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"Which Came First; The Holiday or its Mitzvot?"
-Based on a talk from the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichos, Vol 22, Emor 2
Introduction #1: THE Holiday
The Rebbe takes us on an amazing journey into the deeper inner-makings of a holiday and the different mitzvot we perform on each of the holidays. Do the mitzvot of a holiday make it a holiday, or does the holiday obligate its mitzvot? Is there insight into this by the Torah calling the holiday by its mitzvot: Holiday of Matzot or Holiday of Sukkot? --Additionally, a great window into this is concerning the blessing of Shehechiyanu, and the halachic discussion if making this blessing on a Mitzvah of a holiday covers, and hence prohibits making another Shechiyanu on the holiday itself at Kiddush or at candle-lighting. This avenue is clarification is explored and discussed in length by the Rebbe within the footnotes of the sicha
Introduction #2: The Holiday and The Timing of Sukkot
The Torah commands us of the Holiday of Sukkot. (-Leviticus 23:34-39), “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, is the Holiday of Succoth, a seven day period to the Lord… [For] a seven day period, you shall bring a fire offering to the Lord. On the eighth day, it shall be a holy occasion for you, and you shall bring a fire offering to the Lord. It is a [day of] detention. You shall not perform any work of labor. These are God's appointed [holy days] that you shall designate them as holy occasions… But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the Holiday of the Lord for a seven day period; the first day shall be a rest day, and the eighth day shall be a rest day.”
The Mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah is defined in the verse (-Leviticus 23:43) as, “In order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in sukkot (sukkot) when I took them out of the land of Egypt.” The timing of the holiday of Sukkot is therefore, problematic, being that we should have been celebrating this at the time of the year that we celebrate, “when I took them out of the land of Egypt,” which is the Holiday of Passover1?! Thus, the Days of the Holiday of Sukkot in themselves seem do be but dependent upon the Mitzvah of sitting in a Sukkah to turn them into a Holiday, and not that these Days in themselves are of Holiday commemorating, “when I took them out of the land of Egypt.”
1. The reason for not celebrating Sukkot on Passover is explained by our sages:
(i) Nachmanides (-on Leviticus 23:43) (a): According to the opinion (-Sifrei, Emor 12; Also found in Sukkot 11b, but the name of the sages are there in reverse), “Rabbi Akiva says, ‘In sukkot’ means in . clouds of glory,’” of which Nachmanides writes, “And to me this is also the correct peshat [plain meaning of the verse] interpretation,” Nachmanides explains, “Thus, He commanded that at the beginning of the summer season we are to remember the exodus from Egypt by [calling] that month [the first of the months], and by observing its Holiday [of Passover]. And He further commanded the remembrance at the beginning of the rainy season of the continuous miracle which was done for them throughout their stay in the wilderness.”
In other words, Pesach commemorates an event that happened once, in the spring – G-d’s one-time miraculous intervention that freed us from Egypt; accordingly, we observe Pesach in the spring. Sukkot commemorates God’s ongoing miraculous care of the Jews in the wilderness. As such it could be commemorated at any time of year. Presumably, Nachmanides thinks we observe Sukkot six months after Pesach in order to spread our remembrances over both major seasons.
(ii) Nachmanides (-ibid) (b): According to the opinion (-ibid), “Rabbi Eliezer says, ‘This means sukkot [huts] literally,’” Nachmanides explains, “And according to the opinion of the Sage who says that they made themselves huts in the literal sense, [the Israelites in the wilderness] began to make sukkot [only] at the beginning of the winter, on account of the cold, as is customary in camps, and therefore, He commanded [that we also make] them at that time.”
In other words, Nachmanides posits that the Israelites were able to sleep under the stars for the first six months after leaving Egypt. Only when it started to get cold did they need to build sukkot. Our commemoration reflects that timing.
(iii) Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (-Baal HaTurim) offered a different solution to this problem. “If we made them in the summer, it would not be noticeable. It would seem that we were making them for shade.”
