Weekly Halacha Yomit: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch

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Daily Kitzur Limud (Week 40)

This week's learning:

10th of Tishrei

28 Sept 09

136:1 -2

11th of Tishrei

29 Sept 09

136:3 -end

12th of Tishrei

30 Sept 09

137:1 -7

13th of Tishrei

1 Oct 09

137:8 - 138:1

14th of Tishrei

2 Oct 09

138:2 -end

15th of Tishrei

3 Oct 09

98:1 -7

16th of Tishrei

4 Oct 09

98:8 -13

"Baruch Hashem Yom Yomi"
Insight on this week's learning
By Daniel Cohen, Programs Director, World Mizrachi

This week, we continue preparations for the forthcoming Sukkot festival by looking at the arba minim, the four species, with their various laws (Kitzur chapters 136-7). The taking of the arba minim derives from a pasuk in Parshat Emor:

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. (Vayikra 23:40)

One can wonder as to the consequences presented by this pasuk. Why is it that we are commanded to take some strange combination of leaves and fruits and this will lead us to rejoicing before Hashem for the entire chag, which is even known as zman simchateinu, the time of our rejoicing?! Why is rejoicing a natural outcome of taking the arba minim?

One possible answer is given by the Berditchever Rav, the Kedushat Levi, who says that the Yamim Noraim (the High Holydays) are a time when we do teshuva miyirah, repentance from fear (of Hashem’s punishment), whereas on Sukkot, we do teshuva meahavah, repentance from love (of Hashem). This is a beautiful idea, but does not make a connection with the arba minim or indeed the mitzvah of sukkah.

We learn more about these 4 species from the Midrash on this pasuk:

“Pri Etz HaDar”—this is Israel. Just as the Etrog has taste and smell, so too Israel has among it individuals who have Torah and have good deeds;  “Kapot Temarim”—this is Israel. Just as the date, it has taste but does not have smell, so too Israel has among it individuals who have Torah but do not have good deeds;  “VeAnaf Eitz Avot”—this is Israel. Just as the myrtle has smell but does not have taste, so too Israel has among it individuals who have good deeds but do not have Torah; “VeArvei Nachal”—this is Israel. Just as the willow has no taste and no smell, so too Israel has among it individuals who have neither Torah nor good deeds. And what does the Holy One, Blessed Be He Do with them? To destroy them is impossible. But rather the Holy One, Blessed Be He Says, “Let them all be bound together into one bundle and they will atone for one another. And if you do so, at that moment, I will Be Elevated, this is what is written, (Amos 9:6) “Who Builds in the Heavens Ma’alotav”. And when is He Exalted? When they are made into a single bundle, as it is said, (Ibid.) VeAgudato on the earth is its foundation.” Therefore Moshe adjures Israel, “And you will take to yourselves on the first day…”

This famous midrash introduces to us the idea that the four species represent four different types of Jews. We can learn a great lesson from the arba minim as presented here: Only when all types of Jews are ‘together’ can we truly rejoice before Hashem! When we see or hear of news stories of non-religious and religious Jews living together in harmony and with tolerance and respect, this brings us joy, especially when cast against those stories where the tensions between Jews are so high that we feel embarrassed to be a part of this nation. Moreover, as we learn (Kitzur 136:8 and 137:1), the aravah (willow) and the etrog are next to each other – in spite of them being opposite types according to the midrash. So we see, even the most distant of Jews are in fact very close – family. This surely is the reason for our joy, the realisation of our closeness to all other Jews.

One can take this idea further: the midrash concludes with Hashem saying that the people of Israel can atone for one another and this can only occur when they are ‘bundled together’, so to speak. Only when we are truly all together can we all receive atonement. This, perhaps, also brings us to a deeper understanding of the Berditchever Rav’s saying. While there are many people who are in shul over the chagim in the month of Tishrei, the coming and binding together of all types of Jews is key to our atonement (and we have until Hoshana Raba, the end of Sukkot, for the sealing of our fate – see Kitzur 138:1). While we may only recommit ourselves to Hashem on Yom Kippur, Sukkot is the time to recommit ourselves as part of the Jewish people.

Being a part of the Jewish nation is surely a reason for us, and Hashem, to be truly happy and joyous. Chag Sameach!

If you have any comments or feedback, please email daniel@worldmizrachi.org.

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