Succos is unique among yomim tovim in the degree of
simchah that Hashem expects us to achieve. The Rambam
at the end of Hilchos Lulav writes about the
Simchas Beis Hashoevoh: "Although it is a mitzva to
rejoice on all the moadim, on chag haSuccos in
the Beis Hamikdosh there was an additional
simchah, as it says `You shall rejoice before Hashem,
your G-d for seven days.' "
The Rambam explains that the Simchas Beis Hashoevoh
was limited to "only gedolei chochmoh, roshei yeshivas
and Sanhedrin, chassidim, zekeinim and anshei
ma'asseh . . ." The Rambam tells us that those who could
play musical instruments played, those who could sing sang;
there was dancing, clapping and much more. In contrast,
Rambam writes that everyone else "would come to watch and
listen. . . ." Why were these accomplished individuals the
only people privileged to join in, and what were they so
happy about?
The Rambam tells us the reason: "The simchah that a
person enjoys in doing a mitzvah — and the ahavas
Hashem [that he develops because he knows Hashem is the
One] Who commanded them — is an avodoh
gedoloh."
The Maggid Mishnah elaborates and helps to explain the
Rambam: "It is not proper for a person to do mitzvos because
they are compulsory [that is, through feeling] compelled and
forced to carry them out; rather, [even though] he is
obligated to do them [he nonetheless] rejoices doing
them."
In other words, the fact that we must carry out the Will of
our Creator should not stop us from serving Hashem
be'ahavoh. On the contrary, knowing that Hashem
Yisborach, the Ribono Shel Olom is our kind and
merciful Master, and He commanded us to do His mitzvos for
our benefit, should be a source of inspiration to help us
serve Him with simchah and ahavoh.
Consequently, as the Maggid Mishnah continues, when a person
does mitzvos in this way, "he considers negligible the
efforts he spends to accomplish them. He understands he was
created for this — to serve his Creator, and when he
does what he was created for he rejoices and is glad . .
."
In conclusion, the Maggid Mishnah explains the difference
between this true and genuine simchah and false,
fleeting satisfaction: "Other types of simchah are
dependent on pointless things that do not endure. But
simchah through doing mitzvos, limud HaTorah
and chochmoh is genuine simchah."
*
In our tefillos for Rosh Hashonoh and Yom Kippur, we
pray for the Geulah Shleimoh, be'ezras Hashem, may it
come speedily in our days. We also pray for simchah in
Eretz Yisroel and sosson in Yerushalayim and
that we will be able to rejoice as well.
In the Siddur HaGra — Ishei Yisroel, the
commentary Siach Yitzchok explains the difference
between sosson and simchah: "Sosson is a
more readily perceived outward expression of joy, and this
[sosson is specifically] in Yerushalayim more than in
the rest of Eretz Yisroel."
The simchah was so genuine that, as the Siach Yitzchok
cites Chazal: "Anyone who did not see the Simchas Beis
Hashoevoh, never saw simchah in his lifetime"
(Mishnah Succah 5:1). Thus, there is specific reason
why we pray for simchah in Eretz Yisroel and
sosson in Yerushalayim.
*
The Beis Hamikdosh was, and will again be, located in
Yerushalayim. The Beis Hamikdosh is a source of joy, a
unique joy that originates from ruchniyus. The
excitement, the great outward showing of joy, all the song
and dance that surrounded the Simchas Beis Hashoevoh,
were a result of ruchniyus. Simchah as intense
and heartfelt cannot be contained. Genuine simchah
cannot stem from physical gratification. True and enduring
simchah results from true and enduring
achievements.
Sosson requires ruchniyus, a true and eternal
inspiration. Torah and mitzvos produce an inner gratification
and honest enthusiasm so strong that the simchah must
surface for all to see and enjoy. Therefore, only those who
actually achieved such heights of sosson, the external
display of joy which came from the wellsprings of their
neshomos, could honestly partake in the grand public
display of true simchah, the Simchas Beis
Hashoevoh.
Why, however, was this particularly on Succos? On Shavuos,
Hashem gave us the Torah. On Pesach, Hashem redeemed Klal
Yisroel and we became His nation, prepared to do His
bidding. Both of these great days have enough good reasons to
kindle true simchah in our hearts. Why is it that
these days do not also require the great obligations of
simchah that Succos does?
