From an email:
“Brilliance without prayer is like a car with four flat tires. It might be a truly fine vehicle, but it isn’t going anywhere.”
SHALOOOMMMMM SWEEEETEST FRIENDS!!!!!!!!
I was thinking [a very rare occurrence for me] - what is everyone doing these days? In Israel, there is a State mandated "seger" - meaning closed. You are caught too far from your home - pay up! Fines for this - fines for that! I am not "fine" with that. I prefer to spend my millions money on less important things like shoes for my children and groceries, so I am keeping the rules. I am also keeping them b/c I want to remain healthy.
[A young man met a cowboy who was 104, still active and in good health. He asked the old-timer what the secret was to his longevity.
The old man said, "You gotta sprinkle a little gunpowder on your oatmeal every morning see. If you do, you'll live to a nice, ripe old age."
So the young man did this religiously every day for the rest of his life, and sure enough, lived to the age of 100.
When he died he left behind 6 children, 19 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren...and a 16 foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.]
Eventually, I am going to die so I would like to enjoy my stay while I am here... So I put up a sign outside my home - "CLOSED"!!!
[If I keep stress-eating at this level, the buttons on my shirt will start socially distancing from each other.]
What then am I and others who are also cooped up at home doing instead of fulfilling mitzvas ha-chag by going on "aliyah la-regel" to six flags with all the other Jews?
[Being quarantined with a talkative child is like having an insane parrot glued to your shoulder].
Solution!! A Succos-Torah email!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! לולא תורתך שעשועי אז אבדתי בעניי. [A pasuk from tehillim that was made famous by a singing rabbi that basically means "Torah is AWESOME"].
Every day we say "Hoshanos". Literally "saviors" or "savings". We cry to be saved. This is the holiday of salvation. How TIMELY!!!! We could ALL use some yeshua. We already see this alluded to in psukim. אודך השם כי עניתני - I thank you Hashem for having afflicted me. Affliction? That sounds like Yom Kippur where the Torah says "ועניתם את נפשותים" we must afflict ourselves. The pasuk continues ותהי לי לישועה - and You SAVED me!!!! THAT is Sukkos [or "Sukkot" if you prefer].
Another pasuk "הראינו ה' חסדך" Show us Your chesed. That alludes to Sukkah. The word Sukkah means, literally, to see [Megilla 14a]. SHOW us your chesed that we should see it. That is the Sukkah where there is one must SEE the schach [Sukkah 2a] and we remember the chesed Hashem showed us by surrounding us with His clouds of glory. Or another pasuk עין בעין נראה אתה השם ועננך עומד. We saw with our eyes these clouds of glory. The pasuk continues וישעך תתן לנו. And give us Your salvation. That refers to the 4 species, as the pasuk says ולקחתם לכם - You should "take" the 4 species b/c they were given to us as a "gift" from Hashem. This salvation is a gift. Chazal compare the 4 species to weapons that we go out with after being victorious in the judgment of R"H and Yom Kippur. Hashem SAVED us!!!
Hoshana Rabba is called "יום ערבה" - The day of the Arava. Chazal tell us that the Arava is similar to a mouth and symbolizes prayer. On the last day of Sukkos we say "Hashem, we are going to put down our other species that have either taste and/or smell and hold on to the tasteless smelless Arava." We will drop all pretension of importance or worthiness and PRAY!! THAT brings a HOSHANA RABBA - a GREAT salvation. The Arava symbolizes the most simple Jew. The one who lacks Torah and good deeds. But it doesn't really matter now. He DAVENS!! And we, who might think [correctly] that we are filled Torah and good deeds join the simple Jews and cry out from the depths of our heart.
SWEETEST FRIENDS!!! Let's not be embarrassed. When you say Hoshanos for the rest of Sukkos - SCREAM!!! HOOOOOSHAAAANNNAAAAAAA!!! Only you can save us. Not Refael [new name since the diagnosis] Donald John [Doniel Yonason] ben Mary Anne [Miriam Chana]. Not Sleepy R' Yossi from Delaware. Not even Kayne West [although I WOULD like to see him do a kumzitz with Simcha Leiner]. Not Dr. Anothony Faucci or the Israeli Corona czar Dr. Roni Gam Zu Li-tova [that was his family's original name. They later dropped the "Li-tova". Bad move in my opinion...:-)].
ONLLLLLLYYYY HASHHHEEEEMMMM. I have read a ton about what DOESN'T work but not a solution to completely open up and also be sure that everyone remain healthy. There is only One solution and it is not presently available on earth.
HOSHAAANNAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
May we merit to have all of our tefillios answered and may the KOL KOL YAAKOV reverberate everywhere.
Bi-ahava rabba
Me
[Based on the Sfas Emes]
חכמינו ז"ל קבעו לומר הושענות בימים הללו. ודברי חכמים כדרבונות לרמז בכל עת היפה בעתו. כי ימים הללו נקראו ימי ישועה. וכתיב אודך כי עניתני הוא בימים נוראים יוהכ"פ ועניתם את נפשותיכם. עי"ז ותהי לי לישועה בחג הסוכות. וכתיב הראנו ה' חסדך הוא הסוכה. וישעך תתן לנו הלולב ומיניו. כדכתיב ולקחתם שהיא מתנה מהבורא ית' שיכולין לדבק באלה המצות שמהם בא הישועה. בחסדך בטחתי הוא הסוכה. יגל לבי בישועתך הוא במינים הללו דכתיב ולקחתם כו' ושמחתם כו'. ויום הושענא רבה יום הערבה שמרמז לפה. וכתיב הרחב פיך שבעת גאולה וישועה צריכין להרבות בתחנונים להיות נושע תשועת עולמים. וזה החן שיש להבורא ית' גם בדומין לערבה לא טעם ולא ריח רק ע"י הכנעה להתפלל לפניו ית'. וכחן של ישראל בפה כמ"ש מתגאה בירושתו הקול קול יעקב שקולן ערב לפניו ית'. אמנם העיקר החן על אותן שיש להם טעם וריח. ואעפ"י כן ע"י האגודה ביחד שמכניס עצמו לכלל ישראל ומדבק עצמו בערבה. על ידי שיודע שיותר יכול להיות נושע בתפלה מבכח מעשיו. לכן הניחו חכמים כל המינים ואחזו רק בערבה. וע"ז נאמר אדם ובהמה כו' שערומין בדעת ועושים עצמן כבהמה לפני הבורא יתברך
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