Dear Friend,
My eldest son just became bar mitzvah on Yom Kippur (by the way, this section was a great prep tool). What is remarkable was that he even needed to show up to synagogue. After all, he entered Yom Kippur with a clean slate—so why ask forgiveness?
The truth is, between Yom Kippur and Sukkot we all have clean slates. We’ve just been forgiven on Yom Kippur. And with all the Sukkot prep, our sages say we don’t even have time to sin! This is why Sukkot is referred to in the Torah as “the first day.” After the hustle of putting up our sukkah, gathering the ingredients for our lulav and etrog, and all other preparations for the holiday, it’s the first opportunity for us to stray.
But then we walk into our sukkah, humbled by nature’s impermanence and reliant on G‑d’s protection. Appreciating the bounty of the past year, and confident that we’re deserving of a blessed year to come. We now have the energy and faith to continue in the path of Torah and mitzvahs for the entire year. That is true happiness, a theme of Sukkot.
If you have not yet gotten busy, here’s the quick guide to get started.
Gotta go, lots to do!
Wishing you a joyous Sukkot!
Moshe Rosenberg,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
