Yom Tov, Chol HaMoed & Shabbos Chol HaMoed

Our Sages call all Jewish holidays "Festivals for Rejoicing."[1] Nevertheless, Sukkos is the only festival designated as "The Season of our Rejoicing."[2]

We thus understand that there are different degrees of joy, and that the joy of Sukkos - "The Season of our Rejoicing" - possesses the greatest degree of all. Moreover, the joy that accompanies Sukkos is a revealed and palpable dimension of joy. This may be seen from the fact that the term "Season of our Rejoicing" was established by the Rabbis to be part of our holiday prayers - something performed by all Jews. Thus, the additional measure of joy present during Sukkos is felt by even the humblest Jew.

Furthermore, during the time of the Beis HaMikdash, when the physical world enjoyed a greater degree of spiritual refinement, the greater degree of Sukkos joy permeated the physical world.

The festival of Sukkos is also known as Chag HaAsif, the "Festival of Ingathering," for it also celebrates the gathering of the harvest. And during the time of the Beis HaMikdash, with "Every person under his grape arbor and fig tree," the bountiful harvest caused a palpable joy.

That the world's physical refinement enabled spirituality to take a more concrete form was indicated by the fact that physical offerings were brought when the Beis HaMikdash was standing, while nowadays prayer acts in their stead. Here too, the reason is that during times of exile the physical world is less refined, so we cannot serve G-d by bringing physical offerings, for the physical is now too coarse.

Although the joy of reaping the harvest experienced on Sukkos existed in its physical sense only during the times of the Beis HaMikdash, the spiritual aspect of reaping exists today. For the holiday of Sukkos follows close on the heels of the month of Elul and the awesome time of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and the Ten Days of Penitence. The Jew's service during this most important period in the Jewish calendar results in a bountiful spiritual harvest during the festival of Sukkos.

Although all of Sukkos is the "Season of our Rejoicing," the emotion felt on the actual Yom Tov days of Sukkos is greater than that felt on Chol HaMoed, the intermediate days. This is readily understandable when one considers that the only labor permitted on Yom Tov is that which relates to the preparation of food for the day. Since the gratification is immediate, this hardly constitutes true labor, for the individual is instantly recompensed by pleasure.

This is not so with regard to the labor permitted during Chol HaMoed: during that period, all types of essential labor - Davar Ha'Avud - are permitted, even if gratification will only come in the distant future.

Thus, during Chol HaMoed the individual cannot possibly be as joyous as on Yom Tov, for his preoccupation with toil keeps him from fully enjoying the festival.

But this is only true of the weekdays of Chol HaMoed. When Shabbos Chol HaMoed comes, all labor is prohibited -even that which is permitted on Yom Tov - and joy is once again heightened. Moreover, the joy attainable then is even greater than that attainable on Yom Tov itself. This is because the pleasure and delight obtained through labor permissible on Yom Tov is found on Shabbos as a matter of course - on Shabbos "All of one's labor has been completed." Additionally, Shabbos delight is engendered without any need for labor, while Yom Tov needs the labor that precedes it, and which acts as a stepping stone to Yom Tov's joy and delight.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XIV, pp. 418-420.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Text of Amidah & Kiddush.

2. (Back to text) Ibid.

---

Sukkos - Revealing the Concealed

Our Sages inform us[1] that those spiritual matters that are in a state of concealment during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are revealed during the festival of Sukkos.

Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur each possess three distinct aspects, one greater than the other:[2]

1. The unique mitzvos of those days - on Rosh HaShanah the sounding of the shofar and on Yom Kippur the mitzvos of fasting, repentance and confession.

2. The fact that both Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are part of the "Ten Days of Penitence," with penitence transcending mitzvos.

3. The essential quality of those days - on Rosh HaShanah the aspect of accepting G-d as King, and Yom Kippur the fact that "The very day [of Yom Kippur] brings atonement"[3] - a degree of atonement that far surpasses that achieved through Teshuvah, repentance.

Although these three aspects are part of both Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, in a more general sense each aspect is tied to one of the three festivals of the month of Tishrei: Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos.

Rosh HaShanah clearly manifests its role as "head" of the year; it is the time when G-d is crowned King. This ability to crown G-d as King also indicates the Jews' absolute unity with Him, a union which makes it possible to bring about a desire to reign within G-d.

Yom Kippur, the "Day of Forgiveness," when "The very day brings atonement," plainly displays that it is the day on which forgiveness is granted for transgressing the King's decrees. This too is indicative of an essential union between G-d and the Jewish people.

The festival of Sukkos is the time when Jews are immersed in and unite with G-d through the performance of mitzvos - Sukkah, Esrog and Lulav, etc. Indeed, the performance of mitzvos is indicated by the name of the holiday itself - Sukkos.

As mentioned above, all aspects that are concealed on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are revealed during Sukkos. Therefore, although the main feature of Sukkos is the performance of mitzvos, the festival also reveals the themes of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

In describing the Sukkos festival, the Torah states: "On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkos....."[4] So, too, with regard to dwelling in the sukkah the verse states: "You shall dwell in sukkos for seven days."[5] As nothing else is cited as a reason for the festival, clearly the essential feature is the sukkah itself.

With regard to the mitzvah of Esrog and Lulav, the verse states:[6] "You shall take for yourselves on the first day," thereby indicating that the mitzvah of Esrog and Lulav is not the essential aspect of the first day of Sukkos, i.e., it is not intrinsic to the holiday itself.

Only after the Torah commands Esrog and Lulav does it go on to say:[7] "and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d for seven days" - the commandment of rejoicing during Sukkos being the third aspect of the festival.

The essential connection between Jews and G-d - a relationship wherein all Jews are equal, and which is expressed in accepting G-d's Kingship on Rosh HaShanah - is revealed within the essential aspect of Sukkos: a unity that finds expression in the fact "All Jews are fit to dwell in the selfsame sukkah."[8]

Every Jew's bond with G-d is expressed through Teshuvah - the main aspect of Yom Kippur - and manifests itself through the command of Esrog and Lulav, the Lulav serving as a symbol that Jews were victorious in atonement on Yom Kippur.[9]

Finally, the connection of the Jew to G-d through the performance of mitzvos is revealed in the mitzvah of rejoicing on Sukkos - the privilege of performing G-d's commands being the cause of their rejoicing.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XIX, pp. 350-354.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Siddur Im Dach 235b. See also Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 48b, Rosh HaShanah 54c ff.

2. (Back to text) See previous essay on Rosh HaShanah. See also Likkutei Sichos IV, p. 1149ff.

3. (Back to text) Shavuos 13a.

4. (Back to text) Vayikra 23:34.

5. (Back to text) Ibid., verse 42.

6. (Back to text) Ibid., verse 40.

7. (Back to text) Ibid.

8. (Back to text) Sukkah 27b.

9. (Back to text) Tanchuma, Emor 18. See also Vayikra Rabbah ibid., 2.