Introduction #3: The Mitzvot of Sukkot
The Torah tells us of two mitzvot for the holiday of Sukkot:
(a) Dwelling in a sukkah (-Leviticus 23:42-43), “For a seven day period you shall live in sukkot. Every resident among the Israelites shall live in sukkot. in order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in sukkot when I took them out of the land of Egypt. I am the L-rd, your G-d.” For this Mitzvah the Torah gives its purpose. The Rebbe will explore the connection of this Mitzvah to the (a) Holiday of Sukkot.
(b) The Four Kinds (-Leviticus 23:40), “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree, date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for a seven day period.” For this Mitzvah the Torah does not give us its purpose, however, our Sages teach us that the Mitzvah is all about the unity of our people, in which we take the Four Kinds of Jews (-see further on) and bring them together. The Rebbe will explore the connection of this Mitzvah to the (a) Holiday of Sukkot, and (b) Mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah.
Introduction #4: The Order of the Verses
In order to understand the flow of the Sicha, its questions, and its proofs, I will quote here the verse in their order for the Holiday of Sukkot and the Holiday of Passover:
The Holiday of Sukkot (-Leviticus 23:33-43):
(33) And L-rd spoke to Moses, saying:
(34) Say to the Israelite people: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Holiday of Sukkot to L-rd, seven days.
(35) The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work;
(36) Seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to L-rd. On the eighth day you shall observe a sacred occasion and bring an offering by fire to L-rd; it is a solemn gathering: you shall not work.
(37) Those are the set times of L-rd that you shall celebrate as sacred occasions, bringing offerings by fire to L-rd, burnt offerings, meal offerings, sacrifices, and libations, on each day what is proper to it.
(38) Apart from the Sabbaths of L-rd, and apart from your gifts and from all your votive offerings and from all your freewill offerings that you give to L-rd.
(39) Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the Holiday of L-rd seven days: a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day.
(40) On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your G-d L-rd seven days.
(41) You shall observe it as a Holiday of L-rd for seven days in the year; you shall observe it in the seventh month as a law for all time, throughout the ages.
(42) You shall live in sukkot seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in sukkot
(43) In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt—I am L-rd, your G-d.
Important to Note:
(i) The verses first define the Holiday of Sukkot in verses 34-39, stating that, (1) it the holiday is called Sukkot, (2) that the holiday is for seven days, (3) it is marked by (a) not working on the first day, and (b) special offerings brought for seven days, and (4) there is an eighth day, which is a holiday and day of rest as well.
(ii) Then, in verses 40-41, we are taught (1) of the Mitzvah of the Four Kinds, and then again, (2) that the holiday is to be celebrated for seven days.
(iii) After which, in verses 42-43 we are commanded of the Mitzvah to dwell in a sukkah for seven days, and that the reason is, “that future generations may know that I….” Here, (unlike by the Mitzvah of the Four Kinds) we are not told that the holiday is to for seven days, but that the Mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah is for seven days.
The Holiday of Passover (-Leviticus 23:4-8):
(4) These are the set times of L-rd, the sacred occasions, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time:
(5) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a Passover offering to L-rd.
(6) And on the fifteenth day of that month L-rd’s Holiday of Matzah. You shall eat Matzah for seven days.
(7) On the first day you shall celebrate a sacred occasion: you shall not work..
(8) Seven days you shall make offerings by fire to L-rd. The seventh day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work.
Important to Note:
(i) Unlike by the Holiday of Sukkot, by the Holiday of Passover, the Holiday of Passover, and its Mitzvah of eating matzah are stated all as one.
The Sicha: Upon the verse (-Leviticus 23:34) which appears near the end of the portion listing the holidays, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, is the Holiday of Sukkot, a seven day period to the L-rd,” The Torat Kohanim comments, “What is the intent of this? Because it is written (in verse 42) "In sukkot shall you sit seven days, and I do not know if the first seven days or seven other days, therefore, when the verse states, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Holiday of Sukkot, seven days to the L–rd," I see that the first seven days are referred to, and not seven others.”
