English translation — אמור ב

1.

On the verse¹

(near the end of the section of the Festivals)

"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the Lord," it says in Torat Kohanim: "What does Scripture teach²

Because it is stated³

'In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days,' and I do not know if [these are] the first seven or the last seven. When it says 'and on the fifteenth⁴

day of the seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the Lord,' these are the first seven and not the last seven."

learn the plain meaning,

that the question of Torat Kohanim "What does Scripture teach etc." is — why does it say in this verse the expression "Festival of <b>Sukkot</b>"⁶,

since in the verses it says only the command of

"A holy convocation, no work of labor shall you do" and the festival offerings,

and the command regarding dwelling in the sukkah appears only later at the end of the portion — should have stood "the festival of seven days etc."

(without the word "of Sukkot")⁷?

On this the Toras Kohanim explains,

"Because it is said etc.": Since the verse "In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days" appears at the end of the portion after it says earlier in the verse "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month etc. you shall celebrate the festival of the Lord for seven days"⁸,

one would not know whether the verse "In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days" means the same seven days of the festival

("the first seven",

beginning from the fifteenth of the month)

about which the verse speaks earlier,

or that the seven days of dwelling in the sukkah must come separately,

<b>after</b> the "festival of the Lord for seven days"

("the last seven",

beginning from the day after the seven days).

Therefore it says immediately at the beginning of the parshah "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month this month, the festival of &lt;b&gt;Sukkot &lt;/b&gt;seven days",

which reveals that the "In sukkot you shall dwell seven days" is in the time of the seven days of the festival,

which begins "On the fifteenth day of the month"].

B.

From the plain meaning of the homily in Torat Kohanim it appears superficially,

that the commandment "In sukkot you shall dwell seven days" is not

Connected with the essence of the festival⁹

and with the remaining matters of the festival

(which is brought out immediately after this in the first verses "On the first day a holy convocation, no work of labor shall you do; seven days you shall bring a fire-offering to the Lord")¹⁰

and also not with the commandment of taking the four species

(which the Torah connects with the festival¹¹)

— therefore the initial assumption is that "In sukkot you shall dwell seven days"

is not at the same time as the festival and its commandments mentioned above

The Torah only lets hear,

by adding the word "the Sukkot",

that in practice the "festival of Sukkot" is in the time "seven days to God" which begin "on the fifteenth day of the seventh month".

One cannot, however, learn thus,

because from the very thing that the Torah announces the time of "in Sukkot you shall dwell"

(not through another manner,

but)

through that which the "seven days to God" she calls "&lt;b&gt;the festival of Sukkot&lt;/b&gt;",

it is understood,

that the commandment of dwelling in the sukkah is not only applicable in the time of the festival,

but that it has a connection and is bound with the essence of the festival&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;

and its matters&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;.

Moreover: since this

So the name of the holiday is understood,

that this is

(as with every name in which it expresses itself)

the content and essence of the holiday¹⁴.

According to this, however, one must understand:

a)

Why in the command "In sukkot you shall dwell seven days" is there no emphasis in the verse — not even by merely saying "In sukkot you shall dwell <b>the</b> seven <b>the</b> days" — that one should know that these are the seven days of the festival mentioned previously?

b)

Why does it not state immediately at the beginning of the portion — continuing from "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month this, the festival of Sukkot" — "Seven days you shall dwell in sukkot"; and especially since it states thus earlier in the verse regarding the first festival: "On the fifteenth¹⁵

day of the month this, the festival of Matzot to Hashem, seven days matzot you shall eat"¹⁶,

and afterwards comes the matter of "holy convocation" and prohibition of work and the offering of the sacrifices seven days?

3.

One will understand this with the prior explanation of the connection,

according to the revealed [aspect of Torah],

between the commandment of sukkah and the commandment of taking the lulav

(Although also the taking of the lulav is in the portion separated from the Festival of Sukkot,

the Torah, however, connects it with the "Festival of G‑d, seven days,"

not like sukkah,

as above)

: the Alter Rebbe says

in his Siddur¹⁷

that "the commandment of taking it

(the lulav)

in a sukkah is the optimal fulfillment of the commandment"¹⁸.

