DailyHalacha.com

Just one thought on the holiday of Succot that we are enjoying and celebrating.

There’s a nice Derasha (lesson) that the Rabbis make on one of the lines in the Amidah. We say in the Amidah ‘Melech Ozer U’Moshea U’Magen.’ The Rabbis comment that each of these words refers to a different holiday or a different period of time during the month of Tishre.

‘Melech’ equates to G-d who is the king. The day that we pronounce G-d’s kingdom is Rosh Hashana. Melech is Rosh Hashanah.

‘Ozer’ equates to G-d who helps us. G-d helps us during the Teshuvah process. That is referring to the Aseret Yime Teshuvah. G-d is Ozer. He helps us in coming close to him.

‘U’Moshea’ equates to G-d who is our salvation. That is referring to Yom Kippur where G-d cleanses us and purifies us from sins and elevates us to the level of almost angels.

‘U’Magen’ equates to G-d who is our protector. That is referring to the holiday of Succot. We sit and sleep in the Succah, outside, exposed to the elements and we are protected solely by G-d. Like the Pasuk says in Tehilim, ‘Ki Yitzpineni BeSuccah’, that G-d protects me and shields me in the Succah.

But I want to explain that the ‘U’Magen’ of Succot, the protection of Succot, is not only the fact that we show faith in G-d as we go into an unprotected tent as we leave our homes that are protected with alarms and deadbolts. While in the Succah, we trust in Bore Olam knowing that he will take care of us for he is our Magen (protector). So I want today to offer another explanation. At the time of Rosh Hashana and Kippur our level of spirituality is on a high, and afterwards, we can only hope that our level of spirituality can be maintained and protected as long as possible. The holiday of Succot is that protector. It’s the ‘Magen’ in order to keep us at that level of spirituality for another week. And further, with G-d’s help, this additional week of elevated piety will enable us to carry forward the spirituality for another month or two and even longer, after the Holiday of Succot ends.

So the holiday of Succot specifically was given in order to help us preserve the elevation that we achieved on Rosh Hashanah and Kippur. And hence, it’s a ‘Magen’, it protects not only us, but it protects the Ruchaniyut (spirituality), and insures its safety during the days afterwards. And with G-d’s help, if we spend the holiday of Succot the right way, that feeling of elevation will last long after Succot.

One of the Rabbis gave a clever remark about ‘Mashiv HaRuach U’Morid HaGeshem’ which we begin saying after Succot. Literally, this means, G-d to return the wind and bring down the rain. The Rabbi said that it is unfortunate, that when the Holidays comes to an end that people ‘Mashiv HaRuach’, meaning that people return their spirit, their Ruach, which refers to their souls. And then the people ‘Morid HaGeshem’, which can be understood as ‘Gashmiut’ which is materialism, meaning that after returning their spirituality, that the people bring back the materialism once again. We can not fall into that trap. We have to try and maintain the levels that we reached during the holidays. This year, and all years, Bore Olam should protect us, he should be a Magen, both physically and spiritually as will.

Tizku Li’Shanim Rabot Ni’Emot VeTovot!