Commentaries explain the question of, “what is the intent of this,” to mean, why is the verse calling the holiday the, “Holiday of Sukkot,” when here the verses are only discussing the commandment of, “you shall not work,” and of the holiday offerings, while the commandment of dwelling in a sukkah is told only later on at the end of the portion, hence, here the verse should have said, “A holiday to L-rd, seven days,” without calling it Sukkot? And in order to explain this, the Torat Kohanim explains, that because the verse that commands us to dwell in a sukkah for seven days, would leave us without knowing which seven days it speaks of, whether they are the same seven days of, “On the fifteenth day… a seven day period to the L-rd,” or a different seven days, hence, by this verse’s already calling it’s seven days of, “On the fifteenth day… a seven day period to the L-rd,” as the Holiday of Sukkot, we thus know that it is in these seven days that we are to dwell in a sukkah.
Seemingly, the indication of this Torat Kohanim is that the commandment of, “In sukkot shall you sit seven days,” is not connected with the essence of the holiday or of the other concepts following the verse, “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month.” And neither is it connected to the Mitzvah of, “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook.” Therefore, we would be able to consider that the, “In sukkot shall you sit seven days,” are not the seven days of the holiday, offerings, and the Four Kinds. Rather, it is only through the extra word, “Holiday of Sukkot,” do we know that from the perspective of action, are the, “In sukkot shall you sit seven days,” to begin on, “On the fifteenth day.”
However, it is impossible to say as such, being that the extrapolation for, “In sukkot shall you sit seven days,” is from the Torah calling the, “(Holiday of Sukkot,) a seven day period,” holiday by the name, “Holiday of Sukkot,” hence, it is understood that the Mitzvah of, “In sukkot shall you sit,” is connected to the very essence of the holiday2! More so, being the name of the holiday, hence sukkot is connected to the essence of the holiday, as we are taught (Tanya, Shaar HaYichud, Chapter 1, a teaching from the Baal Shem Tov (-Kesser Shem Tov, Simon 104) and the Maggid (-Ohr HaTorah, Bereishis, Simon 14) based upon a teaching of the Arizal (-See Sha’ar HaGilgulim, HaKdomah 23)), “And it’s name by which is called in the Holy Tongue is a vessel for the life-force condensed into the letters of that name.”
Questions: However, being that the Mitzvah of, “In sukkot shall you sit,” is connected to the essence of the holiday,
(i) Why doesn’t the Torah emphasize at the verse of, “In sukkot shall you sit,” itself, that we are speaking of the previously mentioned, “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, is the Holiday of Sukkot, a seven day period to the L-rd,” not even by stating here, “In sukkot shall you sit ‘for the’ seven days”?
(ii) Why isn’t the verse, “In sukkot shall you sit,” stated immediately together with at the beginning with, “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, is the Holiday of Sukkot,” just as it is by Passover, that the verse immediately states, “And on the fifteenth day of that month L-rd’s Holiday of Unleavened Bread. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days.”
2. So much so, that according to some opinions, if one makes the blessing of Shecheyonu when he is building the Sukkah (before the holiday of Sukkot begins) he does not make this blessing upon the day (holiday) itself (by candle-lighting or at Kiddush), “Being that the core of the holiday but because of the sukkah!” -The Rebbe brings many sources for this quote. Here is but one of them: Orchos Chaim, end of the Laws of Sukkah. Later we will see why it is not so, concerning matzot on Passover, that the Blessing Shecheyonu upon the day cannot be covered by the blessing upon the matzah!
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Prefacing the Explanation: We will need to first we will need to first understand the relationship, according to the Revealed (vs. the Esoteric) Teachings, between the two Mitzvot of the Holiday of Sukkot, the Mitzvah of Dwelling in a Sukkah, and the of Taking the Four Kinds3: As the Alter Rebbe rules in his Siddur (-Laws of Lulav found before Hallel) that, “To perform the Mitzvah of taking it (the Four Kinds) in the sukkah is the elite way of doing the Mitzvah.” Now, while this ruling is more associated with the Esoteric teachings, and its source is in the Writings of the Arizal, however, just as it is with all Esoteric Teachings, that they have their sources in the Revealed Teachings, so to its is with this law, and especially so, since the Alter Rebbe actually changes the wording of his ruling to, “It is the elite way of performing the Mitzvah,” from the Arizal’s, “It is good to bless.”
