It's a Party!

Throughout the month of Elul we heard the shofar every day, increased our prayer, study and Mitzvot, especially tzedakah.  We observed the holy days of Rosh Hashanah, when we recommitted to Hashem as our King.  Then we had seven days of teshuva, and then the day of Yom Kippur, fasting and praying and achieving atonement.  Now what?

 

Now we celebrate.  There is no question that our efforts produced great spiritual results.  The holiness of the days themselves brought new Divine energy to the world.  We are all on a higher plane, whether we feel it or not.  So now comes the beautiful holiday of Sukkot when it all comes together in a joyous festival.

 

The Sukkah represents a “hug” for each of us from Hashem.  Chassidus teaches that the covering of the Sukkah represents the cloud that was created by the High Priest burning incense in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur.  The Torah tells us that the Sukkah is to remind us of the temporary dwelling that Hashem gave us during the 40 years our ancestors traveled in the desert, and our sages taught that this means the clouds of glory that surrounded them and protected them.  These miraculous clouds were a sign of Hashem’s love, and the incense cloud in the Holy of Holies invoked that revelation.  The Sukkah covering, known as Schach, also represents this.

 

The four species also represent Hashem’s revelation, as taught in the Midrash.  Among other things, the waving of the species in every direction, bringing them back to our heart each time, represents bringing the new Divine energy generated over the High Holidays into our hearts.  The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 30:9) tells us that each of the four species hints to an aspect of Hashem.

 

The intense joy of this holiday also reflects the greatness of the time.  When describing the holiday of Sukkot, the Torah says three times that it is a time of joy.  During the Temple times, every night there would be a huge celebration in the Holy Temple with music and intense dancing, celebrating “Simchat Beit Hashoeva,” the drawing of the water that was poured on the Altar along with the usual wine libations.  Kabbalah and Chassidus explain that the water also represents an intense revelation of Hashem, beyond the grasp of logic.  The culmination of the holiday, Simchat Torah, also highlights our joy in our connection to Torah, Hashem’s wisdom. 

 

This explains why Sukkot is at this time of year.  If you think about it, if Sukkot is to remind us about the time when Hashem surrounded us with clouds when we left Egypt, should we not observe Sukkot at Pesach time when the Exodus actually happened?  One of the answers is that Sukkot is a continuation of the High Holidays and a result of the intense holiness of that time.

 

So let’s party!  This is a great time to get together with family and friends in the Sukkah, to wave the four species with gusto (we still have some available at chabapaloalto.com/mylulav), to eat good meals and drink good wine, to attend services and celebrations at Chabad (or your synagogue), and to thank Hashem for the bounty He has given us and that He will surely give us during the new year.

 

Chag Sameach!