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Sukkos: Understanding The Ushpizin

By R' Shaya Gross, z'l

Posted on 09/24/15

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633

[Ed. Note] Out of the respect and recognition of the impact made by longtime BJL friend and contributor, Reb Shaya Gross, z’l, we will maintain a living memoriam to Shaya through the sweet words and thoughtful insights of  his Divrei Torah. BJL readers will remember his weekly column on the Parsha and on various Torah ideas and concepts. These meaningful words will help us remember this special young man who will be sorely missed and for those who did not merit to know him, this will be the most appropriate way for them to become familiar with who he was.


The seven days of Sukkos correspond to the seven Ushpizin; Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, & Dovid.  Each of these Ushpizin personify one of the seven Midos; Chesed,  Gevurah,  Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, & Malchus. I believe that when we welcome on a nightly basis these Ushpizin into our Sukka we should try that night [& day] to focus and work on the mida of that Ushpizin so that he will truly feel welcome in our Sukka, and so that we connect more to Hashem via that Mida...


For the first two nights of Sukkos, here is some discussion about the first two midos, Chesed & Gevurah, corresponding to Avraham & Yitzchak. I will b.n. try during Chol Hamoeid to send out discussions on the Midos of the Ushpizin that correspond to Chol Hamoeid… 


DAY 1


Avraham represents Chesed, loving kindness, which used in the proper way is to be kind and caring to others. The Medrash says that Hashem told Avraham, 'bicha chosmin' ‘with you I will finish'. There are a number of explanations for what that means. Here are two.


 1. In Ikvesa Dimashicha, [the last period in Galus before Moshiach comes], Klal Yisroel will be involved in and emulating the Midah of Avraham, i.e. the Mida of Chesed.  Look around at all the beautiful organizations involved in Chesed that shows how true this is; Vaad harabonim, Kupat Hair, Mitzva Motivators!, Hatzala, Chaveirim, Shomrim, Bonei olam, Cchf, Aish, Project Inspire,  Bikur Cholim, countless others, countless askanim, and Gemach’s for just about everything under the sun.


 The Mishna in Avos states the world stands on three things, Torah, Avodah, and Gemilas Chasadim. The Meforshim tell us that in regards to Torah we are so far removed from the genuine Torah greatness of the Rishonim and surely of the Amoraim and Tanaim... And also the second pillar Avodah, we are so far removed from the great Gedolim of just the past few hundred years and surely of generations before that. BUT the last thing-CHESED- is something that even in this day and age we can truly emulate. With this the Gra explains why we at the end of Shemoneh Esray in the Yehi Ratzon, we only daven for the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash in order that we will be able to truly have a portion in Torah and Avodah, but we don’t daven that then we will be able to fulfill Chesed properly, because Chesed is something we are able to truly excel in even NOW in Galus!


This explanation of the Mishna also answers a question that bothered me for a while.


We know that Torah corresponds to Yaakov Avinu, Avodah corresponds to Yitzchak Avinu, and Chesed corresponds to Avraham Avinu. So why is the Mishna in the wrong chronological order???


Maybe the answer is along the lines of what we just said. That since the midos of Yitzchak and Yaakov [Avodah, and Torah] are things that we are so far removed from and only Avraham’s midah of Chesed can we truly excel in, so the Mishna put it last since Acharon Acharon Chaviv [the last is most precious]. Or on a little different vein, when we are reading the Mishna and want to take a lesson from it, so if it was first, then by the time we finished the Mishna we may forget it or get distracted, so the one that we can truly emulate the Mishna put last, in order that we can remember it to apply it to our daily lives.


2. Another explanation in ‘bicha chosmin’ is that in Ikvesa Dimashicha, the war[s] & tension will be between the descendants of Avraham's two children i.e. Yitzchak and Yishmael. As we see taking place in our time, the radical Islamists like Iran, Hamas, and many others, terrorizing Yidden in Eretz Yisroel and across the world.


Perhaps we can put the two explanations about Ikvisa dimashicha together. Emulating the positive side of Avraham's midah of Chesed, i.e.  helping and loving OTHERS, and not Chas Vishalom the negative aspect of Chesed , i.e. indulging ONESELF in immorality, will give us the strength and ability to overcome these wicked descendants of Yishmael, and merit the coming of Moshiach.


May we all try on this first night of Sukkos to truly be warm, caring and kind people.  May that help us neutralize the threat from Iran and all the rest of the enemies of Klal Yisroel.


DAY 2


Yitzchaks mida is Gevurah, being very strict, careful, and exacting, in his relationship with G-d. Yitzchak corresponds to the Mitzva of Avodah [prayer], which is the mida between man and G-d. Yitzchak specialized in a direct and real relationship with Hashem. In fact it says by Yitzchak that he went out 'lasuach bisadeh', to 'talk to Hashem in the field’. The root of this word, lasuach, is 'seecha', which generally refers to chatter talk or in yeshivisha terms,‘shmoozing’. The Pasuk is teaching us that Yitzchak's shmoozing was with Hashem! That he had such a real direct relationship with Hashem that even his regular shmoozing was with Hashem. This can explain why Rivka fell off the camel, when she saw him in the field conversing with Hashem, as she was so in awe to see someone who had such a genuine direct relationship with Hashem. [I heard most of the above concerning Yitzchak from my dear friend Rav Yonah YITZCHAK Sklare!]


Perhaps this is why Mincha is the one tefila of the day where one can just begin Shemoneh Esray, without any lengthy preparations. By both Shacharis and Maariv we have Kriyas Shema and Brachos before Shemoneh Esray, and we are forbidden to talk before starting Shemoneh Esray, even to remind people to say Mashiv Haruach and the like. By Mincha though, one is allowed to talk before starting Shemoneh Esray and there is no lengthy preparation.


Why?


Perhaps because Mincha corresponds to Yitzchak Avinu, so Mincha time we can tap into Yitzchak's strength of being so connected to Hashem, that we can go straight into the tefila. We don’t need any introductions and Brachos to get us into the tefila mode that we are about to start talking to Hashem, because as descendants of Yitzchak we have his strength at this time of day to go straight into a conversation with Hashem!


May we all work today, the second day of Sukkos, in emulating Yitzchak in being very careful and exacting in our performance of Mitzvos, and try to develop a closer connection to Hashem via tefila, whether in our formal davening or just talking to him throughout the day thanking him for all that he does for us and asking for help in tough situations…