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HALACHA HOW TO's – SUKKOT 5781
Lulav and Etrog: To assemble the lulav, hadasim and aravot, begin by holding the lulav so that the thick green spine is facing you. The hadasim (of which you have three) go on the right side of the lulav & the aravot (of which you have two) go on the left. The hadasim should extend just a little higher than the aravot & the lulav should extend several inches higher than the hadasim. The procedure for performing the mitzvot of lulav & etrog is as follows: We take the lulav (with the hadasim & aravot) in our right hand & the etrog -with pitum facing downward - in our left. (If we were to take the etrog right-side-up, we would at that instant be fulfilling the mitzvah before we had a chance to recite the bracha.) Then we recite the bracha "al netilat lulav" (& the first time we do this, we add "shehechiyanu"). After we've recited the brachot we turn the etrog right-side-up & wave the entire package in front of us, then to the right, then behind us, then to the left, then upward & finally downward. *Please note: Since the first day of Sukkot is Shabbat this year, we will commence taking lulav and etrog on the second day of Sukkot.*
Waving the lulav during Hallel: During Hallel, the chazzan waves at "Hodu laHashem"and "yomar na," and again at "ana Hashem". The tzibur (congregation) waves each time they respond "hodu" and at "ana Hashem." Everyone waves twice at the last "hodu" before the concluding bracha of hallel.
Mechanics for the "hodu" waiving: Facing towards the east, simply remember: clockwise around, up and then down, which translates to forward, right, backwards, left, up, down. We do not wave the lulav when reciting God's name. This year if you are reciting Hallel at home without a minyan, you should still wave the lulav as explained above!
Sukkah Questions: May we lay schach over a patio roof to create a valid Sukkah? This question is addressed in Shulchan Aruch 626:3. There we learn that the slats of the patio roof are themselves considered invalid schach (as they weren't originally placed there "for the sake of creating the shade of the sukkah" - see Mishna Brura #17). However, they are no worse than any other form of invalid schach that is mixed in with valid schach. Accordingly, as long as at least 51% of the total coverage is being provided by valid schach (i.e. the schach that you lay over the patio roof), the sukkah is kosher ("kshayra" to be precise).
At what point are Sukkah walls too flimsy to be considered walls? Interestingly, the measure of a sukkah wall's "flimsiness" is not its solidness. The laws of Sukkah, like the laws of eruv, have a very generous definition of what a wall is, allowing for much airspace. Rather, the crucial factor is the wall's ability to withstand the wind. If under normal wind conditions, a sukkah wall will be blown 8 inches from its original vertical axis in either direction, the wall is pasul (invalid). As such, if you have a canvas sukkah or the like, you need to be sure to secure the top and bottom (and if possible, the middle) as tightly as possible to insure the kashrut of the sukkah.
Palm fronds dry up as Sukkot goes along. When would the resultant airspace create a problem for your sukkah? There are 3 ways you'd need to be concerned: (1) If as a result of the drying you no longer have more shade than sun in the sukkah (as measured at solar noon) than the schach must be supplemented. (2) If a space 8 in. wide were to open up along the entire width or length of the sukkah, the space would halachicly cut your sukkah into 2 pieces. This would carry serious implications. (3) If an area of eight inches square were to open, no one should eat or sleep beneath that area.
Let's say you're building your sukkah using the back wall of your house as one of the sukkah walls, and your roof hangs over the back wall of the house. What impact does the overhang have on your sukkah? The answer is, that as long as the overhang is not more than 4 "amot" long (about 6 feet), then the halacha will view it as if it is part of the back wall, i.e. the back wall is seen as suddenly turning 90 degrees, and continuing until the edge of the overhang. Thus the overhang would not figure into the kashrut of the schach (which is good news for you), but no one should sit beneath the overhang, as one can only fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah by sitting under the schach - not by sitting under the "wall."
What if I don't have access to a sukkah this year because of Coronavirus? B'nai David-Judea is offering 'pop-up' sukkahs in the yards of several homes. See the complete list in the bulletin.
For Yom Tov, you can sign up for slots to make just kiddush and motzi in the 'pop-up sukkahs'. This means you bring your own kiddush and motzi items. When reciting "hamotzi", have in mind that you will be completing your meal at home. After eating bread, you may return home and eat your festive meal and bentch at home with the normal Sukkot additions (and see below, "What foods need to be eaten in a sukkah?"). Alternatively, you may make kiddush and motzi (and make sure to eat at least an olive-sized amount of bread) and then !either way בשיל הכוסב bentch in the 'pop-up sukkah' with the normal Sukkot additions.) Make sure to say
What foods need to be eaten in a sukkah? It is meritorious to go to the sukkah for any and all eating and drinking that we do over the holiday (including not on Yom Tov). The bottom-line halacha though permits "casual eating" outside the Sukkah, and this includes such as dairy products, meat, fish, fruit and) ימ נ י זמ ו נ תו וב אר nor מה ו צ י א all foods over which the bracha is neither cake, pasta...) can be) זמ ו נ תו vegetables - technically even in large, meal-size quantities!). In addition, even considered "casual eating" and be eaten outside of the sukkah unless:
(1) You are eating them with other people (2) They are part of one of your regularly-scheduled meals (3) You are eating a particularly large amount (a whole meal's worth)
What about when you are in your office, or on a day-long outing? The general rule is that if you wouldn't ordinarily interrupt your office-day or your day-long activity to return to your home for lunch, then you are also not required to return to your sukkah for lunch. In other words, you are exempt from the mitzvah at that time, and there are no restrictions on what you may eat (though if you wanted to limit yourself only to those foods that don't require a sukkah, you may certainly do so). However, if there is a sukkah within a reasonable distance of where you are, you are not exempt from the mitzvah, and are obligated to go to the sukkah and eat lunch there. This year, if due to health concerns there is no sukkah that you can eat in over chol hamoed, then you are also exempt.
Finally, it's worth remembering that although women undoubtedly perform a mitzvah each time they eat in a when doing so, sukkah is a "time-bound" mitzvah from which women בשיל הכוסב sukkah, and recite the bracha are granted an exemption if they so choose.
May our Chagim be filled with health, connection, inspiration, and joy!
