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From the Rabbi:
I hope everyone had a wonderful Yom Kippur and came out feeling uplifted, cleansed, and unburdened. Now it's time to party! Sukkot is known as "zman simchataynu," the time of our joy. While Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are Yom Tovim, they carry an overtone of judgement and therefore are hard to fully relax and let yourself just feel good. Sukkot on the other hand should feel like a party with your best friends. We invite the seven Ushpizin and essentially invite God to come party with us in the sukkah.
One main theme within the liturgy of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is God's Kingship. A parallel is often drawn between Purim and Yom Kippurim which can be translated quite literally as "a day like Purim." The parallel between Esther "going to the king's chamber unsummoned" and the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies is well established and easy to see. But what was Esther's actual request of The King? It wasn't yet to overturn Haman's evil decree or "my request is for my soul and my plea for my people" that comes later. Her one request was for the King to come party with her. So now, it's time for that party. And when the king is good and merry what does she ask for? Another day of partying! And only in the context of the two days of partying, of welcoming guests, only then do we make our request.
So sandwiched within the sukkah celebrations, the meals, the wine and the singing (full Hallel every day!) we have also the Hoshanot prayers, an ancient prophetic tradition akin to a shamanic rain-dance in which we take the king's 'golden scepter' which he extended us (the Lulav and Etrog) and dance with the king while making our heartfelt plea that the year be one of abundance, joy, health and peace.
And the King's response (Esther 8:8) :
"Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given over Haman’s power to Esther, and he has been 'hanged on The Tree' [of life - the Torah] for scheming against the Jews.
And you may further write with regard to the Jews as you see fit. [Write it] in the king’s name and seal it with the king’s signet, for an edict that has been written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet may not be revoked.”
Amen Amen, Kein Yehi Ratzon.
Chag Sameach!
Rabbi Shlomo
Classes This Week
NOTE: The Thursday evening class is paused until further notice.
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