The Stocks Go Down and the Sukkahs Go Up

14 Tishrei, 5769



Here in Jerusalem Sukkahs are springing up like flowers after the rain. They are everywhere: in the parking lots, in the courtyards and of course on the balcony. It's a real Kiddush Hashem to see how the nation is eagerly preparing for the holiday.

In deep contrast, the present financial crisis is no doubt a tragedy. How many people have seen their money, earned through years of hard work, evaporate like water in the Dead Sea on a hot day?

As we leave our comfortable homes and go to live in a shack, with a roof that really isn't a roof, we remember that money isn't everything. Really, it isn't! Just as the sukkah is a temporary dwelling, so are we temporarily dwelling in This World. In the end we die, and we leave all of the money and property behind. The only thing that we take with us to the Next World is the Torah we learned and the mitzvot that we performed.

So what if you lost a few thousand shekels or dollars? Keep things in perspective! Serve God with happiness! Chag Sameach!