B'ahava,
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn The Value of the Temporary Delivered Sukkot, 5760 Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky
So have you heard the one about the two rabbis on a boat? It’s actually a story told by the Talmud in its discussion of the laws of the sukkah. It seems that Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Gamliel were on a boat during the days leading up to the holiday of Sukkot, and it became clear that they were not going to make it to land in time for the beginning of the festival. Rabbi Akiva sprung into action, pressing the members of the crew for a bit of lumber, some nails, and whatever other materials might be employed, to assemble a sukkah just large enough for himself and for his colleague.
It appears, though, that Rabbi Gamliel didn’t join Rabbi Akiva inside the makeshift structure. As the Talmud records the telling of the story, Rabbi Gamliel was of the opinion that a sukkah had to possess the quality of permanence in order to be valid for the mitzvah: If one builds a sukkah on a boat, it needs to be able to withstand the strong gusts of the nighttime sea in order to be “kosher.” There was no way at all that Rabbi Akiva’s flung- together booth would survive the night, and so Rabbi Gamliel saw no point in eating inside it.
Rabbi Akiva did not disagree about his sukkah’s prospects for making it through the night. Rather, he was of the opinion that when it came to the construction of the sukkah, permanence just wasn’t a value. The sukkah, he understood, was one of those things that were simply destined to be but temporary. And despite this, it was something that God wanted us to build, and it was something over which we would recite a blessing of thanksgiving. Temporary things, too, can have significance, Rabbi Akiva taught. The fact that something will inevitably soon pass into memory does not render it a waste of time.
In support of Rabbi Akiva’s view, we could cite a mitzvah practice that we have the chance to perform once each year. Every spring, when we see the fruit trees blossom, we are called upon to recite the following blessing. “Blessed are You God, who created a world that lacks nothing, and into which You placed beautiful creatures and beautiful trees so that people could find pleasure in them.” What could be more temporary, more fleeting than blossoms? But we are instructed, by this blessing, to inhale the pleasure they bring. That pleasure, after all, is God’s gift. The winds will eventually blow them away, but today they are so lovely.
The Talmud, of course, concludes the tale of the two rabbis on the boat. The night fell, and the winds gradually increased, and do you know what happened? The sukkah blew away. The next morning, Rabbi Gamliel looked at his friend and said, “So tell me, Akiva. Where is your sukkah?” The Talmud records no response from Rabbi Akiva. But I suppose that had he chosen to reply, he would have said: “My sukkah may be gone. But had I followed your counsel, Rabbi Gamliel, I never would have had a sukkah at all.”
It’s hard to embrace the temporary. There is pain when the temporary completes its inevitable course. Some of us decide that we’re just better off resisting those joys which we know are fleeting. “Not the honey, and not the stinger,” is the motto.
I struggle with this whenever our 6-year-old forgets that he’s a “big boy” and slides his hand into mine as we walk together. I think to myself that I shouldn’t enjoy this too much, because it’s only a matter of time before it’s over. But within a moment, it hits me: It’s just pointless to think that way. Pointless and self-defeating. What are our lives, if not the sum total of all the temporary things?
It is true that in our tradition, we do not live for the moment. We are always bidden to work to build the future. But there is a vast difference between living for the moment and living in the moment.
Sukkot is short. Cherish every moment.
Showing Love through Hiddur Mitzvah Delivered Sukkot, 5776/Updated for B’nai David-Judea 5781 Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn
Hiddur mitzvah, the voluntary beautification of a mitzvah, plays a curious role in רפ י ץע be must etrogim our that us tells Torah the leyning, Sukkot our in read we As Sukkot. this that 29b Sukkah Masechet from know we and tree, beautiful the from fruits , רדה attention to physical perfection also applies to the four species that compose the lulav. As it turns out, hiddur mitzvah is essential to our observance of Sukkot. At the same time, on Sukkot we leave behind our creature comforts and physical attachments and embrace God’s dwelling place, the bare bones of the sukkah. We remember our ancestors wandering in the desert, shedding the physical luxuries of Egypt behind them, completely dependent on God. The pressing question then arises: On the chag when we deemphasize physical comforts, why do we simultaneously require hiddur, beautification? Why do we put so much effort into the physical beauty of our mitzvah observance when we are davka trying to free ourselves from our focus on and attachment to the physical? To better understand the relationship between hiddur mitzvah, the beautification required on Sukkot, and our entrance into the sukkah with its simplicity and lack of physical accoutrements, we will look more closely at the purpose of hiddur mitzvah. mitzvah hiddur , הֶ֤ז לק ִ ֙ י ֵוְנַאְו וּה֔ ,15:2 Shemot in God glorify to call the from Originating generally involves glorifying a mitzvah beyond the minimal requirement. We encounter this extra beautification most especially on Sukkot and Channukah, but it is also a practice of the mehadrin that can be applied throughout the year to nearly any mitzvah. Rashi in Masechet Bava Kama 9b outlines hiddur mitzvah as the act of spending up that noting worth is It object. mitzvah a of cost regular the to , דע לש י ש ,third additional an to while we do encourage internalizing a giving heart and a desire to enhance, we also put a limit on how far this principle is extended. The Rema acknowledges that we do not expect people to spend their money on etrogim and lulavim to the detriment of their well being nor do we want to foster feelings of shame or superiority surrounding mitzvah observance. One year, while sifting through the etrogim and living out this hiddur mitzvah practice, a woman turned to me and asked, ‘Why does it have to be so perfect? If any other fruit had to look so perfect, we would think it was made of plastic, fake!’ Upon hearing her very well-taken point, I started to think that there must be a deeper message conveyed in our hiddur mitzvah. I believe we can find an answer in a teaching from the Sefat Emet. The Sefat Emet tells us that the shlosh regalim, Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot, each respectively allow us to of all with , לכב ךבבל לכבו ךשפנ לכבו אמ ו ךד ,Him love to command God’s , תבהאו תא ׳ה קלא י ך fulfill our heart, soul, and might. On Pesach, we love God with all of our hearts, freeing ourselves our of all with God love we Shavuot, On . רצי ערה our inclination, evil our of slavery the from souls, in alignment with the Midrash which tells us that when God gave the Torah at Har Sinai, our souls passed away with each word uttered. God, however, continually resurrected us. On Sukkot, we love God with all of our might, with all of the physical wealth we have in this world. On Sukkot, we show God our love for Him through living in booths and letting go of our physical attachments. But we also show our love through giving that which is precious, our physical wealth, our hard-earned livelihood to our mitzvah observance. This is hiddur mitzvah. Hiddur mitzvah is the act of giving beyond what we need to, making something nicer than it needs to be, in order to express love. We see this hiddur mitzvah, this very same love, coming from parents who pay not only for their children’s necessities, but also for the things that make life a little more beautiful-- whether that beauty comes in the form of education, vacations, investment in music, sports, or any other source of joy. So why does the etrog have to be so perfect? We may have thought that this need for perfection and beauty was shallow or perhaps that it promotes an unhealthy attention to detail. We may have thought that hiddur mitzvah, beautifying our physical observance, would somehow take away from the spiritual nature of Sukkot. We even may have thought , נע נ י בכה ו ד His into enter we as God on reliance complete our to antithetical be would it that clouds indicating the Divine Presence. But this is certainly not the case. Hiddur mitzvah is our way of showing love. We live in the physical world-- no matter how hard we try to extract ourselves from our surroundings during Sukkot-- we cannot deny that we function in a physical, materialistic reality. In fusing these two ideas on Sukkot, that of relinquishing physical attachment and that of beautifying the physical, we recognize our spiritual imperative to bring meaning, connection, and love to our material world. The etrog needs to be perfect because it embodies our own striving to bring wholeness to an often broken and ugly reality. And this year, the image of our wandering in the desert and relying only on God’s chesed and love feels more real than ever. During Coronavirus, we have had to relinquish control and live with uncertainty, fragility, and unknown. We are turning it all over to God just as we did in the desert. Without many of our material comforts and supports-- from dining together, to shopping normally, to even going to the gym-- we have had to face our insecurities and pare down to our necessities. Some of us have even lost jobs and are feeling physical and financial constraints acutely. Beautifying the physical through hiddur mitzvah may therefore feel like, at the very least, a creative reach this year. And yet, the truth is that the beauty, connection, and love we foster right now will fulfill hiddur mitzvah at its height. Our hiddur mitzvah will come in how we treat each other and in how we tackle the pursuit of joy in these complicated times-- calling on our spiritual strength to bring wholeness to brokenness with a generosity that is nothing short of Divine. Judaism is not a religion that denies us physical pleasures. On the contrary, we know from Masechet Berachot 54a that we are obligated to experience and bless upon the wonderful gifts of the natural world that God has given us. The emphasis on hiddur mitzvah on Sukkot teaches us not to withdraw and become ascetics, but instead to find the potential for beauty, the potential for giving, even when we ourselves are living with less. We can often discover the greatest beauty, the greatest glory, in the simplest of moments. How meaningful this is in 5781, as we become more and more aware on a daily basis of what matters most. For over a month we have been reading Psalm 27, Ledavid, which is the only addition to our davening from the Yamim Noraim that continues through Sukkot. In it we We lives. our of days the of all home God’s in live to , יש יתב תבב ׳ה לכ ימי יח י :thing one for ask have spent weeks doing the spiritual work preparing to enter into God’s home, God’s embracing sukkah. The time has come. As we celebrate in our sukkot (including in our pop- up sukkahs this year!), may we hold both simplicity and beauty-- for we need both. Let’s be willing to give of ourselves, express gratitude whenever possible, and share our love. And in doing so, may we know the simcha and calm of entering into God’s embracing sukkah of peace.
D’var Torah Delivered Sukkot, 5772 Alex Fax
It was in the days before Sukkot that Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch noticed members of his congregation doing something strange. Rav Hirsch, the legendary leader of the Orthodox community of 19th century Frankfurt, saw that the wealthier members of his congregation were buying not one, but two sets of lulav and etrog. Curious, he asked them: “Far be it from me to complain, but what are you doing? A lulav and etrog is an expensive purchase; why are you buying two?” This is the answer he received: “Rabbi, you know that we are completely committed to observing all the Mitzvot. But we are also respected members of the Frankfurt business establishment, and buying an extra set of lulav and etrog solves a problem for us. With two sets of lulavim, we can leave one in shul, keep one at home, and be spared the embarrassment of being seen in public carrying the lulav and etrog. You see, when our colleagues see us with the lulav, they mock us – they say ‘Explain to us why your God cares whether you pray with a palm frond in your hand, or without a palm frond in your hand. Please, help us understand how incorporating fruit, leaves, and branches into your service is consistent with any modern notion of religion or spirituality?’ And the problem, Rabbi, is that when it comes to lulav and etrog, we don’t know what to say in return.”
Fast forward to 1989. I was in college, and some of us were walking back from davening on Sukkot, lulav in hand. From one of the dorm windows someone called out to a friend of mine and said “Hey, Andy, what is that?” Andy, quick on his feet, was right there with the answer – “It’s for biology class … I need it for an experiment.”
Let’s face it – the mitzvah of lulav and etrog is a toughie. Even by our standards, it’s a little hard to explain. Most of the mitzvot surrounding our chagim – matzah, shofar, menorah, the sukkah – have layers of texture and meaning, but they also come with a p’shat – that one-sentence explanation that your co-worker, your child, can appreciate as a plain, straightforward symbolism of the ritual. Lulav, by contrast, is a p’shat-challenged mitzvah. There are no shortage of midrashim that assign meaning to the arba’ah minim; they symbolize four types of Jews; or four parts of the body; or four different sins to atone for. These midrashim teach important lessons and are worthy of study, but they just aren’t p’shat – they don’t explain the fundamental meaning of lulav. It’s as if I asked you what the meaning of matzah was, you wouldn’t answer “well, the three matzahs on the seder plate represent Kohen, Levi and Yisrael.” It’s the right answer to a different question.
