What are you going to take out of Sukkot? For one week, we will live in a home that has somewhere between two and a half to four walls; a home where you can see the nighttime sky; a home where bugs and maybe even animals come in. Sukkot is also a holiday where you shake a group of objects around in many different directions. But, why? Sukkot, like all holidays, is a time for reflection.

While you sit in the sukkah and when you shake the lulav, etrog, hadassim and aravot around, think, why am I doing this? What am I gaining?

You are gaining a lot more than you think. You gain the knowledge that Hashem loves you and is always there. When you shake the Lulav with all its parts in different directions, it reminds us that Hashem is everywhere. Additionally, during the year we live in houses with four walls. We live in a place where it is not easy for animals to come in. We live extremely comfortably. When we live in the Sukkah, we should recognize everything that we have is because of Hashem. It gives us greater appreciation and makes us thankful for some things we take for granted. Sukkot teaches us the difference between a home and a house. It teaches us what we need and what we can live without. Sukkot teaches us that Hashem gives us what we need and more. May Hashem give us our needs and wants that are good for us this year and may we recognize His hand and thank Him.