by Yekutiel Ben Yaakov 11 Tishrei 5784
...the holiday of sukkot comes to symbolize being a proud Jew of faith on a personal level with personal mitzvot such as sukkah, lulav, and shofar as well as on a national level when it comes to building a national Sukkah in the desert, a Temple to crown G-d in Zion, or expelling the hostile Arabs from our midst.
Chag Sameach! Feel free to print or use any of the material here and if you want a more complete version, please contact me, Best regards, Yekutiel
Sukkot Dvar Torah - Smash Iran, Strive to Build the Mikdash Now! Drive out the enemies and curb the "High" court
Sukkot – Time to Shed the Illusions of Peace and the Mentality of Slaves –
The time has come to take out Iran, defy world pressure - drive out our enemies and truly strive to rebuild the Temple. And the connection to the disgusting attacks against Jewish worshippers in Tel Aviv this Yom Kippur.
Temples and Sukkahs fall from Heaven only when man takes real acts of faith and makes his best effort "to build the Temple" with his own hands. True freedom to practice Judaism in Israel and true redemption will come when the High Court and government of Israel place their faith in G-d and not in Washington or in the values of Thomas Jefferson.
MITZVAH OF SUKKAH - TO COMMEMORATE HEAVENLY SUKKOT OR MAN-MADE SUKKOT?
Is the focus of the mitzvah of Sukkah to commemorate the role of G-d - shown by the miracle of the Heavenly Sukkah clouds G-d built, or is the focus of the mitzvah to commemorate the faith of the wandering Israelites who built Sukkah huts in the desert?
In Tractate Sukkah 11b there is a dispute about the essence of the holiday of Sukkot:
Rabbi Eliezer says that the building of the Sukkah is to commemorate the ‘Clouds of Glory’ that protected Israel in the desert (the miracle referred to in the Torah, Leviticus 23:43): “So that future generations will know that I placed the children of Israel in Sukkot when I took them out of Egypt. I am Hashem, Your God.”
Rabbi Akiva says that the Sukkot primarily commemorate actual Sukkot (huts) that the people of Israel made in the desert. Both elements - G-d's role and the role of the people exist. The dispute is about the focus.
Gra and Aruch HaShulchan: : Sukkah to show G-d will protect us when we do teshuva
G-D’S SUKKAH SHIELDS US from HEAVEN ONLY AFTER WE HAVE SHOWN OUR FAITH, BY FOLLOWING G-D IN The DESERT WITH ONLY OUR FLIMSY MAN-MADE SUKKOT
Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, the author of Sefer Hatoda’a, reconcilies Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva’s dispute: “This one and that one are the words of the living God. First, they made real sukkot, and in their merit and reward for leaving their houses in Egypt to go dwell in temporary huts, without questioning G-d, they merit to have G-d protect them with clouds of glory... To teach us that G-d will not abandon those who walk in the way of G-d, and place their faith in him, and G-d will show him wonders.”
We have seen from many prominent halachic sources, to fully fulfil the Mitzvah of Sukkah, we need to have special intent to remember the Exodus from Egypt, and/or the clouds of glory. The Gra, the Aruch HaShulchan, and the Sefer HaToda’a maintain that the Clouds of Glory came as a reward to the People of Israel for either having the faith to leave Egypt - to live in their flimsy huts, thereby showing their faith in God, or for repenting.
The people of Israel showed self-sacrifice and faith in G-d by their great action of faith in the Amighty to leave their comfortable, cozy, “safe” homes to follow G-d’s cue and go to the unknown desert. The dispute is only about which aspect to accent, or to focus on.
Thus, actually, ALL AGREE THAT THERE ARE TWO SUKKOT AND THAT G-D PROVIDES HEAVENLY SUKKOT AFTER MAN MAKES HIS SUKAH on earth.
Thus, THE PASUK USES THE WORD SUKKOT – PLURAL – YES, THERE ARE TWO SUKKOT. And both require G-d’s role to succeed. However, one is first made by man, and G-d sustains that one and lowers His Heavenly sukkah after man has made his best effort and shown his faith.
