“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Noach
3 MarCheshvan 5777/ November
4, 2016
One of the most
exciting aspects of Yom Tov is the preparation during the days beforehand.
Don’t get me wrong - I don’t like schlepping, shopping, and cleaning. But I
love the atmosphere, the frenzied feeling that Yom Tov is in the air.
Conversely, the cleanup
after Yom Tov is always sad. Dismantling and putting the succah back into the
garage where it will remain for the next eleven months is a tremendous letdown.
The same holds true for putting away the Pesach dishes after Pesach. Sure,
everyone is excited to eat that first bit of chometz, but it is with a tinge of
sadness that the beautiful holiday of Pesach is over. There are even many women
who admit that, despite the fact that they are relieved not to have cook again,
they miss the ambiance and festive atmosphere of Yom Tov.
I always feel that the
end of Succos is harder than the end of Pesach, because when Pesach ends spring
is only beginning, and Sefiras Haomer is well underway, in our journey towards
Mattan Torah. The conclusion of Succos however, marks the onset of the colder
part of the year. It will also be another six months before we have the
opportunity to recite the uplifting Yom Tov Shemoneh Esrei, beginning “You have
chosen us from all of the other nations, You have loved us, and found favor in
us…”
To subdue some of that
sadness, as I am putting the Yom Tov materials away I like to think that I am
essentially preparing for next year. As each succah board is piled upon the
other, I try to imagine the excitement of taking the succah boards out again
just a few weeks before next Succos, just like I felt a few weeks ago when I
took out the succah for this year.
It is always amazing to
think how about how much has changed between when I put the succah away last
year to this year.
This type of thought
process is probably most acutely felt during Kol Nidrei, when the chazzan states
that he is seeking to annul all vows - “From last Yom Kippur to this Yom
Kippur, and from this Yom Kippur to next Yom Kippur.” [There are differing
opinions about the text, but that is the generally accepted text.] The night of
Yom Kippur is inherently a time of nostalgia and deep emotions, so mentioning
the past and the future evokes even stronger emotions. It forces us to think
about those who were here last year but are no longer with us, as well as those
who were not here last year but are now. On a personal level, last Yom Kippur/Succos,
we would never have even dreamed that this year we would have twin boys, b’h.
More important than all
the physical succos that we construct and dismantle each year, are the
spiritual structures that we construct. The memories we create, the mitzvos we
perform, the elevated feeling of closeness we have to G-d - those are never
dismantled. They remain in our hearts and minds and infuse us with vivacity
throughout the year.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’
Dani and Chani Staum