Succot 2023

(34) Say to the Israelite people: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Feast of Booths*Booths Others “Tabernacles.” to יהוה, [to last] seven days.(35) The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations;(36) seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to יהוה. On the eighth day you shall observe a sacred occasion and bring an offering by fire to יהוה; it is a solemn gathering:*solemn gathering Precise meaning of Heb. ‘aṣereth uncertain. Cf. Num. 29.35; Deut. 16.8. you shall not work at your occupations.(37) Those are the set times of יהוה that you shall celebrate as sacred occasions, bringing offerings by fire to יהוה —burnt offerings, meal offerings, sacrifices, and libations, on each day what is proper to it—(38) apart from the sabbaths of יהוה, and apart from your gifts and from all your votive offerings and from all your freewill offerings that you give to יהוה.(39) Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the festival of יהוה [to last] seven days: a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day.(40) On the first day you shall take the product of hadar*hadar Others “goodly”; exact meaning of Heb. hadar uncertain. Traditionally the product is understood as “citron.” trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy*leafy Meaning of Heb. ‘aboth uncertain. trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God יהוה seven days.(41) You shall observe it as a festival of יהוה for seven days in the year; you shall observe it in the seventh month as a law for all time, throughout the ages.(42) You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths,(43) in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt—I, your God יהוה.(44) So Moses declared to the Israelites the set times of יהוה.

(1) מקרא קדש — This means: Hallow it (make it different from other days) by wearing fine clothes, and through appropriate prayer. In the case of other Festivals of which the same words are used, the expression מקרא קדש implies: Hallow them (distinguish them from other days) by your food and drink, by your fine clothes and appropriate prayers (cf. Sifra, Emor, Section 12 4).(1) עצרת הוא — The word is derived from the root עצר “to hold back” and suggests: I keep you back with Me one day more. It is similar to the case of a king who invited his children to a banquet for a certain number of days. When the time arrived for them to take their departure he said, “Children, I beg of you, stay one day more with me; it is so hard for me to part with you!” (cf. Rashi on Numbers 29:36 and Sukkah 55b).(2) כל מלאכת עבדה ANY WORK THAT IS AN עבדה — i. e. even such work which rests as an obligation (עבודה) upon you because if it is left undone it involves monetary loss (cf. Rashi v. 8),(3) לא תעשו YE SHALL NOT DO: — One might think that it is forbidden to do such urgent work (מלאכת עבדה) also on the intermediate days of Passover and Tabernacles (which are Half-festivals)! Scripture, however, states: עצרת] הוא], “it (i. e. the eighth day) forms a restriction: [ye shall do no urgent work]” — but on the intermediate days such work is not forbidden (Sifra, Emor, Section 12 6).(1) עלה ומנחה A BURNT OFFERING AND A MEAL OFFERING — This means the מנחת נסכים (the meal-offering due with the drink-offering) that is brought together with the‎ עולה (Menachot 44b)‎.(2) ‎‎ביומו‎ ‎יום‎ ‎דבר EVERYTHING UPON ITS DAY (lit., the thing of the day, on its day) — the quantity definitely assigned to each day in the Book of Numbers (cf. Rashi on Exodus 16:4).(3) דבר יום ביומו EVERYTHING UPON ITS DAY (which may mean the matter of the day shall be on its day) — consequently if its day (the day on which some particular one of these sacrifices is due) be past, it's (the day’s) offering is past (cf. Sifra, Emor, Section 12 9).(1) אך בחמשה עשר יום... תחגו BUT ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY… YE SHALL OFFER A חג — i. e., a sacrifice of peace-offerings as a חגיגה (the pilgrims’ sacrifice on the Festivals) (Chagigah 9a). Since it states that this has to be brought on the fifteenth day of the month, one might think that it (the offering of קרבן חגיגה) shall set aside the Sabbath (supersede the Sabbath law, if that day be the fifteenth of the month)! Scripture, however, uses the word אך (the particle that implies a limitation; cf. Rashi on v. 27): suggesting that it must not be offered on Sabbath because it has a supplementary period consisting of all the seven days of the Festival.(2) באספכם את תבואת הארץ [ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH] WHEN YE GATHER IN THE INCREASE OF THE LAND — This tells us that this seventh month (in which סכות occurs) must be at the time of the ingathering. Hence we learn that they are enjoined to intercalate the years if necessary (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 15 6), because if there be no such intercalation it (the seventh month) would sometimes fall in the middle of the summer or of the winter.(3) תחגו YE SHALL CELEBRATE (OFFER) the peace-offerings of the חגיגה.(4) שבעת ימים SEVEN DAYS (during seven days), meaning that if one has not brought them on one he may bring them on another of the seven days. But I might think that the meaning is that one has to offer them on each of the seven days! Scripture, however, states (v. 41): וחגתם אתו, “and ye shall make it the day of the חגיגה” — this implies one day and no more. Why, then, does Scripture say “seven”? In reference to the supplementary period (Chagigah 9a).(1) פרי עץ הדר THE FRUIT OF THE TREE HADAR — a tree the wood of which (עץ) has the same taste as its fruit (פרי) (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 16 4; Sukkah 35a).(2) הדר — It is called הדר because it is the tree whose fruit remains (הַדָּר) on the tree from one year to another (several years) — and this is the “Ethrog”.(3) כפת תמרים A BRANCH OF PALM TREES — The word כפת is written defective (without ו, not כפות) to intimate that only one branch is intended (Sukkah 32a).(4) וענף עץ עבת AND BOUGHS OF THE TREE עבת — i. e. of a tree whose boughs are, as it were, plaited (intertwined one with another) like ropes (עבתות) and cords; this is the myrtle plant which is indeed formed as a plait (three leaves issuing from one point of the branch and covering it) (Sukkah 32b).(1) האזרח THE NATIVE — Since this word means native-born, the word בישראל, ANYONE IN ISRAEL, serves to include the proselytes (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 17 9).(1) כי בסכות הושבתי THAT I MADE [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] ABIDE IN BOOTHS — This does not mean literally “booths” but, “the clouds of Glory" by which they were sheltered (cf. Onkelos; Sifra, Emor, Chapter 17 11; Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:35:1; Sukkah 11b).

