Success is a Lifelong Effort
Our liturgy declares
the holiday of Succos to be the “z’man simchaseinu”, the Time of our Gladness.
It is readily understood why Pesach is called the Time of our Freedom and
Shavuos is the Time of Receiving the Torah. Our Sages offer numerous
interpretations of the designation given Succos. One of the more common
explanations is the climactic role of Succos and Simchas Torah in the Tishrei
holiday season. We have devoted the previous two weeks to the recognition of
G-d’s dominion over the entirety of creation on Rosh Hashanah, the
introspection and self-correction of the Ten Days of Repentance and the
cleansing and rededication to G-d’s way on Yom Kippur. We now enter Succos, the
opportunity to focus on the basic blessings with which G-d showers us daily. We
are elated in our recognition and appreciation of both His protection, as
demonstrated by our leaving our “secure” homes for unfortified, temporary
Succah booths, and his gift of water, which is the focus of the Simchas Beis
HaSho’evah (the Celebration of the Drawing of Water, a service that was
practiced in the Bais HaMikdash/Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which is commemorated
on the second day of Succos), the special Hoshanah Rabah supplications on the
seventh day of Succos, and the Prayer for Rain on Shmini Atzeres. One who has
truly grown closer to G-d through the reflective process of Rosh Hashanah/Yom
Kippur possesses the faith to experience pure joy in the realization of G-d’s
love demonstrated in these simple, yet most essential, gifts.
The pinnacle of our ecstasy is our celebration of the Divine
gift which continues to define us as a nation, the Torah. Simchas Torah, as
part of the Shmini Atzeres celebration, is actually a holiday separate from
Succos, with no species to wave, no Succah to sit in. We are left with one
focus: the Torah remains as G-d’s revelation of His commitment to the Jewish
people and our guidebook in how to express our commitment to Him. We celebrate
that each of us has a share in the Torah, and it is through the maximization of
the potential of that share that we forge a stronger bond with our Creator.
Yet, it is at this
moment when we are flying highest that the Torah sends us a sobering, grounding
message not to take all of this potential energy for granted. The highlight of
the Simchas Torah morning service is the completion of the Five Books of Moses
with the reading of the final two chapters of Devarim/Deuteronomy and the
immediate launching of the new cycle of Torah reading with the first 34 verses
of Beraishis/Genesis. The closing of Devarim is the final events of the final
day of Moshe’s life: his blessing of the Jewish people and his death and
mourning. “So Moshe, servant of G-d, died there in the Land of Moav…” (34:5)
This is the first and only time that Moshe is called the “servant of G-d”. In
the first verse of the portion he is called a “man of G-d”. For forty years,
throughout the last four books of the Bible, Moshe is the bearer of the word of
G-d and its teacher to the Children of Israel. A few verses later (10) the Torah
itself testifies that “Never again has there risen in Israel a prophet like
Moshe, whom G-d had known face to face.” Moshe had a familiarity with G-d, an
ability to request “an audience”, that no other prophet has ever enjoyed. Why
is he now first called G-d’s servant?
Rabbeinu Bachya
(1263-1340; author of Biblical commentary containing four modes of
interpretation: plain meaning of the text, and midrashic, philosophical and
kabbalistic exegesis) explains that the term servant is really most
appropriate, since a servant accompanies his master into the innermost chambers
of the residence and is always in his presence. But the Medrash on Psalms
explains that G-d never calls the righteous “holy” until their deaths, because
throughout their time in this world they are hounded by their Yetzer Hara (evil
inclination) and G-d does not trust them until they die.
Moshe Rabbeinu, our
teacher Moshe, the mortal who spent forty days and nights on Mount Sinai
without food or drink to receive the Torah for the Jewish people, who time and
time again beseeched G-d on the people’s behalf, who had to wear a veil to
shield the public from the radiance of his face following his meeting with G-d,
who spent the last five weeks of his life, the entire Book of Devarim, trying
to cajole the Jewish nation to fortify itself in the service of G-d, who
moments earlier was called “a man of G-d”…G-d did not trust him to be called a
true “servant of G-d” until after his demise, until after he could positively
claim victory in his lifelong battle with his evil inclination. Who are we to
be sure of our footing as we climb our way to higher heights in our
relationship with the Almighty?
It has been a wonderful
season of growth throughout these past weeks. As we head into the final days,
as the z’man simchaseinu comes to a thunderous climax with our final days in
the Succah, our prayers for our simple life source called water, our
celebration of our share in the spiritual life source called the Torah, let us
capture the energy of these days to catapult us to soar ever higher as true
“servants” of G-d.
Have a good Yom Tov.
Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel Center for
Jewish Studies 5007 West Keefe Avenue; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 414-447-7999
Tough Love
The final words of
Moshe to the Jewish people in this week’s Torah reading are those of blessings
and prophetic hope. Moshe, who certainly had much cause to remember the Jewish
people in a contrary mood, is most magnanimous in taking leave of them. After
his long oration that constitutes most of chumash Dvarim, which contains many
harsh words and stinging criticisms of the behavior, past and future, of the
Jewish people, Moshe reverts and blesses his people with the love of a father
and teacher.
In his blessings, Moshe recognizes the different talents and
personalities of each of the tribes. Each one has a specific role to fulfill in
Jewish life. Judaism is not a one-size-fits-all religion. Rather, it recognizes
differences of attitudes and personalities and attempts to unite these
different people into a whole nation under the direction and observance of
Torah precepts and values. Moshe’s words are a clear example of this goal and
methodology.
But the outstanding
feature of Moshe’s blessings is that they are suffused with his love for
Israel. Love many times is an uncontrollable emotion, perhaps even more so at
the end of one’s life. V’Zot Habracha is therefore a love song of Moshe to the
Jewish people. All of the preceding words of Moshe in chumash Dvarim are
examples of what today is called “tough love.” V’zot Habracha is an example of
emotional, passionate, almost unreasoning love. That is what makes V’Zot
Habracha the most fitting Torah reading for Simchat Torah, for it is Moshe’s
love for Israel that fuels Israel’s love for Torah.
V’Zot Habracha should
really be the saddest of all of the parshiyot of the Torah since it records
Moshe’s passing from life in this world. But the Jewish people revel in joy on
the day when this parsha is read. For Moshe has stood the test of time. The
whole world studies his words and deals with the value system that he taught
Israel. And his blessings to his people remain as vital and encouraging today
as on the day that they were first given.
Judaism measures people and ideas in a long-run view. Those
that still are pertinent and necessary after many generations are seen as being
truly successful in their life’s mission. Thus the celebration of Moshe’s Torah
that the holiday of Simchat Torah represents and commemorates is what validates
Moshe’s life work. The Torah states that Moshe’s “eye did not dim nor did his
vitality disappear.”
The Netziv in his commentary to Torah states that this was
true about Moshe even after his death. It is true about him as long as Jews
study Torah and are faithful to Moshe’s vision and directives. Moshe remains
the supreme teacher of the Jewish people, our mentor and guide in all matters.
If we see him in this light then we can rejoice in celebrating his Torah and
his life achievement. And therefore Moshe’s blessings are not only fulfilled
regarding Israel but they rebound regarding Moshe himself.
Shabat shalom.
Chag sameach.
Rabbi Berel Wein
Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author and international lecturer offers a
complete selection of CDs, audio tapes, video tapes, DVDs, and books on Jewish
history at www.rabbiwein.com
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