As scholar Bruno Bettelheim interprets, the story, “The littlest
pig built his house with the least care out of straw; the second used sticks;
both throw their shelters together as quickly and effortlessly as they can, so
they can play for the rest of the day. Living
in accordance with the pleasure principle, the younger pigs seek immediate
gratification, without a thought for the future and the dangers of reality,
although the middle pig shows some growth in trying to build a somewhat more
substantial house than the youngest.” The oldest pig, building with brick,
understands the realities and dangers of the world. Only he invests his time wisely. By using solid materials, he protects his
life from the ravenous wolf.
Judaism sees things differently from The Three Little Pigs,
not surprisingly.
On Sukkot, we live for a week in a flimsy booth. Starlight and rain can pour through the roof,
wind can blow through the walls, and bugs can bite our ankles. All of these are physical realities and
symbolic experiences of the vagaries of life.
We remind ourselves that the dangers of the world come in a variety of
forms and that that bricks and concrete can’t really protect us. No matter what kind of home we build, no
matter how much stuff we accumulate, life
can huff and puff and blow us down. The
world of matter is fleeting; the worlds of spirit and relationships endure.
For Jews, the flimsy house is not a sign of the pursuit of
fleeting pleasure. It is instead a
reminder of the fleeting nature of our lives.
Bettelheim, Bruno, The Uses
of Enchantment: The Meaning and
Importance of Fairy Tales, Vintage Books, NY, 1975, as
reprinted at www.shol.com/agita/pigpsych.htm.
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