Radical Torah

The holiday of temporary dwelling is upon us. Our tradition tells us that for eight days we need to build a sukkah, move into it, and be joyful. We are not only told what to do, but how to feel. The Torah explicitly tells us to be happy in our celebration “v’samakhta b’khagekha?” (Devarim 16:14-15.) Under this sukkah, we are commanded to manifest this joy. We should be able to sing, laugh, eat and sleep and feel the unity of G-d’s perfection. Now, if it were only for one day, like Shabbat, the task would not seem so daunting. But for eight days straight can we really sustain that kind of joy?

As seekers of justice living in a world of crisis, eight days of joy are easier said than done. How can we realistically be joyful in such dark times? Despair and Anger make the headlines in our world today - not joy. What kind of joy can we really be expected to achieve without numbing ourselves to the world around us? Honest and guilt-free joy, not steeped in avoidance or ignorance, seems like a paradox. The mitzvah of sitting in a sukkah, of changing our normal perspective, allows us the possibility of seeing our lives in a different light. Perhaps the sukkah can shatter that paradox.

As you enter into your sukkah this week here are a few possible Kavanot to bring with you to help you fulfill the mitzvah and sustain that joy.

Defining joy might be a good starting place. It is written in the Yuntif and Shabbat Amida, “Yismach Moshe b’matnat chelko – Moshe rejoiced at the gift of his portion. Sim Shalom prayer book translates chelko as “destiny.” As we all know, Moshe was not originally rejoicing when G-d informed him of his destiny at the burning bush. His reaction was one of reluctance, unworthiness and non-acceptance. Over time Moshe experienced a major attitude shift from active disinterest into a state of “simcha.” The destiny didn’t change, but his resistance to it did. Perhaps the joy comes into our lives when we are able to be accepting of who we are. As we peel away the need to say – “this isn’t what I wanted” we stop resisting our calling and feel a deeper sense of unification with the ultimate will of the universe. How will you define joy?

Another barrier to joy can be guilt. I invite you to make your sukkah a guilt-free zone. Especially in the aftermath of the yamim noraim and the confessing of all our transgressions and spending time with family, we may be particularly vulnerable to guilt. Beware of guilt masquerading as your conscience. Feelings of guilt can actually undermine your capacity for joy. This happens when you hear yourself asking: How can I take pleasure when there is so much suffering around me? Or saying: I could be much more committed to my activism. or I am a passive culprit in so much of the injustice. I am indulging in my white/male/class (insert yours) privilege. The scary thing is, it’s all true. We are all guilty of not doing enough and it can be crippling to our

Of course we could all do more. Right now you could be organizing a Sukkat Shalom for the children of Abraham or a soup kitchen sukkah. And don’t let me stop you….. but ask yourself honestly: is your activism coming at the expense of your joy?

During one of his regular visits to a geriatric ward, Ram Dass was once asked how can handle being surrounded by death all of the time. He said, “I give my 45 minutes to each individual where I’m fully present and then I leave it at the door. My holding on to their pain doesn’t serve me or serve them.” This is precisely the opportunity the sukkah offers us. While not ignoring the suffering in the world, we can choose not to adopt the suffering as our own. If we can do this, we leave ourselves more available to take in the potential joy of the next passing moment.

Now that we’ve removed the guilt, we can deal with the actual physical condition of the sukkah. It might be wet, cold or windy inside. Lots of bugs. Not exactly the picture of comfort we are used to. Perhaps the right guests didn’t come over. How do we infuse joy with the reality of our present sukkah situation on any given night?

In Hilchot Sukkah, the Tur asks why we celebrate Sukkot in Tishrei, when the weather is getting colder. Why not celebrate this festival as the weather gets warmer when it would be more inviting to sit outside? The Tur’s answer tests the true kavanah of our joy. Are we deriving enjoyment from the spending time outdoors in the nice weather, or is our joy coming from the fulfillment of a mitzvah?

The mitzvah of being joyful in the sukkah on Sukkot can actually serve as a barometer on how we feel about the concept of mitzvot in general because it calls into question our Kavanah. Several hundred years after the Tur, the Baal Shem Tov acknowledged the inherent tension in doing the mitzvah with the right kavanah. As written in Tzvat Harivash,

“When desirous to perform a mitzvah, make every effort to do so. Do not allow the yester hara to dissuade you by saying that to do so may lead you to pride. You make sure to do it anyway.”

You aren’t going to the sukkah because you’ve made it as cozy as your living room. Nor is it an excuse to invite your high profile friends to show them how pious you are. The joy is simply in the performing the mitzvah, no strings attached, and being open to whatever lies ahead inside that experience.

Finally, a deeper kavana to bring into your sukkah experience. Consider how you will consciously bring G-d’s presence into your sukkah. There are endless ways to do this through traditional rituals and blessings. But there is a kavanah which comes from the Sefat Emet which could help to infuse every moment under the sukkah as a moment to share with the divine.

Think of “the sukkah is like a huppah” says the Sefat Emet. “Hash-m is marrying Israel.” There is a sweet romantic imagery when we put ourselves under the divine huppah and get married to G-d. Few aspects of our culture are more joyous than a Jewish wedding - the icon of the Jewish simcha. Perhaps, if we can just bring a little of the joy that happens at a wedding into our sukkah this year, we can fulfill the mitzvah.

This Sukkot, be deliberate about bringing joy to your sukkah. Do not be intimidated by this task, but take your simcha seriously. Make it a joy for the sake of joy. Make your sukkah free of guilt. Do not ignore the passion of your commitments to justice, but do not be imprisoned by your cravings for change. So many reasons to be joyful exist, if we could only stop to notice them. Perhaps as we walk into our Sukkah, we can feel a joyous humility standing under a huppah with G!d. May all your sukkot be filled with holy sparks of joy, however they manifest themselves to you. Moadim L’simcha.