“… on the festival of Succot seven days unto Hashem … And on the first day you shall take fruits of the citron tree, palm branches, boughs of thick trees [myrtle], and willows of the stream, and you shall rejoice ….” (Vayikra, 23:34–39)
The succa and the four species correspond to the “ten depths” mentioned in the Sefer Yetsira (the Book of Creation, the most ancient of all kabbalistic texts, attributed to Avraham Avinu). They are the depth of the “six directions” the depth of good and its opposite, the depth of the beginning, and the depth of the end. The pri eyts hadar, the fruit of the citron tree, corresponds to the “depth of good,” since the citron has both taste and smell, meaning the good that endures in the world to come, of which we may eat in this world. Palm branches correspond to the “depth of the end,” as it is written in the Gemara (Ta’anit, 29b), “to give you hope for the end [Yirmiya, 29:11] Rav Yehuda son of Rav Shmuel son of Shilat said in the name of Rav, ‘this means palm branches.’” Another reason is because date palms are the last mentioned in the enumeration of the seven species of the land of Israel, and this hints at the end and hope. Branches of a thick tree (myrtle) correspond to the “depth of the beginning,”because they have a scent, meaning a man may sense this scent to the very depths the foundations on which the world was created. Willows of the stream correspond to the “depth of evil,” as they have no taste or smell. Concerning this it says in the Gemara (Baba Batra, 61a), “anyone who gives his life to die for words of Torah, do not quote the Law in his name.” It seems that this deed will not bring him any benefit in this world or the world to come. Still, we are told to bind the willow together with the other species, hinting at man’s completion. In order for man to be complete he must find this power, that he could surrender himself to death all the while knowing that this will give him no benefit whatsoever in the world to come. If man succeeds in finding this power, then he will understand all the other depths in their completeness. Therefore it is called “a depth,” for even in the evil he will find good, and in the future God will return to him all that he lost in delivering his life over for the study of the Torah.

“And the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel fought together in the camp. And the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed Hashem’s name ….” (Vayikra, 24:10)
A passage in the holy Zohar reads (Vayikra, 106a), “boring a hole in something that was closed, as one would say, ‘and he bore a hole in his door.’” This is because he wanted to open up the depth that is hidden in the future, where God will refine all of Israel to the point that they will be clean of all sin. Then he would be a full member of Israel. This is as the Gemara writes (Yevamot, 23a), “If a goy or a slave who has intercourse with a Jewish woman, the child is fit to enter Israel and he is not a bastard, but he is called ‘a tainted Israelite.’” As he felt incomplete, or “tainted,” he wanted to open a force where in the future the Holy One, blessed be He, would make such birurim (refinements) where there would not even remain a residue of sin among the sinners of Israel. This is as the holy Zohar says (Vayikra, 106a), “He took the final Hei in God’s holy name and cursed him, in order to defend his mother.” This is because the final Hei hints at the world of Asiyah, the world of action. Though God desires that we fulfill His mitzvot with our actions, still He wanted to create an opening whereby He would bring about salvation even without the actions of man.
This is as it is said in the Midrash (Tanchuma, Emor, 23; see Rashi on this passage), “This incident was a reaction to the previous section [in Ch. 24, on the twelve loaves in the Tabernacle]. The king usually eats warm bread. Would he eat cold bread?” In this world, all the divine effusion that man receives from the Holy One, blessed be He, is received in time through Shabbat, in place through the Mikdash, and in person through the Patriarchs and the community of Israel. However, he asserted that God could bring about salvation at any time, at any place, and for any individual, by themselves.
Also the Gemara writes (quoted in Rashi on this passage), “He was responding to a previous incident (where the court had judged him guilty). He went to pitch his tent in the encampment of Dan.” The passage about the one who cursed is included in the Torah in order to show us just how much one needs to hold back from bearing all kinds of grudges against God. Since the one who cursed distanced himself from the encampment of the Israelites, he left Moshe’s court with a guilty verdict and stood and blasphemed. His intentions were good in that he wanted to live in the encampment of the Israelites, being an Israelite from his mother’s side. But from his Egyptian heritige, he voiced all of his grudges. A man of Israel’s heart cleaves to God and his intentions are for the sake of Heaven even if God denies him some benefit. Even if God denies him something good and pushes him away, in this too he is fulfilling God’s will and is called an eved Hashem, a servant of God, and for this he merits great reward. We find an example with a descendant of Aharon haCohen who is unfit for service in the Holy Temple because of some physical defect. In the very act of being pushed away from the holy service he merits great reward. However, one who is not of the root and branch of Israel, if he is distanced from some benefit, then he cannot contain himself and lashes out in scorn.
This is as we find in the Gemara (Avodah Zara, 3a), “in the future God will offer the nations the mitzvah of succa. Then he will take the sun out of its sheath, and make it unbearably hot, so they will not be able to sit in the succa. Upon leaving, they will kick their succot. It is asked, ‘are not Israelites also exempt from the mitzvah of succa if the weather makes it unpleasant?’ Yes, but they would not kick it upon leaving.” With the nations, even if their intention is to fulfill the commandment of God, if they are prevented from it, they will lash out in scorn (literally, kick).
Therefore the great test of serving God will be with the commandment of succa, for this commandment enjoins us to leave a permanent dwelling and reside in a temporary dwelling. This requires being drawn to any place God’s will wants us to go, and not to complain even if God prevents us from performing His mitzvot. For since this is God’s will, in not doing the commandment one is now also fulfilling His will. If one who lashes out in scorn when he is prevented from the mitzvah, then this proves that when he was doing the mitzvah, his intentions were not for the sake of Heaven. This is why God commanded, “go and take out the one who cursed,” for when he wanted to pitch his tent in the camp of the Israelites, his intentions here were also not for the sake of Heaven.
This section is juxtaposed with the section that follows immediately, “He that kills a man shall surely be put to death. He that kills an animal shall pay etc.,” It is the way of God that after He meets out what appears to be stern judgment and sentenced the one who cursed to death by stoning, notwithstanding all the shame he suffered, He warns us to honor human dignity, including the honor our fellow’s flesh and blood as evinced by warning us not to cause blemish to an animal. For this reason it is said (Vayikra, 24:19), “and if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, thus shall it be done to him [paying restitution].” This is to say that there shall be one system of justice. There is justice for the one who has false greivences against God and for all of mankind. “Thus shall it be done back to him” (Vayikra, 24:20) is saying that it will be clear that the accuser himself bears the blemish he claims to be in the accused.
For this reason the section discussing the succa is juxtaposed with the section discussing the menorah. (Like the light of the menorah in the Temple,) God illuminates the eyes of man, and shows him that God is in charge. So too with the section discussing the twelve loaves, which hints at Gods love for Israel, saying (Chagiga, 26b), “see the great love He has for you! All that God does is only for the good of Israel.” Yet when one who is not of the root and branch of Israel finds it necessary to voice his greivences against God, not able to contain himself and spitting it forth from his lips, the result is as we have explained above with the one who cursed. (Namely that if he is rejected from doing something good or beneficial, he lashes out, unlike Israel, who accept their rejection as a service and fulfillment of God’s will). No such greivences come from Israel, for they know that everything is for their good.

