JOY

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well and had a special Yom Kippur.

Mazal Tov to Devorah Leah whose sister Esther had a daughter last week. Wishing you and Shmuly many simchos Devorah Leah.

Mazal Tov to Janine and Michal Milner who became grand-parents BH. Their son Gavin had a son. Wishing you much nachas from them and all your children. Mazal Tov Gavin! And we are expecting Mel and David to join us for one of the meals on Sukkos BEH!

Sukkos is called zman simchasenu - the time of our JOY, and there are many facets of joy through Sukkos, Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah.

But this week I would like to focus on the SUKKAH.

I remember once my mashpiah (mentor) said to me that neither JOY nor MIKVEH are direct mitzvos. Ie Torah does not command us to be happy, nor to use the mikveh. But by not keeping these, they have the capability of causing more damage chas veshalom, than doing an aveirah.

When there is a happy event, it is natural and easy to be happy.

But how do we stay happy for the rest of the week?

We are all constantly looking for ways to find happiness.

One way is to express gratitude.

And the way we express our gratitude to Hashem for all the kindnesses He showers on us each day, is by performing as many of His mitzvos, which we have been commanded by Him through Torah, each day.

And the mitzvah of Sukkah is such an easy one.

Every second that we sit inside the sukkah, no matter what we are doing there, is counted as mitzvah!- every second continuously, even if we are 'doing nothing'!

Providing for us opportunity for continual expression of gratitude and REAL JOY.

In the book Kesser Shem Tov, the Baal Shem Tov says the following:

'When one immerses in a MIKVEH, one is entirely enveloped in its spiritually purifying waters.

When one sits in a SUKKAH during the festival of Sukkos, one is entirely surrounded by the sukkah walls and enveloped in its spiritually charged atmosphere.

Immersing in a mikveh and sitting in a sukkah are spiritually related activities - they make us more receptive to spirituality.

And they are similar in the Divine lights that they draw down upon us.'

Inner happiness can be felt alone, but with exuberant happiness, one wants to share this joy with others. And our Rabbis stressed the importance of sharing the joy of the Festivals by inviting guests.

The Zohar teaches us that on Sukkos we have additional guests in our sukkah, who are not visible, from the spiritual realm - the 7 ushpizin.

On the first night these are Avraham Avinu [and The Baal Shem Tov (added by the Frierdike Rebbe)]!

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a wonderful Sukkos