At first glance, this is a matter that is according to Kabbalah,

and the source of this is in the writings of the Ariza"l¹⁹

; but it can be said that just as all matters in

(Kabbalah and)

the inner dimension of the Torah — this too has a source and rationale according to the revealed dimension²⁰

("It is good to bless etc." and the like)

and writes "the choicest mitzvah"²¹].

4.

At first glance, one could say that this

(that taking the lulav in the sukkah is "the choicest mitzvah")

is due to the mitzvah of sukkah: since the mitzvah of sukkah is²²

"You shall dwell as you dwell at home,"

"that he should eat and drink and sleep and stroll &lt;b&gt;and dwell &lt;/b&gt;in the sukkah all seven days, both by day and by night, as he dwells in his house...

and anything that he would not do outside his house, he should not do outside his sukkah"²³

(and a reason and permission is needed to be allowed to learn etc. outside the sukkah²⁴),

then from this it is understood simply,

that also taking the lulav,

which is among the things that a person does during the days of Sukkot,

must be inside the sukkah

and this has a fixed time for it — and all the more so that strolling

(and the like)

must be in the sukkah,

all the more so that taking the lulav must be in the sukkah].

from this, but what the Alter Rebbe writes this matter the aforementioned among the "laws of taking the lulav" and also from his language

"&lt;b&gt;The mitzvah of taking it &lt;/b&gt;in the sukkah is a mitzvah from the choicest"

(which emphasizes the matter of &lt;b&gt;taking the lulav&lt;/b&gt;)

it is proven²⁶

that he means

(not a law in sukkah,

but)

a law and mitzvah from the choicest in the mitzvah of taking the lulav²⁷.

Between these two explanations there is also a practical difference: in a case when one is exempt from the sukkah,

such as during rainfall and the like

(that "one who is distressed is exempt from the sukkah")²⁸

If taking the lulav in the sukkah is

(only)

a mitzvah of the choicest manner within the mitzvah of sukkah — like all other matters of eating and drinking and the like with which one fulfills the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah — then at the time when he is exempt from the sukkah due to rainfall and the like,

he need not wait with taking the lulav until the rain will stop,

since now he does not have upon himself any obligation of dwelling in the sukkah

(just as he need not wait with his eating and drinking and the like until the rain will stop)²⁹.

But if this is

(also)

a mitzvah min hamevuchar in taking the lulav,

is

(although that on him is now

(at the time of the rain's descent)

there is no obligation of the mitzvah of sukkah)

since that he is obligated in taking the lulav,

that the completeness of &lt;b&gt;the &lt;/b&gt;mitzvah

(— min hamevuchar)

is when it is done in

sukkah — it is logical that it is min hamevuchar to wait&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;

until the rain will stop in order to fulfill "the mitzvah of its taking &lt;b&gt;in the sukkah&lt;/b&gt;",

which is "mitzvah min hamevuchar".

5.

The explanation of all this can be said: In our parshah, in the section of the festivals, one finds only two holidays regarding which the festival is designated with a special name — Chag HaMatzos and Chag HaSukkos³¹.

And there are differences between them:

a)

Regarding Chag HaMatzos it says, "And on the fifteenth day of this month is <b>the Festival of Matzos</b> to the L-rd,"

the name "Festival of Matzos" does not stand in relation to <b>all</b> seven days³²

; and regarding Chag HaSukkos it says — "<b>The Festival of Sukkos, seven days,</b> to the L-rd"³³.

b)

On the other hand — on Chag HaMatzot the verse immediately continues and says "seven days matzot you shall eat"; and on Chag HaSukkot this is said

("in sukkot you shall dwell seven days")

not in proximity to the Name,

but only <b>at the end </b>of the section.

And it can be said that the rationale of the differences can be learned from another distinction that is found between the two festivals:

The holiday of Matzos is in the language of Chazal — and also in the common language in the custom of Israel

(in the language of people)

— called³⁴

(also)

by another name

(the holiday of Pesach).

However, regarding the holiday of Sukkos one does not find that they call it by another name³⁵

; it is called by the same name in Chazal³⁶

and in the custom of Israel.

