Simchat Torah

As much as Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah, Simchat Torah is designated as the day we celebrate being given the ultimate gift. Shavuot is a recognition of the revelation at Mount Sinai. Judaism began with every Jew hearing Hashem speak. That was Shavuot.

Simchat Torah is our opportunity to rejoice and recognize how this book was the greatest gift given not only to the Jewish people but to all of mankind. The Torah would not allow man to sink to the level of the animal.

It was not enough that Avraham Avinu was charged with the task of teaching the world the idea of monotheism. The entire Jewish nation were meant to teach morality to a world that was interested in power seeking and self gratification.

We are expected to delve into the teachings of the Torah in greater depth each year. It is a good time to take upon ourselves to study the weekly Parsha with a new commentary so as to gain new insights and meaning to the greatest and holiest book ever written.

Stay Another Day

The last day of Succot that is known as שמיני עצרת and שמחת תורה, is considered a חג בפני עצמו, a holiday by itself. For this reason, we make the Bracha of שהחיינו for candle lighting and for Kiddush.

The Rabbis explain that Hashem initiated this holiday when He said the words, קשה עלי פרידתכם, it is difficult for Me to say good by to you. Hashem realized that the Jewish people were going back to their respective homes to begin the long, cold, winter. It would not be until the spring with the holiday of Pesach that all would again appear at the Beit Hamikdash.

The holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Succot, brought the people to a very high level of closeness to Hashem. It would have been a shame to have to end this connection so abruptly. Therefore, we were asked to stay another day and שמיני עצרת became its own holiday.

הידור מצוה

Succot is also known as the holiday that teaches us the concept of הידור מצוה, or, glorifying the Mitzva. This is learned from the words from אז ישיר that says, זה א-לי ואנוהו, this is my G-d and I will adorn Him.

We learn from here how we show that we love the Mitzvot. We are supposed to invest time and money to try to purchase the nicest Lulav and Etrog that we can afford. We also examine the Four Species to look for blemish free Arba Minim. We also try to invest our time and money in building the most beautiful Succa that we can.

A good test of our commitment to Judaism is our willingness to beautify and adorn all of the Mitzvot that we perform. We are never to view Mitzvot as a burden. And we are never supposed to regret monies that we spent in performing Mitzvot. All of this is learned from הידור מצוה and זה א-לי ואנוהו.

The Lesson of Kohelet

Moadim Lesimcha and Shavua Tov. The message of Koehlet that we read this morning is very clear. All worldly, materialistic pursuits end in futility. There is something inherently lacking in such pursuits.

Sometimes we encounter injustices in the physical world. The most worthy and honest individual is not always the one who succeeds. We deal with a court system that does not execute justice. In short, seeking fame, honor, or wealth, does not yield happiness and peace of mind.

The only thing that is worthwhile are spiritual pursuits. There is a great sense of satisfaction in lightening the load of our fellow Jews. Connecting to Hashem on holidays such as Succot, gives us a High based on holiness. We must remember that selfish people can never be happy. Only those who are givers find that sense of joy and satisfaction.

Koehlet helps give us a sense of perspective and purpose. It teaches what is worth giving emphasis and what is truly vanity of vanities.

Kohelet

Moadim Lesimcha. On שבת חול המועד, we read the book of Kohelet. It continues on the theme that we need to rethink our priorities and know what is important and what is not.

King Solomon gives vivid details about how he tried every possible pursuit in the physical world, and found that “all is vanity.” All that matters is to “Fear Hashem and keep the commandments for that is all there is to man.”

He also repeats the idea that “there is nothing new under the son.” All that we see about human nature and human endeavors has been seen before. Our Rabbis say that there may not be anything new “under” the sun, but there is a whole world that awaits us “above” the sun. This is the world of Kedusha and spirituality that knows no bounds and is available to all who pursue it.

Kohelet

There is more to the Mitzva of Lulav than taking hold of the four species and making a Bracha. The preferred manner of performing the Mitzva is to wave the Lulav in all six directions. This includes the four horizontal directions as well as upwards and downwards. This waving is called נענועים.

The meaning of these Na’anuim is mentioned in the Talmud in מסכת סוכה as follows: One waves to the four directions to Him who owns the four directions. One waves up and down to acknowledge Him who owns the Heaven and the Earth. That is to say that the four species is an allusion to G-d’s having created all of existence, and there is none besides Him.

