Receiving life and unity on Sukkos

ולקחתם לכם כו' פרי עץ הדר כו'.

"And you shall take for yourselves... the fruit of a beautiful tree (pri eitz hadar)..." (Vayikra 23:40).

The Sefas Emes opens with the mitzvah of taking the four species on Sukkos, focusing on the phrase "for yourselves."

כי בסוכות השי"ת מקרב בנ"י כמ"ש פורס סוכת שלום ומגין עלינו מצד שנק' בנים למקום.

For on Sukkos Hashem draws Bnei Yisrael close, as we say, "He spreads the sukkah of peace and shields us," by virtue of their being called "children of the Omnipresent" (banim laMakom).

On Sukkos Hashem brings Bnei Yisrael near and shelters them under His "sukkah of peace," extending this protection out of pure love, because they are His children.

ובנ"י מצד עצמם חפצים להתדבק בו ושיעשו מעשים טובים לפניו שלא יהי' מצד החסד בלבד.

And Bnei Yisrael, on their own part, desire to cleave to Him and to perform good deeds before Him, so that it should not be from chesed (lovingkindness) alone.

Bnei Yisrael are not content to receive this closeness purely as an unearned gift of chesed; they wish to actively cleave to Hashem and earn it through their own ma'asim tovim.

וזהו ולקחתם לכם מצדכם.

And this is [the meaning of] "And you shall take for yourselves" — from your own side.

"For yourselves" stresses the contribution that comes from Bnei Yisrael's own initiative, their active reaching toward Hashem.

וכתיב תודיענו אורח חיים.

And it is written, "Make known to me the path of life (orach chayim)" (Tehillim 16:11).

The Sefas Emes links the mitzvah to the verse expressing the yearning to be shown the true path of life.

ואיתא לולב גי' חיים ובנ"י חפצים לקבל חיים אמיתים בפנימיות שלהם.

And it is taught that "lulav" has the gematria of "chaim" (life), and Bnei Yisrael desire to receive true life in their inner being (penimiyus).

The lulav numerically equals "life," reflecting Bnei Yisrael's longing to draw genuine, inner vitality from Hashem into their deepest selves.

וזהו נקרא שובע שמחות כפי עומק הקבלה בלב עד שנקרא שביעה.

And this is called "the fullness of joys" (sova semachos), according to the depth of the receiving in the heart, until it is called "satiation" (sevi'ah).

The deeper this inner reception penetrates the heart, the more it becomes a true "fullness of joy" — a satisfaction that fills a person completely.

וזהו ע"י מיני הלולב שבני ישראל מרמזים במעשה להשי"ת לקבל אור הסוכה שניתן להם במתנה כנ"ל.

And this is accomplished through the species of the lulav, by which Bnei Yisrael signal through action to Hashem their desire to receive the light of the sukkah that was given to them as a gift, as mentioned above.

The taking of the four species is Bnei Yisrael's active gesture, expressing in deed their wish to internalize the light of the sukkah that Hashem first bestowed upon them freely.

וכשהמלך מזמן אורחים נותן להם משאלות לבם כדאיתא מאן דמזמן למיכלא ולמשתי' זמין.

And when the King invites guests, He grants them the requests of their hearts, as it is taught, "one who invites [a guest] invites him to eat and to drink."

Just as a host who invites guests provides for all their needs, so Hashem, who invites Bnei Yisrael into His sukkah, fulfills the desires of their hearts.

ולכן אומר לנו ולקחתם לכם שנבחר לנו החיים.

Therefore He says to us, "And you shall take for yourselves," that we should choose life for ourselves.

"Take for yourselves" is Hashem's invitation to actively choose the true life He offers, as in "you shall choose life."

ובסוכות ניתן הדעת לכל איש ישראל כדכתיב למען ידעו כו'.

And on Sukkos da'as (knowledge) is given to every Jew, as it is written, "in order that [your generations] may know..." (Vayikra 23:43).

Sukkos imparts da'as — a deep awareness — to every Jew, as the Torah states the purpose of the mitzvah is "that they may know."

וכן נראה כי הדעת של כל השנה בא בחג הסוכות.

And so it appears that the da'as for the entire year comes on the festival of Sukkos.

The knowledge and clarity that will sustain a person through the whole year is granted specifically on Sukkos.

שהוא רגל האחרון מהג' רגלים שכל השנה עומדת עליהם.

For it is the last of the three pilgrimage festivals (regalim) upon which the entire year stands.

As the final of the shalosh regalim, Sukkos completes the foundation of the three festivals that uphold and structure the whole year.

ומצות סוכה היא מעצמה.

And the mitzvah of sukkah is "of itself" [given from Above].

The sukkah represents the dimension that comes purely from Hashem's side — the unearned encompassing light.

ומיני הלולב היא הקבלה שבני ישראל מקבלין ומביאין הדעת לעומק לבבם כנ"ל:

And the species of the lulav are the receiving, by which Bnei Yisrael receive and bring the da'as into the depth of their hearts, as mentioned above.

The four species represent the human side — Bnei Yisrael's active reception, drawing the da'as of Sukkos down into the innermost depths of their hearts.

כי בכל שנה יורד חיים כדכתיב עיני ה' אלקיך כו' מראשית שנה.

For each year life descends, as it is written, "the eyes of Hashem your God are [upon it]... from the beginning of the year [to its end]" (Devarim 11:12).

Every year a fresh flow of life descends from Hashem, whose providential gaze rests upon the land from the year's very beginning.

ופי' חז"ל שבתחילת השנה יש ברכה לכל השנה.

And Chazal explained that at the beginning of the year there is blessing for the entire year.

The blessing that will flow throughout the year is established and drawn down at its very outset.

