Beloved Israeli Children's Book 'And This Child Is Me' Linked to Sukkot Themes
The recently deceased Israeli author Yehuda Atlas's iconic 1977 children's book, "And This Child Is Me," is being discussed in relation to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The book, known for its relatable observations on childhood and family dynamics, continues to resonate with readers decades after its publication, with its axioms like "When Mom peels an orange, it comes out clean and dry, but when I peel it, it always comes out mangled" still holding true for contemporary children.
The article draws a parallel between the book's ability to articulate universal childhood feelings and the Jewish concept of understanding deeper truths. It suggests that great works, like Atlas's book, capture fragments of a larger truth that Judaism seeks to illuminate. This pursuit of understanding is linked to prophetic visions of a future where humanity possesses profound knowledge and lives in harmony, as described in the Bible with the verse "The wolf will lie down with the lamb." This state of mutual understanding, where individuals recognize shared truths, prevents conflict, akin to a sane person not harming themselves because they understand their own being.
The holiday of Sukkot, specifically the commandment to dwell in a Sukkah (booth) for seven days, is presented as a practical exercise in achieving this understanding. The Sukkah serves as a space to remind people that failing to coexist with others signifies a missed fundamental understanding of life. The Torah's emphasis on "all the inhabitants of Israel shall dwell in booths" is interpreted to include not just residents but also those who possess or will develop understanding. The use of the future tense in the word for inhabitant suggests that even if this understanding isn't present now, consistent practice, like communal living in the Sukkah, will eventually lead to its realization. The article concludes by relating this to a child's simple, yet profound, joy in a game, mirroring the eventual understanding gained through shared experience.