The answer lies in understanding the mitzva of succah. The
first omud of the gemora Succah cites the
posuk, "Seven days you shall dwell in succos"
(Vayikra 23:42). The gemora goes on to explain
that the Torah is commanding us: "Tzei midiras keva
vesheiv bediras aroiy — leave our permanent homes
and live in temporary dwellings."
One way of understanding this mitzvah — bederech
mussar — is that on Succos we leave our homes, the
places we are most comfortable and pleased with. This allows
us to separate ourselves from gashmiyus, from Olom
Hazeh, and then we can best understand and realize our
true goal in life: to draw closer to ruchniyus. Thus,
by learning to use this world properly, we will acquire
Olom Habo.
However, the gemora Succah (28b) paradoxically
commands us to dwell in the succah as we normally
live, by bringing our finest utensils and furniture along
with us into the succah! Based on this gemora, the
Shulchan Oruch (Oruch Chaim 639:1) instructs us, "To
live in the succah by day and by night in the same way
that one lives in his house during the rest of the days of
the year."
By surrounding ourselves with the trappings of Olom
Hazeh, how can we ever draw closer to
ruchniyus?
*
On Shabbos of chol hamoed Succos we read
Koheles. The often repeated message of Koheles
is that everything in this world is pointless — and
even more than pointless, everything is absolutely wasted
— haveil havolim hakol hevel.
This message helps us realize what the Ramchal writes about
in the first perek of his sefer Mesillas
Yeshorim, " . . . it is impossible for any intelligent
person to believe that the purpose of man's creation is for
living in Olom Hazeh. . . ." After all, as the Ramchal
asks, "What is life in this world? [Just] all kinds of
suffering and sicknesses, grief and difficulties — and
after all this, death?"
But how can this message have its greatest impact if it is
dulled by living in our succah filled with
luxuries?
The realization that this world is futile is one thing, but
to know that everything is absolutely haveil havolim hakol
hevel is a chiddush that only Shlomo Hamelech can
teach us. Hashem Yisborach blessed Shlomo Hamelech
with superb wisdom and fabulous wealth. As king, he had every
aspect of the world at his disposal — and he had the
wisdom to use everything to its exact perfection. Shlomo
Hamelech's conclusion, his Koheles, teaches us that
whatever we do in life will amount to haveil havolim hakol
hevel, a heap of useless waste — if we are not
extremely careful.
The Seforno explains what both haveil and haveil
havolim mean: All things that have been created, if not
used for a positive purpose to warrant their existence they
are called hevel. But if something is used for a much
worse, negative purpose than what it was originally created
for, it is called haveil havolim.
In other words, all of Creation, if it does not contribute to
the perfection of the Tzelem Elokim amounts to a heap
of useless waste, and the perfection of our Tzelem
Elokim will be measured by amount of yiras
Shomayim which we achieve in this world.
The final warning of Koheles begins with, "Sof
dovor hakol nishma, es ho'Elokim yiro ve'es mitzvosov shmor
ki zeh kol ho'odom" (Koheles 12:13). The gemora
Brochos (6b) questions how yiras Elokim is to be
considered the sum total of our lives. Rabbi Elozor quotes
Hashem Yisborach's explanation, "Says HaKodosh
Boruch Hu, `The entire world was created only for the
sake of this [yiras Elokim].' " If we do not realize
this, think about this, and live for this, then our lives
amount to waste and Creation is useless — haveil
havolim hakol hevel.
*
Chovos Halevovos writes in the second chapter of the
ninth Shaar: "All that advances civilization adds to
the destruction of seichel." Meaning, the more the
world progresses, the more damage occurs to our ability to
reason properly. In light of this, how can we surround
ourselves with luxuries in the succah and still achieve a
degree of yiras Shomayim?
In order to answer this question we need to deepen our
understanding of what Hashem expects of us when we are
commanded to leave our homes and live in our succas for seven
days — Tzei midiras keva vesheiv bediras aroiy.
The word keva aside from meaning permanent also means
routine. Rabbi Shimon teaches us: "When you pray, do not make
your prayer keva — routine . . ." (Ovos
2:13).
Even though we always repeat the same words in our daily
prayers, we need to pray to Hashem Yisborach to be
merciful with us and we must honestly ask Hashem to supply
our needs. We cannot pray only because we are compelled. If
we pray because we just want to fulfill our obligation, we
miss the whole point of prayer. Each time we pray we need to
renew our enthusiasm and pray to Hashem with a fuller and
more willing heart. This requires thought and preparation.
