By Hannah Berman

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have ended, and now we look forward to Sukkot. While we were all grateful for the opportunity to daven and get in every plea on the Day of Atonement, it would be somewhat disingenuous to say that we looked forward to the day.

Because regardless of how prepared we believe we are for the day, there is always pressure and tension the day before. We don’t want to eat too little, but if we eat too much, in anticipation of the fast, we feel uncomfortable as we dress and leave for shul. People are careful to limit salt in the meal, or to eliminate it altogether, because they’re worried about thirst. It has been my experience that no matter how little I eat at that meal, I feel uncomfortable as I dress for shul, and even if I eliminate all salt, thirst is always a problem. Thirty seconds after the fast begins, I am already thirsty.

If hunger and thirst are not the issue, there is the issue of temperature and comfort. Those men who wear their suit jacket and a tallit over it are warm. And those who wear a kittel and don’t wear the suit jacket still have the tallit. In short, the men usually feel quite warm and want as much air-conditioning as possible. The females, on the other hand, are unhappy with the A/C and complain of being cold. We schlep sweaters or shawls to shul and we wrap and unwrap ourselves every few minutes.

To the best of my knowledge, the temperature setting of the A/C is not automatic; somebody must periodically adjust it. The men complain of being too hot and the women kvetch about the cold as they sit there shivering. The janitorial staff of the shul is responsible for temperature adjustment. In the shul where I daven, the staff is composed of incredibly nice men who have their hands full. They don’t have to daven and they are not among those of us who fast. They can eat and drink, but there is little relaxation for them. Back and forth and up and down they go as they lower and raise the temperature settings. When I get a minute or two to relax, I watch them. I wonder what they are thinking. They might very well think we are all nuts.

But there is a lot of davening to deal with and that doesn’t leave much time for relaxation or for wondering about what anyone thinks. In my case, I do double duty. Since I want to understand the exact meaning of every word I utter, I need to switch from Hebrew to English. Otherwise, what’s the point? As a result, I am a very busy little bee and don’t have much time for thinking about anything else. However, before Yom Kippur, I did have time to ponder, and I was thinking that I hope the shul workers are well-paid; Yom Kippur is one day when they really earn their money!

We, the members of the congregation, focused on davening with kavanah on the big day. We concentrated on what the coming year will bring, and hoped and prayed that Hashem heard us and will deal with us kindly. The words that have both serious and comforting meaning are those that let us know that with repentance, stern decrees can be canceled. So, in spite of any discomfort, maybe we should look forward to Yom Kippur each year, not only Sukkot. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it should be.

Hannah Berman lives in Woodmere and gives private small-group lessons in mah-jongg and canasta. She can be reached at Savtahannah@aol.com or 516-295-4435. 

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