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>> Torah portion
Finding Inner Peace
Inside The Sukkah
It Doesn't
Have To Cost
A fortune...
Only Look
Like It!
Shabbat Intermediate Sukkot: Exodus
33:12-34:26; Ezekiel 38:18-39:16.
was shocked to see just a simple table
I n the Friday evening prayers, we
refer to the sukkah as the "Sukkah and a few chairs.
Such a famous individual should have
of Peace." We praise God as the
had a well-appointed home. He could
One who spreads out the Sukkah of
not contain himself, and blurted out:
Peace over us, the whole nation of
"Rabbi, where is your fur-
Israel and Jerusalem.
niture?"
The concept of spread-
The rabbi responded,
ing peace over the Jewish
"Where is yours?"
people could be described
"Mine?" answered the
in a number of ways. For
man. "I am just traveling; I
example, why not a tallis of
z
don't need it!" to which the
peace or a house of peace?
Chofetz Chaim responded,
What is it about a sukkah,
"I, too, am just traveling':
Y
the makeshift dwelling that
When we feel we are lack-
we live in for seven days a
ing something, or that we
year, that makes it the sym-
Rabbi
want something that some-
bol of peace?
Avraham
one else has, or that a situa-
The first law governing
tion is difficult, knowing that
the building of a sukkah is
it is only temporary makes it
that it cannot be too high.
so much easier to deal with and accept.
This means that the roof cannot be
This is why the sukkah is the metaphor
over 35 feet from the floor of the
for peace. This concept is the secret to
sukkah. One reason for this is that a
sukkah must be a temporary dwelling, much inner peace in all areas of our lives.
Two men had a dispute over a piece of
and to be so tall would require the
land. Each claimed that he inherited
type of construction used in a per-
it from his father. They came
manent building. On Sukkot,
- 40 0-4— 44v,
to Rabbi Chaim
God tells us; "Leave
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your permanent
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resolution. The
dwelling and
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rabbi listened to
dwell in a tern-
.:44
their claims and
porary one."
then asked to see the
If we needed to
piece of land in ques-
live in a sukkah all
tion. While they were
year-round, we would
standing on the land,
find it very difficult to
the rabbi asked each of
get along without the
the parties to reiterate
comforts we are used to
their claim. After each
in our homes. But know-
said his piece, the rabbi
ing that it is only for a few
kneeled down and put his ear to
days we manage fine with the
the ground, as if listening to it. The
bare minimum.
surprised men asked the rabbi, "What
The temporary dwelling in the suk-
was that?" The rabbi responded,"I heard
kah during Sukkot is a metaphor for
what each of you had to say, so now I
human existence in this world.
wanted to hear what the land had to say'
Rabbi Yaakov in Pirkei Avot (4:15)
Following his line, the men asked,"So,
tells us that this world is comparable
what did it say?"
to a hallway before the world to come.
The rabbi said, "The land said, `I don't
Prepare yourself in the hallway before
understand what this argument is about.
you enter the ballroom. We are here
After all, soon they are both going to be
only temporarily to prepare for our
eternal existence in the world to come. mine anyway!'
Keeping in mind that we are just
A wealthy businessman from
travelers in this world makes it easier to
America was once traveling through
graciously accept many situations that
Europe. He arranged to have a meet-
disturb our inner peace. T1
ing with the greatest Jewish leader
and scholar of the time, Rabbi Yisroel
Rabbi Avraham Cohen is director of the Jean
Mayer HoKohen, the Chofetz Chaim.
and Theodore Weiss Partners in Torah pro-
When the businessman entered the
gram of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Southfield.
home of the saintly Chofetz Chaim, he
10141.' 11 4 ' PO'NkAktrt,
4 44Cr*
.
41
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October 13 a 2011
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