Our tradition isn't exacly silent on this, of course. Some say that for an agrarian society such as ancient Israel, the four species represented an expression of joy for the just-completed harvest. Rabbi Eliezer, in the Gemara, suggests that the four species are tied up with the prayer for rain – that their dependence on water for life is symbolic of the world’s dependence on water for life. As the sole recorded opinion in the Gemara on this topic, you would think that he would have the final word. But these interpretations seem not to have gained traction in our religious imagination. The mitzva of lulav and etrog is not a mitzvah hat'luyah ba'aretz – our observance today is not merely an echo of an earlier time.
Enter the Rambam. In the Mishneh Torah, Rambam is silent on the question of what the meaning of lulav is. The reason he is silent is probably that he’s not a big fan of the classical interpretations. We know this because in the Moreh Nevuchim (after sharing some choice words for people who take midrash literally), he does suggest a p’shat in lulav.
Says the Rambam, what do these plants have in common? They’re all native to Eretz Yisrael, and they’re all aesthetically pleasing. They’are also all … common. Pretty, yes, but they aren’t that special. They aren’t rare, or hard to cultivate. They aren’t prized. In fact, says the Rambam, they’re rather easy to come by – you can find them without much trouble. So why do we bother with these four ordinary plants? Well, there was a short period of time when these four species were anything but ordinary. A time when these plants were extraordinary. And that time was when B’nai Yisrael first set foot in the land of Israel. At the end of our journey in the desert, the period we remember on Sukkot. Coming out of the desert, out of “lo m’kom zera,” a place where nothing grew, the Jews were awestruck by what they saw. For those Jews, at that time, the sight of willows growing by a flowing stream was wondrous to behold, and a gnarled yellow fruit was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. For forty years they knew nothing but miracles; to finally be in the presence of normalcy was the greatest miracle of all.
Says HaKadosh Baruch Hu to B’nai Yisrael: “I want you to remember that feeling, when the most ordinary plants of Eretz Yisrael filled you with awe and thanks, when the smallest blade of grass was not taken for granted … because the feeling isn’t going to last. I want you to encode that feeling in your national memory, because it won’t be long before the travels in the desert are a distant memory, and the trees of Eretz Yisrael are just trees, and the grass is just grass”. “Once a year”, says HaKadosh Baruch Hu, “I want you to do something. Pick up a few of those ordinary plants again, the lulav and etrog, the hadas and aravah, as if for the first time. Take yourself back to a time when Eretz Yisrael was new, when the humblest of her plants was a sight to behold, and remember what a precious gift Eretz Yisrael is. Rekindle the feeling of joy of those first few days. And with that feeling in your heart, meet Me at My temple, and rejoice.”
I promised you a p'shat, so here it is: the lulav and etrog symbolize Eretz Yisrael. Not the harvest of Eretz Yisrael, but the land itself. The act of ul'kachtem lachem is a symbolic act of arrival. We ritually enter Eretz Yisrael for the first time, concluding the Sukkot journey.
It is not a exactly standard interpretation, but in a way, it’s more familiar than you think, It’s familiar to us from Pesach. Everyone knows that on Pesach we revisit what it means to be free by ritualizing slavery and the process of redemption. Well, if Pesach teaches us what it means to be free, then Sukkot reminds us what it means to be home. To have a home. We tend not to frame it this way, but what is the Sukkah if not a ritualization of wandering, of homelessness? And the transition from homelessness to being home is symbolized by the arba minim. This is why the lulav and etrog are common objects. It's not that they're objectively special or beautiful – it's that you can't quite find them anywhere else. And the lulav and etrog symbolize the very ordinary things that make home home, the sights and smells that you stopped noticing how special they are, because it’s so easy to forget what life was like without them. So once a year, the lulav and etrog challenge us to cherish Eretz Yisrael again, to find joy in these ordinary things, that aren’t so ordinary after all.
And just as with Pesach, when the wheel of history turned, and Jews who were no longer free still continued to gather at the seder to celebrate their freedom, so it is with Sukkot. The symbols of Sukkot continued to have meaning to again-homeless Jews. It wasn’t that long ago, after all, that the arba'ah minim were the closest a Jew could reasonably expect to get to Eretz Yisrael in his or her lifetime. Every year, the postcard from Eretz Yisrael came, and it doesn’t take much to imagine the joy that accompanied the annual arrival of the etrog. For those Jews, at that time, the lulav and etrog carried a message: Your journey has meaning. Eretz Yisrael is not Atlantis – it's a real place that is waiting for your return. The land is still bearing fruit.
Years ago I saw a picture of a black-hatted Jew examining the tip of the lulav under a magnifying glass, looking for imperfections not visible to the naked eye. My visceral reaction judged this as the halachic impulse run amok, inventing standards that could not possibly have been the halacha's original intent. But now I'm not sure sure. Consider everything we do with the lulav: you go to the shopkeeper, whose wares are spread out before you. Painstakingly, you examine the products, looking not for major flaws – truly damaged goods don’t make it to the table – but for minor imperfections: is that mark on the surface of the etrog brown or black? Are triplets of the hadas leaves perfect, or is even one leaf out of place? Is the lulav spine nice and straight, or is it bent or split? Once you’ve satisfied yourself that the product is without flaw, you examine more subjective qualities – is its shape pleasing to the eye? How does it feel in your hand? Is it you? Having made your selection, you bring it home. Place it in an ornamental container, perhaps a silver chest or an olive-wood box. You guard it against agents of damage or decay. And once a day, you take it out and just hold it. Behold it. Maybe enjoy its fragrance. Just for a short while – best not to overdo it – and then you put it away for safekeeping.
Do you see the pattern? These are the actions you would take with a precious gemstone, a family heirloom, or an artistic masterpiece. Not on leaves and branches. I submit to you that the incongruity of lavishing such care and attention on the tree trimmings of Eretz Yisrael is not besides the point; it is the point. On Sukkot we ritualize preciousness around decidedly non-precious objects. The halacha is literally asking us to take a closer look at what we would otherwise take for granted. Take another look at what you hold in your hand, says the halacha; see them through different eyes, because they are not as ordinary as they seem. Remember where they came from, and what they represent. Try to relive the moment when they were new and wondrous. And for one week of the year, for this week of the year, make yourself believe that the lulav and etrog, the hadas and arava, are not a collection of fruit, leaves, and branches: they are a rare, precious, extraordinary gift.