In this week’s Sedra (Parsha) there are five passages preceding the passage about the festivals. This corresponds to the five kinds of grudges a man can bear over the stern attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He. The first passage warns the Cohen against becoming contaminated from a dead body, and this corresponds to the anger one can have in his heart over death and absence.
The second passage discusses the physical defects that would render a Cohen unfit to serve in the temple. A Cohen in this state could harbor anger against the severe judgment of the Holy One, blessed be He. Why would God plant him among the root of Aharon where he would have been fit to offer sacrifices to God and serve Him? Why then did He create him with a defect that prevents him from this Kedusha (holiness), for the Kedusha of a Cohen’s service is immeasurable? Just as we see how much Kedusha there is in the mitzvah of eating matsah, how much more so when the Cohen eats of the sacrifices, kodshei shamayim, God’s own food, as it were! As we find in the Gemara (Pesachim, 57a), “[how immeasurably awesome it was] when those in the temple would go in and eat of the kodshei shamayim.” We see just how precious eating the sacrifices was in God’s eyes, and all the more so the Kedusha of the Cohen in his service before God. So even just seeing a Cohen who is rendered unfit to serve can cause one to be angry at God. Even though the blemished Cohen may eat of the sacrifices, he is distanced from the actual service.
The third passage is about the Cohen who becomes impure. Since the Cohen guarded and purified himself as much as possible in order to serve God, avoiding even an improper thought, then how much more so would he then guard himself from defiling his body! Then after, when something happened that pushed him away serving God and eating the sacrifices, then overwhelming tears would take him, asking, “why doesn’t God help me so I am not pushed away from the service?”
The fourth passage discusses blemishes in the sacrifices themselves, where a great cry wells up among those bringing the sacrifices, asking, “why did God bother to give me goodness and property that I can’t offer?”
The fifth passage concerns a thanksgiving offering, of which it is said, “he shall eat it on that day.” This means that a man is required to give thanks over the past and cry out for what is to come, so as not to trust in tomorrow, but rather always stand in prayer and the fear of God. Thus he is not released from this requirement when the future day comes. This brings bitter anguish to the hearts of mankind, asking why God cannot simply be a constant refuge of strength, and let them do everything with complete confidence that God will help them. On this, David haMelech said (Tehilim, 92), “Mizmor Shir, a song of the day of Shabbat,” meaning (Tamid, 33b) “in the future, the day which is eternally Shabbat, over this [as the Tehilim continues,] it is, ‘good to give thanks to Hashem.’” In this way the Holy One, blessed be He, will teach Binah–Understanding to Israel, causing them to understand that all the events of the past were all for the sake of man’s benefit. This is why Tehilim 92 continues, “and to sing to His supernal name,” for the place from which God conducts the world above the level of man’s intellect is called “supernal.”
Corresponding to these five passages, God gave Israel the five passages about the yearly festivals. It is from (the spiritual power of the festivals) that man receives tekifut (unbridled strength) and an expansion of consciousness in order not to voice his greivances as mentioned above. God gave them the passage about Passover corresponding to the first passage, for Passover is the beginning of the illumination of life that God gives to Israel. Shevuot corresponds to the passage dealing with a Cohen who is unfit for service, for with the giving of the Torah all those who were sick or lame, deficient in any way, were healed, and Shevuot teaches us that God will heal everything. Rosh Hashanah corresponds to the passage about a Cohen who had become impure, for impurity is really sadness, as has been explained (in the second piece in this week’s Parsha). Therefore on Rosh Hashanah there is the mitzvah of sounding the shofar so as to drown out the sound of anything that may depress him. Yom Kippur corresponds to blemished sacrifices, for at the moment Israel abandons all forms of pleasure and benefit in this world in order to fulfill God’s will, then strength and encouragement will come to all their goodness and property. Corresponding to a thanksgiving offering, which teaches man to have the constant fear of God, they were given the mitzvah of succa, meaning that God will protect man and surround him (just as a succa does even though it is not a permanent structure). The festival of Succot is called “the time of our joy,” meaning that God will give man joy, promising never to abandon him.

(12) Bear in mind that you were slaves in Egypt, and take care to obey these laws.(13) After the ingathering from your threshing floor and your vat, you shall hold the Feast of Booths for seven days.(14) You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the [family of the] Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities.(15) You*You See note at 12.7. shall hold a festival for your God יהוה seven days, in the place that יהוה will choose; for your God יהוה will bless all*all Lit. “you in all.” your crops and all your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy.(16) Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before your God יהוה in the place that [God] will choose. They shall not appear before יהוה empty-handed,(17) but each with his own gift, according to the blessing that your God יהוה has bestowed upon you.

(1) וזכרת כי עבד היית וגו׳ AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER THAT THOU WAST A SERVANT [IN EGYPT] — Only on this condition did I deliver you from Egypt: that you keep and do these statutes.(1) באספך [THOU SHALT KEEP THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES …] AFTER THAT THOU HAST GATHERED IN THE PRODUCE — i.e. at the usual harvest time, when thou bringest into the house the summer fruits. Another explanation is: באספך מגרנך ומיקבך teaches that one should cover the Succah only with the פסולת (lit., the chips, — that which falls off) of the barn and the wine-press [i.e. with vegetable matter] (Rosh Hashanah 13a; Sukkah 12a).(1) והיית אך שמח ONLY BE REJOICED — According to its plain sense this is not the expression of a command but expresses an assurance: “thou will be rejoicing”. But according to the Halachic interpretation they (the Rabbis) derived from here that the night before the last day of the festival (that preceding the eighth day) is to be included in the obligation of rejoicing (Sukkah 48a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 142:4).(1) ולא יראה את פני יהוה ריקם AND THEY SHALL NOT APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD EMPTY, but — bring the burnt offerings that are obligatory when one appears before the Lord, and the peace offerings of the festival.(1) איש כמתנת ידו EVERY MAN [SHALL BRING] ACCORDING TO THE ABILITY OF HIS HAND TO GIVE — i.e. one who has a large household (lit., many eaters) and great possessions brings many burnt offerings and many peace offerings (Sifrei Devarim 143:10; Chagigah 8b).

FESTIVALS AND SEASONS OF THE YEAR: Succot:The mitzvah of succah can bring us to experience the radiance of God’s abundance through ruach hakodesh, the spirit of holiness. This experience is a special state of enlightenment granted to certain people when they are worthy of contact with levels of Godliness that transcend the levels of attainment they have reached through their own efforts. For there are levels of Divine wisdom that are granted to people simply through God’s beneficence, without their having to work to acquire that level specifically. Indeed man’s whole task in this world is to work on himself until he is worthy of being granted these transcendental levels. This is the true joy of the World to Come (21:3).

The merit of the mitzvah of succah brings purity of heart. When your heart is pure it is easy to express yourself before God. You will always find new and original words and prayers (156).

The succah is a segulah for having children. The succah brings relief from strife and divisiveness. Falsehood is cast aside and truth gains the upper hand. The true Teacher of the age is revealed, and the whole world comes to return to God and “serve Him with one consent” (Zephania 3:9) (Likutey Moharan I, 48).

Intense prayer, the Land of Israel, and the mitzva of succah are in essence one concept. The three ideas are interdependent (Ibid.).

A person who is negligent in fulfilling the mitzva of succah closes himself off from the beneficence that God bestows upon men. Instead he falls to the level of an animal, receiving only what animals receive. This causes the death of cattle and other animals before their proper time, God forbid (266).

