Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wishing everyone a nice Sukkos
3:22 AM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
As we come out of the High Holy days, we have made G-d king and received selichah (forgiveness) and caparah (atonement), we come to Sukkos, the time of great enjoyment! We go from our homes to our temporary huts exposing ourselves to the elements. We acknowledge that we are living in a temporary world and we read the book of Koheles (Ecclesiastes) on Shabbos.
King Solomon tells us many times throughout Koheles, that he has searched the world and found nothing as true as Torah! Everything else is temporary, Torah is truly everlasting!
We also put a white sheet in our sukkah reminding us of the Ananaei ha'Kavod (the clouds of Glory) and the Exodus from Egypt! The white cloth also represents the Tzel d'hemnusa (the shade of belief). What is this? This is the ability to see that only G-d runs the world! The Tzel has the ability to envelop us if we take its message to heart.
If we don't the Tzel (if we change the letters around) can make us into a leitz (a scoffer, mocker). How does this work? If we don't see G-d's hand in the world or acknwoledge that He runs the world, then in essence we are scoffers. There can be nothing worse than this because these type of people will not receive the Divine Presence in the next world.
It is all a matter where our reference point is. If we continue to strive and try to the best of our ability to bring G-d into our lives, that is what He wants. At the same time, as Rav Gedaliah Shore, the former Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas said, all the holidays have their special spiritual influence. If we don't use that influence properly we don't get it back.
We should use these days to the best of our ability to bring G-d down to this world and help us reach our true potential.
Have a great holiday!
King Solomon tells us many times throughout Koheles, that he has searched the world and found nothing as true as Torah! Everything else is temporary, Torah is truly everlasting!
We also put a white sheet in our sukkah reminding us of the Ananaei ha'Kavod (the clouds of Glory) and the Exodus from Egypt! The white cloth also represents the Tzel d'hemnusa (the shade of belief). What is this? This is the ability to see that only G-d runs the world! The Tzel has the ability to envelop us if we take its message to heart.
If we don't the Tzel (if we change the letters around) can make us into a leitz (a scoffer, mocker). How does this work? If we don't see G-d's hand in the world or acknwoledge that He runs the world, then in essence we are scoffers. There can be nothing worse than this because these type of people will not receive the Divine Presence in the next world.
It is all a matter where our reference point is. If we continue to strive and try to the best of our ability to bring G-d into our lives, that is what He wants. At the same time, as Rav Gedaliah Shore, the former Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas said, all the holidays have their special spiritual influence. If we don't use that influence properly we don't get it back.
We should use these days to the best of our ability to bring G-d down to this world and help us reach our true potential.
Have a great holiday!
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