In some ways our generation has opportunities and abilities that surpass anything in the past. We have technology at our fingertips that used to be the stuff of science fiction, ease of communication, incredible access to information, and much more. But there’s also one more thing this generation has in abundance that past generations had less of, and this may be a tougher pill to swallow:
We now have much more uncertainty.
As the cliche goes, change is the only constant. But much more nowadays than ever before, as the rate and pace of change has accelerated and there’s so much disruption and unknown. You may enter college focused on a relevant major, only to graduate and find out its no longer as needed as it used to be. This can be quite unsettling and even downright scary.
One big message of the Sukkah is for us to sit down and get comfortable with uncertainty. A Sukkah doesn’t have the surety of a permanent structure, it is more rickety and flimsy, it is open to the elements and much more vulnerable. And the goal is to eat in there, celebrate inside, get comfortable in the Sukkah.
How can one be comfortable with uncertainty? It works for some, there are some people love the risks and rewards of constant change. For most, what gets us comfortable in a Sukkah is n awareness of a deeper sense of security, a more meaningful sense of certainty. It may not be economic certainty, or job security, it may not be physical security, but it is a sense that G-d looks out for us, that dependable reliable constant, G-d as our Rock as the prayers say, the surety of our people, regardless of whatever external changes, no matter what happens on the outside.
This is at the heart of the beloved Sukkahleh Song. The daughter fears because of the Sukkah’s insecurity and fragility. The father is reassured by the inner sense of security, the enduring support, the Sukkah that G-d has supported for thousands of years!