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The Whole Body in the Mitzvah

Every mitzvah engages part of us, but sitting in the sukkah surrounds a person entirely.

A teaching ofRav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstamהרב יחזקאל שרגא בן חיים הלברשטאםProfile ›

According to Rav Yechezkel Shraga, the mitzvah of sukkah stands out among the mitzvos. Most of the commandments are fulfilled with a single limb or faculty: the hand takes up a lulav, the mouth recites a blessing, the eyes read tzitzis. The sukkah is different. A person does not merely perform it; he steps inside it and sits in it with his whole body, from head to feet, with his shoes and all, so that nothing of him is left outside the mitzvah. Chassidim learn from this that the highest service of Hashem is not a matter of one gesture but of presence, bringing every part of ourselves into the holy space we have been given. For seven days the sukkah teaches what it feels like to be wholly where Hashem wants us, held by a mitzvah on every side.

Source: Divrei Yechezkel, Sukkos, as handed down in his name by his grandson

Practical lessonBring all of yourself

Choose one mitzvah or daily routine you usually do on autopilot, such as a bracha before eating, a few words of davening or a moment of kindness at home. Do it this week with your whole attention: put the phone down, stand still, say the words aloud, and notice how your body feels while you do. If Sukkos is near, sit in the sukkah for a few minutes with no task at all. Being fully present in even one mitzvah trains you to be present in the rest.

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