Sukkos Thoughts Supplement
The Torah speaks about the Shalosh Regalim in five Parshios. The first time is in Parshas Mishpatim and the second is in Parshas Ki Sisa. The third time is in Parshas Emor, the fourth is in Parshas Pinchas and the fifth is in Parshas Re'aih. In Parshas Mishpatim and Ki Sisa the Torah connects the Yomim Tovim to the agricultural seasons. Pesach is in the Aviv - the time when the wheat begins to ripen. Shavuos is called חג הקציר - the time of harvesting and Sukkos is חג האסיף - at the time of gathering the produce inside. Let us try to understand this connection between the Yomim Tovim and the agricultural seasons. Also, today there are very few farmers in our community, as far as I know, and we need to know how the agricultural seasons apply to us.
Before we begin to understand the entire Sugya, let us take a look at the unbelievable words of the Malbi”m in Parshas Re'aih. The Malbi”m says that Hashem made the Yomim Tovim at these three times because these are times that the nations celebrate their agricultural accomplishments. The Malbi”m says that Hashem wanted that instead of celebrating for the agricultural accomplishments, we should celebrate לשם השם. And we should rejoice because of our encounter with Hashem, and not because of our produce or wealth. The Malbi”m brings a Mashal from Chaza"l as follows: A king had a very close friend and he wanted to know if this close friend really likes him. So he decided to conduct a test. When this close friend was making a wedding for his only son, the king came to see if his friend will forget about his personal Simcha to celebrate with the king. When the friend saw the king, he totally became involved with the king and rejoiced with the king. The king was overjoyed and realized that his friend is really loyal. So too, says the Malbi”m, Hashem wants to see if we will ignore our personal accomplishments in order to rejoice with Hashem.
The Malbi"m applies this to the Pessukim there. The first Possuk says חַג הַסְכֹּת תַּעֲשֶׂה לְךָ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּאָסְפְּךָ מִגָּרְנְךָ וּמִיִּקְבֶךָ - You should celebrate the Yom Tov of Sukkos when you gather in your silo and winery. And surely you should celebrate with your family - וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַנֵּךְ אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבְתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְהַלֵּוִי וְהַגַּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ. And finally, the most important part of the Mitzva is "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תָּחֹג "לַהשם אֱלֹקִיךְ - You should rejoice with Hashem. According to the Malbi”m we see that the Torah is associating the Yomim Tovim to the agricultural seasons in order to teach us to push aside our personal accomplishments. The Torah wants us to channel all our Simcha towards Hashem.
Regarding the Mashal which the Malbi”m brings, about the king and his friend who is making a Chasuna for his only son, there is a little question which one may ask. Is it really proper for the king to enter in middle of the Chasuna and disturb the whole Simcha? Can the king not find a better way to test his friendship? The answer is that if we ask this question we do not know what a king is. If we would understand what a king is, we would realize that the king is not disturbing, Chas V'shalom. Just the opposite, the arrival of the king is upgrading the whole Chasuna to a new level. And even if the music stops and everyone just watches the king, this is “honoring the Chasuna” because the king is now part of the Chasuna. This is one Mehalech to explain the connection between the Yamim Tovim and the agricultural seasons.
There is another Mehalech in the Seforim which says that the three periods of the agricultural season are comparable to the three stages of Klal Yisroel's development. Aviv, the springtime is before the grain is ripe and mature, but the kernels are there. This corresponds to Pesach which is likened to the birth of Klal Yisroel, but they are still not complete. Chag Hakatzir, the time of harvesting corresponds to Shavuos when Klal Yisroel received the Torah and reached Shleimus, but we were still outside and alone. Chag Ha'asif is the true completion and corresponds to Klal Yisroel at Sukkos when Hashem brings us into his Home.
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The Yom Tov of Sukkos has flown by and now we are warming up for the winter הבעל"ט. But what is left from the Yom Tov of Sukkos? What did we gain that will last with us throughout the year? Surely everybody has gained something but it is important to capsulize and define it in order for it not to evaporate and fizzle away. We would like to mention two thoughts regarding the Yom Tov we just celebrated and perhaps they will help us hold on to the beautiful and elated feelings of the Yom Tov.
