The Time of Our Rejoicing … The Rambam speaks at length about the great importance of … joy. “Joy … in doing the mitzvos and in loving the Almighty … is a great form of service. And whoever refrains from this joy deserves to be punished. As it says: ‘Because you didn’t serve Hashem … with joy and a good heart.’$$separate quotes$$” (Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus Succos)

My succah is a five-star hotel walls covered with lovely homemade decor a roof of bamboo and an indescribable Divine fragrance.

But afterwards my hotel is stored away. With a sigh I return to the Land of Gray Routine.

I want to take something from this Divine holiday to remain in my heart for the long year: A little joy.

Joy per se doesn’t change a person’s situation … doesn’t add … The lack of it doesn’t detract. There could be a situation where he lost money but since he doesn’t know about it he’s still happy.… There could be a person with a great fortune and nevertheless he’s not happy … because he doesn’t recognize the worth of the money. … But when one sees a happy person it’s a sign that he’s aware of the worth of what he has. 

Joy isn’t a situation.

Joy is knowledge — recognition.

A person buys a lottery ticket goes home in his simple car complaining all the way about the traffic jams and the price of gasoline. Two days later he wins thirty million dollars. But he doesn’t bother to check his ticket and never goes to go to claim it.

Two months go by. Mr. Millionaire is continuing to live like a pauper. He’s a millionaire! He just doesn’t know it.

Joy is not in what one has. Joy is in how much one knows about what he has.

“What do I have to be happy about?” people ask. “I know myself and I know that I’m worthless.” Sometimes in the midst of Simchas Beis HaShoeivah dancing a Jew says to me: “Only true tzaddikim can be joyful about the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah. But I’m not a tzaddik — what should I be happy about?

That’s an example of a person with tremendous treasures in his pocket. Because after all the Torah itself bears witness that there’s something to rejoice about. But he doesn’t use these treasures. It’s comparable to a dark house where no one cares to open the windows. (ibid.)

Sit a minute in the succah. No don’t get up don’t serve don’t sweep. Sit quietly. Look at the wonderful children Hashem has given you how pure and noble are their faces. See how content your life is. You’re able to function as a mother and a wife.

You sit in Hashem’s succah shielded and enveloped by His Clouds. And all the tension outside doesn’t penetrate these thin wooden walls.

The whole world keeps running in confusion to nowhere seeking happiness that doesn’t exist. I’ve merited to be a daughter of the Chosen People to live my life differently attaining happiness every moment. I sit hidden in this succah of peace surrounded by holiness.

I’m a Jewish woman purified from Yom Kippur close to Hashem from Elul and Rosh HaShanah and drawing forth full quantities of joy from this spiritual holiday.

The Time of our Rejoicing was given so that we may make use of all the treasures we have mainly what we built during Rosh HaShanah and on Yom Kippur. So that we may bring them forth from potential to actuality and when they are an existing reality we can with Hashem’s help make use of them for the whole year.

When a Jew recognizes the fact that the Ribono shel Olam loves him and thereby lives with that concept his whole life changes immediately. Suddenly he’s filled with joy. (Just as I can’t deny that if my father had two million dollars my holiday joy would look different. Because from my deep connection with him I know that if I were to ask his help in paying off my debts he would help me and with that knowledge my joy would be more whole.)

But if this knowledge is buried deep within the Jew’s heart under many layers of sadness and trivia it’s no wonder that he’s worried and bothered all the time like one who chas v’shalom has no Creator who loves him at all. 

I’m happy. My Father is a millionaire Who leaves me millions every morning. I have everything I need. And I’m able to continue to ask.

Joy doesn’t build anything. Joy is an instrument that surrounds the true reality that already exists in a person and allows him to face  the true facts as they’ve always been for him and to live with them. (ibid.)

I had to escape for a holiday in my shining little succah in order to know that. In order to remind myself.

In order to be happy.