Parshat Haazinu Erev Succos 5780
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The Tur in Siman 581 brings the Medrash Tanchuma on parshat Emor which asks on the pasuk (Vayikra, Chapter 24, Pasuk 40), U'Lekachtem Lachem Bayom Harishon. The Medrash asks, why does it say the first day, Succos is on the fifteenth day. The Medrash answers, Rishon Hu La'Cheshbon Avonos. After Bnei Yisrael are forgiven for their sins on Yom Kippur, they spend the four days between Yom Kippur and Succos preparing for the mitzvosof Succah and Lulav. Therefore, only on the first day of Succos does the accounting of sins begin.
The Taz, in his commentary on Shulchan Aruch, asks how could it be that the preparation for the mitzvah is greater than the mitzvah itself? How could it be that no sins are accrued while preparing for the mitzvah, but while doing the mitzvos on the first day of Yom Tov the sins begin anew?
The Sfas Emes answers that yes in fact the preparation for the mitzvos are greater than the mitzvah itself. The mitzvah itself lasts for a moment; as the Gemara in Pesachim 7B says, once the Lulav is raised up the mitzvah has been performed. But the preparation for being in the right frame of mind, and to be constantly on guard to be ready to perform a mitzvah, requires a much greater effort. To protect one's self from outside influences and to be focused and ready at any moment for a mitzvah, protects one from sin and therefore the accounting doesn't begin anew until the focus of preparation subsides.
To prove his point, the Sfas Emes brings the Gemara in Yoma 29A which teaches, Hirhurei Aveirah Kashin M'Aveirah. The thoughts one has about doing an aveirah are more detrimental to him than the sin itself. The Sfas Emes explains that we have a principle that Midah Tovah Merubah M'Midas Puranus; Hashem provides reward to a greater extent than He punishes. Therefore, we can infer from the Gemara quoted that the thoughts one has in doing a mitzvah carry with it greater reward than the actual mitzvah act itself.
One might ask the same question the Taz asks on the Tur from the Gemara above. How could it be that thinking about an aveirah is more serious than the act of sin itself?
The Rambam in the Moreh Nevuchim (Section 3, Chapter 8) explains this Gemara in the following way. When a person does an act which is an aveirah, he is sinning with his physical, animal side. This is the lower part of man. But when he fills his mind with thoughts of sin, he is sullying and polluting the holy, spiritual side of man. This is clearly of greater detriment to him than sinning with his physical side.
To apply this to acts of mitzvos as the Sfas Emes does, we need to invoke the words of the Maharal on the pasuk in Mishlei (Chapter 6, Pasuk 23), Ki Ner Mitzvah V'Torah Ohr. There are two types of light. There is the infinite light of Torah, and there is the light of a mitzvah. The light of a mitzvah is compared to a candle; just as a candle is light which is dependent on its fuel, so too a mitzvah is dependent on the physical act of the individual. But since this act is a Divine command it creates light. The light doesn't result merely from the physical act of the mitzvah; its light is based on the intent and desire of the person to perform the will of Hashem. The physical is essential and should even be enhanced. This is called Hiddur Mitzvah and requires one to get the most beautiful Esrog he can find. And the Rema requires one not to eat from Chatzos on Erev Succos in order to eat in the Succah with an appetite.
But the essence is the light. The focus of the mitzvah is the excitement and anticipation and readiness to perform the mitzvah. The physical candle without a light is meaningless. The light is created by the Hirhurei Mitzvah, by thinking about the meaning of doing the mitzvah.
This period follows the atonement received on Yom Kippur. But an essential part of Yom Kippur is Erev Yom Kippur. And on Yom Kippur there is a mitzvah to eat, though it is commanded in an unusual manner. The Gemara teaches in Rosh Hashanah 9A Kol Ha'Ochel V'Shoseh B'Tshi'i, Ma'aleh Alav Ha'Kasuv K'ilu Hisaneh Tshi'i V'Asiri. All who eat and drink on the ninth of Tishrei, it's as if they fasted on the ninth and tenth of Tishrei. Why does the Gemara consider the eating like fasting? It's two separate mitzvos.
Rav Tzadok teaches that on Erev Yom Kippur our eating is meant to be without any appetite. We are eating just because we are commanded. The eating on Erev Yom Kippur is a spiritual eating, just like Bnei Yisrael ate the mahn in the desert. And just as the eating of the mahn was called Inui, physical affliction, as the pasuk says by the mahn (Devarim, Chapter 8, Pasuk 3), Vayancha Vayarivecha, so too on Yom Kippur our eating is without physical pleasure. Hence the Gemara states that eating on Yom Kippur is like fasting two days.
The upshot is that on Erev Yom Kippur we partake in eating but without any physical pleasure. And then on Yom Kippur we fast; two days without physical eating. And right after Yom Kippur we focus on being in the right state of mind and consciousness to do the mitzvos of Succos; only spiritual activity. Only with Succos do the physical requirements resume, and with those mitzvos begin the new counting of sins as well.
May we merit this Succos to fill the physical with holiness and push off any new negative accounting.
Good Shabbos and Good Yom Tov
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