In the Additional service (Musaf) Succos is
given the appellation “the time of our happiness” (זְמַן
שִׂמְחָתֵנוּ). This is in line with the holiday’s description in the
Chumash, “Seven days you shall celebrate the Festival to the Lord, your G-d, in
the place which the Lord shall choose, because the Lord, your G-d, will bless
you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will indeed
(אַךְ) be happy”, (Deuteronomy 16:15). On the
expression, “you will indeed be happy” Rashi comments that it is not a command
rather it is an assurance from above that this holiday indeed will be a happy
one. The Torah Temima brings the Talmud (Succah 48a) which uses the verse to
rhetorically question if the later nights of the holiday are be included in
this joy, or perhaps it is only the first day. It then answers that we should
focus on the word “indeed (אַךְ)”, meaning that the
entire holiday is to be a celebration.
In line with the attitude of this analysis
there is a custom going back to ancient times to hold a party on Succos. It is
called a simcha beit hashoeva שִמחַת בֵית הַשוֹאֵבָה
and it refers to the celebration of drawing the water to be used as a libation
in the Temple. In fact there is no specific mention of a water libation in the
Chumash, the best that can be found is an oblique hint. The custom was to draw
water with great ceremony from a natural stream in Jerusalem then pour it out
at the base of the altar. This in turn was surrounded by a much larger
celebration.
There are stories of old people who upon
seeing the great joy of the Simcha Beit HaShoeva in the Second Temple would
burst into tears because they remembered it’s much greater joy in the First
Temple. The tradition is alive and well among the Haredim in Israel. In the
synagogue there may be a live band, sometimes quite large, with vigorous
dancing, and often with cake and soft drinks. The main Karlin-Stolin beis midrash
in Jerusalem has one every night with thousands of participants. Toldos Aharon
does likewise and even serves a light meal. Usually they are open to the
public.
The Mishna (Succah 5) embellishes the idea
of celebration greatly. It states that anyone who has not seen a simchas beit
hashoeva has never seen joy in his life. The lamps were made out of gold and
the light from the celebration were so bright that they lit up every yard in
Jerusalem. Professionals and amateurs would bring musical instruments; stringed
instruments, woodwinds, and brass. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel would juggle eight
flaming torches. Levy would juggle eight knives. Shmuel would juggle eight
glasses of wine before the king of Persia. Abaye would juggle eight eggs (some
say four) before in front of his havrusa (study partner).
There was a ritual where two
priests would blast the trumpets between 21 and 48 times as they ascended to
the Temple courtyard. When they entered they would turn their faces to the west
and say “Our ancestors when they were in this place turned their backs on the
Temple and their faces towards the east and prostrated themselves towards the
sun, but as for us we are for Hashem and our eyes are towards Hashem”, (Mishna
Succa 5:4).
One begins to wonder what the celebration
was all about. Succos was the main harvest holiday and that is the symbolism of
the lulav and esrog. It’s understandable to celebrate a nice bonus but it does
not really answer the question. The idea of living in a succah is the idea of
remembering the exodus from Egypt and the entrance to the Land of Israel. So to
speak we left a sweat shop job for a high salary, high status position with a
comfortable office and banker’s hours. As a result the period in between when
we lived in the equivalent of a large cardboard box was a happy time. It seems
to be even more than that, though. The discovery of faith can bring a person to
a new state of consciousness. For that there is euphoria especially if it can
change the flood waters of Noah to personal financial security.
לע"נ הדוד מאיר בן חיים ז"ל
נלב"ע כה בתשרי תשנ"ב
http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.ilניתן בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
Blogger Hebrew http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com/2015/09/140.html
YouTube https://youtu.be/aKLMGYp3VXo
No comments:
Post a Comment