Tam knew it was hard for the poor among the Jewish community found it hard to gather the materials needed to build the walls of their succahs and it was always a problem. So every year as the month of Elul would come to a close, he would speak to his friend Chacham and they would both set out to help the poor. Chacham would have lulavim and esrogim for the poor while Tam would have a supply of boards and lumber for succahs.
One year, on the very eve of Succos, the town water carrier with his bent back and pain wracked body, made his way up to the door of Tam’s house. In a voice as broken with shame, the poor water carrier asked, “Could I please maybe get just a few planks for my succah?” Tam went and looked, but there were none left.
Tam watched from his window and he saw the poor ragged water carrier trudge from house to house, still in search of a few boards. He his heart was so broken that he burst into tears.
“Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe!” he cried. “Just look how Your Children cherish the mitzvah of living in a succah! See with what self-sacrifice they are determined to fulfill it! It’s raining outside. The roads are full of mud and mire. Yet there he tramps, that ragged bent water carrier wearing torn shoes – looking for boards for a succah! Look down, then, Master of the Universe, from Your holy dwelling-place in heavens. Bless Your People, Ufros Aleinu Succas Shlomecha – and spread out over them Your Succah of peace.
Tam then went into his study a took an old bookcase apart and handed the boards to one of his students telling him that he should run after the water carrier, and he should help him to build his succah.
That night there was whispering around the table in the candlelit succah and students waiting for Tam to burst out in song or a lesson. Tam came into his succah, smiled at his students, and sat down. He began,
“Succos’s is a truly blessed time. It is time to realize the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He and the true gifts that he is given to the whole world. Every day we say in the Hashkiveinu prayer, “Cause us, O L-rd our G-d, to lie down in peace, and raise us up, O our King, to life. – Ufros Aleinu Succas Shlomecha – and Spread over us the succah the of Your peace.” We should become intensely aware that we are spinning with our words and faith a protective covering of warmth and love around ourselves as a means of protecting our souls from the world around us.”
“In Hebrew the word succas or shelter, also refers to a succah (a temporary structure that we construct for the holiday). We build the succah, eat and sleep in it as a reminder of how the world is ever changing and many conditions are temporary. The succah reminds us of the importance of faith. In other words, almost everything in life is temporary. We remember that our ancestors traveled in the desert for 40 years and then when they came to the holy land and would harvest their crops, they lived in succahs, they were not made to be permanent but very portable.”
“A shelter of peace is created in many ways through a safe home, loving friends, and a connected community. The root of the Hebrew word “shalom” refers to wholeness or completeness; once you have wholeness, peace is possible. We ask that the master of the universe bless us with peace, but we forget that peace is a proactive process. We must work every day that we can attain wholeness by bringing spirituality and holiness to our family, community and the world at large. Each and every one of us must begin the process of constructing a Succas Shlomecha (shelter of peace) within ourselves before we can begin the holy work of creating sense of shalom (peace) for others.”
Tam closed his eyes and began to hum a melody that touched each and every person in the succah that night and they seem to be aglow that no one could explain. When Tam opened his eyes, he smiled and said,
“May we all be messengers of our merciful father in heaven and create ways to ‘Ufros Aleinu Succas Shlomecha – spread over us Your shelter of peace’.
