I would like to focus on an idea related to the holiday of Sukkot, which came to me before the Chag this year and which I have had the merit to develop. One of the decrees of the Yevanim during the time of the Chanukah story was to abolish the holiday of Sukkot. In addition to wanting to abolish the mitzvot of Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Milah, and to end all Torah study, the Sefer Chashmonaim states that the Yevanim made a decree against celebrating the holiday of Sukkot. So much so, that the Rokeach comments on the pasuk תֶּן־חֵלֶק לְשׁ ִ בְעָה וְגַם לִשׁ ְ מוֹנָה – Give a portion to seven, and even to eight (Kohelet 11:2), explaining that the Yevanim wished to end the lighting of the Menorah – תֶּ ן־חֵ לֶק לְ שׁ ִ בְ עָ ה – because as long as the Jews lit the Menorah, they could not be overcome; while ו ְ ג ַ ם ל ִ שׁ ְ מ ו ֹ נ ָ ה refers to the seven days of Sukkot, which contained the same power. After their decree, Hakadosh Baruch Hu performed a miracle, causing the small jug of oil to burn for eight days in the Menorah. Why eight days? Since the Yevanim sought to abolish Sukkot, a festival of eight days during which Hallel is recited, Hakadosh Baruch Hu granted us eight more days to recite Hallel. Thus, the origin of Chanukah’s eight days is tied to the eight days of Sukkot, to the extent that, upon defeating the Yevanim, everyone took their lulav and aravot in hand and danced in celebration (Megillat Ta’anit; Sefer Chashmonaim).
In sefer Mamlechet Kohanim, the author asks about the significance of dancing with lulav in hand. Based on a Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 30:2), it all connects back to the Yamim Noraim.
נֶצַח׃ נְעִמוֹת בִּימִינְךִים שֹׂבַע שְׂמָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶיךּ תּוֹדִ יעֵנִי אֹרַ ח חַי
You will teach me the path of life. In Your presence is perfect joy; delights are ever in Your right hand.
The Midrash says, שׂבַע שְׂ מָחוֹת should be read שׁ ֶ ב ַ ע ש ׂ ְ מ ָ ח ו ֹ ת, the seven celebrations or mitzvot of Sukkot: Arba Minim, Sukkah, Korban Chagiga, and offering of Simcha. The Midrash then asks why both the offerings of Chagiga and Simcha are required, and the answer takes us into a highly litigious affair:
אָמַר רַ בִּי אָבִין מָשׁ ָל לִשְׁנַיִם שׁ ֶנִּכְנְסוּ אֵצֶל הַדַּיָן וְלֵית אֲנַן יָדְ עִין מַאן הוּא נוֹצֵחַ, אֶלָא מַאן דְּ נָסַב בָּאיָין בִּידֵיהּ, אֲנַן יָדְ עִין דְּ הוּא נָצוֹחַיָיא, כָּך יִשְׂ רָ אֵל וְאֻמּ וֹת הָעוֹלָם בָּאִין וּמְ קַטְרְ גִים לִפְנֵי הַק דוֹשׁ בָּרוּךּ הוּא בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְלֵית אֲנַן יָדְ עִין מַאן נָצַח, אֶלָא בַּמֶּה שׁ ֶיִּשְׂ רָ אֵל יוֹצְאִין מִ לִפְנֵי הַק דוֹשׁ בָּרוּךּ הוּא וְלוּלָבֵיהֶן וְאֶתְרוֹגֵיהֶן בְּיָדָן, אָנוּ יוֹדְ עִין דְ יִשְׂרָ אֵל אִינוּן נָצוֹחַיָיא, לְפִיכָך משׁ ֶה מַזְהִיר לְיִשְׂ רָ אֵל וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם: וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּי וֹם ה ָ רִ א שׁ ו ֹ ן .
Rabbi Avin said: This is analogous to two litigants who came before a judge and we do not know who prevailed. But if one comes and takes palm branches in his hand, we know that he is the one who prevailed. So, Israel and the nations of the world litigate before Hakadosh Baruch Hu on Rosh Hashanah, and we do not know who prevailed. But when Israel emerges from before Hakadosh Baruch Hu with their palm branches and citrons in their hands, we know it is Israel that emerged victorious. Therefore, Moshe warns Israel and says to them: “You shall take for you on the first day.”