A person who fulfills the mitzva of succah fittingly can engage in building without running the risk of being harmed. Building is a dangerous occupation, but the precept of succah gives protection (Ibid.).

From the succah comes Torah. Therefore when we enter the succah we become suffused with Torah (Ibid.).

The mitzvah of the four kinds, the lulav, etrog, hadassim and aravoth, brings about a relevation of Da’at, the knowledge of God. Through the mitzvah of the four kinds we can come to realize how the whole earth is filled with God’s glory. We can see Godliness everywhere, even in the languages of the gentiles. People on every level, even the lowest, can come to acknowledge God and draw closer to Him. This mitzva helps us to bind our hearts to the knowledge of God and in this way to bring the heart under our control. This is what brings us to love God — and through loving God we show the truest love to ourselves. Then we can rise to receive the light of the love which is in Da’at. This is the “hidden light” stored up for the righteous. Through glimpsing it, the hidden Tzaddikim and the hidden Torah are revealed, and abundant peace spreads forth in the world (33).

The etrog derives its beauty from the true Tzaddik. He is the “head of the house” over the entire world. It follows that if you acquire a fine etrog which has all the marks of beauty, you will be worthy of drawing close to the Tzaddik. You will be merged in him and your eyes will be opened. It works the other way also: if you are close to the true Tzaddikim, you will be worthy of a beautiful etrog, and in this way you will be able to fulfill this precious and awesome mitzvah fittingly (Likutey Moharan II, 67).

You should search far and wide for a fine etrog that has all the marks of beauty. You must weep and cry on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to be worthy of such an etrog. It is impossible for us to understand the great preciousness and profound holiness of the mitzva of etrog. The human mind is simply unable to fathom it. Know that by fulfilling this mitzvah in all its beauty you will be worthy of bringing closer the day when our holy Temple will be rebuilt in splendour and glory. May it be God’s will to rebuild it speedily in our days, Amen (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom 87).

Rabbi Mani opened, "'All of my bones shall say, "Lord, who is like you"' (Psalms 35:10). This verse was only stated for the sake of the lulav (the four species). The spine of the palm branch is similar to the spine of man. And the myrtle is similar to the eye. And the willow is similar to the mouth. And the etrog (citron), is similar to the heart. David said, 'In all of the limbs, there are no greater ones than these, as they are compared to the entire body.' This is [what is meant] by 'All of my bones shall say.'"

פרי עץ הדר, “the fruit of the goodly tree;” the four species of fruit which we use on this festival differ in basic attributes, The citron, etrog, is the fruit of a tree which provides taste as well as a pleasant fragrance. It symbolises the righteous person who has both Torah learning and good deeds to his credit. The tree from which the palm frond has been taken provides fruit but does not provide fragrance. (Date palm) It symbolises the average Israelite, who, while having the performances of many commandments to his credit, has failed to acquire Torah knowledge, i.e. he does not exude fragrance. The myrtle branch, hadass, does not bear any fruit but provides us with a pleasant fragrance. It symbolises the person who did acquire Torah knowledge but did not translate it into the performance of its commandments. Finally, the willow branch, aravah, comes from a tree that neither provides fruit nor fragrance, (except shade). It symbolises the Jew who has neither acquired Torah knowledge nor acquired a list of merits for having performed good deeds. The reason that we bind all these four plants together before performing our ritual with them is, to demonstrate that we are aware that the Almighty does not really look down upon us with favour until we have managed to coexist peacefully, regardless of any shortcomings we perceive in one another. The prophet Amos 9,6 alludes to this concept when he wrote: הבונה בשמים מעלותיו ואגדתו על ארץ יסדה, למי הים וישפכם על פני הארץ, יהוה שמו, “Who built His chambers in heaven and founded His vault on earth; Who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the land.” On this verse, Midrash Rabbah comments that G–d does all this when we, His people, form a united union. (Vayikra rabbah 30,12) Our author adds that it appears to him that this is also the reason why, on Rosh Hashanah, New Year’s day, in our prayer describing the essence of the day we insert the line: ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת, “they will all form a single band.” A different explanation: The lulav symbolises the human backbone, שדרה. The myrtle branch is a symbol of the eye, whereas the willow branch is a symbol of the lips. The citron, etrog, symbolises the heart, the most import part of the human body.

This also enables us to answer a statement in Tanchuma ‎on Parshat Emor, concerning Leviticus 23,40 ‎ולקחתם לכם ‏ביום הראשון פרי עץ הדר וגו'‏‎, “acquire for yourselves on the first day ‎‎ the fruit of the citrus tree, etc.” The ‎description “on the first day,” seems curious, as the day in ‎question is the fifteenth of the month. The Midrash ‎explains that the word “first” refers to the first day after the day ‎of Atonement, which was followed by four days when any new ‎sins committed were not inscribed in G’d’s ledger. At first glance ‎this statement seems puzzling; what is the linkage of that ‎statement to the Day of Atonement mentioned in the Torah 14 ‎verses previously? The subject has drawn the attention of earlier ‎commentators who have tried to come up with a plausible ‎explanation.‎
Actually, the answer is relatively simple. Our chapter basically ‎deals with festivals, though the period between New Year’s day ‎and the day of Atonement hardly fits the description of ‎‎“festivals,” seeing that during these days we are preoccupied ‎almost exclusively with repentance, i.e. our mood is somber and ‎introspective. Until the conclusion of the day of Atonement we ‎are full of fear rather than filled with joy, as befits the festival ‎days. The Torah had set aside the last of these ten days as one on ‎which each one of us is to practice self-denials as part of the ‎process of repentance. (Leviticus 23,29) so much so that anyone ‎not following these instructions is warned that he will lose his ‎share in the hereafter for having failed to do so. Anyone ‎exploiting these ten days for repentance, however, has only ‎fulfilled the minimum requirement, i.e. he has repented out of a ‎fear of punishment. When the Day of Atonement has passed and ‎we are preoccupied with the various commandments that enable ‎us to celebrate Sukkot joyously, our mood undergoes a ‎drastic change and we are happy to have the opportunity to ‎fulfill the many commandments connected with that festival. The ‎effect of all this is that our repentance, which previously could be ‎attributed merely to our fear of punishment, has now become ‎repentance from a feeling of love for G’d and His Torah. The effect ‎of this is so powerful that iniquities we were guilty of before the ‎ten day period of repentance, have now become the catalyst of ‎our mitzvah performance so that in retrospect these ‎iniquities also have become something constructive, as without ‎the need to repent them and to take steps to rehabilitate ‎ourselves we would never have done so.‎
The principal name of this festival, i.e. ‎סכות‎, “huts,” in the ‎sense of protective cover, symbolizes that we are prepared instead ‎of seeking the relative safety of solid structures to dwell in, to rely ‎on the flimsy cloud cover, reminding us that G’d watches over us. ‎Seeing that this is a demonstration of our faith in Him, and the ‎effectiveness of our repentance, the first day of this festival is like ‎a new leaf in our post Yom Kippur life, and even any errors ‎we may have committed during the days that intervened since ‎‎Yom Kippur have not been recorded in our ledger as a debit. ‎The word ‎ראשון‎ in the verse above therefore may be applied to ‎the entire Sukkot festival, as it ushers in a new period in ‎our lives. As a result of our preparations for this festival, G’d ‎renews dispensing of His largesse for us with renewed energy. ‎This reminds us of the statement in Pesachim 112 that the ‎mother cow is even more desirous of providing the calf with its ‎milk than the young calf is anxious to drink it.

