Two Minute Torah Podcast

Sukkot 5771 by Rabbi Adam Kligfeld

Hasidism (or Hasidut) was founded in the 18th C. to re-introduce joy, vigor and a sense of the holy divine into a Judaism that was scrupulous about law, but also moribund in spirit. Some wonderful Hasidic stories and fables about Sukkot that reflect the value in searching beyond the details to find the soul of the holiday.

One such story recounts a Hasid who asked the Dzikover Rebbe to grant him a blessing. "What is the purpose of the blessing?" the Dzikover asked? "I would like an exceptional set of arba minim [four species: etrog and the lulav, which itself comprises 3 species] for the holiday. With your blessing, I am sure I will find one." The Dzikover thought for a moment, and replied, "Here is a four-fold blessing for your four-fold request. What you need for Sukkot is a kind heart, a humble spirit, a truthful mind, and the will to perfect yourself. After you have attained these, it will be time to concern yourself regarding an exceptionally fine set of arba minim for the holiday."

Notice how the story interweaves the need for both the ritual objects and the religious alertness associated with Sukkot. Neither can lead to a full observance without the other.

As a Jew and as a rabbi, I find this season to be incredibly tense and packed with things to do. You get shielded from a piece of this at college, but just wait...it is coming. We scurry around erecting sukkah, inevitably having to go to Home Depot at least once for that special screw we lost last year, or for a hanging light that wont pose a fire hazard to the skhakh on the Sukkah's roof. We select our own lulav/Etrog set from a Judaica store or shop, or pick out the ones we want from those ordered by the shul. Every year I field calls from members of my synagogue asking me one question or another about this or that halakhic detail of the Sukkah, preparing for yontef, etc...It is a week where detail and the intricacies of Jewish law reign supreme. And in the aftermath of a Yom Kippur during which we (hopefully) re-committed ourselves to moving towards greater Jewish observance, that focus on the detail can be very religiously satisfying, as if we are saying to ourselves, "We are starting the year on the right foot!"

I applaud that focus on the minutiae, for I do believe that God is found in the details. The lesson of the Dzikover Rebbe is that God exists beyond the details, too, and often times before the details. While it is true that an intense focus on the how's and what's of a ritual and holiday can lead us to an appreciation for the holiday's spirit, it is also true that focusing on where the holiday is meant to bring us spiritually, emotionally and religiously can lead to a greater appreciation for the rituals themselves.

In this dance between ritual and meaning, there is no dog and no tail, no chicken and no egg...just a Jew endeavoring to find the right balance between God's laws and God's presence.

I hope you generously welcome many Ushpizin (guests) to your campus Sukkah this year...and also shake your lulav properly.

I encourage you to say the leyshev basukkah blessing each time you enter the Sukkah...and also say something kind to a friend or loved one each time you see them this week.

I hope we all mend any flaws that appear in our Sukkot, or replace our lulavim if they should become deficient...and that we also all remember that the need to self-reflect and self-mend does not end on Yom Kippur. It continues throughout the year, including on Sukkot.

I wish you a Shabbat Shalom and a mo'adim l'simkha, a very joyous Sukkot.