’t have the answer. I think it must be a combination of things. Gun control at some level. Better access to mental health services. More after school programs so that kids don’t just get bored. Less violent video games. Less violence in the media. More parental oversight.
In the meantime, I am proud that Elgin has become a City of Peace and is partnering with CERL, Judson, The Elgin Police Department, U-46, the Community Crisis Center, the Renz Center, and the Ecker Center to sponsor an event on November 3, 2013 from 2-5 at Judson. It is when we come together, partnering with others, that will bring us closer to the vision of peace outlined by our prophets. Zechariah said that during Sukkot all the nations, 70 nations would go up to Jerusalem and bless G-d and proclaim that G-d is One and G-d’s name is One. It is that quest for unity that brings us closer to a day of peace. It is our quest for shalom bayit, the peace of the house that comes first. It is the quest for choosing life, a meaningful life without despair and desperation. It is the hope of compassion and lovingkindness.
In B’rakhot 64a, Rabbi Elazar taught in the name of Rabbi Hanina:
“Peace is increased by disciples of sages; as it was said: When all of your children are taught of Adonai, great will be the peace of your children (Isaiah 54:13). The second mention of “your children” (banayikh) means all who have true understanding (bonayikh). Thus it is written in the Book of Psalms: Those who love Your Torah have great peace; nothing makes them stumble (119:165). May there be peace within your walls, security within your gates. For the sake of my colleagues and friends I say: May peace reside within you. For the sake of the house of Adonai I will seek your welfare. (122:7-9) May Adonai grant His people strength; may Adonai bless his people with peace (29:11)” (Siddur Sim Shalom, page 27).
We talked about this at the synagogue last night. Perhaps peace is always elusive, ever since Cain and Abel. Perhaps it is aspirational and not achievable. Perhaps we can only achieve peace if we can feel it internally ourselves. Perhaps it is only (?) a blessing that comes from G-d. May G-d bless us with peace, shalom, wholeness.
Judaism values life. All life. We are taught that humanity was created from one man, Adam, so that no one can say his lineage is better. We are taught that to save one life is as though to save the whole world. We must figure out how to actively pursue peace. How do we make sure that this doesn’t happen again anywhere? G-d can spread over a sukkah of peace. But it will be fragile. We will need to build a more permanent structure where people can live in peace and security. We need to be partners with G-d in this most holy endeavor. Then we can celebrate Sukkot in joy and peace.