Daf Yomi - Sukkah 9 - An old Sukkah renewed

The Mishnah states that there is a debate whether an old Sukkah, i.e. a Sukkah that was built more than thirty days before the festival, is valid or not. Regarding mitzvos we find in many instances that the Torah exhorts us to treat the mitzvos as new and fresh ideas. One should not view mitzvos as antiquated, and one should certainly not perform the mitzvos by rote. The Gemara in Nedarim teaches us that the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed and the Jewish People were exiled from Eretz Yisroel because of their lack of enthusiasm with regard to mitzvah performance. When one builds a Sukkah, he should have in mind that by building the Sukkah, he will have the opportunity to dwell in the Sukkah for seven days as HaShem commanded. With this thought in mind he will have built a “new” Sukkah and his mitzvah performance will be enhanced.