From the above it is understood,

that the content of the entire holiday

(Pesach)

does not consist entirely in that it is the holiday of &lt;b&gt;Matzos&lt;/b&gt;; however, regarding the holiday of Sukkos, this

(Sukkos)

is the main content of the holiday.

And therefore,

when the Torah says "On the fifteenth day of this month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord,"

the verse immediately interprets "Seven days <b>unleavened bread you shall eat</b>,"

that only because of this

(detail of the eating of matzah)

is it called "the Feast of Unleavened Bread,"

not because this is the content of the festival and all seven days of it³⁷.

But not so on the fifteenth day of the seventh month is "&lt;b&gt;the festival of Sukkot seven days &lt;/b&gt;to Hashem" — this is the content of

(the festival of)

the seven days.

And for this very reason the command "in sukkot you shall dwell seven days" is not stated immediately after "the festival of Sukkot"

(as above),

because then one would think

(as with the festival of Matzot)

that it is called the festival of Sukkot only because of the dwelling in the sukkah on it.

But this is not the content of the entire festival.

6.

The explanation of this: The day of the fifteenth of the month of Nissan is designated as a special time

(primarily)

not because of that which then there is the commandment³⁸

of eating matzah,

but because this is the "day of your going out from the land of Egypt" — and consequently it becomes a holiday and festival — "And this day shall be

for you a memorial and you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord for your generations"³⁹.

And that which it is

(a festival)

a special time is the reason for the commandments therein⁴⁰,

including the commandment of eating matzah⁴¹.

But the seven days "on the fifteenth day of the seventh month this" is not a time special and distinct in itself,

but on the contrary — because of the obligation and commandment of dwelling in the sukkah seven days⁴²

: since in these seven days there is the commandment of dwelling in the sukkah

(and particularly in a way that the commandment of sukkah encompasses the entire person and all his affairs during the seven days —

"You shall dwell as you dwell" as above,

that he "dwells in the sukkah all seven days, both by day and by night")

— thereby the seven days become — days special,

a festival to the Lord.

(in the prayer)

a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt,

but there is a difference in this: On the festival of Passover it is because "Remember &lt;b&gt;this day &lt;/b&gt;on which you went out of Egypt"&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;,

and therefore — "and you shall celebrate it as a festival to the L-rd for your generations",

as above,

that

(the remembrance at the time of)

the Exodus from Egypt,

makes the time a festival.

But not so on Shabbos and Shavuos.

And moreover —

On the festival of Sukkot the Torah says⁴⁴

"So that your generations may know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt" —

d.

Although this is not in the <b>time</b> of "I caused to dwell in booths" at the Exodus from Egypt,

and the Torah gives the reason not when the Torah states the commandment of the festival at the beginning of the portion,

but on the commandment "You shall dwell in booths for seven days",

and on the contrary, because of the fact that it is specifically <b>not</b>

(in the days of spring)

at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, then the commandment of dwelling in the sukkah and the festival of Sukkot

(as he says in the Tur⁴⁵)].

z.

Based on this, it is understood,

that the commands regarding the festival and its details that are stated at the beginning of the portion — "On the first day a holy convocation, no work of labor shall you do, seven days

"You shall offer a fire-offering to G‑d, etc." — are not separate matters,

that have no connection with the obligation of dwelling in the sukkah

(as one might think,

as above),

but on the contrary — the definition of the festival of Sukkot pertains and applies also to them.

However, on the festival of Passover,

which is a festival as a matter in its own right of matzah,

all these matters — that it is "a holy convocation,"

the commandment of "no work shall be done,"

and the offering of the sacrifices during the seven days of the festival — are not connected with the matter of the matzah therein⁴⁶,

but with the essence of the festival.

8.

According to the above, it is also understood regarding the fulfillment of the commandment of dwelling in the sukkah and the connection of the commandment of taking the lulav to the commandment of sukkah:

As above, in the command "In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days" it was not said

("In sukkot you shall dwell <b>in</b> the seven <b>the</b> days")

— that

These are from before the seven days of the festival — because that which one is obligated to sit seven days in the sukkah is not because these are the seven days of the festival, but rather the opposite — "In sukkot you shall dwell" establishes the definition of the seven days of the festival,

as above at length.

