“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos
Kodesh parshas Bereishis
26 Tishrei
5783/October 21, 2022
Mevorchim
Chodesh Cheshvan
HAND EMOTIONS
Succos is a multi-sensory
celebration, celebrated with every facet of our being. The mitzvah of succah is
one of only two mitzvos performed with one’s entire body (the other being
yishuv Eretz Yisroel). The Kotzker Rebbe would say that in the succah even the
mud on one’s boots becomes holy. We eat delicacies, drink wine, and bask in the
glory of the succah. We also ‘take’ the Four Species which contain a plethora
of symbolisms. This includes the four-letter Name of G-d, four different
classifications of Jews, the patriarchs and Yosef Hatzaddik, and the seven
Ushpizin.
Water, the most basic and essential
liquid on our planet and for our well-being, has a central focus in our prayers
and celebrations.
Soul and body unite in the intense
Succos celebration. But there is one part of my body that gets nervous and
takes quite a beating during the days of preparation for this glorious holiday
- my hands.
I’m not very construction-oriented to
say the least. While I have friends who get excited going to Home Depot or Lowes,
I can think of few places that evoke more confusion and helplessness for me
than going to those stores. When I was told I needed new screws for my succah,
I took one of the old screws to Home Depot, showed it to one of the employees
and asked him if he could find me more of those. If anyone starts telling me
numbers and measurements of screws or panels I’m as lost as a kindergartener at
NASA.
When I finally start building my
succah, (more precisely, trying to help our righteous neighbor building our succah),
I invariably end up smacking my fingers with a hammer. When rolling out the
mats of s’chach, my custom seems to be to roll them out in the wrong direction
first and then being forced to redo it. It’s a challenge to lift the re-rolled
up mat and turn it around while standing atop a ladder. I also always end up
scraping my fingers and getting a few bamboo splinters along the way. Those
splinters are particularly painful.
Another of the famous meanings of the
Four Species is that they symbolize and represent four of our major organs. The
esrog is shaped like a heart, the lulav like a spine, the elongated leaves of
the aravah like lips, and the leaves of the hadasim like eyes. We grasp and
clutch all four together in our hands in performing the mitzvah.
When something is precious to us, we
clutch it tightly. When we feel strongly about something we may make a fist and
shake or pump our fist in the air. For example, when an athlete makes a great
play, he may pump his fist as an expression of enthusiasm or bravado. A closed
fist symbolizes acquisition and mastery. Whatever is within one’s fist is
within his grasp and control.
In a different vein, at times when a
person prays intensely and emotionally, he may wave his closed fist. This is an
expression of hope that he merits what he is praying for.
During the days before Succos, we
busy ourselves preparing for the beloved mitzvos of Succos. Despite the fact
that doing so may at times entail some discomfort, especially for a novice like
me, we do so exuberantly and excitedly. Throughout the seven days of Succos, we
grasp the Four Species lovingly and circle the bimah while reciting hoshanos.
We grasp each other’s hands in song and dance at simchas bais hashoeivahs. But
the crescendo is achieved on Simchas Torah. Throughout hakafos, aside from
everyone holding hands and dancing, parents and grandparents lovingly clutch
their children. At the start of each hakafa, many have the custom to throw
their children upwards, an expression of the parents’ greatest desire that
their children always spiritually transcend the confines of normal limitations.
But most profound of all is when we clutch the Sefer Torah and hold it close to
our hearts. In doing so we profess our devotion and love to its timeless words
and values. We want our youth to witness that spectacle so that it gets seared
into their souls.
What we clutch and grasp tightly says
a lot about our values.
It is always sad when it’s time to
dismantle the succah and put the Four Species aside. For me, there are always a
few more splinters and pricks. But somehow the pricks I accrue while I am
dismantling the Succah and s’chach are far more painful than the ones I get
assembling the succah.
The formidable challenge of
post-holiday is to maintain the emotional connection we attained and felt.
Perhaps one way we can do so is to think about the precious things we clutch
constantly. As we hold our siddur, don our tefillin, hold a sefer, or perform a
kind deed for another, we can remind ourselves how precious those commodities
are and how they connect us with our greats at values. In doing so, we can also
mentally connect with the joy we felt on Succos when we held and performed so
many special mitzvos in our hands.
Most of the mitzvos of Seder night
are performed with our mouths. Many of the mitzvos performed on Succos are
performed with our hands.
They say you can’t take it with you.
But if we hold it dear in our hearts and pay attention to what we are holding
in our hands, perhaps we can indeed take some of that growth with us.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum