Awakening Our Surrounding Light

During the month of Virgo, we have cleansed our consciousness; during Rosh Hashanah we planted seeds of consciousness; and on Yom Kippur we rewrote the script of our movie for the upcoming year. Yet, if we would like to reveal our full potential and achieve the heights that we are meant to achieve in the coming year, we are still missing one very important component. That component is the drive, the motivation, to be all that we can be. Where does a person’s motivation for greatness come from? Why is it that one person is hungry to achieve more, while another is satisfied and complacent?

Sukkot is a very simple and joyful cosmic window. It does not require much effort, but it holds within it a huge priceless gift.

On Sukkot, we have the opportunity to awaken our Surrounding Light (Ohr Makif). The kabbalists explain that there are different qualities of Light present in our lives.

• Inner Light is the Light that we have already earned. It is comprised of all of the life lessons and accomplishments that became an inseparable part of who we are.
• Surrounding Light is the Light of our potential. It is all that we can be and are meant to be.

It is in our nature to be comfortable. We desire to be still and without movement because that is our essence and the origin of our existence. Unfortunately, any comfort or peace of mind that we experience prior to actualizing our Surrounding Light is an illusion destined to leave us in pain. The only way to achieve stillness and true, lasting peace of mind is through manifesting our Surrounding Light. Sukkot is a seven day cosmic window that awakens our Surrounding Light. If we are aware of this gift, we can – to the degree we appreciate the opportunity – use this time to awaken true spiritual hunger, an uncompromising drive to achieve greatness. No more settling for less, no more compromising and no more negotiating with our Opponent.

Sukkot gives us the power to manifest all the hard work we have done since the New Moon of the month of Virgo. All of the seeds, all of the prayers, and all of the potential we have can be transformed into actions using the energy we get on Sukkot.

The Torah tells us that on Sukkot we connect to true joy. In fact, it’s the only cosmic window that the Torah specifically states will connect us to joy.

What does Surrounding Light have to do with true joy? We experience joy engaging in so many different things, so why does the Torah tell us that on Sukkot we can connect to true joy?

Kabbalah teaches us that one of the most painful things for the soul is to be lacking the desire to connect to the Light. When we lose our drive and motivation to grow and connect beyond the point we currently find ourselves in, we will inevitably end up falling and losing what we felt was enough for us. Feeling ‘full’ and complacent is our soul’s greatest enemy, and therefore the opposite – feeling constant motivation to fill ourselves with Light – is our soul’s greatest friend. When we are actively yearning for the Light, when we seek God in every action and every breath, we are tuned in to our life’s purpose. There is no greater joy than being hungry for the Light, and that is why, on Sukkot, we have the opportunity to connect to true lasting joy.