We read Psalm 27 daily for fifty days straight, from the beginning of the month of Elul through the end of Sukkot. By extending this inspirational practice from the Days of Awe through Sukkot, we are reminded that the spiritual work of the holy days continues, although certainly in a less intense, more light and festive mood.
Fittingly, the opening line of Psalm 27 always reminds me of being inside the sukkah:
לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י
A psalm of David; Adonai is my light!
When we build a sukkah, we are taught to make the roof with openings big enough so that the light of the sun and the stars might shine through, and according to Jewish law, one may only eat in the part of the sukkah that is directly underneath the light of sky. We can’t touch God or see God, but we can feel and experience God’s presence when we are warmed by sunlight or inspired by a sparkling night’s sky. This year more than ever, after weeks of smoky sky, may that light of God that edges its way through the cracks of our sukkot fill us with feelings of gratitude, security, and hope.
— Cantor Emma Lutz