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A PROJECT OF THE סוכות י״ד תשרי תשפ״א At the 5781 OCTOBER 3, 2020 ISSUE #11 Yo m To v Table RABBI YITZCHOK WEEKLY INSPIRATION AND INSIGHT ADAPTED FROM CLASSIC ARTSCROLL TITLES HISIGER, EDITOR DESIGN & LAYOUT: AVIVA KOHN SELF-CENTERED Arba Minim Succos Rav Pam on the Festivals by Rabbi Sholom Smith FAITH IN Leave the permanent dwelling and settle CHAZAL Ushpizin in a temporary dwelling (Succah 2a). by Rabbi Shai Graucher One of the most basic requirements of a succah is that its walls not be higher Rav Shlomo than twenty amos (about thirty-five to for- Kluger (Kehillas ty feet). The Mishnah Berurah (633:3) ex- Yaakov, Derush plains that the reason for this disqualifica- 56) points out tion is that Chazal determined that until this height, even walls that the entire mitzvah of the made from reeds would be able to stand on their own. Walls Arba Minim (Four Species) is higher than this would, like permanent housing, require ad- not spelled out explicitly in the ditional supports, thickness and foundations. Such construc- Chumash itself, but is derived tion could not be considered from the Oral Law. We have a HELPING a “temporary dwelling,” and mesorah (tradition), from gener- would be invalid for use as a ation to generation, as to what OTHERS succah. The thickness of walls the esrog, lulav, hadassim, and IS THE less than twenty amos high is aravos all are, so on Succos we FORMULA of no concern, because theo- affirm our loyalty and trust in retically the walls could have our sages, from Matan Torah at FOR A LIFE been built as a “temporary Sinai throughout history. OF SIMCHAH. dwelling” without supports. Elaborating on this point, There is much symbolism Rav Kluger then quotes a Mi- in the requirement for a succah to be a temporary dwelling. drash about the lulav: There is Succos follows the forty-day period of teshuvah that begins on an allegory that describes two Rosh Chodesh Elul and ends with the conclusion of Yom Kippur. people who vie in a legal battle It is an opportune time to absorb a fundamental lesson of the before the king. Although peo- succah — to consider one’s time on this earth as a temporary ple were not informed in whose dwelling. Although a person needs a place to live, clothing to favor the judgment went, they wear and food to eat, this should not be the focus of his exis- can discover the outcome by tence. He should realize that this world is a temporary dwell- looking to see who walks out ing, a vestibule before the World to Come (Pirkei Avos 4:21). holding a weapon. Thus, Klal This will motivate him to spend his limited time on this earth Yisrael, along with the nations pursuing spiritual goals and attainments. of the world, face the Divine There is another way to explain the words of the Talmud to judgment on the Day of Atone- leave one’s permanent dwelling and settle in a temporary dwell- ment. We cannot tell which one ing. Occasionally, one meets a person whose entire life revolves emerged victorious, so Hashem around himself. He is constantly thinking about his own needs, commanded to “Take (the Four desires, pleasures, and so on. His “permanent dwelling” is his continued on page 2 continued on page 3 MESORAH ARTSCROLL PUBLICATIONS 1 NOT EXEMPT Hoshanos Succos Succos by Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz THE ARAVAH CEREMONY Succos by Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz The Gemara (Succah 26a) states that if one is distressed in the succah due to con- An interesting interpretation of the practice ditions such as rain or cold, he is exempt of beating the aravah-bundle is given in a re- from the mitzvah – mitzta’er patur min ha- sponsum by Rav Tzemach Gaon (Teshuvos Ha- succah. Geonim Shaarei Teshuvah, 340). The leaves of the Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski was a frail man whose willow are shaped like the lips and these twigs poor health made it impossible for him to eat in the succah have the purpose of atoning for the sins of the in cold weather. Once, he had a guest who, being in good lips. We beat them on the earth to symbolize our health, went out to eat in the succah on a cold day. To the vis- WE ARE CONFIDENT itor’s surprise, Rav Chaim Ozer, bundled in heavy clothing, came THAT NO ONE’S LIPS, out with his food to join him in NOT EVEN THE SATAN’S, the succah. CAN HARM US. In reply to the guest’s insis- tence that the gadol hador not sit resolution that from now on, we will not sin with in the cold, Rav Chaim Ozer said, our lips again, but rather we will “put his mouth “One who is exempt by reason of ‘distress’ – mitztaer – is released to the dust...” (Eichah 3:29). only from the obligation of succah, Rav Tzemach cites a second interpretation: not from other mitzvos. Here there During the preceding holidays — Rosh Hasha- Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski is a mitzvah of hachnasas orchim, nah and Yom Kippur — the Satan incites God’s hospitality to guests, and from that I am not exempt.” Attributes of Judgment against Klal Yisrael. But Thus, notwithstanding the cold, Rav Chaim Ozer ate in now, after we have accumulated many mitzvos, the succah to fulfill the obligation of hospitality rather than we are confident that no one’s lips, not even the let his guest eat there alone (see Rav Moshe Shternbuch’s Satan’s, can harm us. So we beat the symbolic Moadim Uzemanim 88). lips — the willow — to the earth. FAITH IN CHAZAL continued from page 1 THE BASIS path, we receive the merit of a good Species) for yourselves on the first judgment, as symbolized by the lu- OF ALL OF lav. day (of Succos).” You can see from YIDDISHKEIT The Sheim MiShmuel (end of the fact that Klal Yisrael emerg- Moadim) wrote a letter to his son- es from before Hashem holding INVOLVES in-law, who had to eat on Yom Kip- the lulav and esrog that the nation NULLIFYING pur because he was not well. There emerged victorious (Midrash Rab- OURSELVES TO he says that the basis of all of Yid- bah, Vayikra 30:3). THE WISDOM dishkeit involves nullifying our- Rav Kluger explains that taking OF THE SAGES. selves to the wisdom of the sages, the lulav is not merely the display being mevatel our daas to the daas of a “weapon,” but shows our belief judgment. of Torah. Therefore, he encourages in the words of Chazal regarding The Akeidah was entirely based his son-in-law not to feel anguish what these four species are. The on emunas chachamim (as Yitzchak at having to eat, because by eating, merit of our faith in Torah Sheba’al Avinu had not heard the command he is listening to the chachamim Peh and our emunas chachamim are from Hashem, but obeyed his fa- who say that one must eat when he what allow us to be victorious in ther), and when we follow in this is not well. 2 SELF-CENTERED continued from page 1 own mind. From time to time, he may think of other In a letter to Rav Pam a few months later, her hus- people and even give up some of his own desires to ful- band, a distinguished talmid chacham, reported that he fill their needs. This is his “temporary dwelling.” The had seen a dramatic change for the better in his wife’s Gemara says that the underlying theme of Succos, known mood. He noted that Rav Pam’s advice could be found in as Zeman Simchaseinu (“Season of our Rejoicing”), is to the Shulchan Aruch (Hilchos Tefillah 93:2,4). In describing leave one’s permanent dwelling and settle in a tempo- how a person should prepare for tefillah, the Shulchan rary dwelling. This means that if a person truly desires to Aruch says that “tefillah should not be recited in a state attain happiness and satisfaction in life, he must spend of frivolity, of light-headedness . or anger, but only in more time thinking about the needs of other people and a state of simchah, such as having said comforting words not be self-centered. By trying to bring simchah into the lives of A JEW SHOULD those around him, es- pecially the unfortu- STRIVE TO EASE THE nate and forsaken, he BURDENS THAT LIE will bring joy into his own life as well. SO HEAVILY UPON The Midrash (Ko- heles Rabbah 1:34) THE SHOULDERS OF says, “A person does THOSE AROUND HIM. not leave this world with even half his de- of Torah. As a prelude to tefillah, involvement in com- sires fulfilled.” This munal matters is comparable to studying Torah (which is perhaps an over- ‘gladdens the heart’; see Tehillim 19:9), since it is a joy to a statement; many peo- Rav Avrohom Pam person to be involved with communal matters.” ple go through life It is human nature for a person to be self-centered. A without attaining even a tenth of what they want. Life baby thinks only of itself and tries to fulfill its desires. It is a continuous string of hardships, disappointments, is not in the least concerned that its crying at night will frustration and misery — if their lives revolve around deprive its exhausted, overworked parents of their sleep. themselves. However, if a person concentrates on help- As a child develops physically, its mind matures as well, ing others overcome their problems and lightening and it is taught to think about others, not only about it- their “peckel,” he himself will feel a sense of joy in his self.

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