Every Yom Tov has its official name and also a descriptive surname. Pesach is zeman cheiruteinu - the season of our freedom. Shavuot is zeman matan Torateinu - the season of the giving of our Torah, and Sukkot is zeman simchateinu - the season of your rejoicing. The adjective for Pesach and Shavuot is well understood, but the one for Sukkot is puzzling.

How can leaving our beautiful multi-roomed houses and moving into a small hut be called "simchateinu" - "our rejoicing"?

Indeed, I know about the many Sukkot factories fabricating custom-made Sukkot. I also am aware of places where air-conditioners are installed in the Sukkah. But I cannot forget how before Sukkot we all would become carpenters and searched the cellars of the tenement houses for old doors and scraps of wood to erect a Sukkah in the yard of tenement house. I can't tell you how many times, water and stones etc. were thrown from the rooftops and landed on the table or someone's head. Even in those years, we said in Kiddush, "zeman simchateinu" - "the season of our rejoicing"!?

There is an adage from a wise person, "Ein simchah kehatarat hasefeikot" - "There is no joy that can compare to the joy of one who is relieved of his doubts."

The essential part of the Sukkah is the sechach covering, through which according to halachah, one must be able to see the sky.

During the year we live in our fortresses and are deceived by our pseudo security. We persuade ourselves that its window gates, security guards, alarms etc. will protect us. But, in reality we are frightened by the sound of a rustling leaf.

Moving into the Sukkah serves as a reminder to the meagerness of our man-made systems, teaching that the only fool-proof security system is our Father in Heaven to whom we can look up to for His salvation. When we reach this rationalization, all doubts and worries are removed and we truly experience and celebrate our season of joy.