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It was truly an inspiring and uplifting Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur! I feel so blessed to have spent it with many of you, our dear community in an outdoor safe and responsible way.
Now that we have concluded the "Days of Awe" - Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - it is time for "The Days of Joy" - Sukkot and Simchat Torah!
The boundless joy of Sukkot is a direct result of Yom Kippur; after the reflective process of Teshuva of Yom Kippur, the natural outcome is the celebration of Sukkot.
From the fasting and abstention to the continuous prayer and confession - Yom Kippur was designed to enable us to rise above the pressures of life and experience a more authentic version of ourselves.
At the core of each human being is a soul, a reflection of the divine. Each of us are wholesome and pure. Throughout our lifetime, and especially this year, we get distracted by so many things - politics, responsibilities of work, family duties, societal pressures - and we develop narratives of the world and ourselves that lead to inner conflict and anxiety. On Yom Kippur we strip away those invented identities and realign our lives with our deepest selves.
That's why we go out of our homes after Yom Kippur and move into the Sukkah. The home represents the comfort and security that we protect ourselves with. It's the convenient narrative of our life that we tell ourselves and others. It's the illusion that we can be happy by amassing possessions and status.
On Sukkot we leave all that behind and rejoice in the freedom of just being who we are. The joy of Sukkot comes from the realization that we are not defined by our possessions and nice homes. We are far deeper than that, and our lives are far more meaningful than that. We rejoice in the simplicity of our truest selves and in our unconditional relationship that we have with G‑d. It's a freeing feeling that we so desperately need today!
Torah describes the unique joy of Sukkot (Devarim 16:15): "Seven days you shall celebrate the Festival to the Lord... and you will only be happy." The joy that comes from buying something new or doing something exciting is limited and short-lived. The joy that comes from experiencing yourself is infinite and never dulls. The experience of Sukkot - and the lesson it teaches for the rest of the year - will lead to a life of profound and consistent happiness - only happy.
Please join us on Tuesday at 1pm for Chana's 9th birthday party in the Sukkah!
The full Sukkot and Simchat Torah schedule is below.
Wishing you a Chag Sameach!
Rabbi Eliyahu Cowen
PS we still have a few more sets of "Lulav & Etrog" available. Contact me to reserve yours today!
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