One is supposed to do this waving with great Kavana and הכנעה, surrender, that everything in this world depends completely on Hashem. In short, the נענועים is meant to be a highly spiritual exercise. Chag Sameach

נענועים

There is more to the Mitzva of Lulav than taking hold of the four species and making a Bracha. The preferred manner of performing the Mitzva is to wave the Lulav in all six directions. This includes the four horizontal directions as well as upwards and downwards. This waving is called נענועים.

The meaning of these Na’anuim is mentioned in the Talmud in מסכת סוכה as follows: One waves to the four directions to Him who owns the four directions. One waves up and down to acknowledge Him who owns the Heaven and the Earth. That is to say that the four species is an allusion to G-d’s having created all of existence, and there is none besides Him.

One is supposed to do this waving with great Kavana and הכנעה, surrender, that everything in this world depends completely on Hashem. In short, the נענועים is meant to be a highly spiritual exercise. Chag Sameach

שהחיינו and Succot

The holiday of Succot has two special Mitzvot: Lulav and Succa. Each of them have the blessing of שהחיינו attached to it. We express extreme gratitude to Hashem for allowing us to live another year to observe these Mitzvot.

We generally say the שהחיינו the first time we sit in the Succa and the first time one makes the Bracha on the Lulav and Etrog. If one forgets to make the שהחיינו, he can do so all week long.

The Mitzva of Succa is unique. That is, if one were experiencing intense joy while building the Succa, he can say the שהחיינו even before Succot. He is thanking Hashem for the opportunity to do the Mitzva of Succa. He must remember that his שהחיינו for Succa is covered during construction. He does not make another שהחיינו on the first night of Succot when he sits in the Succa. One שהחיינו for each particular Mitzva.

חג האסיף

One of the names for Succot is חג האסיף, the Holiday of Gathering. This is because most Jews were farmers and by this time, they had gathered all of their crops. For this reason, it was also a very prosperous time for most Jews.

The message of Succot was to remind people not to get carried away with the temporary security that money can bring. There is a well known statement of the Rabbis that אין אדם מורד בהקב״ה אלא מתוך שביעה, that a person only rebels against Hashem when he is filled up. If all of his needs are met, he doesn’t feel that he needs Hashem.

Perhaps this is the problem in the Western world. People live in incredible affluence and comfort like no other period in our history. No wonder that so many have strayed from the path of Torah. Things are too comfortable. They don’t need to lean on G-d. They have everything they need.

Succot teaches that this is not true. We live a very temporary and fragile life. Hashem decides everything and in a moment, our lives can change dramatically for the good or for the bad. Our flimsy Succa with its shaky roof, gives us a week long reminder of the true reality of life.

Hashem Cries for His Temple

By now, as we begin to prepare for Succot, it should become obvious how much the Beit Hamikdash is missing in our lives. As beautiful as the holidays are in Eretz Yisrael, they are only a taste of what it was when the Temple was standing.

The Talmud in Brachot points out that not only do the righteous cry out every night for the Temple that was destroyed, but Hashem cries as well.

"The night consists of three watches, and at each and every watch the Holy one Blessed is He, sits and roars like a lion, and says, 'Woe to the children because of whose sins I burned My Sanctuary-and exiled them among the nations of the world."

Perhaps if we long for the rebuilding of the Temple as the righteous and Hashem Himself does, it will be built speedily.

First Day of Creation and Yom Kippur

Shavua Tov. Moadim Lesimcha. Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik זצ״ל makes an interesting observation about Yom Kippur and the first day of creation. When the Torah says ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר יום אחד, the יום אחד, the "one day" refers to that one special day known as Yom Kippur.

The idea here is that ערב, or night, is a time of ערבוביה, or confusion. It also represents how darkness and hopelessness might infiltrate an individual. The Midrash makes this connection between יום אחד and Yom Kippur to say that without this special day, the world would not has been created.

This one day a year of renewal and reflection and connection to G-d is necessary to give the feeling of a new start. There is light after the darkness and there is always hope. The spark of the Divine in man is inextinguishable.

Relevant Confession

On Yom Kippur, there are a total of ten Viduys, or confessions, through the course of the day. The goal is to break the monotony of repeating the same thing over and over again.

