בּ"ה
Parshas Haazinu and Sukkos
‘Let my teaching drip like rain, and my sayings should flow like dew’ (Devarim 32:2)
Just as rain gives life to the world, as it were, since it waters everything, etc. so too does Torah bring life to the world. And just like people are happy with dew, so too are people happy with the Torah.
(Sifri, Devarim #306)
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‘The Rock, perfect are His deeds, for all His ways are of justice; He is a faithful G-d, and with no wrongdoing’ (Devarim 32:4)
The question is asked; how is it really a big praise to say that Hashem has no wrongdoing? Would we think that He would, Chas v’Shalom?! So what does the verse mean to say?
HaRav Yisroel Salanter zt”l (among others; see the Vilna Gaon zt”l here and sefer Yosef Lekach) explains that the way of the world is that if a person does a crime, and they are brought before a court, the judge only judges according to this person’s deeds, and dispenses the punishment on them accordingly. Now, depending on the punishment, it may very well affect this person’s wife, children, etc. adversely, as well. But if asked to reconsider because of this, the judge would certainly stand by his verdict and refuse to rescind the punishment from the guilty party, even if it means that his or her family will also suffer.
But the way of Hashem is not so. He takes everything and everyone into consideration. Even if a certain person deserves to be punished by the hands of Heaven, if this punishment would unjustly cause pain or suffering to one of his family members or friends, then Hashem will not mete out the due punishment [at least in that way]. Yes, Hashem’s ways are perfect, and there is not in them any wrongdoing -- not down to a hairsbreadth. He does not make anyone suffer, not even a tiny bit, nor “indirectly”, unjustly.
(Quoted in Otzros HaTorah)
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‘For the portion of Hashem is His People’ (Devarim 32:9)
HaRav Chaim of Volozhin zt”l had a question on what it says in Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah (ch. 1) that one of the attributes of Hashem is that He is happy with His lot. But how is this applicable to Hashem? Doesn’t the entire universe and everything that is in it belong to Him?
He posed this question to his Rebbe, the Vilna Gaon [HaRav Eliyahu Kramer zt”l}, and the Gaon answered based on our passuk: ‘For the portion of Hashem is His People’ -- we, Klal Yisroel, are Hashem’s special portion, and He is happy with us.
Meaning: Even if, Chas v’Shalom, we sometimes act against Hashem and fall to low levels, although He may get upset at us for that, He still is happy that He chose us as His portion and remains with us -- and will never, ever, abandon us.
(Peninei HaGra(?))
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‘Like an eagle awakening its nest’ (Devarim 32:11)
Rashi zt”l explains: Just like an eagle is merciful to its young, and, so as not to startle them, it does not enter its nest suddenly, but rather flaps its wings over its young, between trees and branches, and the chicks will thus wake up and have the strength to receive it, so too, the verse means that Hashem guided us with mercy and compassion.
In this comparison, we also see a very nice lesson: Sometimes, we get complacent, and spiritually “doze off” a little. So Hashem has to send us messages, in one way or another, to awaken us to Teshuva. But He tries to wake us up mercifully. He sends us awakening messages that are soft, and pleasant. But if, Chas v’Shalom, we don’t take to heart these soft, loving messages from Him, then sometimes, He needs to use a stronger method and send us slightly harsher -- but still loving -- wake up calls, until we will rouse ourselves.
And this too, is extreme kindness! Imagine you laid down to take a nap, and you had to wake up by, let’s say, 3:30 PM for something very important and beneficial to you. The minutes ticked by, and you had still not woken up. It was now 3:28! So someone might need to rouse you. At first, they would likely gently shake you. But if you didn’t wake up from that, then they would probably resort to some stronger methods. And we certainly would not only condone that, but want it! Whatever it takes to wake us up for this important matter!
My dear brethren, what is more important and beneficial to us than teshuva and Torah and Mitzvos?. . .
(Tal U’Matar)
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As we know, the Sukkah represents the Clouds of Glory with which Hashem protected us in the Wilderness. And I heard from one of my Rebbeim shlit”a that the Zohar HaKadosh tells us that the Sukkah is like a mother bird lovingly wrapping her wings around her young. It is like Hashem is doing that for us.
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HaRav Avigdor Miller zt”l brings out two wonderful lessons we can learn from the fact that the Sukkah must be a temporary kind of dwelling place. In his own sweet words -- edited only slightly:
#1: The Sukkah’s function -- one of its functions -- is to humble people. Even the important ones -- those that dwell in big homes, in palatial residences -- must move out of their homes and go into this flimsy dwelling, in order to learn humility. That’s a lesson of the Sukkah.
The Sukkah as you know must be a דירת עראי, a temporary dwelling. It has to be built in such a way that it could be a temporary dwelling. You cannot make it of so high a construction that you will be forced to have sturdy walls. If it’s more than a certain height it’s pasul, it’s not a kosher Sukkah, because a certain height requires sturdy walls. And we want a דירת עראי, something that at least is possible to be flimsy. That’s a fundamental halacha of building a Sukkah.
Also, the Torah insists that the s’chach cannot be a regular roof. It cannot be like a permanent one, like your home that you use all year long. So again we see that there is an insistence on this theme of something that is temporary and flimsy, a dwelling which humbles the one who dwells there. You can’t be too “important”, too arrogant, if you’re living in a little booth made of almost nothing, exposed to the neighbors and the elements. (Toras Avigdor al HaParsha)
#2: When we sit in the Sukkah the Torah tells us what our thoughts should be. The Torah says that the reason is למען ידעו דורותיכם, in order that your generations should know, כי בסוכות הושבתי את בני ישראל, that I [Hashem] put your forefathers into Sukkahs, into tents and huts, when I took them out of Egypt.
