By Rabbi Lauren Henderson – Congregation Or Hadash
At the end of our Kol Nidre services, I spoke about how Yom Kippur is like a temporal mikvah—a 25-hour immersive experience where we let go of all external distractions and needs and completely immerse ourselves in the purifying process that is this day.
But just as we’re not meant to stay in the mikvah forever (our fingers and toes would get very pruney!), neither are we meant to linger in Yom Kippur forever. It would be beautiful to just float in these purifying waters forever, and I often encourage my conversion students to linger in the mikvah after the three immersions are completed. But ultimately, both the mikvah and Yom Kippur are asking us to re-enter the world changed, renewed.
And so then we arrive at Sukkot.
I think Sukkot can also be thought of as a mikvah experience, but one that bridges us from the completely internal world of Yom Kippur—in the heart and spirit—to the external world of action.
On Sukkot, the mitzvah is to dwell in a sukkah: literally, to completely immerse ourselves inside this structure. There’s a holiness in the experience of just letting ourselves bask within these four walls, taking in the protection, the radiance, the joy; letting ourselves be fully held within the Divine embrace.
And then we’re asked to invite others to dwell there with us.
The practice of inviting ushpizin, guests, is an invitation to open our sukkot to both the literal guests—family, friends, and neighbors—and the spiritual ones – ancestors, middot, divine attributes.
The immersion in Yom Kippur effects a deep transformation within us, a change of heart and mind-state that is then translated into action, and Sukkot gives us that opportunity to immediately act upon that renewed intention in concrete and tangible ways.
Chag sameach!