The Kabbalah of Sukkot: Embracing G-d*
"You shall dwell in Sukkos for seven days... so that you will
know, for all generations, that I had the Children of Israel
dwell in Sukkos, when I took them out of the Land of Egypt; I am
G-d your G-d." Leviticus
We live in a world of time and space, a world made of countless,
ever-changing and often conflicting details. However, this
endless diversity hides the truth - that in essence, everything
is one.
Kabbalah explains that there is absolutely nothing outside of
G-d. But, in order to allow us the experience of personal
existence, G-d conceals this fundamental truth. He contracts and
hides His infinite presence, and in doing so allows us to be.
Like Alice in Wonderland, we live our lives in a 'through the
looking glass' world, trapped within the illusion that we are
the true reality and that G-d, if He exists at all, is somewhere
outside of us, separate and not entirely real.
But on Sukkos this illusion begins to break down. As we sit
inside the Sukkah we experience an existential joy. This joy
stems from a soul awareness of the truth - that we exist not
separate from G-d, but within Him. As we sit within the Sukkah
we are sitting inside G-d.
THE ILLUSION OF CERTAINTY
One evening, a couple of years ago, I had an oddly powerful
experience. I was in my room getting ready for bed. I was going
through the usual routine, brushing my teeth, washing my face,
all the while looking forward to getting into my snug safe bed
and really relaxing.
But suddenly, for a moment, my perspective shifted. I realized
that the feeling of security I was experiencing wasn't about
simply being released from the pressures and demands of the day.
It was the repetitiveness and predictability of my regular
nighttime routine that was making me feel safe.
At that moment my four walls didn't seem so solid anymore. I saw
that my safety, my invulnerability, was an illusion. That in
reality, the solid structure that allowed me to feel safe and
secure was anything but solid.
What I realized then was this: Although preparing for sleep felt
like being in a safe, protective space, safety doesn't come from
routine. No matter what we pretend, life is never entirely
certain. Rather than being solid, defined and predictable, it is
actually fluid, unpredictable and always new.
CONTINUOUS CREATION
According to Kabbalah, this is a core principle of Creation. Our
universe is actually not a solid, immutable reality at all. It
exists in a fluid and dynamic state known as continuous
creation.
The world exists at this moment only because G-d is consciously
and deliberately choosing to bring it into existence. In fact,
Kabbalah explains that the natural state of the universe is
non-existence. If G-d were to stop 'speaking' the words of
Creation for even an instant, the whole universe would disappear
as if it had never been. This makes it, despite the evidence of
our senses, as far from a solid reality as anything could be.
However, in concealing His infinite presence, G-d allows us to
exist as limited and defined personalities in a physical world.
Without this concealment we would exist - but only like light
within the body of the sun. There, but not as a defined or
separate reality.
However, this concealment is only a starting point. It is not
meant to remain in force forever. Our task, especially in these
unprecedented, transformational times, is to seek out and
perceive the truth - to remain human, yes, but in a way that
allows us to relate to reality as it really is.
LIVING ON MIRACLES
After the Exodus from Egypt, the Jews wandered for forty years
in the desert, an arid an inhospitable environment that did not
support life. Nevertheless, they survived. They lived through
continuous miracles - the manna that fell from heaven each day
and the Clouds of Glory that protected them from the blazing sun
and heat. Their survival, on a moment-to-moment basis, was so
clearly dependent on G-d that it was impossible to sustain the
illusion that it was natural in any way
Over those forty years, the awareness of G-d's real, constant
and protective presence was implanted deep within the Jewish
psyche. Although this tangible awareness has since been
challenged by thousands of years of exile, it remains imprinted
in our spiritual DNA. It awaits only the right circumstances to
rise to the surface once again.
GOG AND MAGOG - THE WAR AT THE END OF DAYS
The prophets describe a final war - the war of Gog and Magog -
that will take place immediately before the messianic
redemption. After this war the world will forever recognize and
embrace the truth of G-d and the Torah.
The Hebrew word Gog means roof. It alludes to the sense of
protection and security we get from physical things. As the
world approaches its ultimate destiny, humankind must undergo a
transformation in its consciousness. Part of this transformation
involves the awareness that our security and protection come not
from physical possessions, but from G-d.
EXPRESSING INFINITY WITHIN THE FINITE
Each of us is a walking paradox, an unlikely marriage of a
finite, physical body and an infinite soul. Our bodies, and the
perceptions that go with them, are subject to the limiting
parameters of time and space, including our past-based failures
and fears. But the soul is free of these constrictions. From the
soul's perspective there are no limits at all.
The soul enters the confines of the body with a mission - to
transform the limitations of the physical universe, to change
the very nature of what it means to be physical. Ultimately,
instead of concealing its infinite Divine source, this finite,
physical world is destined to become the fullest and most open
expression of it.
Since the physical world is being created anew at every single
moment, the present moment contains infinite Divine potential.
As part of our mission we are empowered to use this potential to
create a transformed reality, unfettered by the limitations of
the past.
THE SUKKAH TELLS THE TRUTH
Unlike our everyday environment, the Sukkah doesn't tell us any
lies. It reflects reality as it actually is. Its roof is a
simple canopy of leaves and branches, open to the sky.
Insubstantial in its physical structure, the Sukkah invites us
to abandon the illusion that physical things - a 'roof' - can
either protect or limit us.
In addition to being insubstantial, the Sukkah is temporary.
This fact encourages us to step out of the limiting boundaries
of a past- and future-based perspective and embrace the truly
unlimited potential that is only available in the present.
The Sukkah calls us to the truth. And as we listen to G-d's
command, remember the miracles with which we left Egypt, and
enter the insubstantial, impermanent and intensely powerful
embrace of the Sukkah, we acknowledge this truth. We acknowledge
it not only with our minds, but with our bodies as well. We let
go of the illusions with which we surround ourselves and embrace
the essence of what life is.
The Sukkah makes us vulnerable. But paradoxically, this
vulnerability is our greatest power. We were vulnerable when we
began our journey out of exile, and we will be vulnerable when
we conclude it. But far from making us weak, this vulnerability
allows to embrace our unlimited source and unique destiny. In
letting go of our dependence on the physical, on the "roof", we
embrace our own true nature. We are partners in Creation, Divine
beings made in the image of G-d.
THE FINAL TRANSFORMATION
The prophets tell us that at the end of days the Jewish nation
will be threatened by powerful hostile forces. This threat will
be so great that our human strength will not be enough to
overcome it.
At that point, the prophets say, we will at long last abandon
the core illusions of Creation. The elusive security of physical
things will lose its power to deceive us. We will remember the
truth. We will turn to G-d wholeheartedly, and in doing so will
allow the Divinity concealed within Creation and within
ourselves to shine forth in its full brightness. We will elicit
the Divine revelation and protection that is our destiny.
As we move our lives into the Sukkah, we are doing far more than
fulfilling a commandment or commemorating the past. On some
essential level we are living the future. We are embracing
reality. We are embracing our destiny.
We are embracing G-d.