Wednesday, October 11, 2006

I Confess -- Wishing For Rain

I know that on Succos we are not supposed to hope for rain. Heck, we put off saying Tefillas Geshem (the prayer for rain) until Sh'mini Atzeres so that we can fulfill the mitzvah of sitting in the Succah.

And yet, here I am, working in what is probably the only part of Manhattan that doesn't have a kosher resturaunt or a succah. I could travel to another part of the boro by train, but in order to do that and have enough time to get back, I'd have to literally eat like a madman and finish my meal in about five minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if doing so would cause a Chillul HaShem.

Eeees offered to buy me a pop-up succah before Yom Tov, but, in reality, I have no place to use it even if I owned it.

So, what to do? Well, there are snacks in the snack machine, which is what I subsisted on yesterday. But that's not really enough to last on for the whole day. Add the fact that I often work late and by the time I get home (as I did last night at about 8:45PM), I am H-U-N-G-R-Y!

And so, sadly, painfully, I hope for rain during the workday (while hoping for clear nights).

Has anyone else actually hoped for rain on Succos so that they can eat a meal inside?

The Wolf

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe the better question is:

Has anyone never hoped for rain on Succos so that they can eat a meal inside?

Anonymous said...

I must confess, I'm sitting here in a suburb of a major city 25 minutes from home, and thinking the same thing. Seems wrong. Probably means I shouldn't be working, but that's not a luxury I can afford. Maybe we can market it as a new diet fad(You can eat whatever you want, but only in a hut-like structure).

Anonymous said...

I love you, my poor sweet starving husband!
Its raining here now, how's by you?

BrooklynWolf said...

It's raining now... but it's much too late to go get lunch now. :(

The Wolf

Anonymous said...

Can you order in?

Anonymous said...

Wolf:
Try tuna and rice cakes. I eat it for lunch almost every day of the year. It is healthy, low calorie and can be eaten in quantity outside the succah.

David Guttmann said...

I took my grandchildren out and they wanted a meal at Le marais who has no sukkah. I was faced with the prospect of watching them eat while I starved.Lo and behold, teshuat hashem.... as soon as we got to the Time square area rain arrived in buckets. Nu is dus nisht a moifes?

Lion of Zion said...

g:

"Has anyone never hoped for rain on Succos so that they can eat a meal inside?"

only when it is cold outside

Ezzie said...

I'm with G. Of course, that's what happens when you grow up in Cleveland... just because it's not snowing doesn't mean it can't. Put it that way.

And of course, this week, when going out for lunch, and being forced to eat salad THREE TIMES! Ugh.

Anonymous said...

Halacha- except for the first night of sukkot when, there is a petur of mitzta'er, which the MB points includes someone who is too far from a sukkah and would be pained to have to get to one to eat. So I don't think you have to afflict yourself. If you don't have a sukkah, you can still eat where you are. The better question is why are you working on chol hamoed at all?

BrooklynWolf said...

The better question is why are you working on chol hamoed at all?


Good question, but one with a simple answer: I didn't have a choice (aside from losing my job... which I am not required to do).

The Wolf

Anonymous said...

Well, then, that's a good reason.