Sukkah 52 - The nature of evil

The Talmud uses the following verse as the basis for separating men from women in the synagogue: "And the land shall mourn separately, the House of David and their wives." It then reasons: if in mourning they are separate, then on all other occasions, how much more so.

Then it wants to know, who do they mourn? Some say that it is the Messiah, the son of Joseph, who will come first before the Messiah son of David and be killed in battle. Others say that it is the desire to do evil that God will slaughter in the future. But if so, why mourn? - The righteous will cry when they recall how hard it was not to do evil - and they withstood. The unrighteous will cry at the thought that the evil was so easy to resist - and they did not.

Abbaye saw a man and a woman planning to go on the road early in the morning, and he decided to follow them and stop them from wrongdoing. After three miles, they parted with the words, "Nice travel, but short." Abbaye was upset because he knew that he would not resist wrongdoing in the same situation. A Sage came and consoled him with a rule: whoever is greater than his fellow, his desire to do wrong is stronger than that of his fellow.

What is the nature of evil? Is it external to a person or part of his make-up? At first, it is outside, as in "The spirit of wrongdoing led them aside." But after a while, it becomes part of their in-born nature, as in "the spirit or wrongdoing is within their midst."

Art: The Artist's Parents by Rafael Soyer

Sukkah 51 - The Water-Drawing Celebration

The water-drawing celebration on Sukkot was the pinnacle of joy. Whoever did not see it never saw rejoicing in his life. 

Down from the Temple Courtyard, separated from it by fifteen steps, was the Women's Courtyard. The women sat and watched from the second tier while the priests and the Levites prepared the illumination. They had a large golden candelabra with four golden bowls on each branch. The total amount of oil used amounted to 120 log measures or about 15 gallons. The wicks were made from the worn-out belts of the priestly garments. There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated from this light.

The righteous men would dance, with the torches in their hands, and sing songs and praises. The Levites came with their harps, lyres, cymbal, trumpets, and countless other instruments. There was a song for each step going down.

When they finally reached the gate, they would turn their faces towards the Temple Courtyards. Then they said, "Our forefathers turned their backs toward the Sanctuary and worshipped the sun, but as for us - our eyes are toward God (Yah)."

Art: David Playing the Harp by Jan de Bray

Sukkah 50 - Which is the essential part, vocal or instrumental?

The flute was played in the Temple during the nights of Sukkot. It served as a musical accompaniment before the drawing of the water for libation. Since it was not played on Shabbat or Festivals, sometimes it worked out to five days of flute playing and sometimes six.

But why was it not played on Shabbat? Indeed, there is an opinion that it was played on Shabbat. It all depends on whether the instrumental part is essential - and then flute music qualifies as Temple service, which should be done on Shabbat. Or whether the vocal part is essential - and then the flute is not played on Shabbat.

If we believe that the essence of the Temple musical service is instrumental, we can derive other laws from it. For example, the flute used in Moses' times was made of wood (based on the assumption that the wooden flute has the sweetest sound).  From here, it follows that all service vessels, such as the menorah, can be made of wood. Others would argue that the flute of Moses had to be made of wood and could not be made of metal. They say that you cannot take a situation where you are forced to do something and derive that you have to do it in other situations. Which logic is more correct? It is one of the unresolved questions in the Talmud.

Art: Boy playing the Flute by Judith Leyster

Sukkah 49 - Uncovered water

The mitzvah of the water libation was done in the following manner. There was a golden vessel with a capacity of three lugin (between half a liter to a liter), which they filled from a freshwater spring outside of the Old City of Jerusalem. They would blow the trumpets and pour the wine into its bowl and the water into its bowl. The water bowl had a thinner spout so that both water and wine would pour out in the same amount of time.

The bowls were situated at the left corner of the Altar going up, and the wine was poured from there into the deep ducts. The priest would go down into the ducts once in seventy years, bring up the congealed wine, and burn it. Others say that the ducts were there from the beginning of creation, and no cleaning was needed. The hint to this is in the Song of Song, "Your concealed thighs are the work of a master craftsman." From here, Talmud learns that Torah study and good deeds are to be done in private.

The water used for libation cannot stay overnight and cannot be left uncovered. In general, uncovered water should not be used because snakes may drink from it. Here, even using a filter would not help because of the idea that if you would not present something to a ruler, you would, of course, not do it for God.

