Recently, Yisrael Medad posted (or reposted) an entertaining diversion which I enjoyed very much. My guys, being in touch with their "You may be a redneck" selves, got quite the kick out of it. I understand it now; and I know I wouldn't have gotten most of the jokes last year. Go ahead. Test yourself. I'll wait...
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As Sukkot approaches, as with other yomim tovim, I am enjoying the uniquely Israeli (and sometimes uniquely over-the-Green-Line) ways of doing things. As we know, as Rosh Hashana approaches, a Jewish man's fancy turns to sukkah building.
The Dearly Beloved has been eyeing a piece of wood near the "Box Shul" for several days. "Hmmmm," he said to me this morning, "if that piece of wood is still there after davening, it would look right nice as a wall panel for this here sukkah." (It is interesting that The Dearly Beloved, who grew up in the midwest, sounds like he grew up in Hapeville, Georgia, at moments like this.)
"The early davener gets the wood," he answered glumly.
I felt very bad for him, especially since this loss came on the heels of last week's near international incident. He had spotted a clearly ownerless panel, and began to make off with it.
Apparently, the Arab builders felt they had previous dibs on the wood. "I can't believe they use this kind of poor-quality junk for building our houses," he snorted at me. "Why, I wouldn't even use stuff like that for a sukkah." I thought it politic to move on to other topics.Happily, The Dearly Beloved is not easily daunted in his mission. "You know... that rusted metal door has been there for a while. If it's still there tomorrow..."
You may be a settler if any piece of wood, metal, fabric or plastic looks mighty interesting, come sukkah-building season.
6 comments:
I also have seen the "You may be a settler if..." list and I love it. As for sukkah parts, as a fellow "Tightwad Gazette" fan and dumpster diver, I certainly understand the disappointment when something disappears. I wish you all good hunting in this important endeavor.
Lisa
You don't have to be a settler to want to put up a sukkah from scratch....
Lisacat: Thank you. In these economically challenging times (read that: with no Home Depot nearby), I consider that a bracha.
Rickismom: True. He even used to put up a quite lovely sukkah (from scratch) in Baltimore. It's the eyeballing of the stray wood, willing it to be hefker, that is new to us. Though -- without the cedars of Lebanon readily available -- this experience may be the same for Israeli city dwellers. I'll wait for their Sukkot posts to find out.
Glad to have been an inspiration
We made aliyah 14 years ago and lived on our daughter's Kibbutz, Rosh Tzurim. I remember my husband and son putting up our first sukkah. The excitement, the anticipation of sitting in our sukkah on our holy land. Using stones and bricks to make the land even, when it was so uneven. For us, that first night of Yom Yov, when we made Kiddush, was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Shana Tova. Gmar Chatima Tova. Miriam
The early davener gets the wood.
New olim are at a distinct disadvantage at moments like these, because new olim don't grow up scavenging, collecting and hoarding wood for their Lag BaOmer bonfires...
Have an easy fast and a gmar chatimah tovah.
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