The lulav is a sign of דִּ ינוֹ נוֹצֵחַ – a symbol we were victorious! We won, but one must ask the obvious question: What exactly did we win? What kind of case or battle occurred between us and the nations of the world on Rosh Hashanah? What kind of judgment was issued that created uncertainty about which side had prevailed, until Sukkot and the lulav clarified the outcome? Lastly, how can this help connect Sukkot to the failed war of the Yevanim marked by Chanukah? Another point to throw into the mix relates to the type of Sechach we’re permitted to use atop our sukkahs, specifically the characteristic of not being susceptible to ritual impurity. This is learned from the Pasuk:
חַג הַסֻּכֹּת תַּעֲשֶׂה לְךָ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּאָסְפְּךָ מִ יִקְבֶךּ וּמִ גָּ רְ נְ ך׃
The festival of Sukkot celebrate for yourself seven days, when you harvest your threshing-floor and your wine-press.
Why are these two examples given, rather than directly stating that we should only use natural materials that cannot become impure? The Bnei Yissaschar asks, why are we taught this law through an example of covering the Sukkah with the פּ ְ סוֹ לֶ ת (waste) of the barn and wine press (Rosh Hashanah 13a; Sukkah 12a)? Interestingly, we reference these same items in the Haftarah just read on Shabbat Shuva:
יָשֻׁבוּ יֹשְׁבֵי בְצִלּוֹ יְחַיּוּ דָגָן וְיִפְרְחוּ כַגָּפֶן וְיִפְרְחוּ כַגָּפֶן זִכְ רוֹ כְּ יֵין לְבָנוֹן׃
They who sit in his shade shall be revived: They shall bring to life new grain, They shall blossom like the vine; His scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
The Bnei Yissaschar furthers his question: Why is the idea of Teshuva connected to grain and wine, and what is it about this Teshuva opportunity that is unique and special?
I’d like to focus on the process that begins in Elul and takes us all the way to Sukkot, while zooming in on the Yevanim wanting to abolish this specific festival. One might think that issuing a decree against the festival of Pesach would be more severe, as it would prevent the offering of the Korban Pesach, leading to the penalty of Karet – being cut off (from Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the nation, and even Olam Haba). Abolishing Pesach and blocking the Korban Pesach and the eating of matza seems much more severe than preventing someone from sitting in the sukkah – especially since one can anyways be excused from the sukkah if they don't eat the designated amount or sleep the required length of time. Pesach, however, even has a make-up date for those who were unable to observe its mitzvot – Pesach Sheini – underscoring its fundamental and central role in Jewish belief. If so, why did the Yevanim only set their crosshairs on Sukkot?
I saw in sefer Agra D’Kala, that the first letter of the Torah, which we will read in just a few days, is a Bet Rabbati – an enlarged bet. There are numerous letters in the Torah which are written in an enlarged format, but the bet is the first one, and its name or title carries great significance. If we spell out the name י'בֵּית רַ בָּתִ, we find the numerical value 1024, and adding up the names of the Arba Minim, we reach the same total: (277 )( + עֲ רָ בָ ה 69)( + הֲ דַ ס 68) + לוּלָב (610 )אֶ תְ רוֹ ג = 1024. Rav Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov says the opening letter in the Torah is the sod of the Arba Minim, which sounds nice, but what exactly does it mean? How did the first letter of the Torah find its way into our holiday of Sukkot? He doesn’t address those questions, but the Rav Asher Anshel Katz shlit”a does, in his sefer Shemen Rosh. I’d like to explore a wonderful idea based on his explanations.
If the Yevanim had their sights set on the holiday of Sukkot, something begins to stand out as to their true objective, and its source can be found in the Midrash. To properly understand this Midrash, however, we’ll introduce it through a Gemara found in Massechet Shabbat (89b). In the future, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will say to Avraham Avinu: “Your children have sinned against Me,” and Avraham will respond: “Master of the Universe, if so, let them be eradicated to sanctify Your name.” The same will then be said to Yaacov Avinu, and he, too, will respond in the same harsh way.
