by Feiga Werner
Grade 12, Ulpanat Orot
There are three festivals during the Jewish year in which all the Jews, together, would make a pilgrimage to the Temple, namely Jerusalem, Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot. Rav Chanoch Ehrentreu, in his work Kometz Hamincha, teaches that each of these three festivals corresponds to core beliefs of Judaism and he explains that Sukkot cements the notion that G-d is intimately and personally involved in the life of each person.
As per tradition, holidays have special commandments and emotions ascribed to them. During Sukkot, we are commanded to shake the four species, comprising the etrog, lulav, hadasim, and aravot, as well as to rejoice and celebrate. Rabbi Rozvansky, in his book Sefer Shmuel, identifies an attachment between these seemingly unrelated topics. The four species symbolize the Jewish nation: what one lacks, another supplies. We complete each other. Rabbi Rozovsky elucidates that when the Jewish nation is unified, we are able to have lasting joy.
I believe that tying this idea together with Rabbi Ehrentreu’s forms a beautiful lesson. Through understanding the fact that G-d involves Himself with each individual, we are able to develop a greater appreciation for our fellow man. The Almighty, the same G-d who created all the complexities and intricacies of the universe, determined that the world would be incomplete without this individual. Internalizing this will organically foster goodwill towards others, sensitivity, and kindness, and will dissolve any barriers of negative judgmental attitude and arrogance one may have towards another, which interfere with our ability to understand one another and to exercise compassion. After all, our emotional and spiritual development that are major gateways towards attaining wisdom and even happiness in this life are tied to this growth and nurturance of our G-d given capacities. May we be zocheh to achieve the wisdom, through humility and understanding, compassion and chesed, to be able to rise high to judge others favourably and may we be looked upon and judged favourably as well and signed in the book of life.