Art: The Art of Painting (detail) by Johannes Vermeer

Sukkah 48 - A quick repartee

Earlier, we said that many mitzvot on Sukkot last for seven or even eight days. For example, rejoicing goes on for eight days, and it is expressed with thanksgiving prayers (Hallel), eating (ideally, sacrifices), and drinking. The source for this is the phrase, "And you will be only happy." There is a rule that the word "only" comes to emphasize something at the expense of the other. What is it? - The eighth night of the festival is included in the joy of the previous seven days.

A certain heretic whose name was Sasson (rejoicing) said to Rabbi Abahu, "In the future, the Jewish nation will be drawing water for me." He quoted the phrase from Isaiah, "You will draw water with rejoicing (Sasson)."

Rabbi Abahu answers, "If it said, for Sasson, you may be right. But since it says with Sasson, the skin of that person (you) will be made into a flask and be used for water drawing."

Art: Still Life with Four Stone Bottles, Flask and White Cup by Van Gogh

Sukkah 47 - Pezer Keshev

There are seven days in the Holiday of Sukkot, and day number eight is also a Holiday, called "The eighth day," or Shemini Atzeret. There are many reasons why the eighth day continues the first seven. There are also many reasons why it doesn't.

The conclusion, however, is that the eighth day is an independent Holiday, for six reasons, abbreviated as "Pezer Keshev."

P (payis) - lottery. During the previous seven days, the priests had a rotation system to allow every priest to bring a bull sacrifice - because the sacrifices were numerous. On day number eight, they would return to drawing lots for the right to perform the sacrifice.

Z (zman) - time. A new time blessing, "Thank you for allowing us to live to this time," was said.

R (regel) - festival. It is a different festival when one does not dwell in a sukkah.

K (korban) - sacrifice. The sacrifices for this day were different from Sukkot and fewer in number.

Sh (shirah) - song. The Levites sang a different song.

V (brachah) - blessing. The Holiday is mentioned by a different name in the prayers. Some say this refers to a special blessing for the king that the people said to commemorate King Solomon, whom the people blessed on the eighth day of the First Temple.

Art: The Queen of Sheba Meeting with Solomon by Piero della Francesca

Sukkah 46 - A full cup

Rabbi Zeira said, "Observe how human properties differ from God's. In the human world, an empty cup can receive liquid, but a full one cannot. But in the spiritual world, only a person who already has a certain measure of Torah knowledge in him - only he can receive more." What is the proof? The Torah said, "And it will be that if you listen, then you will listen." That is, if you listened before, then you will listen more.

A young child can acquire things but cannot legally give them to others. This is due to a combination of Torah law and later decrees. Therefore, one should not give the lulav to a young child on the first day of Sukkot before he has fulfilled the mitzvah of the lulav himself. Otherwise, the child may acquire the lulav but will be unable to legally give it back. As a result, the father will be doing the mitzvah with a lulav that does not belong to him, and one must own the lulav.

Art: A Cup of Water and a Rose by Francisco de Zurbarán

Sukkah 45 - Willow (aravah)

As we mentioned earlier, the willow (aravah) was a special law taught to Moses on Sinai but never written down in the Torah. Nevertheless, it has many details. What are they?

There was a low-lying place near Jerusalem called Motza. It had many willows there, and the court agents would gather willow branches (aravah.) The priest would stand the willow branches at the sides of the Altar, and their tips would bend over the top of the Altar. They would also blow trumpets as a sign of joy. 

On the first six days of the Holiday, they would circle the Altar once and say, "Please, God, save us! Please, God, bring us success!" On the seventh day, they circled around the Altar seven times. When they were leaving, they said, "We prepared this beauty for you, Altar!"

On the seventh day, the adults would grab the lulav from the children and grab and eat the etrogs. The children did not mind because it was a sign of joy. Others translate this phrase differently: the children were throwing the lulav down and eating the etrogs. The intent was the same - to show the joy of completing the mitzvah.

Art: Still Life with Lemon and Cut Glass, Mariretha van Os

Sukkah 44 - Ten saplings, willow, and water

Ten saplings, willow, and water are laws never written down in the Torah, representing rules taught to Moses on Sinai. What do they mean?

