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Haazinu
Shabbos Chol HaMoed
/ שמיני עצרת - שמחת
תורה
Haazinu
“Yaakov Chevel
Nachloso” – The Bnei
Yisroel have a
unique distinction
of being referred to
as a rope. A rope is
made up of many thin
threads, each unable
to support any heavy
weight, braided
together in a tight
bond to form a rope
that can hold many
times its size-even
the weight of a
human. So too are
the Jewish people.
At the slightest
fraying of the tight
knit that unites the
Jewish people, they
flounder and are
unable to operate.
Of the miracles of
the Bais HaMikdosh,
one was the fact
that they stood
together squashed
and unable to move
and yet there was
enough room for each
and every one to
bow. Why were they
not granted the
miracle to be able
to stand without
this discomfort? The
answer is that this
indicated the tight
closeness necessary
for the Jewish
people to be one
unified body, i.e.
rope - only then
were they allowed
the comfort of the
miracle. (M’Shulchan
Gevoah)
For the people are
the portion of
HaShem – We say in
davening, “Ma tov
chelkenu uma naim
goralainu uma yafa
yerushaseinu” How
good is our portion,
how pleasant is our
lot, how beautiful
is our inheritance.
The Meshech Chochma
describes our
heritage. A portion
is something we
deserve, while a lot
is by chance.
Yitzchok being the
true son of Avrohom
and Sorah deserved
the portion over
Yishmoel. Yaakov was
actually equal to
Esav, both being
born from righteous
parents. We are
thankful for what is
almost a lottery
pick - Yaakov was
chosen. But after
that, the sons of
Yaakov were all
pure. Hence, how
beautiful our
inheritance.
Shabbos Chol HaMoed
/ שמיני עצרת - שמחת
תורה
The Gemora refers to
a dispute as to what
exactly were the
sukkos. Are they a
reminder of the
clouds which
surrounded us in the
midbar, or are they
supposed to remind
us of the actual
huts in which we
lived? The Chasam
Sofer reconciles
both opinions. He
points out that the
sukkos, or huts, in
which we lived were
used to position
ourselves to wage
war with “Sichon” in
order to eventually
enter Eretz Yisroel.
But the real power
of this was the fact
that we emerged from
the security of the
heavenly (sukkos)
clouds to fight a
war which placed us
in little huts. The
main idea, however,
was that there was
no change in our
status, no change in
our steadfast faith.
So, we really
remember both sukkos.
In one place in the
Gemora we find a
directive to discuss
the laws of each
holiday even thirty
days prior to that “chag”.
But in another
Gemora, we find a
law established by
Moshe Rabenu to
involve oneself in
study of that
particular “chag” on
the day of the
holiday itself. How
do we reconcile
these two
statements? Rav
Hutner ‘z’l offers
an answer. Thirty
days before the Yom
Tov we begin to
study so that we
will familiarize
ourselves with the
mitzvah. However,
even on the day
itself there is a
mitvah to study the
laws of the Yom Tov
to imbue ourselves
with a warmth and a
glow from the
Holiday. It is the
study of Torah for
its own sake. (Mishulchan
Gevoah).
The Mishna tells a
story of one who
slept in a sukka
under a high bed. It
rules, he has not
fulfilled his
obligation to sleep
in sukka. Why then
the expression “he
has not fulfilled
his obligation”? It
is only if one
wishes to sleep that
he must do so in a
sukkah. It should
say, it is forbidden
to sleep under a bed
in a sukkah. The
Mahril Diskin offers
an answer. In a
situation where one
could be exempt from
sukka because of
discomfort, and
figures he will at
least sleep under a
protection in the
sukka rather then
leave the sukka, the
Mishna reminds us
that one does not
fulfill his
obligation in this
manner and so it is
actually as if he
were in the house.
In Parshas Emor, the
laws of Sukkos are
followed by the
description of the
Menora and then the
“lechem hapanim”,
the breads upon the
shulchan, or table,
in the Mishkon.
Interestingly
enough, Sukkos is
our holiday of joy
for the repentance
and the forgiveness
of our sins on Yom
Kippur. We are happy
that the slate has
been wiped clean. On
the other hand,
there is the joy of
the harvest season.
We sit in sukkos to
remember the
spiritual clouds of
glory and also the
existence in the
wilderness under the
watchful eye of
HaShem. We wave the
lulav as a flag of
the victory on the
Yomim Noraim but it
also is a reminder
of the hope for a
good rain season.
So, the spiritual
and the physical
world are well
represented on
Sukkos. To enhance
this message, the
Torah positions the
holy Menora with its
shining rays of
spiritual light and
the lechem hapanim -
which represented
the essential “parnassa”,
livelihood, of the
Jewish people -
right next to the
holiday of Sukkos
which contains
elements of both of
these.
Previous Parshos
Tazria
Metzora
Achrei Mos
Kedoshim
Emor
Behar
Bechukosai
Bamidbar
Shavuos
Naso
Behalosicha
Shilach
Korach
Chukas-Balak
Pinchos
Matos-Masei
Devorim
Voeschonon Ekev
Reah
Shoftim
Ki Seitzei
Ki Savo
Nitzovim
- Vayelech Rosh
HaShana Haazinu-Yom
Kippur Sukkos V'zos
HaBrocha
Breishis
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