B"H

Thursday, Tishrei 18, 5779 / September 27, 2018

Chag Same’ach – Happy Sukkot!

The mitzvah of Sukkot is found in Leviticus (23: 33-44): "On the 15th day of the seventh month [Tishrei].. you shall observe the feast of the L-rd seven days.. And you shall take to you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees (Etrog), branches of palm trees (Lulav), and branches of thick trees (Hadasim) and willows of the brook (Aravot), and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d seven days... In Sukkot you shall dwell seven days... So that your generations may know that in booths I made the children of Israel dwell, when I brought them out from the land of Egypt."

In Deuteronomy (16: 13-15), we read again about Sukkot; "The feast of Sukkot you shall keep seven days… And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your man servant and your maid servant and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow that are within your gates.  Seven days you shall keep a feast unto the L-rd your G-d in the place which the L-rd shall choose; because the L-rd your G-d will bless you in all your crops and in all your undertakings and you shall be altogether joyful."

Three times the Torah commands us to be joyful and rejoice during Sukkot.   This is why, more than any other holiday, Sukkot is called "Z'man Simchateinu" - "Season of our rejoicing."

There are two mitzvot unique to Sukkot.  1) The mitzvah of Sukkah; we eat in the Sukkah for seven days (including Shabbat).  2) The mitzvah of Arba Minim (Four Kinds). This mitzvah is performed each day of Sukkot (except on Shabbat). 

The four kinds are; Etrog (citron); Lulav (palm branch); Haddasim (myrtle branches) and Aravot (willow branches). The Lulav, three Hadasim and two Aravot are held in the right hand. The Etrog is held in the left hand.  We make the blessing over them, put them together, then shake them.

Sukkot is a holiday which reminds us of the importance of unity.  The Torah tells us, "You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your man servant and your maid servant and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow that are within your gates..." The Torah emphasizes unity - calling for everyone to rejoice together. The Torah teaches us that true rejoicing can only be achieved when we are united and include also the less fortunate.

Our sages have derived many lessons from the mitzvah of the "four kinds".  One of the more common lessons is the importance of Jewish unity.  Each species of the "four kinds" has a unique quality.  The Midrash explains that they represent four different categories of the Jewish people.  This mitzvah can be performed only when we put all four kinds together.  This teaches us the importance of unity, for through the unity of our people we derive strength and blessings.

HAVE A GOOD, HEALTHY, HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & CHAG SAMEACH