Weekly Story: Simchas Beis Hasho’eiva Part 1of 3

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

During Sukkos, it is our custom to farbreng as well as to dance every night, in commemoration of the dancing that took place in the days or better said throughout the evenings and entire night in the Beis Hamikdash, in connection to drawing of the water for the korbon Tomid during Sukkos.

I am posting the first part of a Sukkos farbrengen that I had heard from Reb Yisroel Friedman Sukkos 5771 (1990) and published a year later. Bezras Hashem for Chol Hamoed and then for Shemini Atzeres, Simchas Torah and Shabbos Bereishis, I will post additional sections of that farbrengen.

As always, your comments and feedback are most welcomed and appreciated. Saying that, I was informed by a few people that they are aware of the story I posted last week, however, it occurred later than 5737 (1975). Additionally, they are various versions as to what caused the argument and subsequent pushing.

— 1 —                 Simchas Beis Hasho’eiva

Noticing an unfamiliar person sitting in the Sukkah, Reb Yisroel gives him a hartzike Sholom Aleichem and asked him, “Fuhn vahniht kumt a yid – From which community are you coming from?”

The yungerman replies, “I am from Lakewood.”

A little surprised, Reb Yisroel asks, “You travelled [two hours] from Lakewood [just to participate in this farbrengen]?”

Nodding in the affirmative, the yungerman replies, “I was informed by some of my chaveirim (friends) that the Rosh HaYeshiva is going to speak, [so yes, I travelled just to hear you.]” 

This person meant to be respectful and he was implying that he believed that what he would gain from participating [as a listener] in the farbrengen was worth the long drive. However, he didn’t realize that by Chassidim humility is paramount, and thus this was not a compliment. However, his response served a wonderful purpose, as it set the tone of the farbrengen. Reb Yisroel began saying: 

“Elder Chassidim would describe a farbrengen in the following manner: By a Chassidishe farbrengen, one person is quiet and everyone else listens. This is true by every Chassidishe get-together, but it is especially so by Sukkos. Concerning Sukkos, our Chazal say ‘All Jews are deserving to dwell in one Sukkah.’ When people sit together, that demonstrates that everyone is equal and that there isn’t any particular individual who stands above everyone else. Because if he felt he was superior than the others, he wouldn’t be sitting together with them.

“Just think back to the last simcha you went to, be it a Chassunah, bar mitzvah or the like. Where does everyone sit down (or in other communities, where does your host place you)? Obviously at a table together with your friends and peers. 

“Now imagine a talented yungerman, who is already called upon to give a shiur to the chaburah and the Yeshiva proudly publishes some of his chiddushei Torah. Instead of being shown a spot among similar-minded men, he is directed to sit at a table of men who, although sharing his age, had all left the walls of Yeshiva as soon as they graduated high school and began working.

“Unless he grew up with them or got to know them personally, he would feel totally out of place. After all, he doesn’t exist in their world and they don’t exist in his. He will probably say to himself: What am I doing here? There is no one with whom I can discuss a Torah thought. I have nothing in common with them! This is true even though all of these working men are shomer torah umitzvos one hundred percent. How much more would he feel this way if they weren’t!

“But on Sukkos we say, that all Jews will sit together in one Sukkah. The reason it is possible for every Jew to be comfortable8 sitting there, is because on Sukkos we realize that the greatness of our being a Jew is greater than our personal or individual greatness or accomplishment. 

“So while it is true that one individual must speak at a farbrengen, the truth is that he is not really the one speaking. He is merely repeating thoughts that he heard or learned from the Rebbeim, elder Chassidim, and so on.9 As the Frierdiker Rebbe said, ‘A mashpia must demand of himself, and the words that I say [at a farbrengen] should affect and inspire me as well as the listeners.’”

— 2 —
Is it Possible for Everyone
to be as One?

“So now the question becomes, how is it actually possible for one person to sit with another person, whoever that individual may be as one? By one’s very nature a person is comprised of his own individuality and accomplishments. How can he truly unite with another?

“When our Chazal said that everyone can sit together as one, they were not speaking only about a batlan (someone who does nothing with his life, if it is possible to say this about anyone). Rather they were talking about each and every person sitting at this very farbrengen. Indeed, the fact that we have all joined together demonstrates a sense or a form of unity. However, when this farbrengen will end and everyone will get up to leave and go back to his own home, he will leave with his own unique impression. He will be going back to his own individuality and personal responsibilities. So merely sitting together at one table is not the sitting as one that our Chazal were talking about. They were speaking about a situation where we actually become one. So tell me is that really possible?

“The Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya (Chapter 32) that the way to feel truly united with every other Jew is by understanding that the source of each of our neshomos is the same. He expresses it by saying that we all have the “same father.” But true unity seems to be missing even in a regular family. Indeed, you and any of your siblings or even your identical twin brother, may be extremely close to each other, and you definitely will be willing to go out of your way to help them in whatever they need. However, you will still take care of yourself and your own family first. So to be like one in actuality is indeed a very high level. But at the same time, we know that our Chazal said that as high as this level may be, this is the level that can be attained by every Jew. So the question remains, how??