Because after all, isn’t that exactly what they are?
Chag Sameach.
Projecting on the Sukkah Delivered Sukkot, 5779/Updated for B’nai David-Judea 5781 Rena Selya Cohen
find will you , תכ ו ב י ם and םיאיבנ through look you If ? תוכוס celebrate ancestors our did How -- any really or -- this celebrated נב י לארשי how of descriptions many aren’t there that , לש ה at sacrifice to regularly going קלא נ ה of that like stories, scattered few a have We holiday. ,part most the for but celebration, שאר ח שד a during signals planning ןתנוי and דוד of and describing the holidays is not a part of the narrative in Nach.
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the over תיב שדקמה the dedicated המלש how describes that כאלמ י ם א קרפ ח in story the have We the in finished He . רשת י call we that month 7th the is which , ֵאָה נָתֽ ִ םי֖ of month the of course he and celebrate to םילשורי in people the of all gathered and , תוכוס on month, the of middle gave a grand speech about it.
. מש י נ י תרצע on week next rest the and גח of day second the on said he what of part read We But I’ll give you a little sneak peek of his speech, and tell you that he doesn’t say anything entirely is תוכוס and dedication s’ המלש between link The word! one Not . תוכוס about . תוכוס on happened it because תוכוס on story this read We circumstantial.
and Ezra how of account an have we , תכ ו ב י ם of end very the to books, few a ahead Skipping from ץרא לארשי to returned they once Hashem serve to how on נב י לארשי re-educated הימחנ on Torah the of reading public a did Ezra how describes he , הימחנ of chapter 8th the In . לבב Rosh Hashana. The people were excited and inspired to hear about this holiday and they . תוכוס celebrate again once to preparing about set
הימחנ ׳ח : ד״י - ז״י 8:14-17 Nehemiah ַֽו ִיּ ְמ ְצ ֖אוּ ָכּ ֣תוּב ַבּתּוֹ ָ ֑רה ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ִצָ ֤וּה ה׳ had LORD the that Teaching the in written found They ֶשֹׁמ־דַיְבּ ה֔ ֩רֶשֲׁא וּ֨בְשֵׁי ֵנְב ֵאָרְשִׂי־יֽ ל֧ in dwell must Israelites the that Moses commanded תוֹ֛כֻּסַּבּ ָחֶבּ ג֖ ֹחַבּ שֶׁד֥ ִﬠיִבְשַּׁה ׃יֽ ,month seventh the of festival the during booths
רֶ֣שֲׁאַו ִמְשַׁי וּעי֗ ִבֲﬠַיְו וּרי֨ וֹ֥ק ל כְ בּ ָ ־ל throughout proclaim and announce must they that and ֮םֶהיֵרָﬠ ַלָשׁוּריִבוּ ֣ םִ ֒רֹמאֵל וּ֣אְצ ָהָה ר֗ the to out “Go follows, as Jerusalem and towns their all ֙וּאיִ֙בָהְו ַז־יֵלֲﬠ ֙תִי֙ ץֵ֣ﬠ־יֵלֲﬠַו ןֶמֶ֔שׁ יֵ֤לֲﬠַו pine trees, olive of branches leafy bring and mountains ֙סַדֲה לֲﬠַו ֵ י֣ ִרָמְת םי֔ לֲﬠַו ֵ י֖ ץ֣ ֵﬠ ֹבָﬠ ת֑ ֹשֲׂﬠַל ת֥ make to trees leafy [other] and palms myrtles, trees, ֹכֻּס ת֖ ׃בוּֽתָכַּכּ )פ( ”.written is it as booths,
וּ֣אְצֵיַּו ֮םָﬠָה ֒וּאיִבָיַּו ֩וּשֲׂﬠַיַּו ָ ל ם֨ ֶ ה ֻ ס ֜ כּ תוֹ made and them, brought and out went people the So שׁיִ֤א ֙וֹגַּגּ־לַﬠ ֹרְצַחְבוּ םֶ֔היֵת֣ תוֹ֖רְצַחְבוּ in courtyards, their in roofs, their on booths themselves תיֵ֣בּ םיקfֱאָה ֙בוֹחְרִבוּ רַﬠַ֣שׁ ַמַּה םִי֔ the of square the in God, of House the of courtyards the בוּ רִ חְ ֖ בוֹ ַ ֥ שׁ ַ ﬠ ר ֶ א רְ פ ָ ֽ ׃םִ י .Gate Ephraim the of square the in and Gate Water
ַיַּו וּ֣שֲׂﬠֽ ַה־לֽ ָכ לָהָקּ֠ ִבָשַּׁה םי֨ יִ֥בְשַּׁה־ןִמ ׀ captivity the from returned that community whole The ֻסכּוֹ ֮ת ַו ֵיּ ְשׁ ֣בוּ ַב ֻסּכּוֹ ֒ת ִ ֣כּי ֽלֹא־ ָﬠ ֡שׂוּ ִמי ֵמ ֩י had Israelites booths—the the in dwelt and booths made ַﬠוּ֨שֵׁי ןוּ֥נ־ןִבּ ֙ןֵכּ יֵ֣נְבּ לֵ֔אָרְשִׂי דַ֖ﬠ םוֹ֣יַּה that to Nun of son Joshua of days the from so done not אוּ֑הַה ִהְתַּו י֥ ָחְמִשׂ ה֖ ָלוֹדְגּ ה֥ ֹאְמ ׃דֽ .rejoicing great very was there day—and
תוכוס that claim the but material, Haftarah really isn’t it so and long, very isn’t story This Gemara the in discussion some generate does עשוהי of days the since celebrated been hadn’t Agadot Chidushei !?!? תוכוס celebrate didn’t דוד ךלמה that possible it Is . כרע י ן ב״ל מע ו ד ב מש ו א ל of era the define to seemed that conditions wartime constant the under that concedes דוד once but battlefield, the on הכוס a building from exempt been have might they אש ו ל and . תוכוס build to which in tranquility of years many were there kingdom, his established
of process the equate to trying was הימחנ that saying by question this resolves Gemara The תוכוס of observance the on doubt casting than rather s,’ עושוהי with ץרא לארשי to return Ezra’s by the intervening generations.
