A Joyous sukkot - 5786
We connected to Hashem in Elul, we accepted Him as our King on Rosh Hashanah, we did Teshuvah over the Ten Days of Repentance, and we bonded with Him and started with a clean slate on Yom Kippur. This all brings us tremendous joy, like a child reunited with his or her parents after a period of distance. We can imagine what joy both parents and child feel. This joy is expressed in the next phase of our holidays, the “Time of our Joy,” Sukkot. It is a beautiful holiday with many wonderful observances, culminating in the joyous day of Simchat Torah. This is how we express our joy in our connection with Hashem, by observing extra Mitzvot. And this holiday has several. Sitting and eating - actually “dwelling” - in the Sukkah, shaking the Four Species, special prayers and meals, including kiddush and challah, parties and gatherings, cutting back on work and dancing with the Torah. This joy, and the “tying it down” with the physical observance of the joyous Mitzvo...