In one of his beautiful shmuesen on Sukkos, Moreinu Rav Elya Svei Zatza"l related an unbelievable thought from Rav Meir Simcha, The Meshech Chochmah, in Parshas Va'eschanan. The Meshech Chochmah brings down a Medrash in Shir Hashirim which says that we find that Hashem has three different relationships with Klal Yisroel. In one place they are called בתי - My daughter. In another place they are called אחותי - My sister, and in the third place they are called אמי - My mother. The Medrash explains that that these three relationships refer to different levels of love between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. The Meshech Chochmah adds that these three levels can also be paralleled to the three Yomim Tovim of Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos. The Yom Tov of Pesach represents Hashem taking Yidden out of Mitzrayim. At that time, Klal Yisroel was on a very low level - they were serving Avodah Zarah - and did not deserve to be redeemed. Nevertheless, Hashem redeemed them and took care of them just as a Mother takes care of Her child. At this time Klal Yisroel is called My daughter. The next level is when Klal Yisroel received the Torah at Har Sinai. Hashem gave us the Torah and we said נעשה ונשמע which made us כביכול like partners with Hashem, and similar to sisters who are very close to each other. Shavuos is the Yom Tov to celebrate this and אחותי is the relationship represented. The third level is on Sukkos when Klal Yisroel did Teshuva for the sin of the Aigel and went out of their way to show Hashem that they were ready to do everything to serve Him. At this point it is as if Klal Yisroel is the משפיע and Hashem is the Receiver. This is the time when Hashem refers to Klal Yisroel as אמי - My mother. This is definitely a very lofty thought but hopefully with time it will be better understood and appreciated.
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The second thought is based on the Sfas Emes. The Sfas Emes gives a new reason for the Mitzva of Sitting in the Sukka and living in the Sukka for seven days. He says that after the Yomim Noraim and the forgiveness of Yom Kippur every Yid is a Baal Teshuva and the mundane world is not holy enough for the Baal Teshuva. It is not befitting for the Baal Teshuva to live in the plain world. Therefore, Hashem invites all the Yidden to join Him in His special holy abode. This is the Sukka. The question is, what happens after Sukkos? Hopefully we are still on a very high level; how can we move back into our homes? Perhaps the answer is that after Sukkos we lain Parshas Beraishis which is the Creation of the world. At this time the world is fresh and new and holy enough for all. This is how we can move back into our homes and still remain our high levels.
As we re-enter our homes we should remind ourselves of the commandment which Hashem gave Adam Harishon when He put him in Gan Eden - תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב עולמי - make sure you do not ruin and destroy My world. And the Mesilas Yesharim also mentions this important message. We are now in a new clean world and we should try our best not to make it any worse, and if we are able to improve it, that would surely be wonderful.
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The four Minim which we shake on Sukkos represent four types of Yidden and on Sukkos they all come together. The Esrog, which has a pleasant smell and taste represents the person who learn Torah and does Mitzvos. The Haddasim, which has a good smell, and Lulav, which has dates growing on it, has a good taste, and they represent a person who has only one, either Torah or Mitzvos. The Aravos do not have any taste or smell and they represent the Yid who lacks Torah and Mitzvos. The Meforshim ask, so what does this person have? Also, on Hoshana Rabba, the main service of the day is with the Aravos; this implies that there is something very special about the Aravos. What is this very special quality of the Aravos?
The Gemara in Maseches Sukka )דף ל"ד( says that we learn from a Possuk that the צפצפה branch, which is a relative of the ערבה,may not be used for the ד' מינים in the place of the ערבה. The Possuk in Sefer Yechezkel says קח על מים רבים צפצפה שמו and Rebbi Avohu explains that Hashem said that I wanted the Yidden to be like an ערבה which grows on plenty of water, but they made themselves into a צפצפה which grows on the mountains, which are usually dry and barren. The Maharsh”a explains that growing near plenty of water refers to learning plenty of Torah as we find in Chaza"l that אין מים אלא תורה. Hashem expected the Yidden to learn a lot of Torah. The interesting thing is that Hashem wanted the Yidden to be like an ערבה, which is the lowest of the ד' מינים. From here too we see that there is something very special about the ערבה.
The Sfas Emes gives two very beautiful explanations for the greatness of the ערבה. One is that the ערבה represents a son of Hashem. This alone is very great. The second p'shat is that the ערבה represents the person who hopes for Hashem and the Geula. The Sfas Emes says that the Torah refers to the ערבה branch as ערבי נחל and the word נחל stands for נ'פשנו ח'כתה ל'שם - our souls yearn for Hashem. Although this person is deficient in Torah and Mitzvos, his soul is very strong and he makes Hashem very happy.
