I had to speak to the Rov.

I was hoping to have this sent before Yom Tov, but I miscalculated the time, and was unable. And I was unsure if I may type on Chol Hamoed.

The Rov told me that whilst I can’t pause a Kevius, I should write as short as possible and leave the explanations for another time.

Perfect, I thought. דבר בעתו.

A big part of the Simcha of Sukos is the celebration of ‘simplicity’ or ‘sincerity’.

‘Nisuch Hamayim’ – pouring tasteless, textureless and colourless water onto the Mizbeach.

The joyous celebration that reverberated around this event was so extraordinary that it has almost never been experienced again since.

Celebrating our having the ability to be Excited about doing what we know to be the right thing to do, even if we don’t understand why we are doing it.

Note the key word: Excited.

It is easy to rejoice when doing something we understand.

It is also easy to do something despite not understanding why.

But Simchas Beis Hashoeva teaches us something much more difficult;

How to be excited to do something that we do not understand why we are doing it, nor receive any enjoyment from it.

Excited to have the Zechus to fulfil רצון הבורא.

It’s far from easy, especially as we grow older and more intellectual. (Amplified even further today with easy access to so much information, where everyone can convince themselves that they are ‘academic’).

Yet it is precisely at this point, that the need to remind ourselves that even what we do understand is very far from the real understanding, becomes ever more important.

In the oft-quoted words of Rebbi Yedaiah Hapenini: תכלית הידיעה שלא נדע – the ultimate knowledge is the recognition that in reality we don’t really know anything.

So, in a practical step, for the next two weeks let us think for a short moment every day (at a set time of your choosing) what is one thing we can do just for the Eibishter.

Something we don’t understand, nor enjoy; honestly happy to do it just because Hashem wants us to.