Temples only fall from Heaven when man makes an honest effort to build the Temple
Rabbi Teichtal explains that there is one Temple built in Heaven in the “Jerusalem- Above”, which faces down towards the Temple that we build with our hands in the “Jerusalem-Below”.
This explanation fits in very well with the connection that is made in our prayers between the Temple and Sukkot, as it says in Amos 9:11 “On that day I will establish the fallen sukkah of David (in reference to th eTemple).”
NOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS A SPECIAL OBLIGATION OF HAPPINESS ON SUKKOT
Why is there a special element of happiness connected to Sukkot, despite the fact that this highest level of happiness is not required on other holidays?
Here we are not just talking about a one-way unilateral miracle from Heaven, but rather we are speaking of the awakening of the Jewish people, who for the first time, as a nation, took steps of self-sacrifice, showing their full faith in G-d.
We are now entering into a new phase where we merit redemption as a result of our meaningful acts of faith, for there is no true happiness without faith, and there is no faith without happiness.
Similarly there is no redemption without faith. (See Midrash Shemot, Exodus from Egypt in the merit of faith, so too the future redemption and why redemption can be ushered in after Israel observes two shabbats which symbolizes our faith).
In the words of Rav Kahane HY"D in 'Ohr Harayon', the rule is:
“happiness is a prerequisite to true faith in G-d, and there can be no true faith within a person who has given up hope and is depressed. Every mitzvah has to be done with happiness as a sign of faith in G-d. Happiness that is based upon faith in G-d, brings peace and tranquility to the Jewish soul, because faith in G-d brings him to the level of being happy with his lot, and there is no blessing that is more valuable than this, and there is no wealth greater than it… One needs to ask: Have we not seen righteous people who have been abandoned, and whose offspring request bread? However, one who is happy with his lot, even though he appears to be lacking in material comforts, since he is happy with his lot, he does not feel lacking, so he lacks nothing. Is there a greater blessing than this? Is there any deeper tranquility of the soul than this? …”
TRUE FAITH = HAPPINESS, EVEN WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was once approached by a Jewish father who asked him why his sons left Judaism and no longer observed Sabbath, while his neighbor’s sons were still strictly observant.
He asked Rav Moshe, “Did I not risk and lose my employment like my neighbor as a result of my unwillingness to break the Shabbat in those difficult early years in America when one had to work on Shabbat to survive?
Did I not show my children, by example, how important Sabbath observance is?”
Rav Moshe responded, “Yes, but your neighbor did it with joy and happiness, showing true faith that G-d would provide, whereas you showed sadness and kvetched- complained.
For the Individual, on a personal level, humility, happiness, and faith go together.
For the Nation, self-respect, self-sacrifice, and faith bring redemption.
The Rambam writes in Hilchot Lulav Ch. 8 Halachot 12-15:
Even though it’s a mitzvah to be happy on all of the holidays, on the holiday of Sukkot there was extra happiness as it says “You will be happy before Hashem seven days…”
And how is this happiness expressed?
(The Rambam discusses the various instruments) And they danced (wildly)… with an obligation to increase in this happy period and this would not be done by ordinary people or just anyone who wants to participate, but only the great, wise rabbis and the heads of yeshivas and the Sanhedrin and the pious, and the elders, and the men of action would be the ones to dance…
But all of the nation, men and women, would all come to see and listen to the happiness to make the man happy in the performance of the mitzvah and in the love of God who has thus commanded.
This is a great service. And whoever refrains himself from this happiness should be cursed…
There is nothing greater and more honorable than being happy before God, as it says in (Shmuel B, Chapter 7).”
We see from the verses there that King David expresses his love of God and his faith in God by his extreme humility that was expressed by his wild dancing that only a truly humble man would not be embarrassed to perform.
