Dancing Hugs & Sukkot 5783
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Dancing Hugs & Sukkot
A quick glance at the Jewish calendar can cause you to wonder. Why is the first month of the new year so jampacked with holidays, virtually a month of nonstop celebrations, holidays and commemorations. Yet the second month of the Jewish year is called Mar- Cheshvan, the bitter month, because it is mostly void of Jewish holidays. Wouldn’t it seem logical to spread out the many holidays over a longer period of time?
In Lekutei Torah -Sukkos- the Alter Rebbe explains that our loving Father in Heaven, eagerly and intentionally, wants us to celebrate the joyous holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah immediately after the solemn days of the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is in order to make clear to all that His love for us is unconditional.
Rosh Hashanah, the blowing of the Shofar, the days of repentance and Yom Kippur, express a Divine relationship based on our behavior. But ultimately G-d loves us unconditionally, because we are His beloved children. So yes, once a year we focus on improving our behavior, cleaning our soul. Logical accounting.
But this is not the true full depiction of our Divine relationship. In truth, on a deeper level, we are Royal Children. United as One with G-d. Unconditionally. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we beautify our spiritual face. We clean up our appearance. But there is much more to our deeper relationship. It’s not only about how you look, ultimately it is about who you are! Beautiful, pure and holy.
A kiss is usually on the face, it expresses charm, attraction and beauty. But a hug includes hugging the back of a loved one. In comparison to the face, the back does not express beauty. Therefore it is precisely the hug, which expresses total acceptance. A hug is our way of saying: I love you as you are, with your virtues and with your flaws, i love all of you, not just your beauty and virtues. I accept you and embrace you in your full totality. Unconditionally.
A Kosher Sukkah requires a minimum of two full walls and a small part of the third wall. The minimum required size of the third wall according to Jewish law is that it must be at least the size of our palm and fingers.
The Alter Rebbe quotes the Arizal who explains that the 3 walls symbolize a hugging hand. The two full walls represent the upper and lower arm. The small third wall represents the palm and fingers. G-d wants to use His metaphoric hand to give us a hug and therefore He wants three walls in order to give us an unconditional hug of total love and total acceptance of every Jew. The entire body enters the Sukkah including our shoes. We are hugged and loved as we are.
The Alter Rebbe quotes the Arizal who explains that the 3 walls symbolize a hugging hand. The two full walls represent the upper and lower arm. The small third wall represents the palm and fingers. G-d wants to use His metaphoric hand to give us a hug and therefore He wants three walls in order to give us an unconditional hug of total love and total acceptance of every Jew. The entire body enters the Sukkah including our shoes. We are hugged and loved as we are.
During the holiday of Sukkot we are commanded to pour water on the altar in addition to the usual wine. The water is connected to the deeper love and hug of the holiday of Sukkot. Water is tasteless. Wine is rich in taste. Therefore, wine represents a relationship of taste and logic, taste and reason. But water represents a relationship which is deep and pure. It is higher then logic. It transcends any taste or reason. It is pure and unconditional.
Well-water and spring-water require deep digging. So too, on the holiday of Sukkot, we dig deeper within ourselves and reveal our deeper beauty and deeper spiritual connection. We dig within our soul and reveal our infinite dimension. Our infinite potential. As the prophet Isaiah states: “And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation”.
Well-water and spring-water require deep digging. So too, on the holiday of Sukkot, we dig deeper within ourselves and reveal our deeper beauty and deeper spiritual connection. We dig within our soul and reveal our infinite dimension. Our infinite potential. As the prophet Isaiah states: “And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation”.
This gives us motivation and inspiration:
You are a rich fountain of infinite potential. Your value is priceless and unconditional. Nobody in the world has the refreshing wells which you uniquely have. Only you can bring to the world the waters of your unique talents and contributions. On the holiday of Sukkot celebrate the hug of Heaven and reveal your talants and your spiritual beauty.
The holiday of Sukkot is celebrated by eating in the Sukkah and shaking the Lulav and Etrog which emphasizes Jewish unity. Sharing inspirational Torah messages and inspiring ourselves together with all our fellow Jewish brothers and sisters to maximize and utilize every moment of life, filling our cups with overflowing blessings.
Share the joy of Jewish unity and a genuine love for every Jew as you celebrate the hug of the Sukkah! Every time you enter the Sukka and every moment you spend in the Sukkah, you recieve a new hug. Your soul is recharged with infinite power and unlimited energy.
3 messages based on the teachings of the Rebbe:
1) The Talmud says that all Jews are worthy of sitting in One Sukkah. When you reveal the true spiritual beauty and love for every Jew, then physical space does not limit us nor separate us. One Sukkah can host us all. Our ego is replaced with unity and peace, love and harmony. We are all united as One in the Oneness of the Sukkah. Invite your Jewish friends to join you for a Sukkah party and celebration. This will bring unlimited blessings for all of you.
On Simchat Torah we dance and celebrate with the Torah. We dance in a circle. Because the circle has no beginning and no end. The circle is symbolic of the Jewish people, one People, one Torah and one G-d, all united as one. The more you dance, the more blessings you will have.
2) In the times of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, in the year following the Sabatical year, the entire Jewish nation would come during Sukkot to listen to the Torah reading and strengthen Jewish observance. This Mitzvah is known as “Hakhel” which means to “Gather”.
Today, we commemorate this beautiful Mitzvah by finding opportunities to gather Jewish people and strengthen Jewish observance and Jewish heritage. Each such gathering brings blessings for all who participate. This year is a Hakhel year. Find opportunities to gather Jews together and celebrate your commitment to strengthening Jewish continuity.
3) Our generation has a special Mitzvah to reach out and invite our fellow brothers and sisters to join in the beauty of Jewish heritage. No Jew is complete if we fail to look out for each of our brothers and sisters who may spiritually be wandering in foreign gardens. The greatest joy of any parent is to see their lost child return home. Our Father in Heaven is waiting for you to bring home your Jewish friends who are searching and crying for spiritual help. For Jewish identity.
You can make G-d happy. You can cause G-d to smile. Share your Jewish love and enthusiasm with your Jewish friends and neighbors and you can save a world. Give them an unconditional Jewish hug, a taste of a relationship which is pure, unbreakable and everlasting. The keys are in your hands, open your door and your heart and celebrate!
Lchayim
Velvl
Rabbi Velvl Butman
Executive Director
Chabad Lubavitch of Westchester County
Sharing the joy and meaning of Judaism unconditionally!
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