Every seventh year in Israel, there is Shmita – no plowing or harvesting is allowed (there are different opinions on how it applies nowadays). Moreover, one should stop plowing his field thirty days before Shmita. Ten saplings, however, are an exception. If his field has ten saplings per 2,500 square feet, he can continue plowing until the beginning of Shmita because the saplings will die without this plowing.

As we explained before, the willow branch (aravah) was waved only by the priests in the Temple.

The water libation was performed on all seven days of Sukkot. It accompanied the morning sacrifice in the Temple. Usually, wine was poured during the sacrifice, and the Levites would start a song. But on Sukkot, the water was poured in addition to that, and it generated unheard of excitement.

Art: The Harvesters by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Sukkah 43 - How many days?

Sometimes, the Talmud enumerates various possibilities of the Holidays falling on different days of the week and the resulting count of the mitzvot for the Holiday. For example, the mitzvah of the Sukkot bunch (lulav) could be done for either six or seven days. How so? Since the Holiday of Sukkot lasts for seven days, there invariably will be a Shabbat during Sukkot. However, when this Shabbat coincides with the first day of Sukkot, they would wave the lulav on that day, even on Shabbat. In other cases, the mitzvah of lulav would be done for only six days. And again, this was only when the Temple was standing. Today, people never wave the lulav on Shabbat.

In addition to the lulav, which is waved by every Israelite, there was a separate willow branch (aravah) that only the priests were required to take. With this aravah in their hands, they would circle the Altar. This aravah is special in that it is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah. There were always schools that taught that whatever is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah but is taught from teacher to student is not true. To emphasize that the aravah was true, it was allowed even on Shabbat, when this Shabbat coincided with the last day of Sukkot.

Art: Pollard Willows and Setting Sun by Vincent van Gogh

Sukkah 42 - The love for the lulav

Every day during Sukkot, one should take the Sukkot bunch and wave it. Shabbat is an exception: if one carries it to a Sage to learn the details, he will violate Shabbat, so there is a decree not to touch it at all.

That is today. However, in the time of the Temple, they would take their lulav (that's how the bunch is called for short, by the name of the most prominent species) even on Shabbat. To accomplish it, they would bring it to the synagogue before the Holiday, and in the morning, each would recognize his lulav and take it into his hands. In fact, the people of Jerusalem would never put the lulav down, all the time that it was possible, out of their love for the mitzvah.

After one has waved his lulav, he can put it back into the vase, which is not prohibited because of the law of Shabbat or Holiday. When a child can wave a lulav, he should be taught to do it. In fact, a child is gradually taught to do a mitzvah once he is ready. When he knows how to talk, the father should teach him Torah. What phrase should he teach first? "The Torah that Moses commanded is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob."

Art: Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam by Emanuel de Witte

Sukkah 32

The Sukkot bundle includes the following species: citron, palm, myrtle, and willow. Each student saw his teacher doing this, and the Talmud had no doubt about the species. Even though it was therefore known by tradition, the Talmud tries to derive the exact specification from the words of the Torah. For example, could one use clusters of dates (palm fruit) instead of palm branches and wave these? In every case, it confirms the species using the spelling of the species name or the idea that it should be nice and beautiful and cannot be poisoned or prickly.

The myrtle twig (hadas) has the same requirements as the lulav: it cannot be stolen or dried out. The myrtle has a plaited (braided) appearance, and it should maintain its looks. If leaves fall off it and it loses its looks, it is invalid. It may also have berries growing it, which is OK. However, if the berries outnumber the leaves, it is invalid. One can take the berries off, and it will become valid again. However, taking the berries off is not allowed on the Holiday itself because it "fixes" the myrtle and makes it valid. What if one went ahead nevertheless and took the berries off on the Holiday? Can it now be used? The reader is invited to advance arguments for and against.

Art: Myrtle in a lobed-footed vase by Tomas Hiepes

Sukkah 31 - Stolen sukkah

Having just discussed performing the mitzvah with a stolen branch, let us think of what happens when one steals the sukkah of his fellow and dwells in it. Does that mitzvah count for him? 

How does one steal the sukkah? He does it by evicting his fellow out of it and then sitting there. Alternatively, he can build his sukkah on public land, thus stealing it from the public.

