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One of the lessons we can learn from the holiday of Sukkot based on the famous question rised by the Tur (Orach Chaim 625): Since Sukkot remembers the Exodus from Egypt, why do we celebrate it in the month of Tishrei? The Exodus happened in the month of Nissan…

The Lesson of Sukkot: Serving G-d in Every Situation

The Meaning of Sukkot

Right now, we are in the middle of the holiday of Sukkot, which literally means huts. The Torah tells the Jewish people that in the seventh month, the month of Tishrei, which is the end of the summer and the beginning of the autumn in the Land of Israel, people have to leave the comfort of their houses and live in huts for one week.

This represents the protection that G-d gives a person — that even in a precarious, less comfortable place, G-d will still protect you.

There are many teachings and lessons from this holiday, and I would like to share one idea.

Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher’s Question

There is a famous question raised by Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, who lived in France and then moved to Spain in the 1300s. He wrote one of the most famous books of Jewish law, called the Tur — the word “Tur” means a line.

In this work, he raises a question:

The Torah says that the reason we celebrate Sukkot is because when G-d took the Jewish people out of Egypt, He placed them in sukkot — whatever that means. There is an argument in the Talmud about whether these sukkot were actual huts that the people lived in as they traveled through the desert, or whether they were the Clouds of Glory that surrounded and protected the Jewish people from all kinds of harm.

The Timing of Sukkot

Aside from that argument, there’s a basic question. We left Egypt in the month of Nissan, which is the first month of the Jewish calendar — basically the beginning of the summer. Yet we celebrate Sukkot in Tishrei, six months later, in the autumn.

It doesn’t seem to make sense: why do we celebrate Sukkot in Tishrei when the event we are commemorating — leaving Egypt and dwelling in sukkot — took place in Nissan?

Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher’s Answer

Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher offers the following answer.

In the summer, when it’s hot, everybody wants to leave the comfort of their house and live in a hut, at least for a week. It’s pleasant — there’s air, it’s nice weather, and it makes sense to be outdoors. So if someone were to live in a hut then, it wouldn’t necessarily show any special devotion or faith.

However, in the autumn, who would do such a thing? Nobody. That’s the time when people naturally want to stay indoors, in the warmth and comfort of their homes.

So, G-d says: precisely at that time of year, I want you to leave your comfortable home and live in a hut for one week. Eat there, spend time there, some even sleep there — do everything you normally do in your home.

Why? To show that we are doing it not because of the weather, not because it’s convenient or pleasant, but because G-d commanded us to.

The Simple but Powerful Lesson

This is the answer Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher gives, and the simple lesson it teaches is very powerful.

Every single deed a person does, every word a person says, every thought a person thinks, must be done for the service of G-d — not just because it happens to occur or feels natural.

If I help someone, it shouldn’t just be because I happened to be there. It should be because by helping this person, I am serving G-d.

If I say something beautiful, it shouldn’t be just because it came to mind — it should be because I want to serve G-d through my words, to reveal G-d’s presence, goodness, and kindness in the world.

The Power of Thought

Even our thoughts have a real effect — on ourselves and on others. When we think negatively about someone, we can actually bring out negative qualities in that person.

How much more so when we think good about others — because goodness is much more powerful than evil.

Serving G-d in Every Situation

So the lesson is simple:
We must train ourselves to serve G-d in every situation in life — both in times of comfort (like the summer, when everyone would gladly live in a hut) and in times of discomfort.

Whatever we do, whatever we say, whatever we think, should be connected to our service of G-d.

Discours du rabbin Tuvia Serber

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