Let’s analyze this. What is the outcome of exile, besides the obvious physical displacement? There is disorientation, resulting from being cut off from everything that is routine, comfortable, and safe. We are forced to reevaluate, to start over. The self imposed exile that follows the judgment of the High Holidays is an opportunity for us to extract ourselves from the whirlwind of our lives, and reevaluate our goals, relationships, actions, and behaviors. The Sukkah serves as our own personal decompression chamber, from which we can emerge from, and return to our lives, refreshed, reoriented, and re-energized.

Well, today things changed. You see, in order to put up the frame of the Sukkah, I needed to get right next to the railing. At first I was nervous, but as I focused on the work, instead of the drop, my fear began to dissipate. Once I put the canvas up, which blocked the view, I was fine. I could walk right up to the edge with not even a tinge of anxiety. The 18 story drop was still just inches in front of me, but because the canvas was preventing me from seeing it, I acted as though it was not even there.

The Hebrew word for world is “olam”, which also means “hidden”. God is “hidden” in the world. He is revealed only to those who actively seek him out. The rest see a world ruled only by the law of nature, where evil flourishes, and the powerful dominate the weak. Divine justice and judgment are hidden behind this “canvas”, allowing Man to act with free will. All we need to do is to peek behind the canvas to see the awesome truth. Most of us would rather continue living in our illusion of safety. It’s so easy to do just that. The Sukkah reminds us that that safety is really just an illusion, hiding the awesome truth.

May we be blessed with the clarity to see behind the canvas of our own Sukkah.