In the Jewish tradition, and even across other religions, many holidays celebrate milestones or achievements, or commemorate significant somber moments.
In the Jewish tradition, Passover is when we celebrate the exodus from Egypt and the end of slavery.
Shavuot is when we celebrate God’s revelation at Mount Siani.
Purim and Chanukah celebrate victories over enemies who tried to annihilate us.
Rosh Hashana celebrates the anniversary of creation and Yom Kippur celebrates our chance to start over.
And then there is Sukkot. We build a hut in the backyard that commemorates the long span of time that the Jewish people wandered in the desert.
The commandment for the holiday is to rejoice.
But what, exactly. are we celebrating?
There’s no victory or milestone in wandering the desert. There’s no overt miracle like the splitting of the sea.
And that’s the point.
The holiday of Sukkot teaches us to celebrate the journey.
It teaches us to celebrate the magic of every day miracles.
This holiday teaches us that we don’t need a reason to celebrate or find joy. Joy is always available.
Joy is not dependent on achieving a victory or resolving an issue. It doesn’t demand certainty.
Joy is an inside job, available to us in any moment that we choose to be present.
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