There are many attempts to make our confession more relevant, by the various commentators of the Machzor.  For example, in the category of stealing, they might include stealing one's sleep. Or, pretending to buy something in a store and misleading the shopkeeper. Violating a confidence is an example of misusing speech.

The Rambam would suggest that we focus on correcting negative personality traits that we might have. These could be things like anger, pride, and jealousy. Whatever the case may be, we should try to make our וידוי meaningful and with content.

לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו

אלה אזכרה

One of the most moving prayers of the Yom Kippur service, is אלה אזכרה, these I will remember, that is recited during Mussaf.

In it, the deaths of the עשרה הרוגי מלכות, or the Ten Martyrs, is described in graphic detail. In the context of the Avoda service, these stories are brought to show the results of our sins.

The message is that all of our suffering at the hands of tyrants through the ages, is directly because of our bad behavior. It can never be that for no reason at all, Hashem placed us at the mercy of cruel, evil oppressors.

At the same time that we learn that these ten saintly rabbis were being punished for the sins of Joseph's ten brothers, (Kabbalists claim that they were actually a reincarnation of the brothers!) we are also meant to gain inspiration from their faith.

We need constant reminders that our lives depend entirely on Hashem. Rabbi Akiva died a happy man as he was able to give his life knowing that he truly loved Hashem with his heart, soul, and body.

Although Rav Chanina Ben Tradyon was burned alive with a Sefer Torah, he saw only the parchment burn and the letters float towards heaven. Stories such as these are meant to inspire us with the knowledge that no force on earth can break the unshakable bond between Hashem and the Jewish people. We must connect with unshakable faith that our trusting in Hashem brings us the greatest happiness and peace of mind humanly possible.

Kohein Gadol

The role of the Kohein Gadol on Yom Kippur clearly takes center stage. The burden of the entire nation rests on the shoulders of the כהן גדול.

He enters the Holy of Holies several times during the day, seeking atonement for all of the Jewish people. A rope is placed around him in the event that he is proven to be unworthy. If he is unworthy, he dies and is pulled out by the rope.

Seven days before Yom Kippur, he leaves his home and makes preparations for the Temple service. He is not permitted to sleep the entire night of Yom Kippur.

He makes three confessions on one bull and two goats, with one of the goats, the שעיר לעזאזל, the scape goat, being thrown of a cliff. He confesses for his family, all of the Kohanim, and the entire Jewish nation.

The people witnessing these confessions are awe struck as he utters Hashem's holy name. They fall on their faces in prayer.

When the Kohein Gadol succeeds in his mission, his face radiates with incredible holiness. As the Machzor states, "Happy is the one who merited seeing the face of the Kohein Gadol on Yom Kippur. How sad are we that we have not witnessed it."

May the Temple be rebuilt speedily in our time.

Yom Kippur Temple Service

A major focus of the Yom Kippur service, is the Avodah, also known as the Temple service. We see how all of the holiness in Israel converge in one place on one day.

The holiest place on earth is Eretz Yisrael. The holiest city is Jerusalem. The holiest place in Jerusalem is the Beit Hamikdash. The holiest place in the Beit Hamikdash is the קדש קדשים, the Holy of Holies.

The holiest Jew was the Kohein Gadol. The holiest day of the year was Yom Kippur. All of these come together when the Kohein Gadol enters the Holy of Holies, only on this day.

Sadly, we have not been blessed to have lived to see the Kedusha of the Avodah on Yom Kippur. All we can do is read about it to get a glimpse of what it must have been like.

Thanks to the Temple Institute, their pictorial account of what went on helps us to visualize what took place. There is even a מחזור המקדש that has these pictures throughout the prayer service to help create a longing for the rebuilding of the third Temple.

Perhaps our longing for it, will help it happen more quickly. In the meantime, Yom Kippur is a good time to help us appreciate what it is that is so desperately needed to be a part of our lives.

עקידת יצחק

On Rosh Hashana we read about עקידת יצחק, the binding of Isaac. We also read this passage every morning in our prayers. This is considered the main prayer of faith in all of Judaism. The question is what is so special about Avraham Avinu's faith that stood out above other such acts.

