Sukkos Thoughts
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Help!
There are three levels of help; ‘ozer’, ‘moshia’ and ‘magen’. The ‘ozer’ assists, helping together with the person’s own efforts. The ‘moshia’ takes over and saves from harm, and the ‘magen’ – greatest of all – protects from harm in the first place.
Until the Jews left Egypt, Hashem had been assisting them and saving them, but not forestalling harm. In the Desert, Hashem – either through the Clouds surrounding the Jews or by having booths to protect them, – upped the level, acting as a ‘Magen’. He shielded from coming to trouble. This has continued on, day in, day out. We are so often protected from trouble!
The problem in relating to ‘magen’ is that we tend to appreciate things lost and regained, or almost lost. How do we appreciate that trouble never started??
One suggestion is to devote one minute a day to thanking Hashem for all that He has done for us today. Some days there will be much to thank for, and on some days there will be little. Since you need to fill a full minute, you find yourself thanking Hashem for routine things, like your body’s functioning.
At first this will feel fake and contrived. With enough repetition it will become sincere. You will actually appreciate the things going right, the lifelong chassadim that Hashem does with us.
Sukkos represents Hashem acting to us as a protector, not content with bailing us out, but protecting us from getting into trouble in the first place. What love and caring! Sukkos is called ‘the time of our happiness’; we rejoice in the tremendous care Hashem takes of us!
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Just By Being
The Four Species, Chazal say, represent the four types of Jews; 1. the Esrog type are those who have both Torah and good deeds, just as an Esrog has a nice smell and can be eaten too, 2. those who have only Torah are like the lulav, which produces dates, but has no good smell, 3. Haddasim Jews, who only produce good deeds, like the Haddas which smells wonderfully, but has no fruit, and 4. those who have neither Torah nor good deeds. They resemble Aravos, which have neither smell nor fruit.
Why do we need to represent those with neither Torah nor good deeds; what do they contribute to the Jewish people?!
The Shlah says that Hashem and His nation are a match, and therefore must be compatible. As Hashem is perfect and whole, he can only connect to a whole. Only when the Jewish nation is complete, when all are present and included, does Hashem truly dwell upon us, and is His Sh’china really present. Perhaps that is why we represent all Jews, the complete nation, because all are necessary and vital.
Another thought; the Jewish nation, is an entity/group/body created by all those who comprise it. This whole is greater than the sum of all its parts, because the whole here possesses the spiritual assets of Klal Yisroel. It is only the nation which is a continuation of the group who accepted the Torah and walked wholeheartedly after Hashem into the desert, not individuals. Our claim to greatness is as a part of the greater Klal Yisroel. So we represent the whole of the nation in our Four Species, therein is our power and therein our glory.
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That Too?
Sukkos commemorates the Sukkos we had leaving Egypt. Why do we remember the Sukkos/clouds of glory more than the Mon or Miriam’s Well?
The Mateh Ephraim answers that taking the Jewish people to the desert tasked Hashem with giving them the necessities of life; after all, He didn’t take them out to die! Food and drink, the Mon and the Well, were basics.
Clouds surrounding them in grand style, however, were NOT essential. They were a luxury. For extras we really need to thank Him.
The Maaseh Hashem suggests was that the Sukkah symbolizes austerity: that we really have no claim to temporal goodies. The Sukkah, the barest accommodation, means that our place here is temporary and sketchy; barely enough to get by on. The world’s goodies are Esav’s portion, our part is only the World-To-Come. Yaakov and Esav divvied; Esav claimed physical goods and Yaakov took the spiritual ones.
The special message of Sukkos is that our true world is yet to come. The best is yet to come. For now we should be happy with whatever we get. This can give us strength in accepting our lot as we may find it, and we want to remember this message. Perhaps that is why we especially remember the Sukkos!
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Bitachon – What Its All About
The general theme of Sukkos applies year-round: Hashem is our shield. He is forever helping us and making things turn out okay. Our lives ought to be one disaster after the other, yet surprisingly simchos abound and tragedies are far and in between. Baruch Hashem!
The Gemarah in Brachos (60) tells that one day Hillel was walking into his town when he heard a shout go up from one of the houses. Obviously something terrible had happened. Hillel remarked ‘I’m sure that its not in my house’. The Gemarah considers this remark Bitachon: ‘He does not fear evil tidings; his heart firmly trusts in Hashem’.
The Gemarah goes on to say that a worrier is a sinner – one ought not to worry at all. Moreover, as one fears, so does it occur: tracht gut un s’vet zein gut!
