On Succot there are no unemployed Jewish singers or keyboardists. It says in the Torah, “You shall rejoice on your festival… and you shall be completely joyous.” And, indeed that is the definition of the Succot festival: a joyous holiday. There is the Succah and the Arba Minim (four species), and there is the Simchat Beit Hashoeva, which means lots of singing and dancing. Chassidim hold gatherings, and a lot of L’chaims are drunk; if possible, some good herring is produced as well. Definitely a joyous holiday, the most joyous of all.
I thought I might present to you today a concise explanation of the Chassidic/Kabbalistic meaning of this holiday.
In Shir Hashirim (the Song of Songs), written by Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon), there are many expression of love, meant to symbolize the relationship between G-d and the Jewish People. Among other things, it says there: “His left [arm] is under my head and His right [arm] hugs me” (Shir Hashirim 8:1).
In Chassidism this verse is broken into two parts, and both are related to the month of Tishrei.
Our Sages says, “Always let the left [hand] thrust away and the right [hand] draw near” (Tractate Sota 47a).
The left side expresses a serious relationship, one of awe and distance – the left hand thrusting away.
The right side expresses a relationship of love and closeness – the right hand drawing near.
The first part of the verse, “His left [arm] is under my head,” relates to the first part of the month, the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) – Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. These are the days in which the Jew’s relationship with his Creator is one of seriousness and awe, praying and beseeching.
The second part, “and His right [arm] hugs me” relates to the second part of the month – to Succot. The Jew’s relationship with his Creator on Succot is one of love, joy and dancing.
Chassidism explains that Hashem’s relationship with us on Succot is that of a hug – “His right [arm] hugs me.” Why specifically a hug? Because a hug expresses something that no other expression of love does.
When a person speaks words of love, or looks lovingly upon someone, he is face-to-face with the beloved. So, too, in the case of a kiss. But a hug is different: the lover is touching the back of the beloved. The hugger cannot see his beloved’s face, and his arms are actually hugging the beloved’s back.
The practical difference is that when one expresses love face-to-face, one receives love in return, because a face has the ability to return love. But a back lacks that ability. When you hug someone’s back, you are hugging the least exalted part of a human being – the part that does not return love.
Essentially, by hugging, a person expresses unconditional love – it does not matter if the love will be returned or not.
This is what happens on the festival of Succot. In the Succah Hashem connects through the less exalted part of us – our backs. While on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur our relationship with Him is expressed through prayer, study, emotions and observing mitzvahs, on Succot the connection is expressed in the most elementary things. No use is made of our refined spiritual level – the brain or the heart – for we are not commanded to pray or to study in the Succah. The mitzvah of Succah relates to our material level: we are merely commanded to eat, drink and sleep in the Succah. The relationship is not reciprocal; we do not return His love in the form of praying and beseeching, study and emotional contact. This is a hug – “and His right [arm] hugs me.” This is how Hashem expresses His limitless love for us, which includes even our simple, material needs, like a hugger who expresses love through contact with the back and not with the front.
The Succah surrounds our existence with the light of Kedusha (holiness), like a father who loves his son simply because he is his son – unconditional, unreciprocated love.
When we really understand this and internalize it, the joy of the holiday will be very different than otherwise, and the dancing will also be different: true internal joy, the joy of love.
And so, with a joyful and loving heart, I wish us all a joyous Succot!
Chag Sameach!
Zalmen Wishedski