Greed for food is one of the three lusts which destroy the heart’s capacity for awe and reverence for God. The other two are the desire for wealth and the sexual appetite. Each of the three festivals of the year has its own spiritual influence which counters one of these desires. Pesach counters the desire for wealth; Shavuot the sexual impulse. The greedy desire for food is broken through the influence of Succot. Celebrating Succot fittingly will bring an illumination which can help one to control one’s appetite for food (II, 1:4,5).

The food one eats can affect one’s dreams and even cause one to have a “dream sent by a demon” (Berakhot 55b). This can bring about a wasteful emission. The tikkun for this is to be always happy (5:10).

The festival days cry out, proclaim and reveal the Will — God’s Will, which rules over all. There is no such thing as the “inevitability of nature.” Every festival commemorates the awesome signs and miracles which God performed on our behalf — all of them contrary to nature. Pesach commemorates the going out of Egypt. Shavuot recalls the giving of the Torah. And on Succot we remember the clouds of glory with which we were surrounded in the wilderness. Through these awesome signs and wonders it was revealed that everything comes about through the Will of God alone. There is nothing inevitable about nature at all. Only you must take care to direct your ear and heart to the holy message which is thus proclaimed. The more carefully you attend to this message the greater the festival joy you will attain. The way to attain this joy is through acts of charity and kindness (see Tzedakah). This is why we should give generously to charity before every festival — in order to experience the true joy of the festival (4:6).

FESTIVALS AND SEASONS OF THE YEAR: Succot:
The mitzvah of succah can bring us to experience the radiance of God’s abundance through ruach hakodesh, the spirit of holiness. This experience is a special state of enlightenment granted to certain people when they are worthy of contact with levels of Godliness that transcend the levels of attainment they have reached through their own efforts. For there are levels of Divine wisdom that are granted to people simply through God’s beneficence, without their having to work to acquire that level specifically. Indeed man’s whole task in this world is to work on himself until he is worthy of being granted these transcendental levels. This is the true joy of the World to Come (21:3).

The merit of the mitzvah of succah brings purity of heart. When your heart is pure it is easy to express yourself before God. You will always find new and original words and prayers (156).

The succah is a segulah for having children. The succah brings relief from strife and divisiveness. Falsehood is cast aside and truth gains the upper hand. The true Teacher of the age is revealed, and the whole world comes to return to God and “serve Him with one consent” (Zephania 3:9) (Likutey Moharan I, 48).

Intense prayer, the Land of Israel, and the mitzva of succah are in essence one concept. The three ideas are interdependent (Ibid.).

A person who is negligent in fulfilling the mitzva of succah closes himself off from the beneficence that God bestows upon men. Instead he falls to the level of an animal, receiving only what animals receive. This causes the death of cattle and other animals before their proper time, God forbid (266).

A person who fulfills the mitzva of succah fittingly can engage in building without running the risk of being harmed. Building is a dangerous occupation, but the precept of succah gives protection (Ibid.).

From the succah comes Torah. Therefore when we enter the succah we become suffused with Torah (Ibid.).

The mitzvah of the four kinds, the lulav, etrog, hadassim and aravoth, brings about a relevation of Da’at, the knowledge of God. Through the mitzvah of the four kinds we can come to realize how the whole earth is filled with God’s glory. We can see Godliness everywhere, even in the languages of the gentiles. People on every level, even the lowest, can come to acknowledge God and draw closer to Him. This mitzva helps us to bind our hearts to the knowledge of God and in this way to bring the heart under our control. This is what brings us to love God — and through loving God we show the truest love to ourselves. Then we can rise to receive the light of the love which is in Da’at. This is the “hidden light” stored up for the righteous. Through glimpsing it, the hidden Tzaddikim and the hidden Torah are revealed, and abundant peace spreads forth in the world (33).

The etrog derives its beauty from the true Tzaddik. He is the “head of the house” over the entire world. It follows that if you acquire a fine etrog which has all the marks of beauty, you will be worthy of drawing close to the Tzaddik. You will be merged in him and your eyes will be opened. It works the other way also: if you are close to the true Tzaddikim, you will be worthy of a beautiful etrog, and in this way you will be able to fulfill this precious and awesome mitzvah fittingly (Likutey Moharan II, 67).

You should search far and wide for a fine etrog that has all the marks of beauty. You must weep and cry on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to be worthy of such an etrog. It is impossible for us to understand the great preciousness and profound holiness of the mitzva of etrog. The human mind is simply unable to fathom it. Know that by fulfilling this mitzvah in all its beauty you will be worthy of bringing closer the day when our holy Temple will be rebuilt in splendour and glory. May it be God’s will to rebuild it speedily in our days, Amen (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom 87).

For a discussion of Hoshanah Rabbah and Simchat Torah, see Likutey Moharan I, 74.

Shemini Atzeret brings about the tikkun of Judgement. In essence this is a tikkun for the holy Covenant (See Rosh Hashanah 9).

“… be pure of heart, you who carry the vessels of God.” (Yeshayahu, 52:11)
All the positive mitzvot are called “the vessels of God.” Therefore the prophet is warning man, “be pure of heart, you who carry the vessels of God,” meaning you yourself, when you perform the positive mitzvot, see to it that you refine yourself from all the negative mitzvot. For example, when your hands take hold of the etrog (citron) to fulfill the positive commandment during the Succot festival, be sure that your hands are clean of any sins that could be done with the hands. In this way you will be performing the mitzvot in a state of completeness.

During the Days of Awe it is a good thing when you can weep profusely like a child. Throw aside all your sophistication. Just cry before God — cry for the diseases of the heart, for the pains and sores you feel in your soul. Cry like a child before his father. Then you will be worthy of a beautiful etrog. The more profusely you weep the more beautiful the etrog you will have for Succot. (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom 87).

There are many different ways of honoring the festivals — with fine food and drink, with beautiful clothes, with pure and holy thoughts, with joy and open-heartedness, and so on. Through honoring the festivals you can attain to the knowledge of God and you can draw this knowledge down into the heart, which is the seat of passion and desire. The three main desires which are the root of all others are the desire for riches, the sexual appetite and the impulse to eat. Each one of the festivals has the power to counter one of these desires. Pesach counters the desire for wealth, Shavuot the sexual instinct, and Succot the impulse to eat excessively. It is because the festivals have these special powers that one should be so careful to celebrate them with the proper respect. This is the way to be freed from these desires. Every Jew has the task of subduing and refining these aspects of his character. When he succeeds, he is open to experiences which are truly prophetic, and he can attain genuine prayer and true healing, and see the sparks of Mashiach. In the end he will come to rule over the angels, which is the very purpose for which the Jew is created and the ultimate destiny of Israel (Likutey Moharan II, 1).

