The fourth day of Sukkos has a unique quality relative to the whole holiday. The holiday of Sukkos, of course, lasts for seven days, and the observance of the waterdrawing in the Bais HaMikdash, was also carried out equally on all the days. Thus, the celebration of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah now also applies to all the days of the holiday.
When the fourth day of Sukkos arrives, then the majority of the days of the holiday have already passed, and so, too, the majority of the themes of Sukkos have been attained, including the joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah. In quantity we have four days, and in quality the first two days which were actualholydays are included in this group, raising the quality of the first half of the festival.
Thus, the importance of the arrival of the fourth day is expressed by reaching the point of majority. And, as we find very often in Torah that, “The majority (larger portion) counts as the whole,” (Nazir 42a) we may say that the fourth day of Sukkos already includes and incorporates all the aspects of Sukkos and Simchas Bais HaShoeivah.
Of course, the days following the fourth day will also be part of the majority segment, but the fourth day is still special in that it introduces the quality of majority (inclusiveness), and it is the eve of the fourth night, which brings with it the quality of being majority.
The Simchas Bais HaShoeivah of this night, therefore, carries a special potential and power and we must utilize this joyous ability to its fullest potential. This important quality is also expressed in the fact that the date of the fourth day of Sukkos is always the 18th (Chai) of Tishrei.
The days of each month have a connection with the same days in the other 11 months of the year. Every month, on the 18th, we recite the same psalms in the book of Tehillim. There is also a special association between the 18th of Tishrei and the 18th of Elul: (1) The 18th of Elul initiates the days of preparation for Tishrei; and (2) the last 12 days of Elul (starting from 18) have a special connection to the twelve months of the year, in sequence. This would match the 18th of Elul to the month of Tishrei. Consequently, Chai Elul has a special affinity to the day of Chai Tishrei.
Chai Elul gives “life to all the days of Elul,” as well as the Divine service of Torah and mitzvos in the three areas hinted at in the acrostic of the word E’L’U’L’, which are the pillars on which the world stands: Torah, prayer, and acts loving kindness; as well as teshuvah and redemption.
In a like manner the theme of Chai Tishrei will be to inject life into the month of Tishrei, especially the holidays of the month, from which the spirit of each holiday will radiate to the entire year.
Consequently, on the 18th day itself there must be intense enthusiasm and “life,” which brings us to the lofty quality of the joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah on this fourth night of Sukkos. By virtue of the fact that it is the 18th of Tishrei — where joy would normally burst all boundaries — now it will be even more intense!
Simchas Bais HaShoeivah is also associated with the Ushpizin — traditional Sukkah guests — enumerated in the Zohar: Avraham, Yitzchok, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef and Dovid, as well as the Chassidic Ushpizin, The Baal Shem Tov, the Great Maggid, the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Rebbe Rashab and the previous Rebbe. The designated Ushpizin for this night are Moshe, our teacher, and the Mitteler Rebbe. Their special themes will also enhance the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah of this night.
The intent of the joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah was to draw down the loftiest forces and effectually disseminate these good forces in the widest possible area. Rashi explains in tractate Sukkah that the joy which accompanied the pouring of the water on the altar followed the drawing of the water with great rejoicing. All this could come about because they reached the source of the water, the “wellsprings of deliverance.” Of course, everything in existence is for the sake of the Jewish people — so the spring must be present, first, for the Jews to draw water from it! This gives it a certain independent importance.
The lofty fountain is symbolic of the source of wisdom from which a great rush of water may be drawn. Happiness also has this characteristic of bursting forth in an expansiveness and exuberance, and shattering all restrictions. During the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah this extreme joy expressed itself in “dancing, clapping and singing.” (cf. Rambam Laws of Lulav 8:14) Remember that our sages described the intense joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah in the following manner:
He who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life. (Sukkah 51a)
The extreme intensity and loftiness of the rejoicing came together with a quality which allowed this joy to permeate the observer’s senses for the rest of his/her life.
Chassidus also explains the Talmudic adage:
Why was it called Bais HaShoeivah (the house of drawing) for they drew Ruach Hakodesh (the Holy Spirit)..., (Yerushalmi, Sukkah 5:1)
that the loftiest levels of the Divine Spirit, which emanates from supernal wisdom, was made available and absorbed by even the average person who normally could not aspire to such spirituality.