And that means the following: When Hashem took our forefathers out of Egypt they were more secure and more safe than any subsequent time in our history. Pay attention -- during the 40 years in the wilderness they were more secure against foreign enemies than any subsequent time in our history. In the wilderness, where they had no fortifications, they were safer than any other time! They lived in open camp and were vulnerable to attack from anyone. And all the nations knew that they were carrying all the wealth of Mitzraim. And yet they weren’t attacked. Moshe Rabbeinu never lost a battle. Their camp was invulnerable because there was a Sukkah overhead. And that was the Ananei Kavod, the Clouds of Glory, the Clouds of the Presence of Hashem, that were protecting them.
And that’s what the Sukkah that we sit in symbolizes. We sit in the Sukkah under the s’chach and we say, “This Sukkah is a pretty flimsy protection. There’s no roof of masonry. There’s no iron door. There’s nothing.” And yet, that flimsy Sukkah overhead, represents the idea that it is Hashem Who is protecting our nation throughout all the generations. So even though you may live in your brick house all year long and you bolt your doors every night -- and you should bolt your doors every night -- sitting in the Sukkah for seven days teaches us that our brick walls and our iron doors are all just imagination. Because really it is only HaKadosh Baruch Hu Who is protecting us.
And despite the fact that many nations rise up against us, in the end they will all be frustrated. And that’s because HaKadosh Baruch Hu is מצילנו מידם. His presence goes with us forever. (Toras Avigdor)
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When the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l was in Auschwitz, he once asked a bachur if he knew what tonight was. The bachur replied that he did not. The Klausenberger Rebbe, even in the concentration camps, was, Baruch Hashem able to keep track of days and he told him that it would be Sukkos, and he wanted to know if he wanted to help him build a Sukkah. The bachur answered that he did, but how were they going to be able to?
The Rebbe told him that he had seen some sticks on the side of the barracks and they could use them for it, and he asked the bachur if he wanted to help. The bachur said that he did.
So a little later, the two came over to where the sticks were and began to try to set a Sukkah up. Not even a minute in, however, a Nazi guard saw them, and pointed his gun straight at the Klausenberger, and asked what they were doing. But the Rebbe looked straight at him, and with confidence in his voice, told him that they had to build a Sukkah for Sukkos and that he -- the guard -- would even help! Wonder of wonders; the guard was so impressed with the look of the Rebbe and his confidence that indeed, he put down his gun and began to build the Sukkah for them!!! And while he was building it, the Rebbe encouraged him, telling him that he would get great reward for this, and that one day, he would have the Mitzvah of Sukkah (see the Gemara in Masechta Sukkah). And the Klausenberger blessed him that he should survive the war.
After some time, this guard was drafted into the front lines, and sent to fight against the Russians. The group he was in contained around 10,000 men and in the end, only two survived -- and he was one of them. The guard realized that this was because of the Klausenberger’s bracha (and of course, as we know, from Hashem’s intervention. How else does a bracha come to fruition?).
So one day some time later, the Klausenberger Rebbe was having a tish in New York, when a Jew with a beard, hat etc. walked in, and he asked the Rebbe if he knew him. The Rebbe looked at him, and asked who he was and why he was familiar.
The man told him that he was the guard who had built the Sukkah for him and the bachur. And he told him about how he survived because of the Rebbe’s bracha, and he was so affected by this that he converted to Judaism, and moved to Yerushalayim -- but when he was over here in the USA for a bit, he wanted to stop by.
(Heard from my Rebbe, HaRav Binyomin Goldstein shlit”a)
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Rebbe Uri of Strelisk zt”l didn’t want to just get a regular Esrog for Sukkos. He wanted to get a very special one, so he saved up a good amount of money for it. He was even worried that maybe hiring a horse and wagon to take him to the city to get the Esrog would deplete his funds and make him not able to get as special of one, so he decided to go on foot to the city.
On his way there, in an inn, I believe, he came upon a wagon-driver whose horse, which had pulled his wagon for his livelihood, had become sick and died. Now he had no way to make a living! Rav Uri, in an immense act of generosity and kindness, gave the man most of the money he had saved up, enough that he could buy a new horse for himself.
As for Rav Uri, he was now left with only 5 coins remaining from his original sum. So he ended up only being able to purchase a regular Esrog, of much lower quality than he had planned at first.
Sukkos came, and Rav Uri was ashamed that he wasn’t able to have a very nice Esrog, and so, when he went to Lizhensk, and entered the Beis Midrash of the Noam Elimelech zt”l, he sat himself down in one of the corners of the building, so that his “regular”, or “inferior” Esrog would not be seen.
When they finished the Amidah Shemoneh Esrei of Shacharis, and thus reached the point in the prayers to take the Lulav and Esrog, the Noam Elimelech was about to make the berachos over them, when he turned to his shamash (attendant) and said that there was an Esrog in the Beis Midrash that had the scent of Gan Eden. And Rebbe Elimelech went around the Beis Midrash, looking for which one it was. When he came to the corner where Rav Uri was sitting, he indicated that this was the one. And he asked Rav Uri if he would allow him to use it to bentch the Arba Minim, Four Species!
Even though physically Rav Uri’s Esrog looked much worse and less special than the one he had wanted to get, it had come from a huge Mitzvah of charity, and therefore, it was the most special!
(Told over to me by one of my Rebbeim, shlit”a, from the sefer Imrei Kodesh)
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Gut Shabbos and Chag Sameach to all!
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