we that Haftarah the is Navi the in תוכוס of description jarring, even puzzling, most The a was הירכז prophet The . רפס הירכז of end the from , תוכוס of day first the on read . תיב שדקמה second the of building the during הימחנ and Ezra of contemporary
The haftara describes his vision of the aftermath of a destructive world war, in which Hashem will take revenge on every nation that has attacked Jerusalem. Time will stop, there will be terrible earthquakes that destroy mountains and reroute rivers, and people and animals alike will suffer gruesome plagues as punishment for attacking Jerusalem. When that war is over anyone who is left will have to come to the rebuilt city every year to observe the anniversary of this miraculous, cataclysmic battle. That anniversary is - you . תוכוס on - it guessed
events Other holiday. a of canvas blank a of bit a be to seems תוכוס Nach in glance, first At other of celebration the for framework a is It edges. its blur and , תוכוס on intrude accomplishments, or the commemoration of other historical events. We don’t have an day first the Haftorah the when , חספ for have we like תוכוס of celebration first the of account land the into people the brought עושוהי after חספ celebrated נב י לארשי how of account the is on the 10th of Nissan.
in right actually are תוכוס on place take will or place took that episodes these of each But it but desert the in experience our commemorates תוכוס .holiday this of nature the with line is not tied to a specific historical event.
is it us, tells תוכוס of day first the for reading הרות the As ןַﬠַמְל ֮ וּ֣ﬠְדֵי ֹרֹד ֒םֶכיֵתֽ י֣ ִכּ תוֹ֗כֻּסַּב ַשׁוֹה ֙יִתְּב֙ ֵנְבּ־תֶא י֣ ֵאָרְשִׂי ל֔ ִאיִצוֹהְבּ י֥ ָתוֹא ם֖ ֶאֵמ ץֶר֣ ָרְצִמ ֑ םִי brought I when תוכוס in live Yisrael Bnei made I that know will generations future that so them out of Egypt.
of part as recite to history a or tell to story no is there , בש ו ע ו ת and חספ to contrast In state fragile the commemorate we where לגר the is תוכוס ,Rather holiday. the of celebration of faith and trust that we experienced in the desert. It is something we must come to know instead of something we must declare.
We simultaneously remember and demonstrate our trust in God to provide physical and . הכוס the in sitting by it need we when shelter spiritual
our put can we when םימי םיארונ the of work hard the after time opportune the is תוכוס renewed relationship with Hashem into joyful action.
that Haftorah -- only the Israel in and -- first the is הירכז of chapter last the why is that And .read we that תוכוס mentions
and death the all without embody, to way a is gratitude and faith of celebration תוכוס Our a in stated is goal This vision. s‘ הירכז of heart the at is that goal explicit the destruction, a is that לע י נ ו and זא ישי ר of end the at day, a times multiple day, single every say we pasuk concise statement of our acceptance of Hashem’s majesty that we just spent 10 days reaffirming. יָהו ָ ה֧ ׳ה מְ ל ֶ nֶל֖ אָה־לָכּ־לַﬠ ָ ר֑ ץֶ יַּבּ םוֹ֣ אוּ֗הַה יְהִי ֶ ה֧ ׳ה ָחֶא ד֖ וֹ֥מְשׁוּ ָחֶא ׃דֽ And on that day, Hashem will be king over all the land and Hashem will be one and his name will be one.
,year this especially us, for value its precisely is that But holiday. a of canvas blank a is תוכוס when our faith and our physical security have been challenged by a terrible pandemic. After living inside our homes and our bubbles, and observing the High Holidays in an sacred and safe familiar, a to return to us for opportunity an is תוכוס this fashion, unfamiliar outdoor space onto which we can each find a way to project gratitude, devotion, and joy.
to ability our in points turning key represent תוכוס on place took that Navi the in stories The connect to Hashem, to serve Him and to acknowledge His role in our lives and in the world. the of observance of rededication s’ ארזע and תיב שדקמה first the of dedication s’ המלש . תוכוס on place take to happen just didn’t one second the building of anticipation in holidays to chance national and personal best our is that holiday the , תוכוס on happen to had They demonstrate faith and commitment to Hashem in whatever way we can. Tomorrow’s the on put you will What opportunity. that celebrated המלש how of glimpse a is Haftorah ?year this תוכוס of slate clean
Chag sameach
In memory of my dear friends Al Amsel, Benny Kraut, and Lawrence Zuckerman
“All is Futile:” The Role of Skepticism in Religious Life Sukkot, 5781 Rabbi Ari Schwarzberg
Hidden among the tefilla, simcha, and unique mitzvot of Sukkot is the reading of Kohelet on Shabbat of Chol Hamoed. Setting aside the question of its relevance to the holiday of Sukkot, the text of Kohelet begs a more fundamental question: does this megilla truly belong in our ”vapor is “all or futile” is all“ – ” לכה ״לבה is refrain dominant whose book a all, After Torah? isn’t exactly the message we’re used to seeing in Tanakh. Though teeming with insight and wisdom, Kohelet as a whole appears more as a work of skepticism or existentialism than as classical Torah.
In fact, the Gemara in Masekhet Shabbat (30b) speaks of on early movement to conceal Kohelet. Our sages offer a confusing and, frankly, uninspiring resolution that “because its beginning consists of matters of Torah and its end consists of matters of Torah” Kohelet was deemed acceptable.
So, what are we to make of this enigmatic sefer – how might we think about the religious function of a text that calls into question axioms of traditional religious thinking?
One approach in Chazal reinterprets the literal meaning of Kohelet and finds an interpretive layer that creates consistency between Kohelet and other parts of the Torah. This methodology is often brilliant in its exegesis, but also seems to entail an intentional avoidance of Kohelet’s plain meaning. There are numerous examples of this in the Midrash (Kohelet Rabba); let’s look at one such instance (2:24) where the rabbis contend with Kohelet’s repeated suggestion to eat, drink, and be merry:
R. Tanhuma in the name of R. Nahman, the son of R. Samuel b. Nahman, and R. Menahama said: All the references to eating and drinking in this Book signify Torah and good deeds. R. Jonah said: The most clear of them all is: "A man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, and drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labor – 'amalo'" (Eccl. 8:15). The last word should be read as 'olamo' (his world) – in this world; all the days of his life (ib.) alludes to the grave. Are there, then, food and drink in the grave that accompany a man to the grave? It must then mean Torah and good deeds.