Dr. Eliezer Berkovitz, my former teacher of Jewish philosophy, said that the answer comes from the extra word, אחר, in the Pasuk describing how Avraham found the ram caught in the thicket. It doesn't say that he found an איל, a ram, but it says איל אחר, a DIFFERENT ram.

Avraham's faith was unique in that it was so strong that he no longer saw his beloved son as his son, but he saw him as a sacrifice. Such faith was unheard of and perhaps never experienced.

This is to teach us how we are never to question any of the Torah's teachings and we are to accept everything with perfect faith as taught by Avraham Avinu.

All is Written

Shavua Tov. In today's Parsha, האזינו, we have three words that describe Hashem; צדיק וישר הוא, He is righteous and He is just.

On this Pasuk, the Gemara in מסכת תענית says that this teaches the following: When an individual leaves this world, all of his deeds from his whole life are brought before him. He is told that he did this and this particular action. He is reminded the day and place where this event occurred. He responds that all of these events are true as they were brought to him. He praises the Heavenly court for having judged him accurately. This is alluded to in תהילים when it says, למען תצדק בדברך, in order that you will justify the judgement with your words.

This is certainly applicable to the עשרת ימי תשובה when we realize that all that we do is written and nothing escapes Hashem. This should motivate us in the coming days to do a complete repentance to achieve atonement for our sins so that we be inscribed for a happy and healthy new year.

Rosh Hashana

The main emphasis of Rosh Hashana is to establish that Hashem is King of the universe. There is no mention in all of the prayers of our sinning and the need for repentance.

The idea here is that Hashem's place in the world must first be established. Only when we recognize His awesome power, and that every living being in this world depends on Him for survival, can we begin to understand the need to ask for forgiveness for our sins.

Rosh Hashana is meant to move us and perhaps frighten us. When we read the ונתנה תקף prayer that describes even the solemnity taking place in Heaven among the angels, we are meant to be moved. The angels themselves express fear of the awesomeness of the Day of Judgement.

We are compared to a herd of sheep and Hashem is the shepherd. He randomly decides which sheep shall live and which will die.

Hashem is established as King on Rosh Hashana and we are established as His loyal subjects. May we all be inscribed for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova to all.

אמת ושלום

In my days as a pulpit rabbi, I remember speaking about אמת and שלום as an appropriate Rosh Hashana message. As the years passed, I see just how important this message is.

The basic idea here is that one cannot achieve Shalom, which I would loosely translate as peace of mind, without Emet, facing up to the truth.

Many people choose to live with אשליות, or delusions. In many ways, this is a survival mechanism, because the truth or reality is much too painful.

The real Teshuva process is one where the individual has the courage to accept and face head on his own world. It means being prepared to admit one's mistakes previously made, and to be able to forgive oneself for those indiscretions. It also means being able to love those dear to him, despite the shortcomings these people might have. And even more importantly, the pursuit of truth might make it necessary to distance oneself from those that might have a detrimental effect on one's life.

All of this is not easy and it often comes with short term pain. But the long term gains are enormous. An individual will achieve שלום, real peace of mind. He knows what is true and what is false. He knows what to attach himself to, and what to stay away from. In short, his quest for truth will bear fruit. He will be protected from what might hurt him and he will be able to face the world with optimism and excitement.

After all, how could one go wrong when אמת and שלום are descriptions of Hashem Himself!

מי שענה

There is a section of סליחות that is repeated each day that begins with the words, מי שענה. There is a long list of biblical characters who were answered by Hashem in times of crisis.

We mention Moshe on Mount Sinai, Avraham in the fiery furnace, Yitzchak at the Akeida, along with many others. The purpose of this section is to remind us of how Hashem answers the prayers of the righteous and to all who call out to Him in truth.

Human nature plays tricks with us and doesn't allow us to fully grasp how much Hashem is there for us. Too often I see situations where we witness our own little miracle of salvation. And instead of rejoicing with it, we acknowledge it but then worry how we will overcome the next challenge sent our way.

That little miracle of seeing a loved one recover from an illness, or someone falling in love with his intended, or miraculously being given the gift of being able to live in Israel, are not small things. They are indications of Hashem's love and protection.

In our own way, when we witness our own מי שענה, that Hashem answers us, it should certainly give us the peace of mind that just as He is with us now, He will always be with us and never forsake us.