The Chazon Ish challenges this all: Who promised us that tragedy will not occur?? On what basis can we trust?? (He concludes that true bitachon is not to expect success, but rather to accept that all is in our ultimate good. However the Gemara above seems to contradict his view directly.)
The lesson of Sukkos is: Hashem Is Good. He WANTS to do good, He is making things tick right, despite all. He is a Helper, a Savior and a Shield. That’s His essence. Anything bad – frequent or unfrequent – is accidental, not in sync with His generous Nature.
Once we know that, we have every right to be optimistic, to carry an expectation of things working out. Hillel could say with confidence ‘Hashem has not caused tragedy in my home’, bespeaking his trust in Hashem. We need to be surprised when bad things happen. Evil runs counter to His nature; it happens only
because something forced His hand, so as to speak.
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First-Time Sukkos
We recite a blessing when meeting a friend after a year of separation; ‘Blessed are You Hashem, who revives the dead!’
‘The Dead’?? Who died?
The Rishonim explain that we forget. After a year, all is new. That friend that has been out of contact for a year is dead to us, and the acquaintance renewed is like reviving the friend from the dead. Similarly a person need not return an object lost over a year, for the owner has given up on it; after a year it is dead to him.
YomTovim are not a continuation of the past year, but a new event, celebrated for the very first time. When we remind ourselves that Hashem sheltered us in
a Sukkah when we left Egypt, we do not remember from last year. Last year is gone, dead and forgotten. We do it anew.
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Rishonim On The Nature Of Sukkos
Moreh Nevuchim (3:43) explains the general purpose of YomTov. Its 1. a vacation, a fun time, and 2. a social event, where people get to know each other better and forge friendships, creating unity among us all.
Amazing statement! Yomtov is a social event? (I don’t learn enough Moreh
Nevuchim to judge whether the Rambam means that this is indeed a primary goal of YomTov, or that this is the meaning of YomTov from a strictly humanistic viewpoint.)
Sukkos is a harvest festival, similar to harvests celebrated by all nations. People celebrate when they have the leisure of a successful harvest behind them. In addition, he says, Sukkos is at an ideal time, for the weather is neither too hot nor too cool. (In contrast with the Tur that our Sukkos is at a time when normally people leave their Sukkahs!) That’s why this time was chosen for Sukkos.
What is Sukkos’ message? We remember how Hashem helped us while we were in the desert.
What are moral lessons to take from Sukkos? Remember your humble roots even when prospering. Although we now have Eretz Yisroel, we recall when we were living in tents out in the desert.
We leave the Sukkah on Shmini Atzeres/Simchas Torah in order to celebrate more fully, which cannot be done in the homely confines of a Sukkah.
The Lulav and Esrog accentuate the transition between the time of hardship we endured in the desert, represented by the Sukkah, and the present prosperity represented by the refreshing fruit, branches and leaves of the four minim.
Why are these four chosen? 1. They each excel in a different area – one looks nice, another tastes and another smells wonderful. 2. They are cheap, common and easily found in Eretz Yisroel, and 3. don’t spoil easily, lasting all YomTov.
So the Moreh Nevuchim. Not your standard fare!
Kuzari (2:50) explains that the Torah ensures that each human trait receive its due, unlike other religions. Indeed, our service to Hashem involves them all.
Hashem is no more pleased by someone crying out to Him on Yom Kippur than by someone rejoicing on Sukkos. (!!)
The Torah prescribes both, gives definition to its expression, and all are necessary. The thing to realize is that each part of us – even the part having fun, – should be serving Hashem thereby.
The Kuzari is emphatic that there are many paths leading to Hashem; no power or facet in our lives ought to be suppressed. Some people today rewrite Judaism, limiting it to certain activity. Not so…
Sefer HaChinuch: We naturally become happy at seeing the fresh, splendid green Lulav, Hadasim and Aravos. We cannot help it; that’s just a human response. Once we arouse a happy feeling, now we attach it to Mitzvos. The result is that we become joyous about Mitzvos.
Once we have aroused any given emotion, happy, sad, anxious or energetic, it is easy as pie to awaken that same emotion towards another issue, because that energy is already aroused and moving. This is the principle behind taking the Lulav and Esrog. They awaken joy, so we use them as a tool to enjoying Mitzvos.
I think it’s also a tool for everyday use. When something sad occurs, think of the Churban. If we get exited, think of a learning seder. Put that energy to work for you!
©2013
kollel parshah | Tiferet Ramot 83-21, Jerusalem, Israel, 97290
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