´óÏó´«Ã½

Harvey Belovski, rabbi at Golders Green United Synagogue: 
We are in the middle of the festival of Sukkot, so the Belovski tribe are spending as much time as possible this week in our Sukkah, which gives the festival its name.  As you probably know, it’s a kind of temporary hut outside our house, where we eat, chat, contemplate and, if you’re crazy enough, sleep. This may seem a little mad, but we do go indoors if it rains, especially as the roof is flimsy – just leaves and sticks.  I recall waking up one year in the middle of the night absolutely soaked and on another, to what I think was a hungry rat nibbling on my leg.  Yet the week is tremendous fun, and we are fortunate to have a lovely Sukkah decorated with children’s artwork and rope lights. 
Behind this eccentric behaviour lies a simple, yet potent idea – life is temporary, and every moment is precious.  A hut without a proper roof looks like a secure, dry building, but the weather often reminds us that it is not.  The Sukkah is a metaphor for life itself and it’s good to remember from time to time that we won’t always be here. I suspect that many of us live as though we will be here forever, thinking we’re invincible.  It might be taking risks with our health or driving dangerously.  Or damaging relationships with our loved ones, convinced there will always be time to fix them.  It might even be disregarding the spiritual side of our lives, convinced that the future will provide a chance to focus on it.  
The Sukkah reminds us – ever so gently – that life is unpredictable and that we might not be around tomorrow, let alone next year. Yet Sukkot isn’t a miserable time.  In fact, it’s the most joyous week of the Jewish year.  This might seem counterintuitive, but I believe that gaining a realistic perspective on life and rethinking our priorities so we can get the most out of every day, is the greatest reason of all to celebrate.  In fact, we enjoy good food, wine and company – when permitted – throughout the festival. On Sukkot, we drink a toast to life itself, with all its ups and down and remember that joy is a serious business.