Community Torah Corner - October 10, 2025

Yesterday, for community service day, I went to the Lower School and spent time with the Pre-K-ers. Now, I’m super used to the high school lifestyle, and I forgot what Pre-K was really about. They don’t learn math problems or sit through lectures. Instead, they’re learning the basic life skills some of us may think are mundane. Things like sharing, waiting your turn, worrying about yourself, being kind, are all things they are being introduced to, through playtime and other activities. 

Just like I was brought back to the basics yesterday in Pre-K, this week’s Torah reading, for Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot, brings Moses back to the basics of Judaism. The parsha takes place right after Moses shatters the first set of Tablets. God gives him, and the Israelites, a second chance, telling Moses to carve a new set. Then God reveals the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and reminds Moses of the core mitzvot: not worshipping idols, keeping Shabbat, not mizing milk and meat, and observing the three festivals — Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. 

Now, Moses already knew these rules. And every single year, when we read this section on Sukkot, we already know these rules. But that’s the point. This parsha isn’t about learning something new — it’s about remembering what’s essential.

After an intense and reflective Yom Kippur, as we dwell in the sukkah which reminds us of the 40 years the israelites spent in the desert, we are encouraged to take a step back, and reconnect with the foundations of our faith, our gratitude, and our trust in God.

Yesterday, when I was in Pre-K, I saw the very beginning of a Jewish education. Even though we’re more than a decade apart in schooling, what they were learning (patience, kindness, and sharing) are still lessons I can be working on. It reminded me that growth doesn’t always mean adding more knowledge; sometimes it means returning to the core values we started with. 

Just like Moses was reminded of the fundamentals of Judaism, and just like the sukkah reminds us to find strength in simplicity, spending time with those kids reminded me that we’re never too old to go back to the basics, because that’s where real learning and real connection begin.

I wish everyone a meaningful rest of their Sukkot, and if you do happen to think about school during the weekend. Rather than thinking about your current assignments or classes, I encourage you to think back to the lessons you learned years ago in elementary school. Because those are the lessons we tend to take for granted, but they’re also the ones that truly shape who we are.

Shabbat shalom and chag sameach.