September 15, 2021
Written by David Petty
You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. —Leviticus 23:42-43
I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. —Ecclesiastes 3:14
In Judaism the “five scrolls” are a group of five small books of the Bible. They are not considered a single book, but are a subgroup of the section known as the Writings, and are grouped together because of their liturgical use. Traditionally, each of the books is read at one of five principal religious holidays. For example, Ecclesiastes is read at Sukkot, the “Festival of Booths,” which this year is September 20-27.
In some cases the connection between a particular scroll and its holiday seems rather vague. These pairings were established well over a thousand years ago, and we will never know the reasons for them with certainty. For Ecclesiastes/Sukkot, though, one reasonable explanation involves the idea of “transience“ or “impermanence.”
Sukkot seems to have began as a harvest festival, to which an additional commemoration was attached. The “booths” were huts made of plant materials such as branches, leaves and stems. The idea was that, during the Israelites’ time in the wilderness, whenever they moved the shelters could easily be dismantled, carried to the next location, and reassembled. In reality, most of them lived in tents, which were made primarily of cloth or animal skins, but a symbol does not have to be an exact replica. What’s important is the symbolism itself. In this case the symbolic significance was that, in the absence of permanent homes, they were acutely aware of their dependence on God for food, water, and other basic necessities. Once they settled in the promised land, it was easy to forget that transient life without a yearly reminder.
Ecclesiastes is often considered the most depressing book in the Bible. It speaks of the “futility” (that’s probably a better translation than “vanity”) of life. Neither wisdom nor wealth nor virtue nor pleasure changes the fact that everyone dies and returns to dust.
But there is another interpretation of Ecclesiastes, one given by rabbis since ancient times and supported by verses both within and outside the book. The impermanence of our existence on earth can be seen against the background of God’s permanence. God is everlasting (Psalm 90:2, Habakkuk 1:12) and God’s kingdom is also (Psalm 145:13, Daniel 4:3.) And there’s more: God’s righteousness is everlasting (Psalm 119:142, Daniel 9:24); God’s promises are everlasting (Psalm 105:8, Isaiah 55:3); most of all God’s love is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3, Lamentations 3:22, many psalms.) Our New Testament, of course, assures everlasting life to the faithful.
In our day where, no less than in ancient times, nothing seems to endure, it’s good to have lasting things onto which we can hold.
Gracefully submitted,
David Petty