Wisdom

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar taught: If a person develops wisdom, it is as though the Beit haMikdash [Jerusalem Temple] had been built in his lifetime."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 92a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shmini Atzeret

Hi,

"On all of the days of Succot the Jews bring [70] offerings, parallel to the 70 nations. They then prepare to leave. Gd says to them, 'Please, make Me a small meal, so that I will benefit from you, too.'"

(Midrash Tanchuma Pinchas 16 - explaining the holiday of Shmini Atzeret with its single bull-offering to Gd)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

Succah as Exile under Divine Protection

Hi,

"The mitzvah of Succah is to leave permanent dwellings and shelter in all ways beneath His wings, on HaShem’s oversight. This itself is the clarification which comes through exile, to shelter in HaShem through all of the oppression and trouble, so that we will know that everything comes from HaShem’s direction."

(Rav Tzadok haKohen of Lublin, Pri Tzaddik, Devarim, Chag Succot #8)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

Simchat Beit haShoevah: The Succot Water-Drawing celebration

Hi,

"Our sages taught: One who never saw the Simchat Beit haShoevah (the Water celebration in the Temple, conducted on Succot,) never saw joy. One who never saw Jerusalem in its glory never saw a beautiful city. One who never saw the standing Temple never saw a beautiful building."

(Talmud, Succah 51b)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

The joy of Simchat Torah

Hi,

"The [Vilna] Gaon, z”l, was very joyous on Succot…and on Simchat Torah he would go before the Torah, very happy, with great strength and happiness. The wisdom of man lit his face like a burning torch, and he clapped his hands and danced wildly with all his strength before the Torah…When the Torah was returned to the Ark he didn’t have the same joy, just the same as any Yom Tov."

(Maaseh Rav 233)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

The Pleasant and Safe Hadas [myrtle]

Hi,

"The Torah says [that one of the Four Species waved on Succot is] 'A braided branch,' meaning that the leaves should cover the wood. What is that? That is the Hadas [myrtle]...

"But perhaps it is the Harduf? Abayye answered: No - It is written, 'The Torah's ways are pleasant,' and the spiny Harduf is not pleasant.

"Rava disqualified the Harduf for a different reason - It is written, 'You should love truth and peace.' The poisonous Harduf is the opposite of this verse."

(Talmud, Succah 32b as explained by Rashi)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Beautiful mitzvot

Hi,

Preface: The Jews say, as they cross through the Red Sea, 'This is my Gd, and I will praise Him.' The word אנוהו means I will praise Him, but the gemara ties it to the word נאה, meaning beautiful, therefore reading the passage, I will beautify Him:

"'This is my Gd, and I will beautify Him' - Make yourselves beautiful before Him with mitzvot. Make a beautiful succah, make a beautiful lulav, make a beautiful shofar, make beautiful tzitzit, make a beautiful Torah scroll and write in it with proper intent using beautiful ink and a beautiful quill and an expert scribe, and wrap it in beautiful silks."

(Talmud, Shabbat 133b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai