There are moments when we get to peel back the curtain of consciousness and gain a rare glimpse of G‑d’s perspective of creation.

For G‑d, there is no us and Him. No big G‑d and no small world. G‑d sees us as part of Him, not as a separate creation. But because we live behind the veil of construed reality, we spend most of our time identifying as separate from G‑d.

And then comes Sukkot. Sukkot is a week of realizing that the active relationship I crave with G‑d is always here.

The sukkah represents a place where we were surrounded by G‑d’s care. It represents the Clouds of Glory that journeyed along with us in the desert—a time when we had no doubt that G‑d was involved in our lives, protecting and providing for our every need.

Every Sukkot, we are invited back into that consciousness of absolute care. We get a VIP invitation into G‑d’s hut—G‑d’s reality, so to speak.

And first things first: G‑d tells us to be ridiculously happy. “And you shall rejoice in your Festival.”1

Just as the Clouds of Glory enveloped us and protected us everywhere we went, G‑d is reminding us that we are not individuals living our own solitary lives. He is with us, in all of it. The sukkah is a holy place, a mitzvah, a space that reminds us that G‑d’s presence, the Shechinah, is here, dwelling with us.

And so, one may naturally think: we go into the sukkah, say some concentrated prayers and leave, returning to our daily routine.

Quite the opposite.

G‑d says, please stay. I don’t want you to live a fragmented life, where you feel there are moments of holiness where I am present, and the rest of the time you feel we have no connection. Feel at home. Bring Me into your chill, your eating, your laughter. Bring all of yourself into My space, My sukkah. Make My space your space. Let’s fuse that cosmic gap and be one. Let’s have a wholesome relationship. For the entire week of Sukkot, we have a mitzvah to do our normal activities inside the sukkah.

And so we take our normal life activities—munching on apple crisp, schmoozing, marveling at the leaves changing colors—and we bring them into the sukkah. We bring them into a state of heightened awareness of G‑d’s presence and involvement in our lives.

The week of sukkot is permeated with joy—the joy of knowing that not only does G‑d want to connect with us in the synagogue, but He wants a relationship with us in our mundane affairs, our 9-5 jobs, our commutes, businesses, hobbies, habits and dreams. He doesn’t just want the polished, groomed version of me; the shiny, finished article. He is present through the painstaking editing process.

And so, those simple acts in the sukkah are infused with joy. The joy of knowing that I don’t need to do life all on my own. That I never had to. That I was never alone. G‑d is here, experiencing all of it with me.

The mitzvah of the sukkah binds my normal life and my desire to connect to the Divine. The knowledge that G‑d is present in my mundane acts causes unbounded joy. And so, dance we must. What else is there to do with such a joy of knowing G‑d loves us and wants to be with us through it all?

The sukkah is a temporary dwelling. But that doesn’t mean the experience is limited to one week. It is just the beginning. It is welcoming me into a deeper truth.

Dwelling in the sukkah allows me to download an entire zip file of consciousness, called, “Us.” G‑d doesn’t just want a one-week pop-up shop. He wants a home with me. He wants me to become the sukkah, the holy vessel, where He dwells throughout the year. He wants my mind and heart, within my human experience, to become His mishkan, His sanctuary, His home sweet home.

This can be a hard one to wrap our minds around. G‑d wants to have a home within me. Me? Why me? With all my deficiencies? No, thanks. I mean really, how could G‑d live there? Me with all my problems, why would G‑d want to make a home in my heart?

And then the rewiring begins. Consciousness is downloaded as we eat a chocolate-chip cookie in the sukkah.

  1. G‑d wants me to be happy.
  2. G‑d is present during my mundane acts of life.
  3. If I know that G‑d is present during these mundane acts, then maybe I can invite G‑d into my daily life? Maybe I don’t need to feel that I need to leave the door shut on this relationship. Maybe I can invite G‑d into every part of my life.
  4. I can tap into the unbounded joy of knowing that an infinite G‑d wants me to make a permanent home in my heart for Him all year round. G‑d is present in my life and along for the ride.

As we dwell in the sukkah, we are conscious that G‑d wants to be a part of all our mundane moments and bring them into His hut, His presence. We remember that He wants to be included in the simplicity of tying our shoelaces. He doesn’t just care when we are at shul praying, He also is present for our morning coffee under the palm branches of the sukkah. This heightened awareness of G‑d’s care is what causes our unbounded joy.

For one week, let’s remember that we live in the same house. G‑d is saying, so to speak: You live in Me, and I live in you. I placed My spark of infinity within your finite being. Enjoy a one-week vacation from separate consciousness, and a year’s worth of downloading the unbounded care and presence that is available to us always.

As I link my human experience with how G‑d is experiencing it with me, the mundane moments become meaningful, and the mitzvah moments become magical.