The land is different from movable objects because usually, we say that it cannot be stolen. Someone may occupy it, but the owner still hopes to eventually get it back, so effectively, one does not steal the land but squats on it. Rabbi Eliezer says that the mitzvah does not count because the sukkah should belong to you, just as the lulav. The Sages argue and say that there is no requirement that the sukkah belongs to you; you can sit in the sukkah of your fellow.

This is different from stealing the wood to make the sukkah. A certain elderly lady came to Rav Nachman and said that a group of powerful people stole her wood and are sitting in a stolen sukkah. He told her that all she can claim is the cost of the wood but that the sukkah is theirs. This has to do with another law. If one steals a beam and builds it into his house, there is an additional enactment that he does not have to return the beam because it would mean destroying the house. This was enacted to benefit the people who would repent and want to return the stolen goods - but not destroy the house. Now, this enactment worked against the lady. Rav Nachman told the students, "She is just a crier."

Art: Opportunity makes the thief by Paul-Charles Chocarne-More

Sukkah 30 - Good deed performed through a bad one

On Sukkot, people must wave a bunch of branches. One of these is a palm branch (lulav.) However, if he stole his lulav, it is not kosher, and he has not fulfilled his obligation.

Why is that? Since the Torah said, "You shall take for yourself, on the first day of Sukkot holiday, palms tree branches," they should belong to yourself. And stolen branch does not belong to the thief. However,  this only resolves the matter for the first day. What about the second day?

Rabbi Shimon, the author of the Zohar, gives the rule: it would be a good deed brought about through transgression, which is not valid. But why is this so? Why not say that the end justifies the means? It is because of this: "You bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick animal - shall I accept it?" Just as lame cannot be fixed, so stolen is forever disqualified. 

But let's analyze this further. The thief steals the goods. The owner has not given up and hopes to get them back. At this time, the object does not belong to the owner, and a mitzvah that should be done with one's own object is invalid. But later, when the owner despairs, the object belongs to the thief! And yet, Rabbi Shimon declares it invalid. This tells us that one cannot do a good deed through transgression.

This opinion is not unanimous. Shmuel disagrees and says that it depends on the situation. He says that just as you can borrow a lulav and thus make it yours for performing the commandment, so is the stolen lulav valid starting from the second day of Sukkot and later.

Art:  The Cunning Thief by Paul-Charles Chocarne-Moreau

Sukkah 29 - Permanent temporary dwelling

The sukkah is intended as a temporary dwelling: it is shaky and not too strong; it lets in sun and rain. However, its residents must behave as if it were their permanent home for the seven days of the festival. How do they show it? If he has nice vessels, he should bring them to the sukkah. Nice clothing? - Bring them to the sukkah. In general, he should eat, drink, and relax in the sukkah.

One cannot deny, however, that sukkah is not conducive to deep concentration. Where should he study, inside or outside? For things that are easy or already understood - he can review them in the sukkah. For hard things, he can go learn them at home.

If it begins to rain, he should persist. However, once there is enough rain to cause discomfort, he can leave. What is called discomfort? When his porridge is ruined because of the rain. 

When we are all ready for the sukkah and it rains - what can this be compared to? To a slave who came to pour wine for his master (and wine was usually diluted with water,) but the master took this water and poured it in his face.

Art: The drunk violinist by Gerrit van Honthorst

Sukkah 28 - All Israel can use one sukkah

Another mitzvah of Sukkot is "waving the branches" - the palm branches, citron, and so on. One should own them at the time of waving because the requirement is "take for yourself." Could it be that one should own the sukkah as well? - No, all Israelites can sit in one sukkah because it says, "All the natives in Israel will sit in a Sukkah," that is, they can sit in one sukkah.

The sukkah should be big enough to contain his head and most of the body, but the table can stay outside. The School of Shammai disagrees: the table must be inside, or else he might be drawn after it and eat outside the sukkah. Now they bring evidence. The Sages from both schools once visited Rabbi Yochanan ben HaChoranit and found him sitting in a sukkah with the table outside and said nothing. But they disagree about this evidence: the School of Shammai says that the Sages spoke up and told him, "If this is how you always conducted yourself, you never fulfilled this mitzvah in your life!'

Art: The Palm by Pierre-Auguste Renoir