We are now post-Yom Kippur and pre-Succot.
As we all know, Succot reminds us of the clouds of glory that G-d used when He took us out of Egypt. This brings to mind the age-old question: If Yetziat Mitzrayim occurred in Nissan, when we celebrate Pesach with the seder, why is it that we sit in the succah six months later, in Tishre?
The answer commonly given is when the weather is nice and everyone is outdoors, it would not be remarkable to sit in a succah, so we chose a time of year, when it’s clear that we are sitting in the succah for the sole purpose of remembering the miracles.
There is another answer, however, that many commentaries give: They mention a clear connection between Succot and Yom Kippur. Due to the fact that we’ve been cleansed of our sins, and due to the great accomplishment of Yom Kippur, and with the understanding that we are supposed to have a great Simchah (happiness) in our mitzvot, part of Succot, then, is celebrating the hard work we did as we went through Elul, the Aseret Yeme Teshuva, Rosh Hashanah and finally Yom Kippur.
There is beautiful thought from the famed Mashgiach of the Mir Yeshiva, Rav Chatzkel Levenstein that exemplifies this point. As we have discussed in past lessons, the entire Mir yeshiva of Poland escaped the Holocaust by traveling to Shanghai, China for five years, where they took refuge in a shul that had been built many years before, by Mr. Silas Hardoun.
Rabbi Chatzkel Levenstein was their mashgiach and their leader. When Yom Kippur came, the boys prayed with all their hearts. They were orphaned, they had lost their families, they didn’t know what was going on in the world, and they were stuck in Shanghai. Rabbi Levenstein’s prayers went on for very, very long, from one Amidah to the next. Even when everyone else had finished Ne’ilah and Arbit, and had gone to eat, he was still praying. The boys knew he was praying on their behalf, and when they finished eating, they discussed what they could do to make him happy. They decided to go back into the Bet Midrash to learn, so that way when the Rabbi finished praying, he’d see that the room was full of boys learning, and he’d feel good. And that is what they did. Finally, when Rav Chatzkel finished praying
and took his three steps back, he saw that they had all come back to learn. He went up to podium to give them a short message,
and this message applies to us as well.
He said:
We went through Elul , the Aseret Yeme Teshuva, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and we’re trying to hold on to it all. But you can’t hold on to that level forever. Eventually you’ll land. When that happens, you may think: “What did I accomplish? I’m right back to where I was.”
He then told them about a man who once spent years planning and building his mansion. When it was done, the last bit of work was placing the final stone on the top of the arch at the entrance to the home. Wanting to do that last part himself, he climbed a ladder in order to place that final stone, and he slipped on his way down. He was shaken up and confused. Laying on the ground, he looked up and cried, “My house! My house fell!” The contractor reassured him that he had only slipped, that it was he who fell, and that his house was fine.
Says Rabbi Levenstein, we have built a palace over the past 40 days. We put a lot of work in. If we happen to stumble and trip, that doesn’t mean our house fell down. You may have stumbled but no one can take away your accomplishments from these days and from Yom Kippur.
The Tomer Devorah tell us that one of the great acts of mercy that Hashem does for us is to keep our mitzvot and sins in separate piles. This means our mitzvot are protected. Therefore, we have to appreciate that palace, that we built over Elul, Aseret Yeme Teshuva, Rosh Hashana and Kippur. The more we appreciate and value a mitzvah, the greater it is.
Let us have that mindset going forward, to reflect on what a great job we did, and enjoy getting ready for Succot.