The only other example of such spiritual largesse will be seen in the world to come, when there will be an effulgence of the spirit of prophecy on all people, as the prophet says:
And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men, your young men.... (Yoel 3:1)
And the prophecy will be in a manner of: “for they shall all know Me...,” (Yirmeyahu 31:33) true knowledge of the essence of G‑d. This highest state of knowledge will be widespread among all the people!
The drawing of the Divine Spirit during the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah in the Bais HaMikdash was analogous to the future effulgence of G‑dly knowledge. On the one hand, the loftiest level of Supernal Chochmah (wisdom) was tapped, and at the same time it was attainable by everyone in a manner of drawing — universal availability. Here we will find the connection between tonight’s Ushpizin and the theme of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah.
Moshe and the Mitteler Rebbe both represent the broad river of binah (understanding). The role of the Mitteler Rebbe in the area of binah has been often explained in Chassidus. Moshe, our teacher, has a special connection to binah as the Talmud relates:
Fifty gates of understanding were created in the world, and all were given to Moshe save one, as it says: “Yet You have made him but a little lower than a G‑d. (Tehillim 8:6, Rosh Hashanah 21b)
Thus, Moshe attained 49 gates of understanding during his lifetime and actually reached the 50th gate, too, as the language of the verse seems to indicate: “all were given to Moshe [save one]” — which he did fully attain upon ascending Mount Nevo before his death. This we know from the interpretation propounded by the Great Maggid on the word “Nevo” — (N’bo’), “the 50th was then in him” — on the day of his death Moshe reached the full radiance of the 50th gate of understanding!
Thus, both Ushpizin tonight carry the theme of the “broad river of understanding” which symbolizes the lofty and esoteric descent to the broadest state of dissemination. This is the common factor of binah and Simchas Bais HaShoeivah.
There is another aspect of Moshe which reiterates his role of the sublime which comes down to the common man. Chassidus explains that Moshe’s essence was chochmah — wisdom — the loftiest and most esoteric realm.
At the same time, as leader of the Jews and as king and Nasi he had to relate to everyone — to the point that hewasthepeople and thepeoplewereMoshe. (See Rashi, Bamidbar 21:21) As a result of this:
Each and every soul of the house of Israel contains within it something of the quality of our teacher Moshe, peace unto him, for he is one of the Seven Shepherds...is the sum of them all, and he is called “the faithful shepherd.” (Tanya ch. 42)
And for this reason, too, fear of G‑d is actually considered a “small thing” as Moshe expressed it is the verse:
And now O Israel what does the L‑rd your G‑d require of you but to fear the L‑rd your G‑d.” (Devarim 10:12)
Moshe takes the loftiest, heavenly ethereal forces and conducts them down to us in a full, rich stream of conscious joy and understanding.
The Mitteler Rebbe also hoped for, worked for and demanded the broad understanding of esoteric concepts so that when two Chassidim would meet they should discuss the esoteric concepts of “higher level of unity.” The revelations of the Divine Spirit at the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah matched the dissemination of G‑dly knowledge of the future which was expressed by the teachings of the Mitteler Rebbe.
Having compared the revelation of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah to the revelation of Mashiach, it follows that the celebration of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah serves as a preparation for the coming of Mashiach. Consequently, we must utilize the opportunity and increase our joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah now in the galus, and this will speed the redemption. Two aspects of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah emphasize this geulah-geulah relationship: (A) The water was drawn at the spring of Shiloach outside of Yerushalayim and then raised level by level until it was poured on the altar; and, (B) the joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah is expressed by dancing with our feet!
Further contemplation will reveal that both of the Ushpizin also represent some aspects which enhance this geulah-geulah connection most emphatically. The Mitteler Rebbe explained in his Chassidic discourses that the true observance of the mitzvos in the rich and full sense will only take place in the future when the third Bais HaMikdash is built. Yet, that lofty state will only be attained through our Divine service during the time of the galus.
Moshe our teacher also represents a geulah-geulah connection. The Gemara says:
Why did Moshe our teacher yearn to enter Eretz Yisrael?... But thus spoke Moshe, “Many precepts were commanded to Israel which can only be fulfilled in Eretz Yisrael I wish to enter Eretz Yisrael so that they may fulfilled through me.” (Sotah 14a)
Chassidus explains that when those mitzvos will be performed by Moshe in Eretz Yisrael they will attain a greater loftiness, hence the term “fulfilled through me.” We know too, that if Moshe had led the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael, then that ascent would have been the ultimate redemption never to be followed by exile, in which case the eternal observance of mitzvos would have been accomplished. Hence, Moshe wanted to do mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael as they will be done in the future life — with all their perfection and fullness.
