Does God Take a Summer Vacation?

You may think that is a foolish question, but, as we often tell students, there are no foolish questions! And, after all, books whose titles may seem like foolish questions, have been written and enjoyed for years. “Does God have a Big Toe?,” by Marc Gellman, is a great collection of Jewish stories in which he, more or less, answers that question!

You may also ask why I am even asking the question about God’s summer plans. I have thought about this a lot, and what triggered my question is what happens each year at this time for Solel, and Beit Sefer Solel. We slow up or we close down. School is closed until September. Adult education courses, book reviews, lunch and learns, Torah study- all are officially on break. We don’t have to get up at 5:30 AM to be at minyan Tuesday mornings until Sept 9! We can attend services Friday nights, but no services Saturdays during July and we won’t restart Saturday services until Aug 9. We will read the weekly parashah Saturday, June 28 (Korach), but how many of us will read Chukat, or Balak, Pinchas, Matot-Massei or Devarim. We could, but, in reality, most don’t, unless one attends a service.

We read, in Exodus 25:8, that God says we should build a dwelling so that we know God is among us: “And let then make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them”. This is repeated in Exodus 29:45 “I will abide among the Israelites, and I will be their God”. Solel has its sanctuary, its newly refurbished sanctuary with beautiful, bright new carpeting, modern, effective lighting, an enhanced technology system, and, of course, an amazing new Torah scroll. What our sanctuary and school does not have, especially during the summer, is people to fill it. I guess therefore, it may be a good time for God to take a break!

But, as I thought about this more, I realized that God cannot take time off. We really need God, in particular at this time, really at all times. The world is a mess. Wars, crimes, hatred, natural disasters don’t take time off, so God can’t either. And, even though God asks for the Mishkan to be built, we are told that God is wherever we let God in. … The Kotzer Rebbe was once asked;” Where does God dwell?” To which he replied, “Wherever you let God in.”

Therefore, the answer is no vacation for God, but we do have to let God in. We can study God’s words Torah in our homes; we can obey God’s commandments; we can light Shabbat candles and Yahrzeit candles; we can treat every human being as a human being because, after all, we all are made in God’s image. We can give to tzedakah, help our neighbours, take care of the environment…. And maybe if we do some of God’s work, if we do Tikkun Olam, we actually will help mend the world and give God a little time off!

Have a great summer!!

Filed under: Educator's Message

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