On Simchat Torah young and old dance until exhaustion. But what we dancing for? The Hiddushei HaRim once watched his students dancing and correctly predicted that one would continue dancing long after the others had tired out. And when this happened he explained, that while everyone else was dancing for past achievements, he knew that

After the somberness of the High Holidays comes Sukkot, known as zman simchateinu, “the time to be happy.” Once our slate is wiped clean, we begin a new year in purity and therefore it is only natural for us to rejoice. The Sfat Emet writes that the amount of joy a person feels at sukkot

All who believe that He remembers the covenant and distributes life to the living. Over this period we constantly ask God to remember and inscribe us in the Book of Life. While life is a precious gift, life alone is not enough and so we ask God for a life that is filled with life.

And on the first day a yom tov and on the seventh day a yom tov you shall have, no work shall be done on them, only what each person is to eat, that alone will be prepared for you. (Exodus 12:16) This verse teaches that one is allowed to cook on yom tov but