Sukkot instructs its observants as follows: to, as they recall being saved, be humble, even if they feel proud; to be grateful for the abundance they enjoy, in spite of their resentments; to celebrate as befits the holiday, even if their hearts are hard.
In the Talmud, it is written that any Jew who has not celebrated Sukkot "never saw rejoicing in his lifetime." That's a claim I've never heard about any other holiday.
The spirit of Sukkot is in sharp contrast to the holiday that immediately precedes it: Yom Kippur, which calls upon Jews to make somber atonement for their sins. That change of mood will be especially poignant and difficult this year.
Sukkot has an ingenious method for bringing joy even in the midst of suffering, if people choose to accept it-what's known as "reverse emotional causation."
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