Personal Miracle
Pen and ink, gouache (22 x29")1999
On the Friday evening of Shabbat, when our family had built its first sukkah on a backyard patio in Binghamton, New York - strong, gusty winds swirled around us with what seemed to be an ominous storm approaching. About five miles away, a strong rain passed through but for some reason bypassed our neighborhood, so that our family was able to enjoy a Sabbath meal in our new sukkah. When telling this story to our Rabbi, he said that I had experienced a "personal miracle".
Note: A "Sukkah" is a temporary booth or dwelling that has an open roof in order to see the heavens, yet is covered with natural vegetation, which in Upstate New York was typically corn stalks. In Atlanta, you may find a roof of bamboo stalks. The Festival of Sukkot, a fall harvest celebration of thanksgiving, also reminds us of how the Jewish people traveled in the desert for forty years, living in temporary "booths" during the Exodus. A commandment in the Torah states that we "shall dwell in sukkah for seven days." A sukkah also symbolizes the temporary nature of our actual houses, that the real protection we receive is from the Almighty, and not necessarily the structure of our house. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Dunwoody tornado several years ago are good examples of how temporary a house can become in a matter of minutes.
Original work- private collection-Braselton, GA
All Artwork is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.
FLORAGE ® is a registered trademark for artwork executed by Flora Rosefsky.