The effect of Rosh Hashanah is to strengthen faith. There are great gatherings of Jewish communities everywhere. Especially significant are the gatherings of Jews around the true Tzaddikim. Through these gatherings, all the different facets of faith expressed in all the different souls are joined together in a common whole. They are refined, unified and elevated. The sparks of new intuitions and perceptions flash forth. New levels of understanding begin to develop. The process continues during the Ten Days of Repentance, when we work on ourselves and strive to return to God. The sparks of intuition and perception are embodied in the mitzvah of tefilin, which are the “seal of holiness” and an aspect of tikkun habrit (see Tefillin). Yom Kippur is the climax of the process. The “seal of holiness” is perfected, and the flashes of intuition and perception reach their fullest development. Following this, on Succot the illumination which must be drawn into the world is that of Joy. Through joy we can elevate all the food we eat to prevent it from disturbing our dreams and causing impure experiences at night. On Shemini Atzeret, the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly, the spiritual work is to bring integrity to the faculty of judgement. If the judges are not honest it can cause unclean occurrences at night. All the tikkunim which have been mentioned here are also brought about whenever the followers of a spiritual leader gather at his side. Rosh Hashanah is the main time for such gatherings because the source of the entire process of tikkun is to be found then. In fact the very details of the Rosh Hashanah ritual, and in particular the different notes blown on the Shofar, all have the power to bring about these tikkunim. Thus the first note we blow, Tekiah, has the effect of strengthening faith. The second, Teruah, causes new intuitions and perceptions to flash forth. And through the third note, Shevarim, we are protected from having distrubed dreams and being corrupt in our judgements. This preserves us from impure experiences at night (5:15).

“What is Chanuka?” (Shabbat 21b).The house of Shammai asserts that we light all eight on the first night, and remove a candle each night, like the (13) bulls (on the first day) of succot, (each day decreasing by one, until 7 were offered on the last day.) This represents how the birur destroys the waste, decreasing and continuing until the Kedusha (holiness) remains, completely clarified. The house of Hillel asserts that we add and continue, adding a candle each night, for here the principle is to cause the Kedusha to spread forth at all times, and this in and of itself nullifies the waste.

“I am Adonai your God ….” (Shemot, 20:2)
It is written in the Holy Zohar, “and the tree of life is in the secret of five, five.” “Anochi, I am,” is the source of life. “Adonai” is Gevurah—strength, which brings all into being. “E-loheicha, Your God” is the measure of truth in which God runs His world. “Who brought you out of the land of Egypt” means that even at a time of anguish, may God protect us, still refrain from becoming angry at God. “From the house of bondage” means do not become immersed in niceties, and after this the Torah warns not to imagine that what I ask from you is easy, rather you need to struggle to become pure. Each of these five corresponds to one of the next five. “You shall not have” corresponds to “Anochi,” so as not to think that there is even a hue (or appearance) of life aside from Him. “Other gods,” meaning a hue of Gevurah—strength. “Before Me” corresponds to “your God,” meaning a hue of truth that is only superficial, and not part of truth at its deepest level. “Do not make any sculpted idol or image” corresponds to “who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” “From the house of bondage” corresponds to “which is in the heavens above,” etc.
The heavens, the earth, and the seas are the principal forms in the construction of the world, and the world also contains desire and honor. Jealousy is also included in these two, as it is for these that He is jealous, and they are also the five corresponding to five mentioned above. “Do not bow down to them” means do not be subdued by desire and honor. “Do not serve them” means do not desire to rule over them. Existence is divided into three levels—place, time, and soul. Everything discussed thus far has been in the category of place. Corresponding to time, with the festivals during the course of the year, there is also the secret of “five, five.” Pesach is “Anochi—I.” Shevuot is “Hashem.” Succot corresponds to “Elo-heicha, your God.” Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur correspond to “E-l Kana, a jealous God,” for the name “E-l” teaches of Chochma (wisdom) and “jealous,” meaning anger, that is to say that His anger is in (the sefirah of) Chochma. In the category of soul, meaning person, there is also the secret of five, namely, “the fathers, the children, the third, the fourth [generations], and the thousandth [generation]” (Shemot, 20:5). Thus, all in the secret of “five, five.” Deep contemplation is required to understand this.

“… at the end of seven years, at the time of the Shmitta [sabbatical or release] year, during the festival of Succot ….” (Devarim, 31:10)
It is said in the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah, 12b), “What does the festival of Succot have to do with the Shmitta [seventh] year? Succot, following Rosh Hashanah, is already in the eighth year. Yet all produce where you did not bring a third thereof in the seventh year, you treat it also in the eighth year as you would have in the seventh.” This is according to the verse (Tehilim, 115:16), “The heavens are the heavens of God, and the earth was given to man.” This is just the way it seems. Yet King David said (Tehilim, 135:6), “all that God desired, He did, in the heavens and the earth.” It is well-known that all the actions of man, even though the power of choice was given to man, are something as insignificant as a peel of garlic. This is why we say on the first day of the week (Sunday) (while reciting the daily Levitical songs in the morning service), “the earth is God’s and the fullness thereof.” The point of Shabbat is to know that man has no real power, for the thirty-nine forms of work created in the world with which man may do all he wants are all prohibited on Shabbat. Yet when the weekdays start, and work is again permitted, God forbid that man may say, “my strength and the power of my hands have gotten me this wealth” (Devarim, 8:17). Therefore our sages established that we say immediately after Shabbat, “the earth is God’s and the fullness thereof.”

It is similarly so with the seventh Shmitta year that the Torah commanded, which makes it known to us that the earth is God’s and all its fullness. Then when the eighth year comes, plowing and sowing are again permitted in order that we can reap from the land without say, God forbid, “my strength and the power of my hands have gained me this wealth.” This is why with produce that a third was not brought as a tithe in the seventh year, “you treat it also in the eighth year as you would have in the seventh,” in order to remember that “the earth is God’s and the fullness thereof.”

