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Simchas Toarh Breishis 5785
Succos 5785
Yom Kippur 5785
Rosh Hashana Haazinu 5785
Nitzavim/Vayelech 5784
Succos 5785
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This week's YouParsha Succos The Time of Our Rejoicing- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwzHNiFxgZY
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Succos accomplishes what Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur cannot. It is an amazing thing. Let's say you were a total stranger to Jewish custom. Someone gives you a list of all the holidays and things that are done in the synagogue on those days. There is one day that people fast and pray all day. There is another day that people dance and party all day. Which would you choose? Yom Kippur gets good marketing as the day when our sins are removed. People get really excited about sin removal. What people do not recognize is that partying during Succos accomplishes the same atonement.
Simcha poretz geder - joy breaks through all boundaries. The Arizal (father of the kaballa) writes that there is a disconnect in a person who does not cry on Yom Kippur. The essence of the soul relates directly to the essence of Hashem on Yom Kippur. At some point, the person feels a distance; either because of misdeeds in the past or a sense of wanting to come closer in the future. That distance causes tears. Everyone can get closer to Hashem. A person who does not feel the distance is disconnected.
The Arizal further writes that what a person did not cry on Yom Kippur can be made up on Simchas Torah by dancing. It is very difficult to just jump right in on Simchas Torah. There are seven days of Succos - the time of our rejoicing - in which a person can gradually prepare for the ultimate reconnect on Simchas Torah.
Time to dance
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Back in the 1960's, a certain man named Yosef received a personal audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He entered the office nervously, glancing at the heavy, wooded paneling lined with bookcases, but was put at ease by the kindly visage peering at him from behind the oak desk.
“Good evening, Rabbi Schneerson.” Yosef sat down. He described to the Rebbe his forays into traditional Judaism and the numerous encounters with observant Jews. “I have visited many different Jewish communities,” he explained, “and I have found that each one has a particular mitzvah or custom on which they place a stronger emphasis than on others. This had me wondering: what mitzvah should I personally choose and take extra measures to fulfill?”
“You do not have to search and discern which mitzvah is more important,” the Rebbe quickly answered. “Instead, you must fulfill all the mitzvas without any exception.” Yosef nodded, then continued describing his travels through Jewish life. “In the many communities I have visited, I have found that often one community might be jealous of another.” At this point, the Rebbe rose from his seat and gazed at the visitor with utmost seriousness. “There is nothing wrong with one community’s observation of another. If the purpose is to emulate the other’s growth and development, and to apply and integrate the other’s benefits, it is a positive thing. But to regard another community with jealousy is absolutely forbidden.”
Yosef continued, “I have a feeling sometimes that the love of your Chassidim towards you in Paris is . . . a bit exaggerated?”The Rebbe shrugged. “So their love towards me is a bit exaggerated. What can I do? I myself love every single Jew. Perhaps that you might call exaggerated.”
“How does the Rebbe know how to answer every Jew who asks him a question?” Yosef pressed. “Some of these people the Rebbe had never met before. Where does the Rebbe get his understanding of that specific person to answer him correctly?” The Rebbe leaned forward. “In every human being’s life, not everything goes so smoothly. Life has its difficulties, and problems arise. So what does a healthy person do? He will go to a friend or to different people who he feels know what is best for him and want to see him improve. He will share his problems with this friend or person and then, based on the advice given to him, he will, it is hoped, improve himself from there.” The Rebbe continued, “It is written in the Torah: VeAhavta LeReacha Kamocha - love every Jew as yourself. You must love every member of the nation of Israel with unconditional love.”He smiled. “I hope you consider me as one who belongs to the Jewish nation. Therefore, I love every single Jew with the greatest love. So when a Jew asks me a question, knowing how much I love and care for him, I know what to answer him.”
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