Yitzchak Avinu, however, will respond differently:
חָטְאוּ לִי. אֹמֵר לְפָנָיו: רִ בּוֹנוֹ שׁ ֶל עוֹלָם, בָּנַי וְלֹא אֹמֵר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק: בָּנֶיך ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ לְ״נִשׁ ְ מָע״ קָרָ אתָ ?! בְּשׁ ָעָה שׁ ֶהִ קְ דִּ ימוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בָּנֶיךלָהֶם ״בְּנִי !? בְכוֹרִ י״, עַכְשׁ ָיו בָּנַי וְלֹא בָּנֶיך
He said to Yitzchak: Your children have sinned against Me. Yitzchak said: Master of the Universe, are they my children and not Your children? At Sinai, when they accorded precedence to “We will do” over “We will listen”, didn’t You call them, “My son, My firstborn son Israel”? Now that they have sinned, are they my children and not Your children?
From Yitzchak Avinu’s response we see it was at Har Sinai that Hakadosh Baruch Hu first referred to Bnei Yisrael as His children – בָּנִים, on account of their blind acceptance of the Torah. (Yes, He referred to them as His children when speaking to Pharoah, but that was only an account of them accepting the Torah in the future, at Har Sinai.) The concept of Bnei Yisrael – i.e., us – being the children of Hakadosh Baruch Hu was established at Har Sinai. Of significance to us right now, and our takeaway from this Gemara, is the status of בֵּן or בָּנִים was attainted at Har Sinai and it is a status that comes with privileges. The gift we received on Rosh Hashanah, during the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, and on Yom Kippur, was on account of us being Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s children.
עֲ בָ דִ י ם (servants) do not receive such privileges of סְלִיחָה מְחִילָה וְ כַ פּ ָ רָ הת, as a king is unable to forego his honor; only a father may do so. Thus, the nations of the world have no such privilege or ability to perform Teshuva. They have the ability to correct a particular act and defer its punishment, but there is no concept of Teshuva outside of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s children. Only Bnei Yisrael can erase a sin and eliminate the prosecuting angel born from the act of sin, and even transform them into a mitzvah and advocating angel, in the case of Teshuva M’Ahava. While everyone in the world wants such privileges, only Bnei Yisrael possess such a gift.
אָמַר רַ בִּי עֲקִ יבָא, אַשְׁרֵ יכֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִפְנֵי מִי אַתֶּם מִטַּהֲרִ ין, וּמִי מְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם, אֲבִיכֶם שׁ ֶבַּשָּׁמַיִם.
Rabbi Akiva said: How fortunate are you, Israel; before Whom are you purified, and Who purifies you? It is your Father in Heaven.
Only we can enter filthy on one side, only to exit cleansed on the other. 'מִ קְ וֵ ה יִ שְׂ רָ אֵ ל ה – Just as a ritual bath purifies the impure, so too, Hakadosh Baruch Hu purifies Israel.
The Bnei Yissaschar says, we enter Yom Kippur performing Teshuva M’Yira, Teshuva from a fear that began on Rosh Hashanah, the day of judgment on which we do not recite Hallel because one cannot sing praises when in such a state of fear. But days follow during which our Teshuva becomes Teshuva M’Ahava – Teshuva from love, and those days are the holiday of Sukkot. We enter into the embrace of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, בִּ ימִ ינוֹ תְּ חַ בְּ קֵ נִי, and there we reapproach Him through love.
יָשֻׁבוּ יֹשְׁבֵי בְצִלּוֹ יְחַיּוּ דָגָן וְיִפְרְחוּ כַגָּפֶן
– Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev says it is simple why these two examples are employed by the Navi. Every fruit, upon extracting its core, is reduced in terms of stature. There are two exceptions to this rule, however: wheat and grapes. When you create bread from wheat, you elevate the product to הַ מּ וֹצִ יא לֶחֶ ם מִ ן הָ אָ רֶ ץ, and when you produce wine from grapes you elevate the product to בּוֹרֵ א פְּרִ י הַגָפֶן. The same is true for תְּ שׁ וּבָה מֵ אַ הֲבָה – Teshuva from a source of love, where one’s sins are upgraded in status to that of Mitzvah.
Chassidim are known to say that the Rebbe goes to the river to say Tashlich, and then returns to the same river on Erev Pesach to draw water for the baking of matzot. I believe that Simchat Beit HaShoeiva needs to be calculated in the same way. On Sukkot, we draw from the same water into which we threw our sins two weeks earlier, because on Sukkot we’re performing Teshuva M’Ahava and transforming those sins into merits. The essence of Sukkot, and the Sukkah, is Teshuva. סוּכָּ 'ה is an acronym for ֹאמֶ ר וַ יָה' סָ לַ חְ תִּ י כִּ דְ בָ רֶ ך.
