After the seriousness of Yom Kippur we have joyous holiday of Sukkot, which culminates with Simhat Torah. This is to teach us that we made promises on Yom Kippur and we have to keep them even when we are celebrating.
Now for a quick devar Torah.
I came across something very interesting that I think helps explain the connection between Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
On Yom Kippur, we spend the entire day looking at ourselves. We confess our mistakes. We acknowledge where we have gone wrong, and essentially we tell God: I am going to do better.
But then Yom Kippur ends. The question becomes: What happens to all those promises?
There is a Jewish tradition that although our judgment begins on Rosh Hashanah and is sealed on Yom Kippur, there is still a final stage associated with Hoshana Rabbah. In other words, repentance is not simply about what we say while fasting on Yom Kippur. What matters is what we do afterward.
And what comes immediately afterward? Sukkot.
Sukkot is completely different from Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur we fast, wear white, and spend the day in serious prayer. On Sukkot, we are commanded to rejoice. We eat, drink, sit with family and friends, and celebrate.
And then comes Simchat Torah, when our celebration becomes even more exuberant.
There is a wonderful historical example of just how surprising Jewish celebration could appear to an outsider. In 1663, the English diarist Samuel Pepys visited the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community in London on Simchat Torah. He was astonished by what he saw—the singing, dancing, and celebration. Coming from the much more restrained religious atmosphere he knew, he could hardly understand how people could behave this way in a house of worship.
But that is part of Judaism. There is a time to be serious, and there is a time to celebrate.
That brings me to something fascinating about the Israel Defense Forces. After an operation or training exercise, there is a tradition of conducting an honest debrief. The commander begins by examining his own performance: Here is what I did wrong. Here is what I could have done better.
That is important because once the commander admits his own mistakes, everyone else can do the same. Instead of spending their time blaming somebody else, people can ask: What did I do wrong? What can I learn from it? What can I do differently next time?
And the purpose is not to make everyone feel guilty. The purpose is to make the unit better.
That is also one of the great lessons of Yom Kippur.
We look honestly at ourselves and say: Where did I go wrong this past year? Whom did I hurt? What mitzvah did I neglect? Where could I have behaved differently? And most importantly: What am I going to do differently next time?
We are human beings. We are going to make mistakes. Judaism does not demand that we pretend to be perfect. It demands that we recognize our mistakes, take responsibility for them, learn from them, and try to do better.
But Judaism also tells us something else: Don’t remain trapped in your mistakes.
That is why Sukkot follows Yom Kippur.
After all that introspection, confession, and seriousness, the Torah tells us to go outside into the sukkah and rejoice. Learn from yesterday, but don’t live in yesterday. Take responsibility for what you did wrong, make the necessary changes, and then move forward with happiness.
Perhaps that is the balance these holidays are teaching us.
Yom Kippur says: Look honestly at yourself.
Sukkot says: Now take what you learned and move forward with joy.
That is how we become better people and better Jews.
Something to think about.
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