Shabbat of September 25–26, 2026 will mark the first day of the festival of Sukkot that centers around living in a fragile temporary hut, a God's protective shelter, a sukkat shalom (booth of peace). This invites human beings and nations to trust in a shared, vulnerable existence under Divine protection.
The prophetic reading (Haftarah) for the first day of Sukkot comes from Zechariah 14, which envisions a time when all nations will recognize a singular Divine Source of peace and abandon the tools of war. The ancient Temple service, during Sukkot, featured sacrifices for the welfare of all 70 nations of the world.
Unfortunately, there will always be some who prefer evil and war to destroy and slaughter the weakest. For these, a sad end is in store. Kabbalah explains that groups or individuals who selectively target the weak—mimicking the biblical nation of Amalek, who infamously attacked the faint and weary Jews from behind—represent the absolute root of spiritual evil.
The Zohar notes that the divine presence refuses to be complete until this specific brand of opportunistic cruelty is entirely uprooted by Heaven. As the universe runs on a system of spiritual cause and effect, the cruelty, fear, disease and pain an aggressor inflicts on the weak become the exact spiritual forces that torment them in Gehinnom.
In Porto, the Jewish community thrives. Two Shabbatot are left for the Kehilah to begin its 12th year of uninterrupted minyan. At a time when European Jewish communities in general are dying and only survive at the expense of tourists, and Jews are frowned upon by the woke communist system, the Jews in Porto teach everyone a lesson without asking anyone for "permission".
This perspective beautifully captures the core spiritual and historical endurance celebrated during Sukkot. The holiday serves as a powerful reminder of how the Jewish community always transforms vulnerability into strength. Opponents headbutt walls. The game is over.