We could explain that the connection between the Taking of the Four Kinds with the Dwelling in the Sukkah, is not about the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds, but rather it is about the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, which mandates that (-Sukkah 28b), “‘In sukkot shall you reside,’ (reside) as you dwell (in your permanent home)… he eats and drinks and relaxes in the sukka and studies (Torah) in the sukkah,” and therefore, anything that we do outside of the sukkah on Sukkot necessitates a special reasoning of permission to do so, and how much more so the Taking Four Kinds, which is in the category of, “Its (being a) Mitzvah gives it importance,” hence, the Taking Four Kinds is be performed in the sukkah! Nevertheless, the fact that the Alter Rebbe has this ruling, (i) listed in the Laws of Lulav, and not in the Laws of Sukkah, and (b) uses the wording, “The Mitzvah of Taking it in the sukkah is the elite way to perform the Mitzvah (of ‘Taking it’),” leads to the understanding that this ruling is of the Mitzvah of the Four Kinds, and not of the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah!
And from the two forms of understanding this ruling (whether it is, (1) part of the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, or (2) it is part of the Miktzvah of Taking Four Kinds) will comes forth a practical difference of a, “Law of Action”: In a case that is raining, to the point of it becoming, “One who suffers from (being in) the sukkah,” which he is then exempt from the sukkah:
(i) If this ruling is of the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, then, just as with all the other details of Dwelling in a Sukkah, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, one is not obligated to wait, to see if the rain subsides, being that at this moment he is exempt from the sukkah, therefore, there is no reason to presently do the Taking the Four Kinds in the sukkah, to mandate that he wait to be able to do the Mitzvah in the sukkah.
(ii) If this ruling is of the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds, then, regardless of his presently being exempt from the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, nevertheless, the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds mandates that he wait to be able to do this Mitzvah in the sukkah.
3. While the Mitzvah of the Taking the Four Kinds are also stated (-Leviticus 23:40-41)Z separate of the verses declaring the Holiday of Sukkot (-ibid 34:37), nevertheless, the verses connect the Mitzvah of Taking the Four Kinds with the Holiday of Sukkot (-ibid 41), “You shall observe it as a Holiday of L-rd for seven days in the year.”
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Explanation: In the entire portion of the holidays there are but two holidays that are called by a specific name: (i) Holiday of Matzot (Passover) and (ii) Holiday of Sukkot. However, there are differences between the two:
(i) Concerning Passover the verse reads, “And on the fifteenth day of that month L-rd’s Holiday of Matzot,” (see footnote 5) meaning that the name is not giving to all seven days of the holiday. While concerning Sukkot the verse reads, “the Holiday of Sukkot to L-rd, seven days.”
(ii) On the other hand4, by the Holiday of Matzot, the verse immediately goes on to say, “Holiday of Matzot (Unleavened Bread). You shall eat Matzot,” while by the Holiday of Sukkot, it isn’t until the end of the portion that the verse commands us, “You shall live in sukkot.”
The reasons for these differences is because of yet another difference between the names of the two holidays. The Holiday of Matzot is called by our Sages, and so too is the custom among all of Israel, also by the name, “Holiday of Passover. While the Holiday of Sukkot is called only by the name Sukkot. Meaning, that the essence of the Holiday of Matzot is not only about the Mitzvah of Eating Matzot, hence the name Passover (which speaks of the miracle of G-d passing over the Jewish homes during the Plague of the First Born, which was the plague that immediately brought to Pharaoh telling Israel to leave Egypt, which happened on the day of the holiday) while the primary essence of the Holiday of Sukkot is about the Mitzvah of Dwelling in a Sukkah.
This explains why, by the Holiday of Matzot, the Torah immediately commands us of the Mitzvah of Eating Matzah, for this is the only reason why the Torah is calling it the Holiday of Matzot (and not Passover), and not because this is the essence of the seven days5 of the holiday. However, by the Holiday of Sukkot, the verse states, “the Holiday of Sukkot to L-rd, seven days,” being that this Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah is the essence of the entire holiday of seven days, and not the reason for the holiday being called here (while maybe should elsewhere be called also by name, other than) the Holiday of Sukkot Hence, the verse purposely does not immediately state the Mitzvah of Dwelling in a Sukkah, lest we mistakenly think that the holiday of Sukkot, like the Holiday of Matzot, is not primarily essentially about its Mitzvah (of Dwelling in a Sukkot).
