The Joy of Sukkot: The Heavenly Hideaway

The Joy of Sukkot: The Heavenly Hideaway
Tishrei 14, 5770/ October 1, 2009

On Rosh HaShana we stood before the eternal King, and with one hundred blasts of the shofar we declared His sovereignty over all creation. On Yom Kippur we stood again before the King and Judge of all living creatures, and with prayer and supplication and teshuva we strove to return to ourselves, and to the path that G-d has set before us, writing ourselves into His Book of Life. And now Sukkot is upon us, lifting us higher as we recreate the clouds of glory that surrounded us as we exited Egypt and made our way across the wilderness, heading toward the promised land of Israel. What greater proof exists of G-d's forgiveness and His love for His children than to dwell seven days inside our sukkot - His Divine embrace - nothing less!

In the end of days, the great confirmation and manifestation of G-d's presence in every moment and detail of our lives, which is the message of Sukkot, will be shared by all who place their trust in the G-d of Israel:

"And it will come to pass that everyone left of the nations who came up against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to prostrate himself to the King, the L-rd of Hosts, and to celebrate the festival of Tabernacles." (Zechariah 14:16)

The 5770 Sukkah Building Special

There is no time better spent than the time we spend in the sukkah, and this remarkable spiritual odyssey begins with the building of the sukkah. Join Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven as they build their classic Jerusalem sukkah. Along the way the Rabbi shares his pearls of Torah wisdom. Chock-full of adventure, breathtaking insights, and occasional mishap, you will not want to miss a minute of this timeless documentary. Truly a must-see!
This 28 minute Light to the Nations teaching can be viewed in full on UniversalTorah.com, or in three parts, (high quality) on youTube.com.

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss the unbearable joy of being... being in the Sukkah, that is. What is it about this festival that is so joyous? Could it be that it's all part of the spiritual crescendo that is the Tishrei cycle of Hashem's appointed times? Join us for an unprecedented in-depth look at seven days that will shake your world. From the Yom Kippur encounter with G-d and with self, straight into the Sukkah... the Heavenly hideaway!

Click here to learn more about how Sukkot is observed in the Holy Temple.

Chag Sukkot Sameach - A Joy-filled Sukkot to all,

Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
http://www.templeinstitute.org/