Picture yourself in a state of complete happiness. Where are you? In the comfort of your own home surrounded by all your modern conveniences? Enjoying the vista of a place of picturesque beauty in total serenity? Or would you imagine jammed in a ramshackle shed in the back of your garden open to the elements? The Rambam says that although there is a mitzvah to be happy on all Yomim Tovim, this is especially the case on Succos. Which may make us wonder why, if that is the case, we are commanded to leave our nice warm home and enter a temporary structure which may not be so nice and depending on where you live, may not be so warm?
To answer this we must first understand the message behind
the Succah that we are commanded to inhabit as elaborated by the Darchei Musar. The impermanence of this abode is meant to
represent to us the transitory nature of our existence in this world. However faced we are with our own mortality,
more often than not, the way we view life and the way we act, is more representative
of someone existing in an eternal life in this world. We chase pleasure and power as if they are
the only thing that matter, when in fact these only bring momentary gratification
and will count for nothing once we pass on. Living in this way, thinking that we will
always be here, can rarely bring true internal happiness. Someone only seeking physical pleasures can
never be truly satiated because there is always more to experience and someone
who has more than you. And someone believing
that this is where we shall always remain, can never learn to bridge the gap
between how they think their life should be and the realities of life including
all its challenges and sorrows.
The Succah teaches us that the path to true happiness is by realising
that we are here for only a short amount of time and that seeking spiritual
goals is the only means to achieving a sense of true worth and accomplishment. Fully internalising the transience of man
helps us to fathom our life and all its difficulties because this is only a
conduit towards the true reality. This
is not to belittle the importance of this world, nor to discourage the
appropriate use of physical pleasures. But
true joy is not find in materialistic pursuits but in loftier goals and higher aspirations. In sharing meaningful times with our loved
ones and developing our relationship with our Creator. The Succah represents the warm embrace of
Hashem and a realignment of our perspective.
All that under one roof!
May this Succos bring us the genuine elation and delight we
truly desire.
L’ilui
Nishmas Leah bas Avrohom
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