And yet, Moshe was born in the diaspora and dwelled all his life in the diaspora and he was able only to prepare the precursory stages for the future observance of mitzvos. An example of this concept may be seen in the case of the Mishkan and future Bais HaMikdash. Moshe was commanded, “They shall make Me a sanctuary,” which of course referred to the Tabernacle in the desert, but it also included the first, second and ultimately, the third Bais HaMikdash. Yet he was always in the galus! Clearly while in the diaspora he laid the foundation and groundwork for the future redemption in the case of mitzvos as well as the Mishkan and Bais HaMikdash.
Thus, tonight’s Ushpizin add these aspects to the theme of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah and the preparation for the future revelation. For these aspects are strongly emphasized by tonight’s Ushpizin.
In addition to all the above regular aspects of this 4th day (majority, Chai Tishrei and Ushpizin), this year we may add the fact that we are in a leapyear and that the fourth day of Sukkos falls on a Thursday. The addition of the leap month this year, adds something special to the holiday of Sukkos and Simchas Bais HaShoeivah which is stressed on the fourth day.
The Alter Rebbe writes that each holiday radiates a special aura which lingers till the next festival. Obviously Sukkos must generate the strongest radiation, for it must last until Pesach — whereas Pesach’s aura lasts only till Shavuos and Shavuos till Sukkos. The influence of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah must be even stronger since there is nothing similar celebrated on the other festivals.
Since the leap month occurs in the period between Sukkos and Pesach, it follows that the influence of this Sukkos must be stronger, to last through an extra month till next Pesach — and that the theme of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah must this year be so powerful it will influence the coming 13 months!
Having established that the fourth day of Sukkos represents the majority and hence the entire holiday, it follows that on this day we attain the completeness and perfection of the supercharged Sukkos holiday of the “complete” leap year.
In today’s Chumash portion we learn the blessing for the tribes of Dan, Naftali and Asher. First and foremost let us analyze the common theme of the blessings of these three tribes for they are all included in the camp of Dan which was called the “gatherer (last) of all the camps.” This means that they effected unity and perfection in the Jewish camp, so much so, that Rashi tells us that the blessings enumerated in this section were actually designated for all of Israel.
Interestingly, tonight’s Ushpizin, Moshe and the Mitteler Rebbe, also placed much emphasis on unity and perfection among the Jews.
The purpose of the discussion is to lead to action, for “practice is the essential thing,” thus, the drawing from the lofty “wellsprings of deliverance” must crystallize into broad down-to-earth activity. In contemporary times the “wellsprings of deliverance” refer to the Divine service of prayer and Torah study in the synagogues and study halls which the Gemara explains:
“Every great man’s house”... a place where the Torah is magnified...the place where a prayer is magnified. (Megillah 27a)
In our case the “great man’s house” is the house of the previous Rebbe which is a “private domain” devoted to G‑d, the “One and Only of the world.”
All are endowed with this unity, men, women and children, by their participation in the joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah and especially as it expresses itself in dancing in the “public domain,” where even the Noachides assist in making the celebration honorable and beautiful.
Through these efforts we will reveal the “broad rivers” of the future life, when:
The L‑rd shall utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Mitzrayim; and with His scorching wind He shall shake His hand over the river, and shall smite it into seven streams. (Yeshayahu 11:15)
The “seven streams” represent the “broad rivers” of the future. This will lead to:
Yerushalayim shall be inherited like unwalled towns (greatly spread out). (Zechariah 2:8)
All this through unfettered joy, starting in the last days of the galus — when we will merit children, life and sustenance — all in abundance: health, prosperity and comfort.
And may we speedily see the period of the resurrection when the Sukkos guests too will rise led by Moshe, the Mitteler Rebbe and the Previous Rebbe and all together we, our elders and youth, sons and daughters will go to our Holy Land and to the Third Bais HaMikdash.
And we will carry with us all our completed and perfected Divine service and the additional joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah which will enable us to see the joy of the redemption:
Everlasting joy upon their heads, (Yeshayahu 35:10)
truly and speedily in our days, Amen.
