CBI Blogs

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the High Holy Days are not over! It’s true; many people think that once Yom Kippur is finished, our time of introspection and reflection is over. While it would be nice (at least from a clergy perspective) to be “done” once we hit the break fast, the holidays continue on as we gather to celebrate Sukkot and Simchat Torah. 

Funny enough, most people I speak to absolutely love Sukkot! Although, I’m not sure a majority of Jews actually celebrate it. Whether it’s due to the close proximity of Yom Kippur, or because it requires (well, not requires but strongly encourages) building a structure, or perhaps it’s because people just don’t want to be outside, Sukkot is often forgotten as a High Holy Day. 

In fact, Sukkot was THE holiday during ancient Israelite times. This was the harvest celebration, a time to travel and make pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem. This was the time to physically enact repentance by bringing your finest produce, your choicest flour, and a perfect sacrifice as well. Sukkot made the spiritual work of Yom Kippur worth it. 

Today, Sukkot reminds us to gather and offer thanks and gratitude for the multiple blessings in our lives. It brings families and friends together. Or, as my colleague Rabbi Lisa Silverstein Nelson wrote for the Positive Jewish Living project: 

Why does Sukkot immediately follow Yom Kippur? Perhaps Sukkot is a counterbalance to the Ten Days of Repentance.

After fasting, depriving, atoning, and forgiving, we allow ourselves to take a deep breath and feel a sense of relief that we have cleaned our slates yet once again-perhaps, even with a slight sense of arrogance. As our physical hunger dissipates and our stomachs are filled, our prayers of repentance slowly slip away.

We balance our pride with a dose of humility and modesty, moving ourselves out of our comfort zones to sit in the sukkah, because in the sukkah—a purposely incomplete, unstable structure-we embrace our vulnerability, our fragility, and our mortality. And like Yom Kippur, the festival of Sukkot demands a fair amount of introspection and contemplation from us. How fitting that we conclude Yom Kippur and immediately drive the first nail into the sukkah— from one holy act to another.

Despite the thoughtful nature of this holy festival, we call Sukkot "Z'man Simchateinu" (The Season of our Collective Joy). When our slates are clean, when we stand in nature and embrace the opportunity to connect with our Divine Creator and with all of humanity, we cannot help but to understand that we are surrounded by continual miracles, each and every day.

May Sukkot continue to be a time of joy, reflection, gathering with community, and more. May this holiday season (which doesn’t officially end until Simchat Torah!) provide meaningful connections for each of us, inspiration for the year to come, and an abundance of blessings and love. Chag Sukkot Sameach!