Succos 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The Gemara in Shabbos 130A teaches in the name of Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel that every mitzvah which Bnei Yisrael accepted with joy, B’Simcha, they are still fulfilling to this day with Simcha. The Gemara illustrates this point with the mitzvah of Milah. Dovid Hamelech said in sefer Tehillim (Chapter 119, Pasuk 162), שש אנכי על אמרתיך, I am joyous over your command, which the Gemara teaches is referring to Milah. And Tosfos adds that the pasuk in parshat Vayera after the birth of Yitzchak which states that Avraham made a festive meal for his son (Chapter 21, Pasuk 8), ויעש אברהם משתה גדול ביום הגמל את יצחק, is referencing the meal at his Bris. The word הגמל is to be understood as הג, three and five, on the eighth day, מל, Avraham circumcised his son. His joy was so great that he made a big, festive meal. And until today, people perform the mitzvah of Bris Milah willingly and happily.
The Sfas Emes teaches that this principle of Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel applies to Succos as well. Succos is the festival with the greatest joy, as we refer to it in davening as זמן שמחתנו. And this is because at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim when Bnei Yisrael left quickly, they didn’t even have provisions for the way, as the pasuk says (Shemos, Chapter 12, Pasuk 39), וגם צדה לא עשו להם. Yet, as Rashi teaches on the pasuk, they followed Hashem willingly and joyfully into the desert, as the pasuk says in sefer Yirmiyahu (Chapter 2, Pasuk 2,3),זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך אהבת כלולתיך לכתך אחרי במדבר בארץ לא זרועה. I remember your Chesed and love when you followed me blindly into the uncharted desert. Succos commemorates the clouds of glory which covered Bnei Yisrael in the desert, and since they originally followed Hashem into the desert with love and faith, it became a festival of great Simcha for future generations.
This early devotion and blind faith is also expressed in a pasuk in Shir HaShirim. The pasuk says (Chapter 2, Pasuk 3), כתפוח בעצי היער כן דודי בין הבנים בצלו חמדתי וישבתי. Bnei Yisrael describe Hashem as an apple tree among the trees of the forest. Rashi explains, based on the Medrash, that since the apple tree doesn’t provide much shade, all the nations of the world ran away from the apple tree, i.e. Hashem, when He was offering them the Torah. They chose the other tress; other cultures and other religions.
Only Bnei Yisrael wanted the shade of the apple tree, and were willing to accept the Torah. בצלו חמדתי וישבתי; Bnei Yisrael willingly and joyfully desired the shade of Hashem and went into the desert and later accepted the Torah and said נעשה ונשמע. We went without provisions and protection of great shade, just out of love for Hashem.
But if the apple tree doesn’t provide great shade, then what does the בצלו, its shade, refer to? Granted Bnei Yisrael followed in blind faith and love. But just as there were no provisions, there was no real shade. In fact, the lack of shade of the apple tree represents the lack of food in the desert and their willingness to follow blindly. So what does the word בצלו represent?
The Zohar Hakadosh refers to the Succah as צילא דמהימנותא, the shade of faith. This is the shade of בצלו חמדתי וישבתי; just as the apple tree has no shade, there did not appear to be anything which would protect them. But Bnei Yisrael followed Hashem blindly and understood only He could provide shade and protection. They couldn’t see anything, but they had their faith. The nations of the world ran away because there was no actual and clear shade. They wanted clear proof that this enterprise of Hashem and His Torah would be good for them, and they saw nothing to calm them.
But where the nations of the world saw nothing, Bnei Yisrael saw great shade and protection. And the reward for happily following, is the Succah, the shade of faith and belief. Bnei Yisrael know that ultimately the greatest shade and protection is from Hashem. And since this shade is supernatural, it can’t be seen but only accepted with belief. And the awareness of this reality brings us great solace and joy, and this is the Simcha of Chag HaSuccos.
Chag Sameach
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