Starting the accounting anew on Succot

Hi,

“This may be compared to a nation which needs to appease its king. When the king arrived within ten mil, the leaders came out and praised him, and he forgave one third of their burden. When the king arrived within five mil, the average people came out and praised him, and he forgave another third. When he entered the nation, everyone – men, women, children – came out and praised him, and he forgave everything. He said to them: What’s gone is gone; from here we will begin a new accounting.

“So on the eve of osh haShanah the leaders fast and Gd forgives one-third of their sins, and from Rosh haShanah to Yom Kippur individuals fast and Gd forgivens one-third of their sins, and on Yom Kippur all of them – men, women and children – fast, and Gd says to them: What’s gone is gone; from here we will begin a new accounting.

“From Yom Kippur to Succot all of Israel is involved in mitzvot – this one with his Succah, this one with his Lulav – and on the first day of Succot all of Israel stands before Gd with their lulavim and etrogim in Gd’s Name, and Gd says to them: What’s gone is gone; from here we will begin a new accounting.

“This is what Moshe meant when he told the Jews, ‘You shall take for yourselves on the first day.’”

(Midrash, Vayyikra Rabbah 30)

Chag sameach,
Mordechai