ולזאת נתן לנו השי"ת זה החג בתחילת השנה.

And for this reason Hashem gave us this festival at the beginning of the year.

Sukkos is placed at the start of the year precisely so that we can draw down this year-long blessing of life.

אחר ר"ה ויוהכ"פ שנטהרו כל בנ"י כדכתיב לטהר אתכם.

After Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when all of Bnei Yisrael have been purified, as it is written, "to purify you" (Vayikra 16:30).

Sukkos follows the Yamim Nora'im, when Bnei Yisrael have been cleansed through the purification of Yom Kippur.

וצריך כל אדם להאמין שנעשה טהור בימים אלו.

And every person must believe that he has been made pure during these days.

It is incumbent upon each person to have emunah that the avodah of these days has truly rendered him tahor.

וודאי שישאר הטהרה על כל השנה תליא בהכנת האדם לקבל הטהרה.

And certainly, whether the purity will remain for the whole year depends on a person's preparation to receive that purity.

Sustaining this taharah throughout the year hinges on how well a person prepares himself to receive and hold onto it.

אבל בימים אלו נעשה טהור כל איש ישראל.

But during these days every Jew is made pure.

Regardless of the future, the purification itself is granted to every Jew during this season.

וע"ז עצמו יש קטרוג וצריך הגנה בסוכות כנ"ל.

And over this very [purity] there is an accusation (kitrug), and one therefore needs the protection of [the] sukkah, as mentioned above.

Because the satan accuses and seeks to undo this newly-won purity, the sukkah is needed as a shield to safeguard it.

ואחר שנטהרו יש חג הסוכות שמתאספין כל בנ"י.

And after they have been purified, there is the festival of Sukkos, when all of Bnei Yisrael gather together.

Following the purification of the Yamim Nora'im comes Sukkos, a time of ingathering and unity for all of Bnei Yisrael.

כדאיתא בגמ' כל ישראל ראוין לישב בסוכה אחת.

As it is taught in the Gemara, "all of Yisrael are fit to dwell in a single sukkah" (Sukkah 27b).

The Gemara teaches that all of Klal Yisrael are fit to sit together in one sukkah, expressing their essential unity.

ונק' חג האסיף.

And it is called "the festival of ingathering" (Chag HaAsif).

Sukkos is named for "gathering in" — not only of the harvest, but of all Bnei Yisrael into a single unified whole.

וגם מינים שבלולב הם כללות בנ"י.

And the species of the lulav too represent the totality of Bnei Yisrael.

The four species symbolize the full range of Jews, each with differing levels of Torah and good deeds, bound together.

כמ"ש ז"ל ערבה מי שאין בו טעם וריח כו'.

As Chazal said, the aravah (willow) represents one who has neither taste nor fragrance, etc.

In the well-known Midrash, the willow — lacking both taste and scent — stands for the Jew who possesses neither Torah learning nor good deeds.

העצה ע"ז העירוב שמאסף עצמו בכלל ישראל.

The counsel for this [Jew] is the joining together, that he gathers himself into the collective of Yisrael (klal Yisrael).

Even the "empty" Jew has a remedy: by attaching himself to the klal, he is included and uplifted along with the whole.

וזהו חשוב יותר לגרום ברכה דכתיב ערבי נחל.

And this is even more significant in bringing about blessing, as it is written, "willows of the brook (arvei nachal)" (Vayikra 23:40).

This self-effacing inclusion into the klal is especially powerful in drawing down blessing, hinted by the willow being "of the brook."

ונחל הוא ע"ש המשכת השפע.

And "nachal" (brook) denotes the drawing down of abundance (hashpa'ah).

The word "brook" connotes a flowing channel — the conduit through which Divine abundance (shefa) is drawn down into the world.

ונכתוב זה אצל ערבה דוקא כנ"ל.

And this was written specifically alongside the willow, as mentioned above.

It is precisely the lowly willow that is paired with the "brook" of abundance, teaching that humble self-nullification to the klal is what opens the channel of blessing.

וימי החג מסייעין לזה שיוכלו בנ"י להתאסף ולבטל כל אחד עצמו לכלל ישראל.

And the days of the festival assist in this, that Bnei Yisrael are able to gather together and each one to nullify himself to the collective of Yisrael.

The very days of Sukkos lend strength to this ingathering, enabling each Jew to achieve bittul — surrendering himself into the unity of klal Yisrael.

ועי"ז יכולין לקבל ברכת השנה כראוי כדאי' כלי מחזיק ברכה הוא שלום.

And through this they are able to receive the year's blessing as is fitting, as it is taught, "the only vessel that holds blessing is peace (shalom)" (Uktzin 3:12).

This unity is the "vessel" of peace that alone can contain blessing, allowing Bnei Yisrael to properly receive the abundance of the year.

והוא בחי' יוסף הצדיק וכתיב ועמך כולם צדיקים:

And this is the aspect of Yosef HaTzaddik, and it is written, "and Your people are all righteous" (Yeshayahu 60:21).

This vessel of peace and unity is embodied by Yosef HaTzaddik — the unifying force among the tribes — reflecting the verse that all of Bnei Yisrael are, at their core, tzaddikim.

Summary: On Sukkos Hashem draws Bnei Yisrael close under His sukkah of peace as a gift of chesed, while the four species express their own active desire to cleave to Him and internalize true "life" (lulav = chaim) into their penimiyus. Sukkos imparts the da'as for the whole year, drawing down the year's blessing right after the purification of the Yamim Nora'im — a purity the sukkah protects from accusation. The festival's ingathering enables every Jew, even the "willow" who lacks taste and fragrance, to nullify himself into klal Yisrael; this unity is the vessel of shalom — the aspect of Yosef HaTzaddik — that alone holds the blessing of the year.