Sukkos
“כל שבעת הימים אדם עושה סוכתו קבע וביתו עראי. ירדו גשמים, מאימתי מותר לפנות, משתסרח המקפה. משלו משל – למה הדבר דומה: לעבד שבא למזוג כוס לרבו ושפך לו קיתון על פניו” (Sukkah 28b)
“All seven days of Sukkos one must make his Sukkah his permanent residence and his house his temporary residence. If rain fell, from when is he permitted to leave the Sukkah? From the time that the congealed dish will be ruined due to the rain. A Moshol, parable, to this, what is this compared to? To a servant who comes to pour wine for his master, and he pours a jug of water on his face.”
Rebbe Yehudah Hanasi, (Rebbe) wrote the Mishnayos – Halachos of what we need to know. He does not tell us stories or parables. Why over here does Rebbe decide to tell us a Moshol? Additionally, why in the parable do we need to know about the servant being מוזג the Kos, which literally translates to “mixes”? It used to be that in order to drink wine, it first needed water added. Why do we need to know about the servant mixing the wine? What we need to know is that he brought his master a cup of liquid, and his master rejected it.
Every Yid is working on being מוזג, mixing, sweetening his Din with Mitzvos. He wants to sit in the Sukkah and perform the Mitzvah of Sukkah to be מוזג his Din. Hakodosh Boruch Hu rejects it, and causes it to rain so that there is no Mitzvah in Sukkah.
One should not say, it’s raining and I don’t have to eat in the Sukkah, but I will be Machmir and do so anyways. If one does so, he is making little of the fact that he got rejected. Instead, one needs to think about what is happening. Hakodosh Boruch Hu is rejecting him, Hakodosh Boruch Hu is saying that He doesn’t want his Din to be sweetened.
What is one to do? Certainly not give up. We know that Acher heard a Bas Kol say that everyone could do Teshuva except for him – so he gave up. We are told the story to learn that one is never to give hope. It may be harder, and he may not get the regular help that is given from Above, but as long as one is alive, it is never too late.