This also enables us to answer a statement in Tanchuma ‎on Parshat Emor, concerning Leviticus 23,40 ‎ולקחתם לכם ‏ביום הראשון פרי עץ הדר וגו'‏‎, “acquire for yourselves on the first day ‎‎ the fruit of the citrus tree, etc.” The ‎description “on the first day,” seems curious, as the day in ‎question is the fifteenth of the month. The Midrash ‎explains that the word “first” refers to the first day after the day ‎of Atonement, which was followed by four days when any new ‎sins committed were not inscribed in G’d’s ledger. At first glance ‎this statement seems puzzling; what is the linkage of that ‎statement to the Day of Atonement mentioned in the Torah 14 ‎verses previously? The subject has drawn the attention of earlier ‎commentators who have tried to come up with a plausible ‎explanation.‎
Actually, the answer is relatively simple. Our chapter basically ‎deals with festivals, though the period between New Year’s day ‎and the day of Atonement hardly fits the description of ‎‎“festivals,” seeing that during these days we are preoccupied ‎almost exclusively with repentance, i.e. our mood is somber and ‎introspective. Until the conclusion of the day of Atonement we ‎are full of fear rather than filled with joy, as befits the festival ‎days. The Torah had set aside the last of these ten days as one on ‎which each one of us is to practice self-denials as part of the ‎process of repentance. (Leviticus 23,29) so much so that anyone ‎not following these instructions is warned that he will lose his ‎share in the hereafter for having failed to do so. Anyone ‎exploiting these ten days for repentance, however, has only ‎fulfilled the minimum requirement, i.e. he has repented out of a ‎fear of punishment. When the Day of Atonement has passed and ‎we are preoccupied with the various commandments that enable ‎us to celebrate Sukkot joyously, our mood undergoes a ‎drastic change and we are happy to have the opportunity to ‎fulfill the many commandments connected with that festival. The ‎effect of all this is that our repentance, which previously could be ‎attributed merely to our fear of punishment, has now become ‎repentance from a feeling of love for G’d and His Torah. The effect ‎of this is so powerful that iniquities we were guilty of before the ‎ten day period of repentance, have now become the catalyst of ‎our mitzvah performance so that in retrospect these ‎iniquities also have become something constructive, as without ‎the need to repent them and to take steps to rehabilitate ‎ourselves we would never have done so.‎
The principal name of this festival, i.e. ‎סכות‎, “huts,” in the ‎sense of protective cover, symbolizes that we are prepared instead ‎of seeking the relative safety of solid structures to dwell in, to rely ‎on the flimsy cloud cover, reminding us that G’d watches over us. ‎Seeing that this is a demonstration of our faith in Him, and the ‎effectiveness of our repentance, the first day of this festival is like ‎a new leaf in our post Yom Kippur life, and even any errors ‎we may have committed during the days that intervened since ‎‎Yom Kippur have not been recorded in our ledger as a debit. ‎The word ‎ראשון‎ in the verse above therefore may be applied to ‎the entire Sukkot festival, as it ushers in a new period in ‎our lives. As a result of our preparations for this festival, G’d ‎renews dispensing of His largesse for us with renewed energy. ‎This reminds us of the statement in Pesachim 112 that the ‎mother cow is even more desirous of providing the calf with its ‎milk than the young calf is anxious to drink it.

In this week’s Sedra (Parsha) there are five passages preceding the passage about the festivals. This corresponds to the five kinds of grudges a man can bear over the stern attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He. The first passage warns the Cohen against becoming contaminated from a dead body, and this corresponds to the anger one can have in his heart over death and absence.
The second passage discusses the physical defects that would render a Cohen unfit to serve in the temple. A Cohen in this state could harbor anger against the severe judgment of the Holy One, blessed be He. Why would God plant him among the root of Aharon where he would have been fit to offer sacrifices to God and serve Him? Why then did He create him with a defect that prevents him from this Kedusha (holiness), for the Kedusha of a Cohen’s service is immeasurable? Just as we see how much Kedusha there is in the mitzvah of eating matsah, how much more so when the Cohen eats of the sacrifices, kodshei shamayim, God’s own food, as it were! As we find in the Gemara (Pesachim, 57a), “[how immeasurably awesome it was] when those in the temple would go in and eat of the kodshei shamayim.” We see just how precious eating the sacrifices was in God’s eyes, and all the more so the Kedusha of the Cohen in his service before God. So even just seeing a Cohen who is rendered unfit to serve can cause one to be angry at God. Even though the blemished Cohen may eat of the sacrifices, he is distanced from the actual service.
The third passage is about the Cohen who becomes impure. Since the Cohen guarded and purified himself as much as possible in order to serve God, avoiding even an improper thought, then how much more so would he then guard himself from defiling his body! Then after, when something happened that pushed him away serving God and eating the sacrifices, then overwhelming tears would take him, asking, “why doesn’t God help me so I am not pushed away from the service?”
The fourth passage discusses blemishes in the sacrifices themselves, where a great cry wells up among those bringing the sacrifices, asking, “why did God bother to give me goodness and property that I can’t offer?”
The fifth passage concerns a thanksgiving offering, of which it is said, “he shall eat it on that day.” This means that a man is required to give thanks over the past and cry out for what is to come, so as not to trust in tomorrow, but rather always stand in prayer and the fear of God. Thus he is not released from this requirement when the future day comes. This brings bitter anguish to the hearts of mankind, asking why God cannot simply be a constant refuge of strength, and let them do everything with complete confidence that God will help them. On this, David haMelech said (Tehilim, 92), “Mizmor Shir, a song of the day of Shabbat,” meaning (Tamid, 33b) “in the future, the day which is eternally Shabbat, over this [as the Tehilim continues,] it is, ‘good to give thanks to Hashem.’” In this way the Holy One, blessed be He, will teach Binah–Understanding to Israel, causing them to understand that all the events of the past were all for the sake of man’s benefit. This is why Tehilim 92 continues, “and to sing to His supernal name,” for the place from which God conducts the world above the level of man’s intellect is called “supernal.”
Corresponding to these five passages, God gave Israel the five passages about the yearly festivals. It is from (the spiritual power of the festivals) that man receives tekifut (unbridled strength) and an expansion of consciousness in order not to voice his greivances as mentioned above. God gave them the passage about Passover corresponding to the first passage, for Passover is the beginning of the illumination of life that God gives to Israel. Shevuot corresponds to the passage dealing with a Cohen who is unfit for service, for with the giving of the Torah all those who were sick or lame, deficient in any way, were healed, and Shevuot teaches us that God will heal everything. Rosh Hashanah corresponds to the passage about a Cohen who had become impure, for impurity is really sadness, as has been explained (in the second piece in this week’s Parsha). Therefore on Rosh Hashanah there is the mitzvah of sounding the shofar so as to drown out the sound of anything that may depress him. Yom Kippur corresponds to blemished sacrifices, for at the moment Israel abandons all forms of pleasure and benefit in this world in order to fulfill God’s will, then strength and encouragement will come to all their goodness and property. Corresponding to a thanksgiving offering, which teaches man to have the constant fear of God, they were given the mitzvah of succa, meaning that God will protect man and surround him (just as a succa does even though it is not a permanent structure). The festival of Succot is called “the time of our joy,” meaning that God will give man joy, promising never to abandon him.