4. This excludes the Agricultural names, as these holidays also serve as Agricultural Holidays for the wheat (Passover -Holiday of Spring, Shavout -Holiday of Harvest, and Sukkot -Holidays of Ingathering.
5. Which explains why the Torah primarily uses the name of Holiday of Matzot for the first day, being that only on the first day is it biblically obligatory to eat Matzah, while on the remainder of the days, one may not eat chametz, one is not obligated to eat matzah.
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Deeper Explanation: The day of the, “fifteenth day of that month,” is not remembered specifically for fulfilling the Mitzvah of Eating Matzah. Rather, the day is primarily about, “the day you exited from the Land of Egypt,” for which (-Exodus 12:14), “And this day shall be for you as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a holiday for the L-rd; throughout your generations, you shall celebrate it as an everlasting statute.” And it is because this day is a special day of holiday, that causes it to have its special mitzvot, included that of Eating Matzah.
Not so, with the, “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month,” in which the days, in their own right, are not special days (-See Introduction #2: The Holiday and The Timing of Sukkot). Rather, what transforms these days into a, “Holiday for the L-rd,” is precisely that the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, in the manner that encompasses the person and his day entirely (“In sukkot shall you reside,’ (reside) as you dwell (in your permanent home)”), in which he, “Dwells in the sukkah for seven days, be it by day or by night,” takes place on these seven days (See Footnote 2).
Said Differently: On Shabbat, and so too, on every Holiday, we say in our prayers that it (Shabbat or present Holiday) is a commemoration for the Exodus of Egypt. However, only on Passover is it stated (-Exodus 13:3), “Remember this day, when you went out of Egypt,” and therefore (-Exodus 12:14), “And you shall celebrate it as a holiday for the L-rd; throughout your generations.” However, not so, is it by Shabbat and Shavout. And especially not by Sukkot, in which the verse clearly tells us, that the Holiday of Sukkot is (-Leviticus 23:43), “In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” Meaning, that even though these are not the days of, “when I brought them out of the land of Egypt,” and the Torah does not give this reason when it first introduces the Holiday of Sukkot, but only when it states the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, nevertheless, being that the Mitzvah of Dwelling in a Sukkah is what makes these days into a Holiday, and thus, the reason given when commanding us the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah is the reason for the Holiday of Sukkot.
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We now understand, that (unlike Passover, in which the Holiday is a Holiday unto itself, void of the Mitzvot of Passover,) by the Holiday of Sukkot, even the Mitzvot listed before that of Dwelling in the Sukkah (“On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Holiday of Sukkot to L-rd, seven days. The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work. Seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to L-rd. On the eighth day you shall observe a sacred occasion and bring an offering by fire to L-rd; it is a solemn gathering: you shall not work. Those are the set times of L-rd that you shall celebrate as sacred occasions, bringing offerings by fire to L-rd, burnt offerings, meal offerings, sacrifices, and libations, on each day what is proper to it. Apart from the Sabbaths of L-rd, and apart from your gifts and from all your votive offerings and from all your freewill offerings that you give to L-rd. Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the Holiday of L-rd seven days: a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day.“) are not disassociated from the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah. On the contrary, being that the essence of the Holiday is primarily of the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, thus, all the Mitzvot of the Holiday of Sukkot or the essence of the Holiday, which is the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah
Thus, we can now turn to understanding (also according to the Revealed Teachings) the relationship between the mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds and of Dwelling in the Sukkah.
