A beautiful and inspiring Yom Kippur! A full room for all five services.
My favorite moment? As we were cleaning up from a delicious break-fast, a young Israeli girl walked in. She was in town traveling with her boyfriend, having an American experience (next stop Vegas). I gave her two slices of honeycake wishing her a good and sweet new year. She had wanted to come to services, but she awoke after her host had left... "At the end of Yom Kippur, we blow the Shofar", I told her. "It's the end of Yom Kippur now". With tears streaming down her face, I blew my most memorable Shofar blast. It's never too late to connect. ~ ~ ~ We prayed. We fasted. Now, it's time to celebrate. Each holiday has its own feel, its own memories, sights, and smells. Sukkot is replete with an abundance of these. Unlike most any other Mitzvah, this one is the whole package. It is all-encompassing. While reciting the Shema, the right hand covers the eyes. When putting on Tefillin it is on the left arm and on the head. When giving charity, the hand places the coin into the charity box. When comforting someone, it is the lips that speak words from the heart. When we enter into the Sukkah, we are all in. Mind, body, and soul. Just as a raft carries us afloat on the waves, drifting merrily above unknown and unseen dangers hiding beneath the surface, guided by a sattelite powered navigational system, the Sukkah represents Hashem's constant protection and guidance. Like on our journey through the desert, protected by the "clouds of glory", warding off enemies, scorpions, and the very heat of the sun. So as the team-building exercise goes, lay back, relax, and trust that Someone - capital S - will catch you.