Alive & Moving with Joy

B"H

Tonight begins the unique holiday of Sukkot. While we must be joyful during ALL holidays, Sukkot is known most as
a festival of joy.
I heard an interesting class today, which discussed the fact that everything in the world is moving. To be alive means to be constantly moving.
Our heartbeat must constantly move, our breath as well. One can marvel at the remarkable consistency of the waves of the ocean. EVEN minerals
show a life force in action (extraction of fission energy). This movement occurs because all of creation is connected to its source, A G-dly life force perpetually
infusing everything with life. And life=movement. We see this by the fact that everything that's alive-moves. The only being that stops moving at times is us human beings.
(An animal stops bc it's his built in nature; you won't find a tiger though, staying in for the day b/c he wants to sleep in :) We humans at times, Decidedly stop. We lie on the
couch or stay glued to a TV, or worse yet one can fall into a depressive state. How come humans can stop moving, can stop appearing alive?
B/C we are able to forget that we are connected to our life force.
When one realizes that at every moment (even when things are apparently going bad in your life) you are directly connected to your life force, G-d,
one becomes joyous, happy. This is even many times expressed in movement; dancing or actively sharing this feeling with another-because knowing you are connected to your life force
brings life & therefore movement.
Therefore, being happy isn't becoming something new, rather it's going to the natural state a creation in this physical world is supposed to be. Alive, moving. You are connected-therefore happy and alive.

As we approach Sukkot tonight, let's truly feel this "simchah"-joy, through recognizing that our life force is constantly being revitalized by our G-d, b/c He Is Willing us into creation at every moment.
Shake the lulav and etrog, dine with family & friends under a Sukkah-all in joy, for joy is the way Judaism is meant to be lived.

-daniel

P.S. 3074 Renault St., SD, CA 92122---anyone is invited to come eat under our sukkah Wed., Thurs., or Fri. night. Chag Sameach!