We previously explained that the reason why the verse does not refer to the seven days of the, “You shall live in sukkot seven days,” as “for the (aforementioned) seven days,” is because the, “You shall live in sukkot seven days,” are not the outcome of the, “there shall be the Holiday of Sukkot to L-rd, seven days,” but to the contrary, the, “You shall live in sukkot seven days,” is what creates the, “there shall be the Holiday of Sukkot to L-rd, seven days.” This then explains the peculiar wording of Rashi concerning the (-Leviticus 23:36), “On the eighth day you shall observe a sacred occasion,” of which the Talmud rules (-Sukkah 48a), “Is a Holiday in and of itself,” upon which Rashi comments, “One does not sit in the sukkah.” However, now Rashi is understood. Why is the eighth day a holiday of its own, because one doesn’t sit in the Sukkah, which is the essence of the Holiday of Sukkot, and therefore, this day cannot be of the Holiday of Sukkot!. Meaning, that the Holiday of Sukkot is created by the Mitzvah of “You shall live in sukkot seven days,” (which is the reason why the eighth day of not of the Holiday of Sukkot). However, concerning the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds, the verse states, “On the first day you shall take the…,” meaning that because it is the, “first day” of the Holiday of Sukkot that the Four Kinds’ receive the “name” and is in within the “time” of being a mitzvah6. In other words, it is the Sanctification of the Holiday of Sukkot that creates the “name” and the obligation of the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds.
Thus, we now understand, being that the entire essence of the Sanctification of the Holiday of Sukkot is the Mitzvah of Dwelling in a sukkah, and it is the Sanctification of the Holiday of Sukkot that creates the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds, therefore is is the “elite ways to perform the mitzvah” of Taking Four Kinds --and not of the Mitzvah of ‘In the Sukkah shall you reside,’ (reside) as you dwell (in your permanent home)-- to perform its “Taking” inside the sukkah!
6. The Talmud (-Sukkah 33a) is discussing whether if one of the Four Kinds is unfit at the onset of the holiday (its top has been cut off) but then becomes fit on the Holiday itself (its fruit grew on the top, recreating a top to the branch), whether we say, “once it became unfit it is disqualified permanently, or we do not say, “once it became unfit it is disqualified permanently.” Rashi, in explaining the Talmud’s discussion, explains that being that the moment that the Holiday Begins (“On the first day...“) is when the physical branch becomes (the “name,” within the “time”) a mitzvah, hence the question of, if at the onset of the Holiday it was unfit…. Hence, the Rebbe is “borrowing” from this Rashi, the concept that it is the, “on the first day…” that there is the Mitzvah of Taking Four Kinds.
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Mystically Speaking: There is a virtue to the, “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Holiday of Sukkot,” becoming a Holiday because of the Mitzvah of, “You shall live in sukkot seven days,” over that of the Holiday of Matzot being of auspicious days in and of itself.
When the auspiciousness of the Holiday comes from Above, like with Passover, then the holiness does not permeate the finite and corporeal time and spaces, for what they are: Finite and Corporeal. Rather, the holiness from Above imposes itself upon the physical finite below, in a form of a Coup d'état. However, when the auspiciousness of a holiday is created by the Mitzvah performed by the Below, being within its realm of reality and definition, then the holiness permeates the Below for what the Below is, Finite and Corporeal.
This difference between Passover being from Above and Sukkot being from Below expresses itself in their perspective Mitzvot. Eating Matzah is something that we would not something that we would do, were it not a Mitzvah to do so on Passover. While the Mitzvah of Dwelling is a Sukkah, which is, “‘In sukkot shall you reside,’ (reside) as you dwell (in your permanent home)… he eats and drinks and relaxes in the sukkah and studies (Torah) in the sukkah,” are all things that we would do anyway, only that by doing them in the Sukkah, making all these daily ordinary “Below” actions of a service to G-d.
Thus, the ultimate power of the Holiday of Sukkot is, albeit that throughout the year, our service to G-d in making that, “All your (ordinary; of the ‘Below’) be for the sake of Heaven, “ and, “In all your (ordinary; of the ‘Below’) ways, know Him,” take strenuous efforts, on the holiday of Sukkot, merely by doing it all in the Sukkah, they are easily transformed into Mitzvot! And therefore, the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah encompasses the entire person, from head-to-toe, with all his clothing (which is a characteristic of this mitzvah, that we find in no other mitzvah)!
