Succot, 5773. Israel.

Sometimes a bowl of cereal at 4:30 am really hits the spot.
Looking out the kitchen window while cutting a corner open in a new bag of milk, I see a man walking in the foggy street. Without glasses, I wasn't sure what I was seeing, but as he got closer to passing my house, I saw.
A man, my neighbor, an elderly, sweet man, walking, quite unhurried, with his tallis (prayer shawl) drawn over his head and shoulders, like a wise elder, focused on spirit and soul, and God.

In his hand was the long, narrow plastic holder for the "four species", on his way to the vatikin* minyan on this, the first day of chol hamoed succot.

I am home.

* "vatikin" is a word which literally means "the ancient ones", or elders. A vatikin minyan is a prayer group which starts praying at the crack of dawn. I assume it used to be comprised primarily of elders of the community, but in modern times it is there for anyone who wished to pray the morning service at the crack of dawn. I personally know that sometimes men choose this minyan (prayer group) so that they can come home early to take over child care so their wives go out to pray in later services without having the kids with her. Or, some men just prefer to pray at the crack of dawn. It is a very beautiful time of the day; quiet, serene, holy.