Today’s class has been sponsored for a Refuah Shelemah for Sholomo Ben Leila by his family.
This is our final pre-Succot preparation class, and as such, I would like to share more beautiful thoughts on the concept of Bitachon and the Succah.
There’s a beautiful explanation by Rav Nasson Wachtfogel, the Mashgiach of Lakewood, based on the Gemarah that tells the story of Rabbenu HaKadosh who suffered many yisurim/afflictions for many years.
The external catalyst for his yisurim was that Rabbenu HaKadosh didn’t have mercy on a calf that was on its way to be slaughtered.
(the Ramchal says this is only a cover-up and that that there are deeper reasons)
When a calf ran under his coat, he told the calf, “Go; You were created for slaughter- what are you whimpering for?”
That was not considered merciful, according to G-d’s level of mercy on all His creations.
The big question here is that cows were created to be slaughtered. That is what they’re here for. We were not all meant to be vegetarians. So, what was the claim against Rabbenu HaKadosh?
The answer is that this calf ran under his cloak. The calf relied on him.
As matter of principle, if someone relies on you, decency dictates that you come through for that person. This principle is so clear, that when the people of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house, he used this argument to save his guests. He told the people of Sodom that his guests had come under the shadow of his roof, that they relied on him for protection, and so he had come through for them.
This is human nature, and as with all good Middot, it comes from G-d. Hashem is reliable. If you rely on Him, He is obligated to respond, because that’s proper decency.
Rav Wachtfogel explains that this is the concept of the Succah.
After we have gone through the various approaches of Teshuva and we have tried our best to get a good judgement, we still don’t know what our judgment will bring. So, we enter the stage of throwing ourselves onto G-d’s mercy, seeking refuge under His coat, in His shade, which is the shade of the Succah. This is what we are supposed to be thinking while we are in the Succah:
“I am in G-d’s protective shade. I am seeking refuge in G-d.”
The word refuge is an important one. There is a difference between “Bitachon” and “Hisayon.” Bitachon means relying on someone that gave you a promise. Hisayon means that although you were not promised, nonetheless you seek refuge in that person.
The Sefer Shaare Arucha, by Rav Yaakov Abuchazera, (great) grandfather of the famous Baba Sali, discusses the Mizmor of protection (tehilim perek 91)
יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝—דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃
The man that sits the shade of G-d (which is the shade of the Succah) has protection from Hashem.
He tells G-d
אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭ה׳ מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹקי אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃
He tells Hashem, “You are my refuge, and my fortress, my G-d whom I trust.”
That, he says, is the concept of the Succah. He says a beautiful, beautiful thought. We know that G-d has many types of Middot. One of the terms we have for G-d’s mercy is חס/ Hus
We say that Rahmana Has/G-d should have mercy on us.
The maror that we eat, Romaine lettuce, is called חסה- Hassa in Aramaic, so that G-d should have mercy.
What is this term חס/Has?
Rabbi Yaakov Abuchazera says that the root of the word חס /Has is the same as the word in the aforementioned pasuk,
אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭ה׳ מַחְסִ֣י
You are my refuge
David HaMelech uses this term more than once is this special Mizmor of protection.
When we seek refuge in G-d, we arouse that trait of Has which is a mercy that comes, not necessarily because we deserve it, it because we throw ourselves onto Hashem. Further on in that mizmor, it says
מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃
He is protected from a plague, from a pandemic
He is protected from everything. That’s what happens when you throw yourself on G-d.
Rav Yaakov Abuchazera says that the numerical value of root of the word מחסי/ Mahsi, חס/Has, is 68 which is the same numerical value as the word לולב, Lulav.
The lulav is also part of the process of arousing G-d’s mercy on us.
Furthermore, he says that the numerical value of חס/Has is the same as that of חיים/chaim- life.
He brings further hints of this concept of Has/חס/ this special type of mercy that brings with it life.
When a person has that, and he relies on Hashem not because he is deserving but because he is seeking refuge,
as it says in the Mizmor,
לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃
No evil will befall you
A plague will not come close to your tent
כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃
Because He will command angels to protect you on all of your ways.
That is the power of the Succah,
that is the power of Bitachon, and that is the power of the concept called Hisayon.
As we have said in the past, Rabbenu Bachya and the Gaon of Vilna both say that David HaMelech says
טוב לחסות בה׳ מבטח באדם
It is better to seek refuge in G-d, than to rely on a human guarantee.
(the word בטח/bote’ach means guarantee)
Bitachon means reliance on a guarantee.
Hisayon means seeking refuge in G-d without a guarantee.
טוב לחסות בה׳ מבטח באדם
It’s better to seek refuge in G-d, than to rely on a human guarantee.
Have this in mind when you say Hallel over Succot, and have this concept in mind when you sit in the Succah.
Think, “I am throwing myself on to G-d. I am seeking refuge in G-d.”
That’s the power of חס /Has
כי אתה ה׳ מחסי
Because Hashem is my refuge.