Likewise, the seven days of Succos afford us the opportunity
to leave our "diras keva," our routine place and our
routine way of life. However, in order to do this in the best
and most complete way possible, we must take our finest
belongs along with us. This will help us evaluate how we
think about Olom Hazeh — the best of Olom
Hazeh. Hopefully we will come to the proper understanding
of how Hashem Yisborach has only given it to us in
order to achieve yiras Shomayim! If so, then the world
has purpose and the world can achieve perfection.
*
When we enter the succah for the first time, we offer a
unique prayer to Hashem Yisborach, "May it be Your
will . . . that the Shechinah dwell among us . . . and
in the zchus of our fulfillment of the mitzvah of
succah . . . may the ziv kevodecha surround us . .
."
Ziv is a radiance, a perceptible splendor. What
exactly are we praying for, and why specifically on
Succos?
Chazal teach us, "When a tzaddik is in a city, he is
its ziv — its splendor. He is its hodor
— its glory. When he departs, splendor leaves and glory
leaves" (Midrash Rabbah, Parshas VaYeitze 68:1).
The commentary Yefeh Tohar explains that within this
context, ziv means, "The illumination that results
from Torah and chochmoh, since, `A man's
chochmoh brightens his face' (Koheles 8:1)."
The very special chochmoh of Torah has the potential
to put a special shine on a person's face!
When Moshe Rabbenu descended from Har Sinai with the
Luchos, his face radiated brilliant rays of light. The
rays were so powerful that Klal Yisroel could not
directly look at their brilliance. Although gleaming rays of
light beamed forth from his face, the posuk testifies,
" . . . Moshe did not know . . ." ( Shemos 34:29).
Moshe Rabbenu's inner excellence, his chochmoh, was so
perfect that it became physically manifest and observable
— clear as day.
The gemora Sotah (49a) teaches us, "With the death of
Rabban Yochonon ben Zakai, ziv hachochmoh vanished
from the world." There was a very unique aspect of Rabban
Yochonon ben Zakai's chochmoh that caused the
brilliance of wisdom to rest with him while he was alive and
then to vanish from the world along with him.
The gemora (in Succah 28a) describes the
shleimus of Rabban Yochonon ben Zakai's Torah. He knew
all Mikro, Mishnah, Talmud, halochos and aggodos,
dikdukei Torah and dikdukei sofrim . . .and much
more. Rabban Yochonon ben Zakai learned every aspect of
Torah, and this shleimus expressed itself in the world
as ziv hachochmoh. When he died, he took his
ziv, his light, the light of his Torah, with him.
When a person learns Torah properly, with pure motivations,
it is evident to all, as Chazal say, "Words of truth are
recognizable" (Sotah 9b). We recognize when a person
learns Torah beshleimus. We see the external
manifestations of his learning lishmoh and
be'emes. We perceive the ziv radiating outward,
which creates an exceptional and distinctive aura. This is
because Hashem Yisborach bestows chein, a
magnificent splendor to those who learn Torah wholeheartedly
and beshleimus. It can happen to anyone.
The Midrash Tanchuma (Parshas Mishpotim 5) describes
how Onkelos left Rome, leaving behind his people. He came to
Eretz Yisroel, converted and began to learn. After
some time, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua discovered him.
They saw the change on his face, and exclaimed to each other,
"Onkelos is learning Torah!"
This is what Chazal speak about in the gemora
(Succah 49b), "Anyone who has chein —
know that he is a yirei Shomayim, as it says in the
posuk, `Hashem's chesed is constant and eternal
for those who fear him' (Tehillim 103:17)."
Yiras Shomayim makes a noticeable impression. This
chein is a result of the outward radiance, the
ziv, the special splendor, which is reserved for those
who learn Torah — a splendor that anyone can see.
When Hashem Yisborach blesses us with chein it
is real, it shows and is seen, as the posuk states, "
. . . you will find chein and seichel tov in
the eyes of Hashem and man" (Mishlei 3:4). There is
nothing fake or artificial about it. It is genuine.
Chochmoh, the true wisdom that comes from Torah, gives
life. As the posuk says, "Chochmoh enlivens its
owner" (Koheles 7:12).