The Midrash here replaces eating and drinking with Torah and mitzvot, and thus Kohelet’s hedonistic façade quickly becomes standard yeshiva fare. Yes, the Midrash offers a beautiful and important idea, but we’re left wondering whether this is, in fact, Kohelet’s genuine intention.
If one looks closely, however, there is another voice in the Midrash that offers an approach that not only accommodates, but promotes, Kohelet’s pshat (its literal meaning). In 5:14, the pasuk states: ֶשֲׁאַכּ ר֤ ֙אָצָי ֶבִּמ ןֶט֣ וֹ֔מִּא םוֹ֛רָﬠ בוּ֥שָׁי ֶלָל תֶכ֖ ָבֶּשְׁכּ א֑ מוּ אְ ֙ מוּ ָ ֙ ה ֹל י־א ָשִּׂ א֣ וֹ֔לָמֲﬠַב יֶּשׁ לֹ ֵ 4֖ ׃וֹֽדָיְבּ Just as he came naked from his mother’s womb, so must he depart. He can take none of his wealth he earned along with him.
Rather than offering an alternative read to Kohelet’s nihilism, the Midrash concedes that no matter the life you live, the finality of death awaits us all: This is like a fox that found a vineyard that was fenced in on all sides. There was one hole through which he tried to enter but was not able. What did he do? He fasted for three days until he was thin and weak, and he went through the hole. He ate and grew fat. When he wanted to leave, he could not fit through the hole. Again, he fasted three more days until he grew thin and weak as he had done before and then left. When he departed, he turned and looked and said: Vineyard, vineyard! How good are you, and how good are the fruits inside! Everything inside you is wonderful and praiseworthy. But vineyard, what benefit comes from you? Just as one goes inside so does one depart! Thus, also is this world.
In another striking example, the Midrash supports Kohelet’s claim that the same fate awaits examples invokes Midrash the Here, .(9:11) ֶרְקִמ ה֨ ָחֶא ד֜ דַּצַּל ִ קי֤ ֙עָשָׁרָלְו - righteous and wicked the from the Torah to further substantiate Kohelet’s point that life, indeed, is anything but fair:
The same fate happens to the righteous – this refers to Noah… They say that when he came out of the ark, a lion attacked him and injured him so that he limped. And to the wicked – this refers to Pharaoh. They say that when Pharaoh came to sit upon Solomon’s throne… he did not understand its mechanism, and a lion attacked and injured him so that he limped. This one died with a limp and this one died with a limp; hence the same fate happens to the righteous and wicked. To the good – this refers to Moses… And to the pure – this refers to Aaron… And to the unclean – this refers to the spies, who gave an evil report about the land of Israel and did not get to enter it. These (Moses and Aaron) spoke of the goodness and praiseworthiness of the land of Israel, yet they did not get to enter it.
We see, then, that Chazal value Kohelet’s raw and candid reflection that no human being is immune to life’s injustices., It is in Kohelet’s unapologetic presentation that this universal human experience becomes sacred. Though the vicissitudes of life might tempt one toward nihilism or secularism, the inclusion of Kohelet in Tanakh suggests that life’s irresolvable frustrations are not a challenge to religion, but part of its very fabric.
Kohelet concludes with the following piece of wisdom: ףוֹ֥ס ָבָדּ ר֖ ֹכַּה ל֣ עָ֑מְשִׁנ םיקWֱאָה־תֶא ֙אָרְי ויָ֣תֹוְצִמ־תֶאְו רוֹ֔מְשׁ ֶז־יִכּ ה֖ ָדָאָה־לָכּ םֽ יִ֤כּ ַמ־לָכּ־תֶא ֶשֲׂﬠֽ ה֔ םיקWֱאָה אִ֥בָי טָ֖פְּשִׁמְב לַ֣ﬠ ָלְﬠֶנ־לָכּ ם֑ בוֹ֖ט־םִא ׃עָֽר־םִאְו
The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere God and observe His commandments! As this is the whole [purpose of] man.” For God will call every creature to account for everything unknown, be it good or bad.
These final pesukim do not suggest that we ignore life’s vexations and dilemmas. These challenges are real, and legitimate, and this is precisely why Kohelet must be included in Tanakh. The advice here, then, is that an honest and real confrontation with the irresolvable challenges of the human condition may help us build a more honest relationship with God.
In the words of Rabbi Hayyim Angel: “Certain paradoxes and limitations are inherent to human existence, and not even the wisest of all men can make them disappear. Instead, Kohelet teaches us how to confront these challenges honestly and then embark on a process of intense existential frustration that ultimately leads to a greater recognition of the infinite gap between ourselves and God, leading in turn to humility and fear of God, leading in turn to living more religiously in every sense.”
In a number of ways, the past several months have driven some of life’s existential questions further into our consciousness than ever before. Untimely death, financial instability, failure of leadership, and an uncertain future all may render us skeptical that our actions matter. Amidst a global pandemic, the words of Kohelet this Sukkot may feel like an actual commentary on our current existence.
It’s my hope that even as Kohelet serves as an appropriately depressing tome for the Fall of 2020, its words also help us recalibrate and recommit to our most sacred human and religious goals.
Tales of the Holy Kugeldicker
Few can recall exactly when or how it all began. But it must have been at some point during the Purim of 1823, the one which will be forever remembered for the one and only meeting between the Rebbe of Kugel and his counterpart and rival the Admor of Avocado, It WAS the one and only meeting between the two, because the local constable that day issued a permanent restraining order against them both, for what were surely trumped up charges of public drunkenness, and assault and battery with three-pointed (pastries) objects. It was during that Purim that the Admor of Avocado challenged the Rebbe of Kugel to a Sukkah-off, daring him to match the former’s renowned Sukkah daring do.
