Generally,
visible patterns
emerge among the
mussaf
offerings. For
example,
a. The
7-2-1
lamb-ram-bull
combination
found on Pesach
and Shavuos is
also brought on
Rosh Chodesh
b. A
slightly
different 7-1-1
lamb ram bull
combination
repeats on Rosh
Hashana, Yom
Kippur and
Shemini Atzeres
c. The
Shabbos offering
[2 lambs] seems
to be connected
to the weekday
offerings [2
lambs]
For now, let us
simply note that
Sukkos appears
exceptional in
three ways:
a. It doubles
the daily lamb
quotient
b. Its pattern
for bulls is
unique [reducing
one each day]
c. One brings
a massive amount
of sacrifices
A lot of Torah
has been said to
explain these
exceptions: An
intriguing Rashi
(touches the
bulls) and
tackles the lamb
issue [Bamidbar,
28:19]:
Their
meal-offerings
and their
libations for
the bulls-
There were
seventy festival
bulls,
representing the
seventy nations,
which were
progressively
diminishing ..
And the
lambs..
Representing
Israel, which is
called "the
dispersed lamb."
Their numbers
are constant,
and they total
ninety eight, to
nullify the
ninety eight
curses in
Mishneh Torah[2]
[Deuternomy].
Our tradition
teaches that the
rebuke section
in Ki Tavo
possesses 98
curses. Somehow
the totality of
the 98 Sukkot
lambs are to
overcome these
curses. This
same notion
appears in a not
very famous
piyut [poem]
that is said by
some on Sukkot[3]:
Rashi's Midrash
begs the obvious
questions:
a.
Other than the
number
similarity, how
are these
notions
connected?
b.
Why is this a
Sukkos thing [as
opposed to any
other holiday] ?
A simple and
penetrating Shem
Mishmuel to the
rescue: The key
to it all? A
famous verse
tucked away in
the
aforementioned
rebuke [Devarim,
28:45-47]:
All these
curses shall
come upon you
and will chase
you and reach
you until you
are destroyed;
for you have not
obeyed Ad-noy,
your G-d, to
guard His
commandments ..
because you did
not serve Ad-noy,
your G-d, with
joy and
goodheartedness,
from your bounty.
What shall
shield you from
these curses?
Simcha! This is
a remarkable
statement which
raises obvious
questions[4].
Is there even a
general simcha
obligation in
the Torah?
Second, do
people who have
simcha never
suffer?
Our Sukkos
connection
however, is now
sharp - for
Sukkos is the
time of our
content,
the zeman
simchaseinu.
Simcha -
the word,
appears more in
the Sukkos
context than
any other
Holiday. Quite
naturally, on
Sukkos, chag
ha'asif, we
reap the fruits
of our labor and
experience joy.
But there is
more here.
Sukkos is not
merely tapping
into natural
joy; it is about
working at it.
Indeed,
on Sukkos, we
make simcha the
centerpiece of
our avodah
[Temple
service]. Beyond
the fourteen
daily lambs,
symbolic of that
Jewish joy
imperative,
consider the
simchas beis
hashoeva
festivities
associated with
the nisuch
hamayim [the
water libation],
an event that
was Talmudically
dubbed the
greatest simcha
known to man.
From Sukkos we
move to Shemini
Atzeres, a
holiday whose
sole imperative
is "Be happy!" [v'hayita
ach sameach]
. Small wonder
that the Jewish
people chose to
attach Simchas
Torah to Shemini
Atzeres - for in
Torah study one
experiences the
greatest Jewish
joy.
Do you know
someone who has
not experienced
sadness? He is
the other guy;
not you, nor I.
The Sukkos
experience
teaches us that
we must tap into
the bracha we
have in our
lives and then
pass it forward.
Achieving this
mindset is an
avodah - a
difficult and
challenging task
for those who
live in this
world.
One who has an
excuse to wallow
in sadness or
seek the refuge
of self pity and
does not, has
indeed scaled
the great
mountainous
avodah of
Simcha. Sherri
Mandell, [a
woman who
experienced the
vicious murder
of her 14 year
old son Kobi and
then created
Camp Kobi - an
unbelievable
institution of
giveback and
chessed.] one of
the great
exemplars of
this midah,
speaks movingly
about her
sadness and her
struggles. One
remarkable
insight she
teaches is
that for one
who experiences
the absolute
depths, the
heights become
higher.
From Simchas
Torah, we
re-enter
"normal" life, -
charged by the
notion that with
its great work,
joy can be found
where you let it
in.
Chag Sameach!
Asher Brander
[1]
This
chart
omits
the one
seir
[goat]
that is
standard
to all
mussaf
offerings
[2]
Cf.
Midrash
Agadah
[Buber]
Bamidbar
28
[3]
The
Yotzer
of 2nd
day
Shacharis.
The poet
draws a
beautiful
parallel
between
eileh
divrei
habris
[Devarim,
28:69 -
end of
the
tochacha]
and
eileh
t'aasu
laHashem
b'moadeichem
[Bamidbar,
29:39 -
end of
Mussaf
sacrifices
section]:
תשורת
שי אלפים
שבעים,
שלמתי
בזה רגל
עלי אום
שבעים,
רציתי
שייםשמונה
ותשעים,
קלוע בם
תוכחות
שמונה
ותשעים,
צרפתי
אלה באלה
באסיף ..
[4]
For an
expansion
on this
theme,
cf
Reflections,
Ki Tavo,
5768
Be Happy
Chag
Sameach!
Asher Brander
(Slightly
revised from
last year)
[2]
Cf.
Malbim
who
explicates
the
verse to
be
referring
to three
stages
of
rebuilding.
The
house of
david is
the
kingdom
and the
sukkah
of david
refers
to the
nesi'im
who had
more
influence
than
power.
Thus it
shall
be at
the end
of days
that the
line
will
start as
nesi'im
and
eventually
progress
towards
kingship.
See also
R.
Hutner,
Ma'amarei
Pachad
Yitzchak
and
Maharal
Netzach
Yisrael.
[3]
Perhaps
this is
why it
is
called a
sukkah
of David
and not
a bayis
- for
the
latter
implies
greater
materialism
