Sukkot 5769

We find ourselves in the middle of the holiday of Sukkot. Sukkot is called Z’man Simchateinu, the Season of our Joy, for, on Sukkot, we are commanded to be joyful. Interestingly enough, on Sukkot we are also instructed to build sukkot, or temporary structures and to read the book of Ecclesiastes, a book filled with images of impermanence. And I wonder: What does our tradition want with us, leaving us with this odd mixture of joy and impermanence?

I believe that our tradition teaches us something profound this week: Our people have long recognized that moments of pure joy can be difficult to reach and recognize. We must treasure the moments of joy in our life and create space for them. Sukkot tells us: Once this elusive emotion is grasped, take pleasure in its coming and don’t worry about how long it will last.

In one of my favorite biblical passages, The Psalmist sings, “One may lie down weeping at nightfall; but at dawn there are songs of joy (Psalm 30:5). Life is full of moments of pain as surely as it is filled with moments of simcha. This is a time for seizing joy! As the poet Robert Graves explains, seizing it “despite and still.”

On this Sukkot, I pray that each of us takes time to reflect on the m’korot simcha, the sources of joy in our lives. May we draw these centers of joy close to us. As we take our lulav and etrog and eat our meals outside, let us remember that quiet skies follow even the windiest of days. As we gaze up through the roofs of our sukkot at the now waning moon in the sky, let us remember that everything that wanes will once again wax. “Those who sow in tears will reap in joy,” (Psalm 126:5). Let us all reap in joy in the days to come!

Exodus 33:12–34:26 is the special Torah portion this week. We read this portion on the Shabbat that falls during intermediary days of Sukkot.