The 8 day holiday of Sukkot started Monday evening, at sundown.
During Sukkot we build, and then dwell in, a temporary outdoor structure called a Sukkah. There are three mitzvot we observe during this holiday: Sit in the sukkah, shake the lulav and etrog (a beautifully bound collection of palm, myrtle, and willow branches, along with the bumpy, lemon like citrus fruit), and….
BE HAPPY!
That’s right. After the deep introspective work we embarked upon during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we turn our attention outward. With the final Tekiyah Gedolah (long blast on the shofar) we bring all we gleaned from our teshuvah (atonement), prayer, and fasting into the world. We are fortified for the year ahead. We are inspired and dedicated to make the world more just and healthy. We ground ourselves by sitting in the sukkah. There is nothing more appropriate, at this point on the Jewish calendar, than to feel joyous!
What’s next? We culminate the whole High Holy day season with a full on dance party during Simchat Torah. And who’s our dance partner? Torah!
Simchat Torah is a time of celebrating cycles. Torah is a holy spiral. When we end, we begin again, but from a new perspective. We have gained another year of knowledge, experience, insight. We bring this to Torah. We bring this to our lives, and we begin again.
We hope you can join us Tuesday, September 28, at 7pm as we celebrate and dance with Torah. The plan is to have our dance party outside, in the backyard. See you there!
Moadim l’simcha!
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