IT SHOULD ONLY COME TO PASS

Tishrei 19, 5786 / October 10-11, 2025

Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot 

Torah: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26 

Maftir: Numbers 29:23-28

Haftarah: Ezekiel 38:18 - 39:16

Book of Ecclesiastes 

Tishrei 22 / October 13-14
Sh’mini Atzeret
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17
Maftir: Numbers 29:35 – 30:1
Haftarah: 1 Kings 8:54-66
 
Tishrei 23 / October 14-15
Simchat Torah
Torah:  23 Deuteronomy 33:1 – 26; Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
Maftir: Numbers 29:35 – 30:1
Haftarah: Joshua 1:1-18

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This d'var torah is offered in memory of my aunt, Helen Schugar, whose yahrzeit was yesterday, the second day of Sukkot. Y'hi zikhronah liv'rakhah - her memory is a blessing.

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Some excellent on-line resources are available for Sukkot/Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah at:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/ 

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On October 13, we'll be at Ein Ya'akov Yevamot, p. 44 (BT Yevamot 63b) - 

'...אמר רבא אשה רעה מצוה לגרשה'   - 'Raba said: "It is meritorious to divorce a bad wife ..."'

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:

https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  

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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
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IT SHOULD ONLY COME TO PASS
 
“V'zot Hab'rakhah” is the concluding parashah of the Torah, and it is not read on a Shabbat, but only on the holiday of Simchat Torah. It is also notable for being chanted on the night of Simchat Torah (the only nighttime Torah reading of the year). The opening words are, "And this is the blessing by which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before his death." Deuteronomy 33:1

"The Death of Moses" - Providence Lithograph Company, 1907

Near the conclusion of his blessing, Moses says the following: "And Israel shall dwell in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone; in a land of corn and wine, yea, his heavens shall drop down dew." Deuteronomy 33:28

Some of the classic commentaries on the above verse suggest that the Jewish people were to dwell solitarily, as punishment for their sins. According to them, this was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple as described in the Book of Lamentations, and the subsequent Babylonian Exile. 

However, Rashi (who was also a vintner) rejects such a reading, and has a very different understanding of the verse. He comments: "Each individual will be dispersed under his own vine and fig tree, without any need of coming together out of fear of the enemy."

This seems much more in keeping with the idea of a blessing. What a blessing it would be if everyone, Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, any religion, no religion, not to mention various political positions, could reside in peace and tranquility under the Biblical symbols of plenty, the vine and the fig tree. We should also note the conjunction of this parashah and the Festival of Sukkot, which concludes on Monday. We will have spent a week praying that God would shelter us within God’s Sukkat Shalom, the Tent of Peace.

And now, after two years of horror for the people of Israel and the people of Gaza, we might, B'H, be on the verge of a lasting peace. 
 
So, in the spirit of Rashi, I offer this simple prayer: Harachaman hu yivarekh otanu kulanu yachad b'virkat shalom - May the Merciful One bless us, all of us together as one, with the blessing of peace.

It should only come to pass.
 
Mo’adim L’Simchah! Chagim Uz’manim L’sason! Shabbat Shalom! Chag Shemini Atzeret Sameach! Chag Simchat Torah Sameach!
 
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple B’nai Hayim
.אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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