Insights Sukkot If we want a clue about the essence of a yom tov (holiday), we should first look at the name it's given in the prayer service for that day; the great Sages who authored, and arranged, our Siddur (prayer book) were not haphazard in their choice of designations. For example, Pesach is termed, z'man cheiruseinu--"the time of our freedom." This does not simply mean that we commemorate our ancient release from Egyptian bondage; Jewish holidays are never mere commemorations of ancient events. Rather, we have a unique opportunity every year at Pesach time to free ourselves, in the present, from spiritual enslavement; the very same "heavenly light" that shone in the supernal worlds on the first Pesach- -and which made possible its earthly expression, the Exodus from Egypt-- is available to us at this time every single year! (This idea is found in the Ramchal's Derech Hashem, 4:7:6) In other words, time is not linear in the Torah view; it is cyclical, and we pass through the same spiritual "station" every year on any given holiday. Shavuos, to illustrate further, is z'man matan toraseiunu--"the time of the giving of our Torah." We have an extra potential, on this holiday, to accept the Torah into our hearts just as the generation that stood at the foot of Sinai did. What about the holiday that is nearly upon us...Succos? What name did our Sages bestow on it? It is called, z'man simchaseinu--"the time of our joy." Although all of our festivals bring joy, Succos gives us a unique ability to experience this most coveted emotional state. And with scientific studies now showing us that happiness strengthens the body's immune system-- confirming what our Sages knew long ago (Rav said: "A groan breaks half the body of a person...", (Tractate Berachos 58b)--, it might just help our physical health, as well as our spiritual growth, to learn what Succos has to offer. Why is Succos called, "the time of our joy," more than any other holiday? What about the joy in becoming free of servitude, and being born as a nation (Pesach)? What about the joy in receiving the Torah, the divine plan for life on earth (Shavuos)? How did Succos come and snatch away this distinction from its worthy competitors? Our commentators give a couple of answers. First, Succos comes at the time in the agricultural cycle when we gather in our produce. What more naturally joyous time is there than this season, when we are finally able to enjoy the fruits (and fruit) of our labor? The fact that Hashem gave us the mitzvah of taking hold of the arbah minim (four species), would tend to support the idea that Succos is a celebration of the bounty of G-d's earth, and of the Land of Israel. Second, Succos follows the Days of Awe. We trembled in judgment before the King of Kings on Rosh Hashana, declaring His absolute sovereignty over our lives; we poured our hearts out to our loving Father on Yom Kippur, begging for atonement and a year of good life. Who wouldn't feel joy and relief after all that is over with??!! The Midrash teaches, in fact, that the lulav held aloft on Succos is a sign of victory, a scepter raised triumphantly, declaring our confidence that we received a favorable judgment from Hashem. (Vayikra Rabbah: 30, 2) In short, we are happy because we came through the crucible of the Days of Repentance purified and pardoned, ready to serve G-d anew with devotion...by doing all the many mitzvos of Succos. While these answers are definitely illuminating, they still don't tell the whole story. Both attribute the joy of Succos more to its placement in a particular cycle--agricultural or spiritual-- than to an intrinsic quality of the holiday itself. What if the Jewish people had only a meager crop one year, and could not store much for the winter? What if we didn't daven so nicely on Yom Kippur, and are still having pangs of distress over Hashem's decree? Where is our simcha then? We will understand more about the joy of Succos if we take a look at its most prominent mitzvah. "You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period...so that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took them from the land of Egypt..." (Vayikra, 23: 42-43, Artscroll translation) Rashi quotes the Talmud that the "booths" we are commanded to remember are the miraculous ananei kavod, the "clouds of glory," which surrounded the Jewish people on all sides in their wanderings in the desert. The clouds kept them cool, shielded them from the stones and arrows of their enemies, and smoothed their path...just to name a few of their wondrous workings. They were a physical sign of Hashem's constant protection of the Jewish people, of His hashgacha pratis (special providence). We are commanded to reflect on these clouds when we eat, or relax, in our own succahs this week; that awareness is an integral part of the mitzvah of succah. (Orach Chayim 625, Mishna Berura 1) The succah, then, represents the hashgacha pratis of Hashem, and helps train us to rely on Him alone to fulfill all our needs; in short, it helps strengthen our bitachon (trust) in His providential care and protection. As Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch beautifully points out, both rich and poor need this as a corrective. The rich person is liable to worship his worldly possesssions or accomplishments, investing all hope in them. To him, the Torah says, "Spend a week dwelling in a temporary abode. That fragile roof of schach will remind you who is the Source of your blessing and your Protector; G-d alone is your true Strength." The poor person, on the other hand, might come to despair of ever making ends meet. To him, the Torah says, "Dwell in a succah, and learn that Hashem will sustain you as He sustained your ancestors in the desert; G-d alone is your true strength." (Hirsch, Horeb, pp. 124-5) This is the real simcha--to put all one's trust in Hashem, Master of all forces in the universe, Bestower of all good. Now we understand why this holiday is called, z'man simchaseinu. What could frighten or upset me if I put my hopes in Him? In fact, we've been expressing this sentiment by reciting Psalm 27 after morning and evening services since the beginning of Elul: "Hashem is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" A few lines later, King David succinctly spells out the secret of his peace of mind: "One thing I asked of Hashem, that will I seek: that I dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life." The "house of Hashem" is not just the study hall or shul, for King David had to spend time in many other less desirable locales. What it means is that he sought to "dwell" constantly with the true perspective on life: that throughout all our tribulations, Hashem is constantly guiding us, and doing good for us. That is the key to true simcha, to an "inner joy of life which the enmity of men can neither destroy nor disturb," (Hirsch, Commentary on the Psalms, p. 195) and it is also the essential lesson of the succah. If we want to follow King David's lead and dwell joyfully in the "house" of absolute bitachon all our days, then the hours we spend in the succah can be of great assistance. May we all be blessed with a Succos of true joy--the joy of our material blessings, of our newly recovered purity, and, most importantly, the joy of perceiving Hashem's hashgacha pratis. And as we say every evening in Ma'ariv: "... may Hashem spread the succas shalom, the shelter of peace, upon us, upon all of His people, Israel, and upon Jerusalem." (Maariv Service for Shabbos, Artscroll translation, p. 337) Rabbi Yosef Edelstein, Savannah Kollel. Phone: 355-0157; fax: 354-9923; e-mail address: Yosef18@aol.com Produced and distributed by the Ben Portman Computer facilites of the Savannah Kollel. This Dvar Torah page created and hosted courtesy of the OU's Cyber Home of Torah. No responsibility for its contents may be implied or taken by the OU |