Keeping the Inspiration

The High Holidays season has been really meaningful. The richness of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy, combined with an outpouring of meaningful tefila and heartfelt ruach, has been uplifting for our kehila. Yom Kippur was a special gift, allowing us to set aside most physical pleasures for about 25 hours. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, we were on an incredibly high spiritual level. The shofar sounded and with great elation, we declared, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” A few minutes later, we broke our fasts and began “normal” life yet again. The mundane routine, which includes everything from mortgage payments to carpool lanes and everything in between, was waiting for us as we began another year. How is it possible to retain any inspiration from these auspicious days? ​ It is not a coincidence that Sukkos falls just a few days after Yom Kippur. Sukkos represents the idea of infusing holiness and spirituality into the mundane. One takes some wood and palm fronds and builds a hut, or takes a lulav and an esrog and makes a blessing over these species. That is the quintessential example of infusing spirituality into the mundane. The reality is that we are unable to maintain a spiritual level comparable to our standing on Yom Kippur. G-d does not expect from us something that we are incapable of delivering. However, we are tasked with the responsibility of infusing and elevating our materialistic endeavors with spirituality. ​ Sukkos embodies the pinnacle of this noble idea. Let us harness the holiness of Yom Kippur and instill it into our sukkah walls (lattice, of course, in Florida), palm fronds, and lulavim. Once we learn the art of practicing this on Sukkos, we should have a head start on elevating the mundane for the rest of the year. ​ Have a Peaceful Shabbos, ​ Rabbi Yaakov Fisch