נעילת החג
It is hard to depart from or leave any Yom Tov, especially the Yom Tov of Sukkos. Chaza”l use the term קשה עלי פרידתכם regarding the Yom Tov of Sukkos and for that we have the Yom Tov of Shmini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. But it is still hard to return to normal life and the regular routine. The only Eitza is to take the Yom Tov with us. Sure it is easier said than done, but if it will not be said it will not be done. There are many beautiful lessons for us to take with us from the Yom Tov of Sukkos. One great lesson is that Simcha - True Simcha - has nothing to do with what the world calls happiness. The world translates happiness as having fun and being totally carefree; in other words Hefkerus. This is not our translation. This is not the Torah's translation. Let us see how the Mesillas Yesharim translates Simcha. The Mesillas Yesharim in Perek י"ט says that there are three parts to Ahavas Hashem and they are Dveikus, Simcha and Kinah. Let us see what Simcha means. The Mesillas Yesharim says as follows: כי זאת היא השמחה האמיתית שיהיה לבו של אדם עָלֵז על שהוא זוכה לעבוד לפני אדון יתברך שאין כמוהו ולעסוק בתורתו ומצוותיו שהם השלימות האמיתי והיקר הנצחי. The true Simcha and the greatest Simcha is to be עלז - bubbling over with joy, the highest level of Simcha - that he is Zoche to be serving Hashem and being עוסק in Torah and Mitzvos. The Mesillas Yesharim then brings a Possuk from Shir Hashirim which says as follows: מָשְׁכֵנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ גָּרוּצָה הֲבִיאֵנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָיו נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ. The Mesillas Yesharim says that the closer a person comes to Knowing Hashem, the greater his Simcha will be. And these are his words: כי כל מה שזוכה האדם לכנס יותר לפנים בחדרי ידיעת גדולתו יתברך יותר תגדל בו השמחה ויהיה לבו שָׂשׂ בקרבו. So we see from the Mesillas Yesharim a whole new meaning of Simcha. When the Mechitzos, the barriers which are blocking between a person and Hashem, are removed then a person will come to true Avodas Hashem and Simcha. His Avodas Hashem will be with עליזה - exultation - bubbling over with Simcha.
All the Seforim say that the words הביאני המלך חדריו refer to the Yom Tov of Sukkos when we enter into Hashem's Private Chamber. After Yom Kippur when Hashem is מכפר all our Aveiros we are able to come as close as possible to Hashem. Aveiros are Mechitzos and on Sukkos there are no Mechitzos; this is one of the main reasons why Sukkos is זמן שמחתנו. Now the Avodah is to stay as clean and pure as possible for as long as possible and this way the Simcha will last as long as possible.
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Sometimes a person hears a vort and he loves it right away. Other times a person hears a vort and in the beginning he does not appreciate it one hundred percent. After time with some thought it is possible that he digests it and then he loves it. Let us share an example of a vort which at first did not sound amazing, but then after much thought perhaps it is amazing. A certain Rav related that we must thank Hashem for giving us a big Torah, because really Hashem could have given us the entire Torah in one word “Breishis.” Can you imagine if we would sit and learn from when we are very young until we are very old the same word from morning until night. If that was the Mitzva, then that is what we would be doing. Now that we have a big, Geshmak'e, Zeeseh Torah we can learn and learn and learn and never come close to finishing the entire Torah. This is one of the reasons for us to celebrate Simchas Torah.
It happens to be that there is a Sefer with 613 ways to use the letters of the word בראשית. Each way teaches us a different one of the 613 Mitzvos. Also, if one takes a look at the Baal Haturim on the first Possuk in Parshas Breishis he will see so many רמזים and Gematrios which come from the word בראשית. One רמז is that in the word בראשית one can find the letters of ברית and אש which is a hint that with the Zechus of Bris Milah and the Torah which is אש a person will be saved from Gehinom. Another רמז is that in the word בראשית one can find the letters ירא שבת to teach us that the world was created in the Zechus of Shabbos.
Hashem gave us such a big, Geshmak'e, Zeeseh and Heileg'e Torah. Now we just need to sit down and learn a little; we will make Hashem Very Happy and Hashem will Make us very happy.
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B'ezras Hashem, a few years ago we were Zoche to hear Moreinu Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky Shlit"a speak during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva. Among all the beautiful words of Chizuk and Hisorerus, Rav Shmuel told over about great Tzaddikim who would throughout the day make sure to say שויתי השם לנגדי תמיד at least ten times. Rav Shmuel said that even if we do not say it ten times, we should at least say it a few times a day to remember that Hashem is in front of us. We should make Hashem part of our life. During the Aseres Yemei Teshuva we were thinking about Hashem the whole day. Even from the beginning of Elul we were already preparing for the Yomim Noraim and concentrating on אני לדודי ודודי לי. On Sukkos we are going to go into the Sukka for a private conference with Hashem. We are living very Shivisi'dik during these days, and it is very easy and a great Zechus.
The question is how to make it last? We would like to perhaps suggest a Mashal. There was once a family who was planning to make a great trip across the country. They made grand plans and spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars buying food and supplies for the trip. They rented a large trailer to attach to their car to store the food and supplies. They spent three weeks preparing for the great trip and they had all their maps and information ready. They got into the car and they were all very excited. They started driving and they were really looking forward to a great trip. After a few hours of driving, they started getting hungry and they wanted to stop for a snack and to rest a bit. Little did they know that that they were in for a surprise. They forgot to attach the trailer to the car. They were in big trouble. They did not have time to go back and they could not continue without the trailer. They were in a pickle. A person who travels throughout the year without the Yomim Noraim is like a person traveling across the country without his trailer.
The Meforshim say that one of the reasons why we have Sukkos right after the Yomim Nora'im is in order to hold on to the high levels we reached during the Yomim Noraim. But still, how can we hold on to the high level of Sukkos? How can we maintain the Yiras Shamayim of the Yomim Noraim?
There are two answers which we would like to suggest. The first one is that a person must be reminded daily that he had celebrated the Yomim Noraim. How can a person do this? One way is by learning Mussar. Open a Sefer, read the words and then think about them a little bit. This way they will be internalized and everlasting. The second way is, as Rav Shmuel Shlit”a said, by saying Shivisi Hashem L'negdi Tamid a few times a day and thinking about It. A third way is when he is Mekabel Ol Malchus Shamayim and says Shma.
The second way is through learning Torah. Learning Torah properly is a continuation of Mattan Torah and Maamad Har Sinai. When a person learns Torah properly he will be Zoche to all the Brachos of the Torah and he will also merit to have the proper connection with Hashem. This is why we have Simchas Torah at the end of Sukkos. We want to end off the Yomim Noraim and Sukkos with Simchas Torah - the happiness and joy of the Torah. Simchas Torah is not only one day a year; it is the whole year. Every time you open a Sefer and learn you should dance. You should feel as if you are dancing the Hakafos of Simchas Torah, holding a Sefer Torah in front of the Aron Hakodesh. And if you are really zoche you will even feel as if you are in the Bais Hamikdash.
