Tomorrow night begins the yomtov of Sukkos and so, of course, the subject tonight will be the sukkah. But first, we’ll make a slight detour and speak about yomtov in general; we’ll review together a fundamental principle that applies to all three regalim, and then a little bit later we’ll see how it applies especially to Sukkos.
One of the most well known ancient provisions of the shalosh regalim is the mitzvah of appearing before Hashem in the Beis Hamikdash. Everybody, even the non-chachomim, know the mitzvah because we mention it on yomtov at Mussaf. And in the Torah, in one place, it’s described like this: שֹׁשָׁנָה פַּעֲמִים בָּשָׁנָה – Three times every year, כָּל זְכוּרְךָ יֵרָאֶה אֶל פְּנֵי הָאָדֹן ה' – all of your males should appear, should be seen before the Master Hashem (Shemos 23:17).
Now even though you say that possuk and you might even know it, but that’s not enough; we have to think about it too. In the olden days when there was a Beis Hamikdash, so three times a year, on Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos, all the men were required to go up to Yerushalayim. They had to leave over their homes and their farms and their herds and families – if their children and wives wanted to come along they could but if not they had to go themselves – and they thronged the highways and came to Yerushalayim to visit the Beis Hamikdash.
Visiting the Master
Now the Torah, in one of the places where it describes this mitzvah, uses an unusual expression: ‘To show yourselves before the Adon.’ ‘Adon’ means Master and if you’re familiar with Tanach you know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is almost never called Adon. Sometimes He’s called א-ד-נ-י. More frequently He’s called Elokim and even more frequently He’s called Hashem, י-ק-ו-ק. But that He should be called א-ד-ו-ן is exceptional. If you look through the chumash, you’ll see that it’s almost unique.
And so the question is why in this case does it say that we show ourselves to the ‘Master Hashem’? It could have said אֶל פְּנֵי ה' or אֶל פְּנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים, like in other places. That would have been more standard, more appropriate.
And the answer is that the way it says it is the most appropriate. Because these three times a year, that’s the purpose of our traveling to Yerushalayim. We are coming to demonstrate that we have an Adon, a Master, a Landlord; it’s a national demonstration. We come to the Beis Hamikdash – that’s where the Shechina is; it’s the place that represents Hashem – to show ourselves before the Landlord as if to demonstrate, “We realize that the land is Yours; that You are the Adon, the Master, and we are only visitors and tenants on Your land.”
The Cottage Ceremony
Imagine that you’re a baron in medieval times and you have a big estate. Or even today, let’s say you’re an owner of a huge estate, many square miles. And there are developments, cottages, where a lot of people live. You’re a nice fellow and you let people live in the cottages. Maybe they pay a nominal rent fee but whatever it is, it’s your estate and you give them permission. Not forever but it’s a long term stay.
Now these people who live on your estate tend to forget that you’re the landlord – they get used to the cottages and they do some work there; they add on a porch or maybe a second bathroom. They plant a little garden in the front and they put a little plaque on the door with their name. Oh, the name plaque! That’s already something. And so they tend to forget about you. Even though there’s a clause in the contract that stipulates that you are the lord of this entire estate and that you can remove them at your will; but the tenant doesn’t think about that too often. It’s his place now. And not only it is his but he’ll be here forever; that’s how he tends to think.
So you wish to institute a ceremony. And therefore you write it into the contract that when somebody buys a cottage on your land, three times a year they have to trot over from their cottages and show themselves before you just to say, “Hello, boss.” That’s all. Just to realize that they have someone who owns the property.
Understanding Yom Tov
That’s what Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos are for; to remember that actually you’re only a guest here. Of course each yomtov has its own individual nuances, its own shades of meaning; but underlying all of them is a common purpose, to demonstrate that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the Adon. Three times a year you leave your home, your farm, and you remind yourself that the whole thing is not as secure as you imagine. That’s what yomtov is about.
I’m sure most of you have never heard that before. Yomtov means פְּנֵי הָאָדוֹן! To recognize the Landlord!
It’s an open possuk, only that we tend to ignore what’s written openly. We like pshetlach and drashos. We like secrets, to hear what’s beneath the surface; even though it’s not there, we imagine something is beneath the surface. But here is an open verse which states a purpose of aliyah l’regel three times a year and that is to demonstrate that Hashem is the Master and we are only temporary visitors. Unfortunately today we’re in golus so we can’t do that anymore. It’s a great loss for us. But picture in the ancient times when they all stood before Hashem and they were acknowledging to Him, “You’re our Adon! You’re the Master of the land!”
