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S

The
Dwelling
That
Unifies

Parshat Chol
Hamoed Sukkot:
Exodus 33:12-34:26;
Numbers 29: 26-31;
Ezekiel 38:18-39:16.

ukkot is the Festival of Joy.
Throughout the holiday, four
times a day, we refer to Sukkot
as the time of our happiness in our
prayers.
What exactly are we so happy
about? And, how did Sukkot, or any
of the holidays, get to bear this title?
A prominent feature of Sukkot is
that it is a unifying holiday. “For a
seven-day period you shall live in suk-
kot. Every resident among the
Israelites shall live in sukkot.”
God, so to speak, gathers His
(Leviticus 23:42). When the
children and brings them
Torah introduces mitzvot, it
home before the coming win-
does not generally go out of
ter chill.
its way to specifically include
The Zohar refers to
everyone; yet here the Torah
the sukkah as the Tzilam
stresses to us that all the Jews
Dimihaimbusa, the Divine
should be sitting in sukkot.
Canopy. It is God’s version
Rabbi Leiby
Another indication of
of a home, a dwelling con-
Burnham
unity in this festival is the
structed not of strong physi-
Four Species that we wave
cal walls, but of mitzvot. And
throughout the holiday. The
when a father gathers his
Midrash (Leviticus 30:12)
children before the coming
explains some of the symbolic depth
winter, he wants all of them home,
behind the Four Species. Each one
not just the ones that have been on
represents a different kind of Jew.
best behavior.
The etrog, which has both a pleas-
While Yom Kippur is an awesome
ant smell and a pleasing taste, repre-
day that requires fasting and repen-
sents the tzadik, who has both deep
tance in order to properly access
knowledge and righteous actions.
forgiveness, Sukkot is all about the
The lulav (date palm), which has a
love God has for His children and
His desire that they all come home
good taste but no smell, represents
regardless of where they are holding
the Jew who has a lot of knowledge,
but no good deeds. The myrtle, which in their personal struggles. Other
people would not want a trouble-
smells nice but has no flavor, is like
some person in their homes, but a
the Jew who does good deeds but
father is always happy to see his son
has no Jewish knowledge. And lastly,
come home.
the willow, which has neither smell
The joy of Sukkot comes from
nor taste, represents the Jew who
knowing that no matter where we
has nothing: no good actions and no
are, no matter what we’ve done, our
knowledge. Despite the obvious dif-
Father in Heaven still loves us and
ferences between the Jews that the
welcomes us into His home. •
Four Species represent, on Sukkot
we bind them together, using them
Rabbi Leiby Burnham is director of outreach
as one unit during the Hallel service
for the Weiss Family Partners in Torah at the
when we praise God joyfully.
Southfield-based Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.
Why does Sukkot call for such an
elevated state of unity? Sukkot finds
CONVERSATIONS
itself at a tough time in the calen-
What can I do to increase the unity
dar, situated just before the onset of
among the Jewish people? How can
the winter, when there is less light,
I make my home more welcoming to
longer nights and very little warmth.
Jews of all backgrounds?
The winter is not only cold and dark
physically, it also represents the time
of the year that is spiritually trying
and dark. Sukkot is the time that