There is a strange and perplexing Midrash, "When Iyov (Job) complained about his unbearable suffering, G-d showed him a Sukkah of three walls." The meaning of this enigmatic Midrash could be as follows. A Sukkah by definition is a temporary residence. The Halachic rule is that it must have at least three walls or even two walls and a Tefach (a hands breath) that comprises a third wall. (Shulchan Aruch:O.C. 630)

However, even though the Sukkah must have a temporary status, it must be fit to be lived in as the Talmud in Sukkah 26a states, "Teshvu k'ein taduru", ("You shall dwell [in the Sukkah] as if it is your permanent residence"). This is the reason that should one have discomfort in dwelling in the Sukkah, he is not required to stay there. (Shulchan Aruch: O.C. 640). The obvious question is how can a Sukkah of three walls be called a comfortable dwelling? Would one live in a house with three walls? The answer is that if a person is truly a believer in the Torah, then to him, even a Sukkah with three walls becomes a comfortable residence, because the Torah considers it to be a dwelling. Because living in the Sukkah is a Mitzvah, one enjoys living in it as much as he enjoys living in his own permanent and beautiful home. It is all a matter of a state of mind.

When G-d showed Iyov (Job) a Sukkah of three walls, G-d meant to say, "Life in this world includes pain and suffering. Never the less accept the life that I have given you and grin and bear it, because I (G-d) meant it to be this way. Then you will enjoy being close to Me for eternity in Olam Haba." The lesson of the three walled Sukkah is that a person should accept and enjoy his life as G-d sends it even if one experiences pain and suffering.

It is in human nature to become accustomed to and not to appreciate what we have until we are deprived of it. We become entitled and begin to expect that we deserve what we have been given. Iyov (Job) had it all – wealth, a beautiful and large family and many friends and admirers. Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim explains that Iyov (Job) is a parable for Israel.

Such has been the experience of the Jewish People throughout our tragic history. The Tanach (Bible) is replete with stories of our nation becoming complacent, sinning, being punished, doing Teshuva and receiving prosperity and success only to return to complacency and sinning once again. We keep forgetting the debt that we owe to G-d and continue the vicious cycle.

Sukkot is a time when we can break out of this cycle, and the Sukkah represents this opportunity. On Sukkot we leave the comfort and stability of our homes and the roofs over our heads that conceal us from the outside world, obscuring our recognition of G-d's gifts. We enter a structure that is temporary and unstable, leaving ourselves vulnerable to the elements. We construct the Sukkah in such a way that we are bound to notice our own deficiencies and our reliance on G-d's protection. The Schach (the Sukkah roof), which must come from a natural source and can't be artificially made, represents G-d's eternal, continuous protection of us.

Judaism teaches that G-d maintains the world constantly and that nothing exists without Him. Yet all too often, we find ourselves assuming credit for what we have accomplished and assign blame for the errors and failings of others while forgetting G-d's role in our lives. When we pray to be inscribed in the Book of Life and Blessings on the High Holy Days that precede Sukkot, we emphasize that everything stems from G-d.

Sukkot brings the message of the High Holy Days to a tangible, perceptible level as we leave the comfort of our permanent homes and enter a temporary and fragile Sukkah. In the Sukkah we are confronted with the realization that we are indebted to G-d for our very existence. After a week of living in the Sukkah, we can return to our homes, re-JEW-venated with the idea that our permanent dwellings and our daily routines are also under G-d's protection, but in a more mundane and concealed fashion.

The Sukkah offers us the opportunity to re-connect with G-d and to re-evaluate our relationship with Him, by removing some of the barriers that obstruct our day to day life. This year, we should make sure to take the lesson from Sukkah University back inside our permanent homes.