A Double Purpose
Now what’s the purpose of emphasizing the fact? A double purpose. One is to know that He’s the Landlord; you’re not the landlord here. It’s not our subject but that’s already a big lesson. Because what usually happens? Out of habit, people tend to forget. You became accustomed to being the owner of this place.
So the first thing this procedure tells you is that you’re a tenant and Someone else is the Boss. You thought you’re such a big macher? So yom tov says ‘Get off your high horse and pay a visit to the Master.” That’s very important. ָׁמֶר הִשָּׁמֶר לְך פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ – Watch yourself so that you shouldn’t forget about Hashem, your G-d (Devarim 8:11).
But it’s not enough that you remind yourself once in a while when you go to shul for Mincha and you see His name in the siddur: “Oh, Him. Yes, I remember Him from this morning, from Shacharis. He was mentioned in the siddur then too.” Pen tishkach means it should be on your mind always, that it should be an attitude of yours. And therefore that’s purpose number one, to take part in a ceremony which makes that truth real. It’s a trip; you’re trudging the roads to go up to the Beis Hamikdash to show yourself to the Landlord. It’s a big deal, a long trip and a big ceremony, and it gets into your bones: “There’s an Adon!”
The Second Purpose
But the second purpose – and this is what we’re going to speak about now – is to let us know that not only is there a Landlord but that we don’t really belong here; this is not our place. Yes, it’s a nice cottage. It’s fun and good times on this estate but I’m only a visitor here. The Landlord let you come for the summer or maybe a year or even more – hopefully it will be a hundred years – but whatever it is, it’s only a visit. We’re just visiting temporarily and actually we are headed to a better place, a more secure place.
And it’s not Eretz Yisroel! Not even Eretz Yisroel when it is really Eretz Yisroel. Because this mitzvah was in effect when they were living securely on their land. ‘Visitors’ means anywhere in this world and ‘a better place’ means a place even more secure and permanent than Eretz Yisroel in the best of times.
Because of their fathers, Avrohom, Yitzchok, v’Yaakov, the Jewish people have been given a promise that אָרֶץ לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ – they’re going to inherit the land forever (Yeshaya 60:21). Which land? The land that’s worth inheriting. So the plain meaning is maybe Eretz Yisroel but it means much more than that. ‘They’re going to inherit a land that’s forever’ means actually forever! Because in Eretz Yisroel even if you’ll be secure – let’s say we’ll have Dovid Melech Yisroel and his invincible army protecting us – but who can protect us against the malach hamavess?
The Real Land
So after you live nine hundred and so years like the oldest who ever lived on this earth, finally the bitter day comes when you must say farewell. And Dovid with all of his armies won’t be able to help you. Moshiach won’t prevent you from dying. So it’s not l’olam.
And so wherever you are – even if you’re in Eretz Yisroel, and you’re with the Melech haMoshiach, and you live in a palace, and the borders are secure shebi’secure – it's still not forever. And Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants us to remember always the real destination that’s promised to the people of Hashem and that’s Olam Haba. That’s our place. Olam Hazeh? It’s just a temporary estate; we have a cottage and it seems permanent but actually we’re just passing through.
No Replacement Tickets
And it’s very important to remember because that promise, that every Yisroel has a place in the World to Come, is not a guaranteed promise. It’s a ticket but you have to hold on to that ticket.
It’s like a yeshiva that’s making a big trip to an amusement park. And they give each one of their talmidim a ticket for himself and for his family too. But the menahel warns the boys, “There are no extra tickets, no replacements. So don’t lose what I gave you.”
And so when he comes home he tells his family, “We’re going to an amusement park next Sunday and here are tickets!”
Then after a while, he gets into a fight with his younger brother and out of spite he tears up his ticket! And now the whole family goes next Sunday to the park but he remains home. He lost his ticket.
Hold On Tight!
And so, you have to keep hold of your tickets. If a Jew loses the ticket, if he stops saying kriyas shema shachris v’arvis or wearing tefillin or keeping Shabbos, or all the other things – that’s how you hold onto the ticket– he’s going to lose his admission to what he was rightfully entitled to have.
And the tighter you hold on to it – it means the more perfection you acquire in this temporary world – the greater the party will be for you in the world that’s permanent. And that’s why to be reminded of our station in this world, there’s nothing more important than that. Because כְּלָלוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר – the general principle of life is, הָאָדָם נִבְרָא בְּעַבוּר מַצָּבוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא – that man was not created for his place in this world, אֶלָּא בְּעַבוּר מַצָּבוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא – rather for his place in the World to Come (Mesillas Yesharim, Hakdamah).
