Joy
Joy, simchah, is different than happiness. Happiness arises from a pleasurable experience or due to biochemistry. It is external rather than internal. Joy, by contrast, arises from wholeness and fulfilment. That means joy can last while happiness is transitory.
The Rabbis talk of the “joy of the commandments (simchah shel mitzvot).” They mean the feeling of joy that arises from feeling connected to God, called upon to act, and to know that you are acting in a meaningful way. For them, those three feelings particularly arise around observing the commandments (mitzvot).
We need connection. When we feel we are part of something, when we feel a sense of connection to others, it satisfies something very deeply human. Sarah Miller at Rosh Hashanah beautifully talked about our epidemic of loneliness. We need more connection because it is deeply fulfilling.
We need to feel called upon. The Eden initiative is an approach to elderly care. In it, residents of nursing homes are given plants and animals that require their care. The impact of being needed, of being called upon, is immense. People who haven’t spoken in months or years recover their capacity for speech. Medication usage declines rapidly as capacities return. This example shows how important it is to feel called.
We need to feel that what we are called to do has meaning. Those elderly people know that the animals and plants need them. I often find people connect most intensely to Kol Emeth when they find a task for which they are needed. Dale Perlman has done more than anyone to have people feel needed at Kol Emeth. He reaches out and asks everyone to volunteer as ushers and greeters. Not only do they project a deep sense of welcome, but the volunteers themselves become more connected.
Sukkot is nearly here. During Sukkot we build our Sukkah, we shake our lulav and etrog, we surround ourselves with community, with commandments, and with meaning. This is why the Rabbis see Sukkot as the most joyous of holidays. It teaches us the origin of joy and shows the way to live more joyous lives.
Come celebrate with us. We need you whether at the Harvest Festival or services or to sit in the Sukkah. Sukkot and its practices are a master class in how to cultivate joy. Come celebrate with us, and takes its lesson of connection, calling, and meaning into the year.
Shabbat Shalom & a Joyous Sukkot,
Rabbi David Booth
Please note that CyberTorah will go on a holiday hiatus through October.