“But as explained in Chassidus, sukkos is the outcome of the avodah of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is called achas bashana – a single special and unique day of the year. This means that the oneness of Yom Kippur is what brings us to the oneness of Sukkos. The concept of their similarity is explained at great length in Chassidus.10 One of the points Chassidus focuses on is the relationship between the schach that covers the sukkah with the smoke of the ketores (spices) offered by the Kohen Gadol in the kodesh hakodoshim on Yom Kippur.”

— 3 —
The Power of Teshuva

To explain the uniqueness of Yom Kippur, and in honor of our guest who will be more comfortable if we bring a proof from niglah, we will discuss a halachah in niglah. Concerning Yom Kippur there is an argument in the gemara if the essence of the day brings about the forgiveness, or if it is dependent upon the person – i.e. he is only forgiven if he does teshuvah (repentance). The Rambam writes that the essence of the day brings about forgiveness for those who repent.

However, the fact that teshuvah helps is not such a simple thing, or better said, it was not always a given. The midrash tells us that the Torah was asked, “If a person sinned, what will be with him?” And the Torah responded “The person must be punished.” Then Hashem was asked the same question, and His reply was, “He should do teshuvah and he will be forgiven.”

From this we see that even the thought process of Torah doesn’t comprehend the concept of teshuvah. Or better said, according to the seichel (logic) of Torah, even when an individual does teshuvah properly, that doesn’t change the fact that he originally went against Hashem’s will and did something that he wasn’t supposed to do. So how does his teshuvah change the fact that he sinned? Or in the case when he didn’t fulfill a mitzvah, for example, he did not sit in the sukkah or hold the lulav together with other species. How does his teshuvah make up for it?

But Hashem revealed with His answer that when a Jew does teshuvah, it means that he did not sin. In other words, Hashem is informing us that every Jew possesses a level that is not connected to the possibility of sin. As our sages state, “Even at the moment they sinned – the Jews were faithful to Hashem.” Or in a stronger term; “Although he sinned, he is still a Yisroel.”11 Yes the individual sinned; however, the “Yisroel” in him did not sin. And being that teshuvah stems from this level, it can erase the sin as if it never happened. For when the Jew reveals that he is at this level, he indeed did not sin.

This is true regarding all sins, even those sins concerning which the gemorah says that teshuvah does not help. Nevertheless when one is completely sincere, we find that it sometimes does help. As we see this in the famous story mentioned in the introduction to Pokeiach Ivrim12 concerning a person who did teshuvah to such an extent that it completely erased his sins so much so that even his non-Jewish wife and children no longer existed – they died. That is the power of teshuvah; it can actually undo the action that was done.

— 4 —

Now let us discuss what teshuvah is.

On the simplest level it is regret (or charata in loshon hakodesh). But what exactly does it mean that I have charata on what I did, or simply said, what do I regret? Do I regret the outcome of the action – for example that a person was hurt by it – or do I regret the action itself? And even if I regret the action itself, to what extent or degree do I have to regret it in order for it to be considered true regret?

The Frierdiker Rebbe explains this in a maamar using a moshol (parable) that was given by the Alter Rebbe.

“There once was a person who enjoyed swimming in the rivers and seas. Being that he was strong and an excellent swimmer, he took pleasure in showing off his ability to swim across the river from shore to shore. This was a feat that few could match, and no one was able to do it in the same time span as him.

“One day, as he was about to begin his daily swim, people warned him not to do it that day. They informed him that a sailor noticed a strong undercurrent in the sea which created a whirlpool in middle of the sea and that it was thus extremely dangerous even for boats to sail, how much more so for an individual to swim. However, in his arrogance the person dismissed their warning, as he wanted to show off his strength that he can swim in the sea even when others couldn’t. This would be another one of his great accomplishments. So, laughing it off, he began to swim.

“However, as he was caught by the swirl of the whirlpool and was unable to free himself, right before he was dragged under, he gave out a shout, OOOY! Obviously this expressed his regret regarding his rash decision to ignore everyone’s warning, and bringing his life to an end.

“In other words, as long as there was some hope that he could free himself from the whirlpool or that people could throw him a rope and pull him out, he did not have true regret for his actions. Only when he saw that he was going under and that all is lost, only then did he express his remorse, ‘If only I had listened.’”

This is what the Rambam means when he describes what trueteshuvah is. Teshuvah refers to a state where the person sincerely regrets his actions to such an extent that Hashem, who knows the deepest and inner thoughts of the person’s heart can testify that he will definitely not sin again.13

However, not everyone can reach such a level that he will definitely not sin again. So is there hope for such an individual, or better said, for the majority of us?

