October 2, 2020
14 Tishrei 5781

Sukkot is the only holiday on the Jewish calendar that comes with this unique injunction: be joyful. This directive is mentioned in many prayers and songs for Sukkot, and is referenced in the alternate name of the holiday, Zman Simchateinu – The Time of Our Happiness.

As a holiday of the harvest, Sukkot is a time for us to be thankful for the nourishment we yield through our hard work and effort. But in the Jewish tradition, we are nonetheless mindful that our agricultural successes are equally dependent on the will of God.

And so, we are reminded to find joy in this season – joy in our own being, joy in our relationships with one another, and joy in our relationship with God.

Perhaps most interestingly, we are asked to find joy while sitting in the sukkah, a reminder of the less comfortable days of our past, when the Jewish People were travelling through the desert. Those years of wandering represent a time that united us from twelve individual tribes into one singular nation; a time in which we lived in constant uncertainty, reliant on God for our food and water. This reminder leads us to joy and gratitude for the greater comforts that are now ours.

Sitting in the sukkah reminds us that happiness does not come from material goods, but rather stems from our very essence. We are taught not only to remember our travels in the desert, but to truly know what that was like. This is self-knowledge, the first step to finding happiness within our souls.

It is traditional to read Megillat Kohellet (known in English as Ecclesiastes) on Chol HaMoed Sukkot. While Kohellet is often seen as a pessimistic book, it provides the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of life, especially when in difficult circumstances. Kohellet also reminds us that our joy is not tied to material wealth, but rather to the meaning that we bring to our existence.

We currently find ourselves in difficult circumstances, making these reminders all the more timely. When we sit in the Sukkah, when we read Kohellet, when we express our thanks for all that we have, we have opportunity to remember that despite the new challenges facing us, we are the authors of our own joy – on Sukkot and all year-round.

Wishing you a joyous Sukkot – Chag Sameach!

Ora Shulman
Head of School