“I have built a Sukkah atop a camel, and ridden it through the great Arabian Desert, all while eating kichel and sipping tea”, the Admor boasted, according to witnesses who were there, who later freely admitted that they had made it up. “I have built a Sukkah upon a boat, and glided down the Riviera munching on croissants and pâté”, he continued. And what have you, the famed Rebbe of Kugel, done? Though the Admor was by this time directing his comments at the coatrack just to the Kugeldicker’s right, the gauntlet had nonetheless clearly been thrown down.
As Sukkos of 1823 approached, the Rebbe scoured the Shulchan Aruch for a Sukkah of daring do, word of which would surely reach the hamlet of Avocado – hopefully in wildly exaggerated form. This was not as extensive a task as one might have imagined, as the Shulchan Aruch the Rebbe has inherited from his father, the second Rebbe of Kugel only contained the laws of Melave Malka, the days on which Tachanun is omitted, and, as it turns out, building a Sukkah. Very shortly after Melvin the shammes realized that the Rebbe was holding the Shulchan Aruch upside down, and very diplomatically remarked, “it seems to me that the Rebbe is upside – down”, The Kugeldicker found precisely what he was looking for. (Orach Chaim 628:2) עה השו ס ו תכ ו שארב עה ג הל ... הרשכ Which the Rebbe rendered as, “One who makes a Sukkah with his head, makes a sphere”. Obviously, the special cleverness inherent in this idea was that this spherical Sukkah would need to be made entirely of schach, for there was no differentiation between the walls and the roof. The Rebbe immediately began construction, dismissing the surprised and bewildered stares of his Chasidism, who, the Rebbe of course realized, had never read this particular passage in the Shulchan Aruch.
On Erev Sukkos, the “Agalah Sukkah” was complete, and the Rebbe smiled from ear to ear as he imagined the Admor’s Sukkos being completely spoiled as the word of the spherical Sukkah spread through the shteiblach of Avocado the next day. His smile however faded as he removed his hands from his prize creation, and lo and behold it began to gently roll from its spot. “Stay” the Rebbe called, “for the sake of our forefathers who remained unwavering in the face of difficulties, stay! For the sake of our foremothers who were unmovable in their faith in God, stay! For the sake of my grandfather, the alter rebbe, who remained frozen in his place of prayer even when my sainted grandmother needed him to take out the garbage, stay!” But the agolah-sukkah would not stay. So as he held it in place with one hand, he leafed through the Shulchan Aruch with the fingers of the other, and in words that soon be made legendary by wedding jesters throughout eastern Europe, the Rebbe bellowed to his shammes, “Melvin!! Bring me the oxen!
The oxen, Rebbe? Ahhhh.. it seems to me that the Rebbe is ah, oxygen –deprived??” “Azoy shtait in the Shulchan Aruch”, the Rebbe exclaimed, with the sort pride that is uniquely aroused by having being the first to discover how the text itself contains the answer to the riddle.
[Editor’s Note: Scholars of Kugel, though puzzled naturally, by this detail of the story, have formed a near-consensus that the passage the Kugeldicker was referring to, was this one (Orach Chaim 630:11)
םישוע הציחמ ילעבמ יח םי , יש ושק ר םש המהב דל ו פ ןפוד הה ם רוקי
One may make a wall from living things, for example tying an animal in place as a wall.
These scholars further concluded, based on what happens next in our story, that the Rebbe regarded the detail about tying the animals up as being merely a stringency, a recommendation that an authority such as himself could feel free to ignore.]
Soon the spectacle as complete. The rebbe recited Kiddush triumphantly in his spherical sukkah, which was secured in place by the steady – though untied – presence of four oxen, which formed a square around the base of the sphere.
But as evening became night, and night became windy, the oxen grew restless, and one by one abandoned their appointed posts. The sukkah, and its soundly-sleeping resident began to roll through the countryside, and then deep into the deep forest. And has coincidence would have it, this was all occurring at precisely the same time that a young brother and sister, having been abandoned in the deep forest by their evil step-mother and their loving-but-criminally-stupid father, were coming across a most unusual house.
As the text reads: When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house which built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. "We will set to work on that," said Hansel, "and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet." Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it.
Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. "Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? Do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you." She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. The old woman had only pretended to be so kind. She was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Upon discovering their hosts true intentions, Hansel and Gretel; pleaded to be spared, but the witch cackled and said, the only one who can save you now is the Supreme Wizard Kugeldix, who has not appeared in these woods even once during my lifetime.
As all of this was unfolding, the agala-sukkah, and the Rebbe, came to rest at the house’s rear door. While rolling through the deep forest, the sukkah had come somewhat undone, leaving fatal gaps of 4 tefachim square in numerous places. But as he stepped out and pulled himself to his feet, what did the Rebbe behold, but, a sukkah - made of bread - waiting only for schach! With gratitude to God, the Rebbe eagerly spread the remnants of his agalah-sukkah where Hansel had eaten away at the roof.
Only moments away from completing the project though, the rebbe – clothed in honor of Yom Tov in his finest silk kappatta and shtreimel, lost his footing, and crashed to the floor of the house, striking his head. Hoping to avoid causing a scene, he promptly announced himself, somewhat woozily proclaiming, it is just I, the great Kugeldick.
The witch and the children shrieked, the former with awe, the latter with relief. “Great one, , said the witch”, perhaps you will join me, as I am planning to have these children for dinner. ‘ We of course we shall have the children for dinner, the Rebbe responded, much to the horrors or the children. They have most certainly reached the age of instruction, and are obligated in Sukkah. Of course we must have them for dinner!”
Confused, but very hungry, the witch turned to the stove where the cauldron just large enough to hold Hansel was already filled with water. As she reached for the flints, the Rebbe bellowed, “What ARE you doing woman??” One mustn’t spark a new flame on this day, especially in the presence of the great Kugeldix. Surely you have a pre-existing flame somewhere in the house. Whereupon the witch opened the door of the over, but unable to reach the flame therein, climbed in.
Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh. Then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death. and cried, "Hansel, we are saved. The old witch is dead."
Unsure whether to be horrified or somehow pleased, the Rebbe of Kugeldik, now in the Sukkah by himself, make Kiddush and ate what had been leftover from dinner the night before. He was lost and dizzy to be sure, but rejoiced as he imagined the look on the face of the Admor from Avocado.