Sukkot Day One: The Secret of Love

Description

One of the important challenges facing us today as we celebrate Sukkot is how to make it personally relevant … how to make it come alive … how to answer our children when they ask us: “Why do we eat in a makeshift hut?” Or, “Why do we wave four species for seven days?” Is it enough to tell them that the Torah says so and that we have been keeping this tradition for thousands of years?

Mechanical holidays celebrated by rote will ultimately lead to waning observance. Likewise, perpetuating our rich heritage – in a crowded marketplace aggressively competing for our time and attention – cannot depend merely on guilt or fear or blind commitment. It must include a personal dimension that makes the tradition indispensable to our lives.

With charming anecdotes, witty stories and psychological insights, this sermon deciphers and demystifies the power of the sukkah and the four species, and translates their symbolism into a formula for healthy relationships and a model for enduring love. This holiday teaches us the secret of connections – the two key ingredients vital in building and maintaining a loving relationship.