Kind, merciful, loving God: stir up the very heart of the souls of all the true Tzaddikim who now dwell on the supreme heights in the uppermost worlds of holiness, and let their souls come down below on Rosh Hashanah and be with us. Let them pray and intercede for us so as to crush and banish the Satan and smash and destroy brazen arrogance of any kind from within the Jewish People through the Rosh Hashanah prayers and shofar blasts. Give us all the power to draw from the holiness and purity of Rosh Hashanah throughout the year. During the month of Tishri — on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot, Hoshanah Rabbah and Shemini Atzeret — help us fix and strengthen the two seals of holiness, the seal within the seal, and let our voices rise up and find favor before You, so as to make us worthy of perfect holy joy at all times. Write and seal the entire Jewish People for good, long lives, for peace, and for lives filled with heavenly awe — true life, a life that will bring us to eternal life.

(1) The fourth chapter of Sifra De’ Tzniuta [states]: “Atika Tamir V’satim (Atik is hidden and concealed); Z’er Anpin is revealed and not revealed.” (Zohar II, 178a)

(2) “When you raise up the candles, [the seven candles shall shine toward the face of the menorah]” (Numbers 8:2). Rashi explains: The flame shall rise up on its own.

(3) It is written (Psalms 139:5): “Back and front TZaRtani (You formed me).” < TZuRah (form) is the intellect>. there is an intellect which a person attains by means of numerous introductory explanations. This intellect is called “back.” And there is an intellect which comes to a person without any introductory explanation, but through a Godly influx. This is called “front,” the face.

(4) Now, inspiration of the heart is born out of the motion of the intellect. This is because it is the nature of motion to create heat; the heat created in the heart being commensurate with the swiftness of the intellect’s movements. Thus, due to the Godly influx—i.e. that the intellect is bestowed upon a person swiftly, for he has no need of any introductory explanations—as a result of this swiftness, the flame of the heart rises up continuously on its own.

(1)2. But to arrive at this concept of Godly influx is impossible, unless one sanctifies his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. Precisely these are what radiate the Godly influx to him.

(2) In other words, a person should guard himself from allowing anything false to emerge from his mouth. And he should have fear of Heaven. as in (Isaiah 11:3), “He shall breathe of the fear of God.” And he should have faith in the sages. as in (Proverbs 22:17), “Hear the words of the wise.” And he should keep his eyes shut so as not to look at evil.

(3) For precisely these are what arouse the Godly influx to come. This is because the mouth and the nose and the eyes and the ears are contingent upon the mind. They waken the mind that it should be in the category of “front,” in the category of face.

(4) This is the concept of (Psalms 119:160), “Rosh devarkha (Your very first utterance) is truth”—the aspect of mind as it applies to the mouth. And this is (ibid. 111:10), “Reishit chokhmah (The beginning of wisdom) is the fear of God”—the aspect of mind as it applies to the nose. And this is the concept of (Proverbs 9:8), “Rebuke the wise man and he will love you”—the aspect of mind as it applies to the ears, as in, “Hear the words of the wise.” And this is the concept of (Genesis 3:7), “And the eyes of both of them were opened”—the aspect of mind as it applied to the eyes.

(5) And precisely these are the “seven candles.” For the mouth, the two nostrils, the two eyes, and the two ears correspond to the seven candles. The menorah is the head—the mind. And the face of the menorah is the Godly influx.

(1) 3. Now, this Godly influx is synonymous with the sukkah. This is because SuKkAH corresponds to “SaKhAH (she foresaw) with the spirit of holiness.”

(2) For the spirit of holiness is the Godly influx. And this sukkah comes about through the “seven clouds,” which correspond to the seven candles. Through them, a person attains the face of the menorah—the sukkah /Godly influx. The spirit of holiness is so called because of the wisdom; it being the spirit of wisdom which comes from holiness, as is known.

(3) And this is the meaning of what our Sages said (Sukkah 11b): “From where do we know that one is permitted to cover the sukkah only with something that cannot be made impure and which grows from the earth? It is written (Genesis 2:6), ‘A mist rose from the earth’—just as a mist cannot be made impure and it issues only from the earth….” The mist is the above mentioned clouds. They are synonymous with holiness.

(4) And which grows from the earth. For this would be receiver must be a sage, as the Holy One “gives wisdom to the wise” (Daniel 2:21), as in, “I have placed wisdom in the heart of all those who are wise of heart” (Exodus 31:6).

(1)4. Now, this sukkah /spirit of holiness/Godly influx is synonymous with the concept of makifin (encircling, transcendent). For this intellect is so very great that the mind is incapable of holding it. It does not enter the mind, but encircles . In a similar sense, we see that there are a number of profound disciplines which the human mind is incapable of understanding clearly; such as the numerous paradoxes which perplex us, e. g. foreknowledge and free will. The human mind is incapable of understanding this principle.

(2) And this intellect is synonymous with the concept of encircling. It does not enter within the mind. Rather, it surrounds it from without, and the inner intellect receives its vitality from this transcendent intellect.

(3) And know! as long as the intellect is not so great that it can understand foreknowledge and free will. Then the power of free choice is as it should be, for one has the power to choose life or its opposite.

(4) But when this transcendent intellect is and the intellect then expands and reveals to man the [understanding of] foreknowledge and free will—then free will will be nullified. Because then, by virtue of an expansion of the intellect, he leaves the category of human and ascends to the category of angel. And then, free will is nullified. the essence of the power of free choice: <[it exists] as long as it remains unknown, as explained>.

(5) And this is what our Sages said (Berakhot 17a): “In the future, the tzaddikim will sit with their atarot (crowns) in their heads, [delighting in the radiance of the Shekhinah].”

(6) It should have said “on their heads.” because in the future free choice will be nullified. Thus, “the tzaddikim will sit.” “Sitting” indicates an absence of free choice, as in (Psalms 2:4), “He Who sits in heaven,” which indicates an absence of change. This is because motion indicates a change from one will to another, whereas sitting points to an absence of change—namely, the nullification of free choice.

(7) And this is due to “their ATaRot (crowns).” This alludes to the aspect of encircling, as in (1 Samuel 23:26), “Shaul and his men OTRim (encircled) David.” “In their heads” and not “on their heads.” In other words, the transcendent intellects will be internalized in the mind. And then, all the profundities which incapable of understanding will be internalized, in the inner mind, and will know and comprehend them. They will emerge from the category of man and the category of angel, and free choice will be nullified.

(1)5. This is also the concept of KiDduShin (marriage), the concept of canopy. For the Godly influx corresponds to KoDeSh (holiness)/canopy—the aspect of transcendent/encircling.

(2) This is what our Sages said (Bava Batra 75a): “Each and every tzaddik will be singed by the canopy of his friend.” This is because the transcendent intellect of one is greater than the transcendent intellect of the other, and the intellect which is transcending to one is immanent to the other.

(3) This corresponds to the seven days of celebration which follow the wedding ceremony—i.e. the concept of the seven candles through which the transcendent intellect is internalized. It also corresponds to the seven days of mourning, God spare us. We mourn over a person whose soul has expired so that his soul will ascend to the light of the face by means of these seven days, .