With that in mind, we can now clearly understand the connection between the Arba Minim and the Torah’s opening Bet Rabbati, says Shemen Rosh. The letter bet is formed in the shape of a Sukkah, with three surrounding walls. Chazal say ל ֹהִ ים-בְּרֵ אשִׁית בָּרָא אֱ signifies that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created the world for the sake of Yisrael and the Torah, both of which are referred to as רֵ א שׁ ִ י ת, and the Torah gave Yisrael the unique status and title of בָּנִים.
Let’s now return to the nations of the world and the Yevanim, to construct an incredible idea. Every year, on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the nations of the world approach Hakadosh Baruch Hu and insist He not give Bnei Yisrael the title of בָּנִים. On the day of Rosh Hashanah, it is not just Yisrael that stands in judgment before Hakadosh Baruch Hu; it is every single nation: וְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם יַעַבְרוּן לְפָנֶֽיךָ כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן. The nations of the world come to stand in judgement and say, “What? You’re once again going to call them Your children? Did You not see how they acted and what they did this past year?! Call them Your servants (עֲ בָ דִ י ם) like the rest of us and judge them accordingly. Who knows, perhaps we’ll come out ahead this year!” As long as Bnei Yisrael carry the title of בָּנִים, they receive VIP treatment, with exclusive access, and the priceless gifts of Teshuva and forgiveness. This takes place each and every year, and the nations of the world contest it each time, seeking to strip us of the title בָּנִים. This appeal, or challenge, of theirs lasts until Yom Kippur, at which point the angels are no longer permitted to come and stand around as Hakadosh Baruch Hu determines and seals our judgements. וְנִשְׂגַב ה' לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא – On the day of Yom Kippur, Hakadosh Baruch Hu comes down and sits alone, just as He was אֶ חָ ד on the first day of Creation.
Following Yom Kippur, the nations of the world want to know the verdict, and ask, “What was decided? Are they בָּנִים or are they not בָּנִים?” Hakadosh Baruch Hu answers, “Those who emerge with My scepter (or sword) in hand are the victors. They are my בָּנִים.” We, with our Arban Minim in hand, are the only ones who emerge in such a state. We are the only ones permitted to touch שׁ ַ רְ ב ִ י ט ו ֹ שׁ ֶ ל מ ֶ ל ֶ ך – the scepter of the King, because only the child of the king may do so. Any commoner attempting to lay a finger on the king’s scepter is quickly removed from the scene, guaranteed to never return, if even permitted to live. The nations of the world are told, the ones holding Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s scepter are the victors!
Numerous explanations are provided for why the lulav and etrog are the symbols for such victory, and we’ll quickly look at the etrog, as it corresponds to our heart and is the most significant of the four species in terms of our investment. The numerical value of אֶ תְ רוֹ ג (including its kolel number) is equal to that of תּ וֹ רָ ה (611). When Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants us to remember that we accepted the Torah, He instructs us to take hold of an Etrog in our hand. In turn, we lift the Etrog so that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will remember our acceptance of the Torah, much like the custom of many Bnei Ashkenaz to take out the Sefer Torah and parade it around the kahal after Kol Nidre. Why are two elderly members of the community tasked with carrying the Sefer Torah to each person, rather than having the congregation come forward to kiss it? Names could be called alphabetically, and everyone could proceed in an orderly manner to the Aron Kodesh, pausing briefly to kiss the Sefer Torah before returning to their seat. Abramsky and Avramovitch would start, followed by Berdugo and Berkowitz. Why, instead, is a lengthy tour of the room necessary?
Several answers are provided as to why the Torahs make their way to each corner of the room. One of them is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu declares that He is the Sefer Torah, and He is coming to each person to stretch out His hand and make amends: אַתָּה נוֹתֵן יָד לַפּוֹשְׁעִים. Nobody can say they lacked the opportunity to make amends or that it was out of reach. Another answer is that the elderly representatives walking around with the Sefer Torah symbolize Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who also paraded the Torah among the nations of the world before Matan Torah, offering it to them.
וַ יֹאמַ ר ה' מִ סִּ ינַי בָּא וְ זָרַ ח מִ שּׂ ֵ עִ יר לָמוֹ הוֹפִ יעַ מֵ הַ ר פּ ָארָ ן וְ אָ תָ ה מֵ רִ בְ בֹת קֹ דֶ שׁ מִ ימִ ינוֹ אֵ שׁ דָּ ת לָ מוֹ ׃
He said: ‘‘Hashem came from Sinai, radiated forth to them from Seir, appeared from Mount Paran He came with part of the sacred myriads; from His right — the flaming Torah law.
