The tabernacle of David – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why does the bensching during Sukkot mention the fallen tabernacle of David?
A. The phrase is “May the Merciful One raise up for us the fallen sukkah of David”. It derives from Amos 9:11; speaking of the messianic age, the prophet says, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up its breaches; I will raise up his ruins and build it as in the days of old”.
As the bensching, like other prayers, concludes on a messianic note, it is appropriate for it to pray for David’s kingdom re-established in a united Israel under the protection of the Almighty.
In Sydney, the Macquarie Street Synagogue (1859-1877) bore the Hebrew name Sukkat David. The name may have been a tribute to the family of David Cohen & Co., who purchased the building; perhaps it may have been a play on words, since it was previously a Baptists Tabernacle; or else it is typical of the Hebrew names of many early Australian synagogues, e.g. Sh’erit Yisra’el – Remnant of Israel (Melbourne, Ballarat, Perth, etc.) which also derive from messianic prophecies.
