The month of Tishrei is the first month in the Hebrew calendar and is marked by the observance of the High Holidays, including Sukkot. During Sukkot, we are tasked with following three main mitzvot: sitting in the Sukkah, shaking the lulav, and expressing happiness. The Sukkah itself is an uncomfortable space to be in due to being in an outdoor environment. So how can one expect to be happy when sitting in such a space?

It is understandable that when wandering the desert, the B’nei Yisrael would be happy because they had the clouds of glory, which we model our Sukkot after, to protect them from any discomfort; however, Jews today do not enjoy that pleasure. The reason why we are happy even in these conditions is due to the fact that despite being uncomfortable physically, we are excited to complete a mitzvah for Hashem. However, the way we are rewarded depends on how far out of our comfort zone we choose to go. For example, someone who builds a Sukkah with air conditioning and bug zappers will not receive as great a reward as someone who sits in a Sukkah in discomfort, seeing as it takes more for one to show joy the less comfortable they are. We learn these words from the Mishna, which states, “לפום צערא אגרא” (“The more the discomfort, the more the reward”). Therefore, the happiness we feel from Sukkot is not a physical happiness, but rather a spiritual happiness.