Joy of experiencing God's embrace
By Rabbi Yossi Kenigsberg
We recently celebrated the holiday of Sukkot, which is actually the crescendo of the Jewish calendar in the sense that it is explicitly referred to as "z'man simchateinu," the time of our joy. The primary mitzvah of Sukkot is the obligation to practice exile from our comfortable domiciles and situate ourselves in the temporary dwelling of the sukkah.
The mitzvah of inhabiting the sukkah, however, seems almost incongruous with the expression of joy. Usually, we would assume that happiness can be most authentically experienced in an atmosphere of comfort and tranquility, and it would be expected that these are feelings engendered when we reside in the comfort of our own homes. After all, consider how much expense we invest in securing our homes with elaborate alarm systems that provide us with a strong sense of security and invulnerability. In addition, we spend significant monetary sums decorating and furnishing our homes in a manner that allows us to enjoy our time there in comfort and pleasure.
As a result, one would expect that the holiday accentuating joy and happiness to transpire primarily within our homes, rather than abandoning them for an edifice that is more modest and certainly more vulnerable to external elements.
The lesson of Sukkot is that the security we derive from our material possessions is based on fantasy and illusion. We have no choice but to conform to the demands of the physical realm, but in truth, the spiritual world is our primary reality. When we exit our homes on Sukkot we are declaring that ultimately we do not rely on our sturdy walls and the physical contents of our homes to bring us safety and contentment. Instead, we enter the flimsy sukkah and proclaim that God is the source of our sustenance and protection.
On the days prior to Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we accepted the sovereignty of God in our lives and endeavored to reinforce and enhance our relationship with Him. On Sukkot, God invites us to enjoy His presence in the sukkah, while embracing and enveloping us in this mitzvah.
The mitzvah of sukkah is the only precept that we conduct with our entire body. In actuality, God is telling us that after the purification process we experienced on the High Holy Days and our reinvigorated relationship with Him, He now accepts us totally and unconditionally in an intimate embrace. This is, in fact, the joy of Sukkot.
This is the time when we can say that despite the turmoil and tribulation in the world we can be secure in the spiritual realm under the Divine protection and surveillance. There is no concept more important that can sustain us when we feel vulnerable and insecure. Hopefully, we can carry this most profound lesson with us throughout the entire year.
Rabbi Kenigsberg is an educator who lives in