Sukkot arrives on the heels of the Days of Awe, marking a profound shift in how we experience our relationship with God, with ourselves, and with the world around us. Whereas Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are days of judgment, introspection, and a sense of personal agency, Sukkot invites us to embrace the unknown—to dwell in vulnerability and to experience joy through a sense of surrender. The contrast between these holidays reflects a deep truth about life: there are moments when we must take control, and moments when we must release it.

The Duality of Yosef and Yehuda: Control and Surrender

In Jewish thought, two spiritual figures embody the tension between control and surrender: Yosef and Yehuda. Yosef represents the world of order and discipline, the tzaddik who governs Egypt with clarity and control. Yehuda, on the other hand, embodies surrender and fluidity—the wisdom of accepting what cannot be controlled. His path reflects the humility and trust required to embrace mystery and divine will.

The conflict between Yosef and Yehuda is not opposition but balance. Yosef’s structure builds stability, while Yehuda’s adaptability allows for renewal. Both are essential. On Sukkot, we are invited to channel Yehuda’s energy—to trust, to flow, to dwell in impermanence.

Sukkot: The Festival of Vulnerability

After the intensity of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we step out of our sturdy homes into the fragile sukkah, exposed to the elements. The sukkah teaches that no matter how hard we work to control our surroundings, ultimate security lies only in God’s protection. This vulnerability is not weakness—it is the birthplace of joy.

“The sukkah is open to the winds and rains, yet within it dwells the deepest peace.”

When discomfort arises, the nations of the world, the Midrash says, abandon their sukkot. But Israel remains, finding holiness in surrender. Sukkot challenges us to stay—to find meaning even when comfort disappears, to trust the process even when we do not understand it.

The Secret Joy of the Unknown

Yosef symbolizes the Torah we understand; Yehuda represents the Torah that transcends understanding. There is beauty in the mysteries we cannot solve. Sukkot celebrates this: the unpredictable weather, the fragile structure, the joy that blooms in uncertainty. It is precisely because we do not control the outcome that our faith becomes real.

The Emotional Movement of Sukkot: Joy Through Surrender

The lulav and etrog, waved in six directions, express life’s constant motion and the need to move with it. The physical act of shaking symbolizes emotional flexibility—the ability to remain centered amid uncertainty. The Arizal teaches that joy is greatest when we bring these symbols of motion into the sukkah, merging movement with surrender.

Sukkot and the End of Days: The Ultimate Test of Vulnerability

The Talmud says that, in the end of days, the nations will be tested with the mitzvah of the sukkah. When it grows uncomfortable, they will leave. True holiness, however, is measured not by control but by our ability to remain faithful in the unknown—to find joy precisely where certainty ends.

Sukkot calls us to embrace this truth: that in our fragility lies our strength, and in our surrender lies our greatest joy. When we step into the sukkah, we step into trust itself.

Based on teachings from Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky and insights from Torah and Chassidus.