Sukkot as a Culmination of the Regalim

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October 01 2009
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We can divide the holy convocations, the sanctified times of the year, into two categories. One category is the sholosh regalim - Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The second category is the High Holydays - the festivals of the month of Tishrei. The Yom Tov of Sukkot can be viewed as uniting all the festivals, for it is the only one that belongs in each category. On the one hand Sukkot is one of the sholosh regalim, on the other hand it can be seen as the conclusion of the period of the Yomim Noraim period as is evident from the motif and customs of Hoshana Rabba. This double facet of the festival can be derived from their description found in the portion of the Torah discussing the festivals (see Vayikra 23).

While Pesach is viewed as the first of the festivals, Sukkot - the "Festival of Gathering" (asif) can be said to "gather" all the festivals, drawing them to a close and highlighting their ultimate purpose. When we analyze the many aspects of this Yom Tov we will discover a close connection to the End of Days.

Sukkot characterizes for us the purpose of our life in this world, the purpose to which we must channel all our goals and aspirations. The Days of Judgment which preceded Sukkot test whether we are indeed directing ourselves to that ultimate purpose and to what extent we wish to be associated with that end.

Let us analyze what we have discussed from one perspective.

The historical background to the Yomim Noraim takes us back to our first years in the desert - the chet haegel - the sin of the Golden Calf and the subsequent tikkun. This tikkun reached its climax during the nation's first Yom Kippur with the giving of the second Tablets. Unlike the first Tablets which were ultimately broken due to the public nature in which they were handed down to us, Chazal teach us that the second Tablets were given in a more modest fashion and have therefore remained with us until this day. We see that the modest and humble relationship between us and Hashem is an essential component of the tikkun of Yom Kippur. In fact the following day began the process of the construction of the Mishkan which was a continuation of the Divine Revelation at Har Sinai but in a more hidden fashion (see Ramban).

This idea expresses itself in the cycle of the year particularly in the transition from Yom Kippur to Sukkot. Throughout Elul and until the end of Sukkot we recite the psalm "LeDovid Hashem Ori" which contains the pasuk: "He will hide me in His shelter (besuko - in his sukkah) on the day of evil; He will conceal me in the concealment of His Tent" (Tehillim 27). The yearly conclusion of the tikkun process takes place when Hashem's presence is felt deep within each member of the Jewish nation, on the festival of Sukkot. A Jew welcomes the year with a rebirth of Divine Revelation in his own soul.

However, we already mentioned that Sukkot also marks the conclusion of the tikkun of all the generations, regarding which it is said: "Hashem will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where Hashem will lead you ... from there you will seek Hashem, your G-d, and you will find Him, if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul." (Devarim 4:27,29).

Hashem's presence at the End of Days will be found within individuals who sought and found their Creator within their own hearts and depths of their souls.

Klal Yisrael in the End of Days will be comprised of individuals who each found their Creator on their own, each from his own personal vantage point, but as a member of the entire nation together.

"Ullah Biraah said in the name of R' Elazar: 'in the future the Holy One, Blessed is He will make a circle of all the righteous people and He will sit among them in the middle of the circle in the Garden of Eden, and each and every one will point toward Him, as it says: 'He shall say on that day: Behold! This is our

G-d; we hope to Him and He saved us; this is Hashem to Whom we hoped; let us exult and be glad in His salvation' (Yeshayahu 25:9)" (Taanit 31a).

One day a year we can experience this cricle - when we all dance together on Simchat Torah - the climax of this festival period. If each of us makes the effort to find our place in the circle, and at the same time help our fellow Jew find his place, we will then merit seeing Hashem's return to Zion and the return of the Divine Presence to the Jewish people, speedily in our day.

Venue: Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh

Machshava:
Elul 

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    1. Title: AWESOME
      Author: False == 1 ? Anonymous : Noam Kaplan &##44;

      <p>See title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

    Learning on the Marcos and Adina Katz YUTorah site is sponsored today by Judy & Mark Frankel & family l'ilui nishmos מרדכי בן הרב משה יהודה ע"ה and משה יהודה ז"ל בן מאיר אליהו ויהודית