Rabbis and men of action are expected to be the true pioneers of faith and self-sacrifice to lead the nation and show them that they have no reason to fear man. After that, we can expect the masses to follow suit…
SOMEONE WHO IS SADDENED BY SUKKAH HAS NO PLACE IN THE SUKKAH
THE RAMBAM PREFERS RABBI AKIVA’S DERECH
The Rambam places his focus not on G-d’s miracle of the clouds, but rather upon the necessary preliminary steps of faith taken by the Jewish people to bring about their redemption.
In staying loyal to the Rambam's approach in various places, and to Rabbi Akiva's view favoring proaction to hasten the redemption as seen from his sympathetic opinion regarding Bar Kochva and the revolt against the Romans.
FROM MAN’S FLIMSY SUKKAH OF FAITH SHALL EMERGE STRENGTH
Rabbi Kahane capsulizes the essence of the ‘Jewish Idea’ represented by the Sukkah.
Rabbi Kahane asks why is the word “sukkah” used in the Tanach in reference to the final redemption? (Amos 9:11, Tehillim 76:2-3)
If the sukkah is a weak temporary structure, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to speak of establishing the “Palace of David” rather than the “Sukkah of David”?
Why does King David classify Jerusalem and the Temple that are supposed to be signs of strength and G-d’s power in the word 'Sukka'?
Why do we say in our evening prayers “Spread over us the sukka of your peace”?
“The answer is that the Torah and the Rabbis wanted to teach us a very important and fundamental principle of faith.
The word “sukkah” comes from the root “sachach” which means to protect and to cover. As we see from Tehillim, 94:1 and from Tehillim 140:8 and from Exodus 40:3, therefore specifically from the concept of Schah, meaning defense and power to protect and cover from the dangers of the enemy comes the word “sukkah”, weak and temporary, as the sign of power and defense for salvation of Israel…
From the many enemies and mighty gentiles, there is nothing to be frightened of if Israel would place their faith in G-d who helps us and shields us.
Therefore it is specifically the apparently weak and shabby sukkah that is established as a symbol of G-d’s strength and power.
It is for this reason we read the chapters in Tanach that speak of the defeat of Gog and the gentiles who rise up against the shabby and fallen sukkah, and who are defeated and destroyed by the Owner of the Cloud of Glory who can do anything.”
Remembering the experience of the sukkah upon the Exodus from Egypt is supposed to instill within us faith in G-d to inspire us to perform acts of faith both on a personal individual level, as well as on a collective national level.
Redemption, Divine intervention and protection come in the merit of this faith which we express by fulfilling “dangerous” “unpopular” or “embarrassing” mitzvot that often have an aspect of provoking the nations and thus require true faith in G-d’s ability to deliver those who follow His Torah.
Just as He protected the Jews who had the faith to follow Him into the temporary and unknown confines of the sukkah in the wilderness, so too, can we find security, tranquility and protection, only when we are prepared to follow G-d’s Torah, even if it seems like we will stand alone with G-d against the world.
Let it be known that if we refuse to take the necessary actions to protect Israel, due to fear of the nations, that we will only bring tragedy upon Israel. In contrast, following G-d’s Torah will bring victory to Israel against all odds.
This is the true lesson of Sukkah - How symbolic that Jews were beaten and prohibited from praying publicly in Tel Aviv 4 days prior to Sukkot
Freezing “settlements” will not bring peace, just as freezing judicial reform-that seeks to curb a High Court that has repeatedly ruled against Judaism and that aims to dilute the Jewish character of the state will not bring the extremist Israeli left to love Judaism and Jewish law, but only embolden the haters of Jews and Judaism. .
The same timid Israeli leaders and judges who freeze in fear of upsetting the gentiles by allowing the IDF to operate freely or by allowing the Jews to pray on the Temple Mount is the same court which has now prohibited Yom Kippur prayers on the streets of Tel Aviv.
They bow to western dictates and to anti-Jewish values. The disgraceful violent protests tearing down mechitzot and disrupting Yom Kippur services in Tel Aviv on Israel's holiest day was given a green light by the Israeli High Court in the name of misplaced "democracy" and pluralism.
If Arabs can hold prayers with separate seating for men and women in Tel Aviv, sanctioned by the High Court of Israel, then why can't Jews do so in Tel Aviv? Sick.