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With this we now understand what the Alter Rebbe is adding on upon the relationship between the Mitzvah of Four Kinds and the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, of doing the mitzvah of, “Taking the Lulov (Four Kinds), in the sukkah is the ‘Elite (way to perform the) Mitzvah,” and states, “Therefore, in the morning, before one prays, while he is still in the sukkah, he should make the blessing,” which this blessing, albeit being upon all of the Four Kinds, nevertheless, the blessing reads, “ Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d… Who has commanded us upon taking of the Lulov”:
(i) One may be liable to be mistaken and think that the necessity to be encompassed by Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, in accordance with the will of G-d, is being said upon the people who occupied with their physical needs (actions of the ‘Below’), However, not of the “Lulov People7” the fruit-bearing “branches of palm trees,” which have taste (mystically referring to the study of Torah), but no fragrance (mystically referring to the physical (actions of mitzvot), being that these people are always connected with G-d via their Torah-study.
(ii) So too, one may be liable to be mistaken and think concerning his spiritual service, that it is understood concerning, “his eating and his drinking, etc.,” -the physical part of his spiritual service, that these need to be permeated and encompassed by the Mitzvah of Dwelling in the Sukkah, however, why would one have to emphasize that the Mitzvah of Dwelling, representing the Will of G-d (within the (Mitzvah of Dwelling in the) Sukkah), encompass also his study and understanding of Torah?
Note: It is understood that even one who wholly occupies himself with Torah-study still needs to Perform Mitzvot, for (-Yevomot 109b), “All who say, ‘I have but Torah(-study, but no Mitzvot-observance)’, even Torah(-study) he does not have!” However, this -in the realm of our conversation- speaks of the necessity of having, “as you dwell (in your permanent home),” meaning that there must be also the Mitzvot-observance. However, why the mandate concerning the specificity of having the “Taking the Lulov” (study and understanding of Torah) encompassed by the sukkah’s conscientiousness that it is the Will of G-d, when the Torah-study and understanding in itself has him connected to the Wisdom of G-d?!
The Alter Rebbe is telling this “Lulov Person” that the Elite Mitzvah of his very “Taking” -understanding and grasping of the Torah -his absorbing the Wisdom of Torah, which is the Wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be Elite when his conscientious that the Torah that he is studying encompasses him, meaning that he is dealing with a Divine Wisdom that is in its very essence above and beyond his human intellectual capacity! This conscientiousness, in turn, will then bring about a humility of self-negation, and a yearning to absorb in his human understanding and comprehension the Torah of G-d, which is, “Hidden from the eye of all living beings.”
So too, in a more general manner, when a Jew does not occupy himself with Torah-study, but only in “action,” however, he does have an endearment and an appreciation to Torah, that a Blessing of, “Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d… Who has commanded us upon the words of Torah,” must be said prior to studying G-d’s Torah, he causes the contrary of (-Nedarim 81a), “(They are punished because they do not first recite a blessing over the Torah before commencing their studies… ‘Who is the wise man that may understand this, and who is he to whom the mouth of the L-rd has spoken, that he may declare it, for what the) Land is perished(….’ …’Because they have forsaken My Torah… nor walked therein,’ …(The expression ‘nor walked therein’ means) that they do not first recite a blessing over the Torah, (and they are therefore liable to receive the severe punishments listed in the verse)).”
More so, this person (who will living wholly in the “action”, yet nevertheless, endears and appreciates the Divinity of the Torah) will bring about that we imminently merit, “And He will spread over us sukkah (shelter) of Your peace” with the construction of the Hoy Temple, upon which it is stated (-Psalms 76:3), “And in Salem (peace) was his Sukkah (abode; Temple),” which will be build by our righteous Moshiach, speedily in our days, tangibly so!
7. (i) Etrog (yes taste, and yes fragrance) People - Those who wholly occupy themselves with Torah- study, and with mitzvot-observance.
(ii) Lulov (yes taste, but no fragrance) People - Those who wholly occupy themselves with Torah- study, but not with mitzvot-observance
(iii) Myrtle (no taste, but yes fragrance) People - Those who wholly occupy themselves with Mitzvot-observance, but not with Torah-study.
(iii) Willow (no taste and no fragrance) People - Those who neither occupy themselves with Torah- study, nor with mitzvot-observance.
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