Chassidus explains that teshuvah means to return to Hashem. So let us look at another halachah concerning returning, returning a stolen object.

If a person stole an item and sold it, when the buyer becomes aware that he bought a stolen item, he must return it to the original owner. However, if the thief changed the item before he sold it to such an extent that it can never return to its former state, the buyer (or thief) is not required to return the new item, rather he must give the owner its original value. However, if the change is not a permanent one, he must return it, as the owner can transform it back to the way it was.

However, our sages noticed that in certain situations, this law prevented many people from repenting, as they invested heavily in buying or obtaining the item. They realized that it would be easier for people to change their evil ways if they could just pay for the item and not be required to return it. At that point, the sages decreed that even a temporary change is considered a changed item.

So too is it in regard to teshuvah. Yes the optimal approach is to reach a level where the change in us is a permanent one so that we will never sin again. But one might say, “Although I tried, I didn’t reach a level of permanence regarding which Hashem can testify that I will never sin again. Does that mean that all my efforts to improve were in vain! So the sages tell us, don’t give up. Even if our resolution lasts only for a short time, it also is considered a teshuvah. After all, the chachomim have stated that we must encourage everyone to repent.

— 5 —
Five Tefillos of Yom Kippur

While all the days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur make up the ten days of teshuvah (repentance), Chassidus teaches us that the main point of Rosh Hashanah is that we declare Hashem as the king over the entire universe, while Yom Kippur is actually the day of a higher level of repentance.

We see this from the fact that Yom Kippur is the only day in the year when we are obligated to say 5 tefillos. The question is what is the meaning and significance of five? The explanation given is that “five” represents the five levels of a person’s soul. In general, only the three lower levels are enclothed in the person’s body. On Shabbos and Yom Tovm we receive an additional soul and subsequently additional power. On Yom Kippur however, every Jew can reach the highest level of his soul, the yechidah, and at that level no sin exists.

So once we are found at this level, we realize that all Jews are equal. So on Sukkos we openly celebrate this concept, focusing on the essence of every Jew and not on his outer appearance. And because of this, all Jews are able to sit together as one in a single Sukkah.

A Taste of Chassidus

Basukkos Teishvu Shivas Yomim 5734

In this possuk we are informed of the mitzvah of dwelling in a Sukkah for seven days. 

However, we have to understand why is it necessary for the possuk to repeat it and say Kol Huezrach BYisroel Yeshvu Basukka – All Jews shall dwell in a Sukka.

We also have to understand why in the beginning of the possuk it says simply You All which includes all ten levels of Jews as the possuk specifies in parshas Nitzovim, but the second time it emphasizes that it applies to all outstanding Jews.

The Rebbe Rashab explains in the name of the Baal Shem Tov that the first part of the possuk is the mitzvah to sit in a Sukkah, while the second part is the reward that Hashem guarantees we will receive because we fulfilled this mitzvah. In other words, through our action of fulfilling the mitzvah, Hashem will reward us that even the Ezrach of Yisroel which refers to the higher two levels of the neshoma and higher namely the essence of the Neshoma, will also dwell in the sukka. This also explains why the second part of the possuk is in future sense, they will sit. As it is an outcome of our actions in this physical world. 

The question then becomes, how can specifically sitting and eating a meal in a physical Sukka, draw down the essence of a Jews neshoma?

We will explain it through a parable. A person’s name is necessary only if you want to call or signal them out to others. However, when the person is sleeping and someone asks to speak to them, the response may be, they are asleep or unavailable. Similarly when the person is all by themself, there too their name is inconsequential, as no one is talking to or calling them. However, when a person faints, by calling them by their name, it often helps to arouse them as the name reaches to the core of their soul.

The same is true when we do a mitzva, such as eating a meal in the Sukkah. Chassidus teaches that only Hashem’s essence can create a creation that considers itself self-made and completely independent from anything. In clearer words, the spiritual worlds can be created from a lower level of G-dliness, such as Hashem’s glory and speech, which is an external aspect of whoever is speaking. However, to create something that feels it has no source that created it, that can come only from Hashem Himself, who has no source outside of Him that created Him. Therefore, Hashem’s essence is enclothed specifically in physical and materialistic creations.

So by eating a meal in the Sukka, we are revealing and elevating that spark that comes from Hashems essence and drawing it down into this world.

In this maamar, the Rebbe also explains this is the meaning of the words we say on Yom Tov, V’Yismichoo Yisroe Mikadshe Shemecho, that through a our celebrating a Yom Tov or any mitzvah properly, we are essentially drawing down Shemecho.

While we explained previously that Shemecho means Your name and a name is not His essence, nevertheless, sometimes when we say Shemecho, we are referring to the higher level of Shemecho. 

For example we say before Shacharis, You were before the world was created, and after the world was created Kadesh es shimcho.. – draw down Your name, and we are requesting to draw down Hashem’s essence that was existing before He began the process of Crteation, which is much higher than the level we normally associate with a Name

Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com