Insight of the Week

Sukkot & Contentment


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One of the prophets, Habakuk (1:14), compared the human being to fish – ותעשה אדם כדגי הים . Rav Shlomo Alkabetz explains this analogy by noting that if one catches a large fish and opens it, he will see smaller fish in its stomach, as large fish eat small fish. Surprisingly, however, the small fish's bodies are in the opposite direction of the large fish. We would have assumed that the small fish run away from the large fish, and are then caught, so their bodies should be facing the same direction as the large fish that devoured them. But when we cut open the large fish, we see the small fish facing the opposite direction, as though they swam right into the large fish's mouth! The reason, Rav Alkabetz explained, is because the small fish indeed run away from the large fish – but just when they think they've escaped, another large fish appears, and the small fish swim right into its mouth…. We are like fish. At any given time, we have one or perhaps two "large fish" chasing after us, one or two problems which we desperately need to solve. And we think that once we get that one issue under control, then our lives will be perfect. But as soon as that problem is solved, right away we come across another… We are never fully in control of our lives, and this is something we need to learn to accept. So many people spend their lives waiting to have full control. They think, if they just made another $20,000 they will be happy. If they could just solve this problem with such-and-such child, or marry him or her off, then they will be happy. If they could just afford to fix such-and-such problem with the house, then they will be happy. But this doesn't work. Because as soon as one problem is solved, another one pops up. We need to learn to be happy and content RIGHT NOW, with whatever we have and don't have at this very moment. No matter how imperfect life is, we can experience joy and satisfaction. The holiday of Sukkot is observed at the conclusion of the harvest season, after farmers have completed the process of harvesting and collecting their produce. The Torah therefore refers to this Yom Tov as חג האסיף – "the holiday of the gathering." In agrarian societies, this was a time of year when people felt the proudest and the most financially secure. The warehouses were filled with grain, bringing them great satisfaction. And specifically during this time of year, the Torah commands us to leave our comfortable, stable homes and reside in a small, cramped, temporary sukkah , and to reexperience our ancestors' conditions when they travelled in the wilderness. Moreover, we are commanded ושמחת בחגך – to experience special joy on this Yom Tov. In fact, during the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash , a special שמחת בית השואבה celebration was held in the Bet Ha'mikdash , which featured special festivity. On no other Yom Tov was this celebration held. The Torah is teaching us that we must never look to material success as our source of joy and contentment. Specifically when the warehouses are full, when the bank accounts are doing well, when the portfolio is worth many times more than our original investment, we are told to experience unbridled joy and contentment not in our large, comfortable homes, but in a small, simple sukkah . The lesson being taught is that we must be able to feel happy and content in whatever condition we find ourselves. If we make our contentment dependent on any particular factor, we will never be happy – because as soon as that wish is fulfilled, we will find that we have another "big fish" chasing us, another problem to deal with, another unfulfilled wish to pursue. In order to live a truly happy life, we need to be able to rejoice inside a sukkah – even under less-than-ideal conditions, when things aren't exactly the way we want them. We need to look to find Hashem's blessings in all situations, and to celebrate the fact that we are privileged to have Him in our lives, a precious gift that should bring us joy no matter what struggles we are dealing with.
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Insight of the WeekBy Rabbi Joey Haber

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