Who is stopping the haters of Judaism from holding mixed services?
How symbolic that this was done during the holiest prayer on the holiest day of the year, 4 days before Sukkot.
Could you imagine Jews being spat upon during prayer services in NY, as the haters shout democracy, their new fake G-d.
Time to have the courage to ask, is there a contradiction between modern western style democracy and Judaism?
And if democracy as interpreted by the High Court of Israel prohibits Jews from praying on Dizengoff Square, then which side will we choose?
Rabbi Meir Kahane HY"D was vilified for presenting this question 40 years ago. They did not like the message, so they shot the messenger.
Regardless what you think about "Kahane," The question he raised can no longer be ignored.
Building anywhere in Israel, expelling our enemies and building the Temple as prescribed in the Torah may anger the enemies of Israel or the self-hating Jews who sit on the bench of the "High" court of Israel.
They may think that these actions will bring about the isolation of Israel and that Israel can not survive ALONE.
However, G-d has already promised that Israel shall be a nation that stands alone and that Israel will thrive at such time and merit redemption.
It is these non-politically correct actions that are demonized by the progressive western anti-Israel, anti-Jewish media that will inevitably bring us peace and security.
Similarly, smashing Iran now, will not bring war but distance war from Israel, and preserve the long-term survival of the Jewish state.
Holding Minyanim on the streets of Tel Aviv may upset a handful of self-hating Jews.
However, tearing down the synagogues will not bring the anti-Jewish haters any closer to G-d.
The same High Court that always seems to favor the lives of "innocent" Arabs, tying the hands of the IDF from achieving swift victory, is the same High Court that empowers the illegal African rioters in Tel Aviv, as well as the anti-Yom Kippur self hating Jews, and that supports petition after petition that erode the Jewish character of the state.
CONNECTION BETWEEN LULAV AND SUKKAH
Rabbi Yoel Shwartz Z"L addressed the Egyptian boycott on the sale of lulavim to Israel (several years ago). Tosfot in Tract. Rosh Hashana relates that the nations know that the celebration of Sukkot with the lulav demarks the final days of redemption and the demise of all of their evil empires.
The satan knows that when Jews perform mitzvoth with love and “havivut” and true happiness as shown by the mitzvah of lulav and the holiday of sukkot.
This, similar to the great sound of the shofar in the end of days.
For this reason, Tosfot explains the laws to hide the shofar or confuse the "satan".
We want to trick the satan and the nations into their final defeat. Indeed it is symbolic that the Egyptians are prepared to absorb this economic loss, especially in view of the fact that they are withholding 600,000 lulavim. 600,000.
Egyptians are trying to once again hold back the 600,000 down in Egypt, to slow the process of modern day redemption just as they did by holding back the 600,000 Jews, back then.
The gentiles will knowingly and unknowingly do their best to push off the final Day of Glory for the Jews and the G-d of Israel.
Hasn't the time come for us to make our best effort to usher in that great day?
This year, when we enter into the sukkah, let us do it with a true halachic intent to show the necessary faith in our own personal and national collective lives to bring the redemption.
When we shake that lulav let us remember the power of the lulav and the sukkah.
The goyim understand it. Hasn't the time come for us to understand the power of faith and the ultimate power of the G-d of Israel?
This, my dear friend, is the true lesson of Sukkot. Yes, as the Bach and Tur seem to say, one who lacks intent, when it comes to the mitzvah of sukkot, just does not get the gist of this mitzvah.
Make no mistake the holiday of sukkot comes to symbolize being a proud Jew of faith on a personal level with personal mitzvot such as sukkah, lulav, and shofar as well as on a national level when it comes to building a national Sukkah in the desert, a Temple to crown G-d in Zion, or expelling the hostile Arabs from our midst.
And it is the same High Court and Jewish leaders who represent a minority of Jews who have joined our enemies in making their last effort to enslave the Jewish people and to hold back the redemption by persecuting Jews of faith from taking actions of faith.
Chag Sameach!
Yekutiel
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