The Time of Our Rejoicing

From the Desk of Cheryl Hauer

In his book, “60 Days, A Spiritual Guide to the Holidays,” Rabbi Simon Jacobson says this about Sukkot:

Eating festive meals and spending time outdoors in the Sukkah offer a meaningful and unique spiritual experience. Some people have the custom of decorating their Sukkah with elaborate ornaments; others keep it simple and unadorned. But no matter your style, the Sukkah is the only mitzvah in which we are completely surrounded from head to toe by the mitzvah itself – as if we are wrapped in the divine presence. In Psalm 27, which we recite during these days, we read, “He will hide me in His tabernacle on the day of adversity; He will conceal me in the hidden place of His tent; He will lift me up upon a rock.”

This is Sukkot. When we are surrounded and protected by the sukkah, Jacobson says, it is called the time of our rejoicing – the rejoicing of God, with [His people], and the rejoicing of [His people] with God. They both fuse into one harmonious celebration of heaven and earth.

Rabbi Jacobson also reminds us that the bible calls Sukkot a time of rejoicing.

Armies once had the custom of singing victory songs as they went to war. Why would they sing a victory song when they had not yet begun to fight? To express the conviction that they would win! This conviction lifted the soldiers’ morale and inspired them to fight more valiantly, secure in their certain victory.

Sukkot is this victory song, Jacobson says. Because we are enveloped in the presence of God, we are able to transcend our uncertainties and fears, our vulnerabilities. We are able to access a greater strength that inspires us to be joyous. And that joy is an expression of the celebration of life – of our indispensable purpose, which is to connect to our heavenly Father. During Sukkot, we celebrate this connection. We dance and sing with unadulterated joy.

We reach out to our friends, our neighbors, even to strangers, and invite them into our Sukkah. We embrace them, recognizing in them the image of God. Our purpose in life becomes very, very clear: It is to exist, ensconced in the presence of God, filled with His joy, and sharing that joy with all around us.

For Christians, the message of Sukkot is a powerful one, a reminder of what our existence should look like as children of the Most High God, not just during the holiday, but every day. Celebrating Sukkot just gives us a remarkable opportunity to focus on God’s protection and deliverance and His direction for our lives. If you missed an opportunity to spend time in a Sukkah this year, take heart. There is always next year, and you have 365 days to prepare.

If you are one of the countless Christians around the world who today are recognizing their identity as grafted-in members of the commonwealth of Israel (See Roman 9, 10 and 11) and participating in the incredible annual cycle of the biblical holidays,

Blessings and Shalom,

Issachar Community