The Gemara in Maseches Chulin )דף צ"ב( says in the name of Rebbi Shimon Ben Lokish that Klal Yisroel is compared to a grapevine. The branches are like the בעלי בתים, the clusters of grapes are the תלמידי חכמים, the leaves are the עמי הארץ and the קנוקנות, which do not have any use, are the empty ones of the Yidden. The Gemara says that this is the meaning of the message which they sent from Eretz Yisroel that the clusters should Daven for the leaves because without the leaves, there will not be any clusters. Although this Gemara may not be exactly the same as the Medrash about the ד' מינים,they are definitely similar. The lesson is that as long as they are attached and connected to each other, they are all Choshuv; and this is what Hashem wants from us.
Another lesson from these Chaza”l is that each person should know what he is and where his place is in regard to the entire Klal Yisroel. Am I like a Lulav, Esrog, Hadas or Arava! Is this the best I can be? Do I want to improve, and if I am not able to improve then at least I can join others who are greater than myself.
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The Haftora on the first day of Sukkos comes from Sefer Zecharia and tells about the Yidden celebrating Sukkos לעתיד לבא and the Possuk says that there will be a punishment for the nations who will not come to celebrate with the Yidden. The question is that there is only a Mitzva for the Yidden to sit in the Sukka; where do the nations come to this Mitzva? There is an answer from the Baalei Mussar that since there is a great Simcha for the Yidden, there is a responsibility for the other nations to be happy for the Yidden and join them. When someone has a Simcha, it is imperative for everyone to join in and rejoice. One Yid's Simcha is everyone's Simcha. Moreinu Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky Shlit”a asked this question many years ago. He answered based on the words of the Ramcha”l that when the people of the world will behave in the way that Hashem wants, then the Yidden will be on top and the nations will be subservient to them. Rav Shmuel said that it is similar to the words of the Mesilas Yesharim who says regarding the ד' מינים that they represent the four types of Yidden and יבא אלו ויכפרו על אלו these should come and forgive on those. When they are all connected then they have an influence o n each other and help each other. The same is going to be with the nations לעתיד לבא; the nations will be influenced from the Yidden and come to serve Hashem. Rav Shmuel said that we should learn from here the importance of having a good influence on others and help them as much as we can.
להבדיל בין חיים לחיים,Moreinu Rav Elya Svei Zatza"l spoke right after Rav Shmuel at the Simchas Beis Hashoʼeiva and said that he was also bothered with the same question. Rav Elya first gave the answer from the Baalei Mussar and then gave another answer based on the words of the Alshich Hakadosh. The Alshich says that Sukkos is called חג לשם unlike the other Yomim Tovim, because it is a time to celebrate with Hashem. At Pesach, we became Hashem's nation and on Shavuos we received the Torah; we celebrate because of our new level. On Sukkos, however, we did not gain a new level, rather we celebrate because of what we have. We show our appreciation for being connected with Hashem. Rav Elya said that this celebration, although it applies mainly to Klal Yisroel because we are the closest to Hashem, it still applies to the entire creation. In truth, every צלם אלקים and the whole world has a connection to Hashem. לעתיד לבא it will be expected of all the nations to recognize their place in the world and that they have a connection with Hashem. They will be responsible to celebrate the חג לשם. If this will be expected of the גוים, how much more so is it expected of us even now.
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We say in יעלה ויבא that Hashem should remember us in it for the good - זכרנו השם אלוקינו בו לטובה, and then we say ופקדנו בו לברכה והושיענו בו לחיים. Three times we say the word בו - in it. What is the significance of the word בו it would also sound fine if we would say זכרנו לטובה ופקדנו לברכה והושיענו לחיים. What does the word בו add? The answer is that the day itself a power and zechus to help us. We are asking Hashem to remember us בו in the zechus and כח of this special day. The Gemara in Maseches Pesachim )דף קי"ח( asks why specifically the Perakim which we say in Hallel were chosen from the entire Tehillim. The Gemara answers that it is because we have to mention five different themes: יציאת מצרים קריעת ים סוף מתן תורה תחית המתים וחבלו של משיח. Where are these five themes mentioned? בצאת ישראל ממצרים is Yetzias Mitzrayim, הים ראה וינס is the splitting of the Yam Suf, ההרים רקדו כאילים is Mattan Torah, אתהלך לפני השם is Techiyas Hameisim and לא לנו השם לא לנו is the חבלו של משיח. Rash”i says that these five themes are special because they speak about Ge'ula. We also say in Hallel זה היום עשה השם נגילה ונשמחה בו. Here too the word בו means in the day; we rejoice and be happy from the deepest treasures and roots of the day.
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