In taking the Torah around the room, we are essentially saying to Hakadosh Baruch Hu: “Every nation, including Amon, Moav, and Yishmael, was offered the chance to accept Your Torah, but one by one, they declined. Nobody wanted it. Who was the only one to approach it and give it a kiss? Bnei Yisrael. The ones sitting right here. The ones who committed all sorts of sins. The ones asking for forgiveness tonight. The ones who are again ready to say ‘Yes’ and give it another kiss. Remember, on this day we are בָּ נִים and not עֲ בָ דִ י ם. The rest of the world wants for us to only be Your servants, but alas we are Your children.” We beseech Hakadosh Baruch Hu to remember our status of בָּנִים, a status attained at Matan Torah, because without it there is no Teshuva possible.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu then one-ups us, so to speak: “I will show you the sign of בָּנִים. Everyone who walks out holding their lulav up high, they are the victor. The ones who emerge raising My scepter, they are My children.” The essence of the holiday of Sukkot is to reach that intimate level of בָּנִים following Yom Kippur:
הֱבִיאַנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָ יו נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָךְ
The Gemara (Shabbat 88a) refers to the etrog as תַ פּ וּ חַ – an apple. Similarly, Bnei Yisrael are also likened to an apple tree: כְּ תַ פּ וּ חַ בּ ַ עֲ צֵ י הַ יַעַ ר. Why? It is to tell you that just as this apple tree, its fruit grows before its leaves, so too, Bnei Yisrael accorded precedence to נַעֲשֶׂ ה over נ ִ שׁ ְ מ ָ ע. Tosfot says, it is not an apple tree being referred to here by the name תַ פּ וּ חַ but rather the etrog. (The fruit of the citron comes before its leaves, since it resides on the tree from one year to the next. And after a year, the leaves of the previous year fall and new leaves come.) Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “You want me to remember that you are My children? Pick up an etrog together with the lulav.” The etrog is a commemoration of נ ַ ע ֲ ש ׂ ֶ ה ו ְ נ ִ שׁ ְ מ ָ ע.
Where did this idea coalesce for me? It is very simple. What did the Yevanim truly wish to achieve? They sought to claim that they were the בָּנִים of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This idea appears in the Midrash (Ki Tisa 34) referenced earlier. The Yevanim translated the Torah to Greek and said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, “We are now Your children.” Hakadosh Baruch Hu rejected the claim, dismissing their rationale because He Himself explicitly had the Torah translated into every language, as stated in Parshat Ki Tavo (Devarim 27:1-8). It was translated into Greek, Romanian, Hungarian, English, Amharic, Polish, and all other languages. Translating the Torah into one’s own language and opening a Department of Torah Studies at the University of Athens does not confer the title or status of בָּנִים. That designation of בָּנִים is only for those who learn תּוֹרָ ה שׁ ֶבְּעַל פֶּה – the Oral Law. The Yevanim wished to uproot and take over our status of בָּנִים, and that is why they cared so much about abolishing the holiday of Sukkot rather than taking aim at Pesach. Sukkot is what awarded the name בָּנִים to Bnei Yisrael. Sitting within the shade and embrace of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, entering His innermost chamber, raising the King’s scepter high in the air, and transforming sins into merits via Teshuva – all of these are demonstrations of our unique status of בָּנִים. This is what the Yevanim were after and the privileges and gifts they sought to take from us! The Yevanim sought to ל ְ ה ַ שׁ ְ כ ּ ִ י ח ָ ם תּ ו ֹ רָ ת ֶ ך, which does not simply mean making us forget the Torah we had previously learned. They aimed to have Matan Torah itself forgotten! They wanted to strike our declaration of נ ַ ע ֲ ש ׂ ֶ ה ו ְ נ ִ שׁ ְ מ ָ ע from the record! They sought to obliterate all that the etrog represents and all that led to our meriting the status of בָּנִים.
On Sukkot, we read the Haftarah dealing with the war of Gog and Magog. On the Pasuk יָמִ ים יֻצָרוּ וְ לוֹ אֶ חָ ד בָּ הֶ ם – These days were formed and to Him one from them, Tanna debei Eliyahu...
