Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
(based on a derasha from
HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita,
Ravad of Yerushalayim)
The High Point
While every Yom Tov is a time for simcha, on Succos marks a high point of joy. When we had the Beis Hamikdash Succos was celebrated with music, dancing and all kinds of rejoicing. Chazal tells us, "Whoever did not see the Simchas Beis Hashoeva, never saw simcha in their life." Why was the joy of Succos so much greater than any other time of year?
During Elul, Rosh Hashanah, the Eseres Yemei Teshuva and Yom Kippur, each and every Jew would do teshuva, and reaffirm his or her commitment to the mitzvos of the Torah. However, such a big undertaking entailed a risk that a person would be left feeling overburdened by the responsibility of keeping 613 mitzvos.
For this reason, straight after Yom Kippur the Torah gave us the festival of Succos, which is celebrated in a spirit of merriment. Seven days of non-stop celebrating in the Beis Hamikdash was more than enough to help anyone realize that our commitment to Torah and mitzvos is not a burden. On the contrary, we cannot contain our joy over this privilege.
On Succos we leave our permanent home to enter temporary ones. Our relocation to makeshift huts symbolizes the recognition that our stay in this world is fleeting. Lasting fulfillment cannot be found in this world, and can only be had in the world to come.
This concept is beautifully illustrated in the famous story of a wealthy individual from overseas who visited the house of the Chafetz Chaim in Poland. The guest asked his host why his home was so bare of furniture and comforts. The Chafetz Chaim replied by asking his guest where was all of his furniture. The traveller answered that he was just passing through and naturally had left most of his belongs at home. The Chafetz Chaim responded, "I am also just passing through this world on the way back to my real home, and I also do not want to overburden myself with belongings on my travels."
The Chafetz Chaim’s simple perspective on life shows us how we can experience true joy on Succos. By temporarily "leaving behind" all of the furniture and conveniences that fill the rooms of our homes, we hope to taste the eternal pleasures that lie in store for us in the world to come. If we incorporate this outlook into our daily living, we can experience the pleasure of Succos all year long.
Special Korbanos
On Succos we find a unique phenomenon that we do not see on other festivals. We are commanded to bring a total of seventy sacrifices, which Chazal tell us are for the benefit of the seventy nations of the world. Why is Succos the time when we bring korbanos for the non-Jews?
We can understand this directive with the following story. Rav Avraham ben Avraham was from a family of gentile aristocracy, yet decided to give up his status to become a righteous convert. His family, who were very devout in their religious beliefs, ordered him to renounce his Jewish faith or be burned at the stake. Rav Avraham refused to compromise, and chose to die al kiddush Hashem.
Rav Araham was very close to the Gaon of Vilna, who told him that he could release him using one of the names of Hashem. The righteous Rav Avraham refused the offer, explaining that if he was freed people might think that he had agreed to renounce his faith. He was not willing to risk such a misconception.
As the holy Rav Avraham was being led to his death, the non-Jews who were instructed to carry out his sentence trembled. They recognized the holy spark in Rav Avraham’s soul and, being devout believers, they were concerned about Divine retribution for perpetrating his execution. Fearfully they begged Rav Avraham to renounce any claim before the Heavenly Court against those who were instructed to burn him.
Rav Avraham responded sharply, "Do you think that when I get to Heaven I will spare a thought for you! I will be basking in the Divine Presence and will be completely distanced from this world and people such as yourselves!”
Seferim say that when Rav Avraham made the blessing on Kiddush Hashem the entire universe shook as a result of the tremendous sanctification of his act.
We rejoice on Succos after experiencing the purification of Yom Kippur. Every Jew who did teshuva properly sits in the shade of the Shechinah – in his sukkah – and experiences the World to Come. There is no greater joy to be had in this world.
So too, a Jew sitting in his sukkah exists in an entirely different dimension than members of the other nations who dwell on Earth. Therefore, the Torah commands us to bring the seventy sacrifices during Succos in order to show that this seemingly massive offering that is brought in their merit, is a drop in the bucket compared to the reward that we experience in this world and the world to come. Like Rav Avraham the righteous convert, we are in a class of our own and have no real connection to them at all.
Separate But Together
On the Yom Tov of Succos we hold the lulav, hadasim, and aravos in one hand, and the esrog in the other. What is the deeper meaning behind the dividing of the arba minim between two hands?
The Medrash explains that each of the minim represents a different type of Jew. Lulav is a Jew who is strong in Torah learning and weak in mitzvos, hadasim a Jew strong in mitzvos but weak in Torah, and aravos represents a Jew weak in both areas. The esrog symbolizes the true talmid chacham who excels in both Torah and mitzvos.
Chazal stress the importance of all of these Jews living together. Each one has a contribution to make, and their unification is the beauty of Klal Yisrael. This is symbolized by the bringing of all the minim together.
Yet while unity is extremely important, a talmid chacham must maintain some level of separation. His place is with Hashem and if he gets too close to others he will lose his elevated level. Therefore the esrog is held in a different hand than the rest of the arbas haminim.
Succos is a time when all Jews rejoice in the knowledge that we are close to Hashem after Yom Kippur. Every Jew can reach an unparalleled level of simcha that he can not feel the rest of the year.
Let us hope that this year we will celebrate Succos in Yerushalayim with the building of the Beis Hamikdash and the coming of moshiach tzidkenu.
(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion" a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)
