B”H
It’s early Sunday morning and I’m enjoying the cool weather outside while I sit in my Sukkah. The kids are all sleeping, as we’ve had many magical, yet long nights this past week. I came to soak in the precious peace of this wonderful place.
One of my hachlatas (resolutions) for the new year is to endeavor to always be in the moment, experience the present. And at this moment, as I sit here under the Sukkah, I feel truly grateful. I feel grateful to be Jewish, I feel grateful to have a family, I feel grateful to have so so much, and more.
As our dear friend Mendel, zl”b, said, “Gratitude makes you happy.” And ultimately isn’t this what the holiday of Sukkos is all about? Gratitude and Happiness. As we dance into Simchat Torah, and rejoice with our Torah, we recognize that we have so much to be grateful for, and we experience an overwhelming joy from head to feet.
We will soon part from our Sukkot. But, we will never part from Hashem’s embrace, which the Sukkah represents. And that connection, that constant embrace, is the source of the joy- a joy that we take with us as we leave the month of Tishrei and start our year anew.
As was pondering on this my three year must have woken up. He came out to the Sukkah in his pijamas and said:
“Mami, I built a Beit Hamikdash!”
“Wow! That’s so nice,” I say.
He answers, “But then I crashed it!”
“Oh,” I say.
He answers, “Moshiach will come build it with me.”
I smile… out of joy.
May we all sit under one Sukkah together, and dance joyfully tonight with the Torah, along with our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem!
Chag Sameach!
Yael
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