“I’m relocating,” a friend recently told me.
“What will change when you relocate?” I asked.
“Well, I’m pretty young, so I’ll make new friends quickly. I will have the a new job. A new home. But, that’s all expendable. So, really, not much will change. Maybe the weather.”
That got me thinking about the Torah’s instruction to relocate from our homes for one week.
During Sukkot, we abandon the comforts of our home and eat all our meals in the Sukkah. Ideally, other activities should also be performed in the Sukkah.
What message is the Torah trying to impart to us?
Sitting in the Sukkah does make us vulnerable to the weather. But, so does sitting at the football game. And, I don’t think they are synonymous.
When we relocate from our home to our Sukkah, we retain our job, friends, and climate.
What really changes is our attitude. When we are at home, we feel safe and strong. Life is predictable.
We cannot call the Sukkah our future or our mainstay.
And, that means that what we are really relocating is our perspective. Yes, we move into the Sukkah physically. But, emotionally, we let go of our secure space.
This, in truth, is why Sukkot is the ultimate Festival of Joy.
Things come and go. Weather changes. Jobs change.
But, our connection to our faith, Creator, and family is immutable. And, when we arrive there, we have no worries, only pure jubilation.
This Sukkot, let’s relocate to a space called joy!