*
The way we learn also shows up on our faces. Once, Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai noticed Rabbi Yossi's face and saw that
something was lacking. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Yossi, "Go
and correct your appearance, for something is missing." Rabbi
Shimon saw Rabbi Yossi after he began to learn with
simchah and said, "Rabbi Yossi, you are sholom
. . . and your appearance is sholom" (Zohar,
Parshas Vayakhel).
HaKodosh Boruch Hu allowed the Tzelem Elokim
within Rabbi Yossi to express its true excellence, brilliance
and perfection. Thus, when Rabbi Yossi began to learn with
simchah his physical appearance changed. Consequently
Rabbi Shimon could finally say to him, "You are now
sholom before HaKodosh Boruch Hu."
The posuk in Tehillim (111:10), "Reishis
chochmoh — yiras Hashem . . ." is generally
understood to mean that the beginning — the source
— of wisdom is yiras Hashem. "Reishis" usually
means "the start or source of something."
The Chossid Yaavetz explains "reishis" with a
different and novel connotation. Within the context of this
posuk, "reishis" means: "that which is
praiseworthy and that which is the purpose of it." Therefore,
according to the Chossid Yaavetz, the posuk is
teaching us that the purpose and praiseworthy goal of wisdom
is yiras Hashem.
So, we can now better understand the meaning of our prayer to
Hashem Yisborach, "May it be Your will . . . that the
Shechinah dwell amongst us . . . in the zchus
of our fulfillment of the mitzvah of succah . . . may the
ziv kevodecha surround us . . ." When we prepare to
fulfill the mitzva of succah, we pray for the privilege of
dwelling in the presence of the ziv haShechina for
seven days. Dwelling in the succah enables us to come to a
clear, unmistakable understanding of the essence and purpose
of life.
The seven days we spend in our succas provide us with the
unique opportunity to give serious thought to our lives while
surrounded by the best and finest gashmiyus that we
have. A succah is a thatched hut, and when we sit inside the
shade of the succah we are protected from the sun's burning
rays. Just as the succah protects us from the outside heat,
the succah also shields us from the strong external
influences of the outside world. When these outside
influences are dimmed, then we can begin to appreciate the
radiance of the Shechinah.
In the succah we can experience the influence of
ruchniyus; a source of truthful, genuine and eternal
inspiration and meaning. Therefore we ask to dwell with the
ziv haShechinah. There is no greater simchah in
the world!
Ziv haShechinah, as the Ramchal refers to in the first
chapter of his sefer Mesillas Yeshorim, is "true
pleasure and the greatest delight of all pleasures that are
obtainable." Based on Chazal, the Ramchal explains that the
whole purpose of life, the reason for being alive in this
world, is only in order to allow us the opportunity to
delight in Hashem and enjoy the radiance of Hashem's ziv
haShechinah. And the place which is most suitable for
that is Olom Habo.
On Succos the ziv haShechinah also radiates outward.
The Tur in Orach Chaim, siman 625 writes about
the mitzvah of succah. "Even though we were taken out of
Mitzrayim in the month of Nisan, we are not commanded to make
succas in that season. This is because since it is in the
summer and it is customary that everyone makes a succah for
shade, it would not be noticeable that we are making them
because it is a command of our Creator."
Therefore, the Tur continues, "We are commanded to do
it in Tishrei, the seventh month, which is the rainy season.
Then it is the custom of everyone to leave their succas and
dwell in their homes. Then, precisely then, we leave our
houses and dwell in the succah. With this, it is noticeable
to all that what we are doing is a command of the King."
The ziv haShechina is noticeable when we fulfill the
mitzvah of succah in the proper way and in the proper
time.
We pray to HaKodosh Boruch Hu that in the zchus
of our sitting in the succah, if we all do it lesheim
Shomayim, we can then enjoy the ziv haShechinah,
and that the ziv haShechinah shine upon us and may it
radiate outward for the whole world to see.
No other time do we have such a splendid, grand opportunity
to leave our homes and show the world that we are doing this
mitzvah for Hashem Yisborach. The world will then
understand that Klal Yisroel is unique in fulfilling
the Will of the Creator. Our joy in fulfilling this mitzvah
should be more than simchah. It should be
sosson. Consequently, we will be privileged to be
surrounded by the ziv haShechinah in our succas, in
Olom Hazeh and in Olom Habo.