And based on this, Rashi's wording regarding Shemini Atzeret will be sweetened: On that which the Gemara⁴⁷

says that it is "a festival in its own right" separated from the festival of Sukkot, Rashi explains "that one does not sit in the sukkah": The festival of the festival of Sukkot is the

(surrounds and)

matter of sitting in the sukkah⁴⁸,

the essence of the festival consists in that which "one sits in the sukkah"⁴⁹.

In a different style: The holiday is fulfilled through the sitting in the sukkah⁵⁰

Seven days in practice — "You shall dwell as you dwell."

On the other hand,

By lulav it says "And you shall take for yourselves <b>on the first day</b> etc.,"

The mitzvah of taking the lulav is because this is "<b>the first day</b>" of the holiday of Sukkot.

And consequently it is understood,

that the "time of the commandment" and "name of the commandment" on the four species is

"Chol"⁵¹

on the first day⁵².

The holiness of the festival of <b>Sukkot</b> causes the obligation and name of the commandment upon them⁵³.

And since the completeness of the definition and holiness of the holiday is through the sitting in the sukkah in practice,

it is therefore understood,

that when one takes a lulav in the sukkah this is not only a law in "similar to dwelling" of sukkah,

through which one comes to the mitzvah of sukkah,

but this is a law in taking the lulav,

it adds⁵⁴

completeness in the "name

(and fulfillment of the)

mitzvah" of lulav,

"mitzvah from the choicest"⁵⁵.

9.

The explanation of all the above in the inner dimension of the matters and in the service of man:

as explained above,

that the time of "the fifteenth of the seventh month" becomes a festival by virtue of the commandment of

"In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days",

is in this a superiority⁵⁶

relative to that which by the festival of matzot the time is distinguished⁵⁷

from the commandment:

When the holiness of the festival is activated through the actions of man below,

this has an effect in the world,

since it also affects the time

(world)

as it is in its own essence,

not having any connection to holiness; unlike when the time is inherently separate from above.

And the aforementioned difference expresses itself in the distinction between the two commandments themselves — eating matzah and sitting in the sukkah: eating matzah is a matter of eating of a mitzvah; it is not an eating that he would have done otherwise,

not because of a mitzvah.

But not so regarding the mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah,

it is not novel matters that are done for the sake of the mitzvah,

on the contrary — "as you dwell" — matters that belong to the order of life of every person, having no connection to Judaism and Torah and mitzvos — and nevertheless he fulfills with them a mitzvah

(of dwelling in a sukkah).

And this is the superiority of the festival of Sukkos: all year one must have a great avodah to stand in a state of "all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven" and "in all your ways know Him",

but when the festival of Sukkos comes, it is revealed,

that all one's conduct of his daily life as it is — are a matter of mitzvah.

What therefore comes down also thus physically,

that the entire person from his head to his foot with his garments find themselves in the sukkah — which by no other mitzvah does one find that his entire existence and all his matters should be surrounded by a mitzvah from the Above.

Yud.

In this the Alter Rebbe adds and emphasizes that the mitzvah of taking the lulav in the sukkah is the choicest mitzvah of lulav⁵⁸

— "Therefore in the morning before he prays while still in the sukkah <b>he shall bless</b>",

that the blessing is on taking the <b>lulav</b>:

One could indeed mean,

that the necessity to be encompassed by the mitzvah of sukkah — by the supernal will — pertains

(primarily)

to those who are occupied with physical matters and needs,

but not to those who are in the category of lulav

(date-palm fronds)

“that has taste — that have Torah”⁵⁹,

since they are constantly connected to the Supreme through their study of Torah⁶⁰

And so too in the service of every person,

he may think to himself: It is understood that “his eating and drinking etc.” need to be included and encompassed by the mitzvah of sukkah — but why must one have the assurance that the mitzvah and supernal will of sukkah should encompass his study and comprehension in Torah?

He must indeed also fulfill mitzvot,

because “whoever says there is no

If not Torah,

even Torah he does not have"⁶¹,

but this is from the aspect of the matter of <b>the sukkah</b>,

whose definition is "dwell" encompassing the person entirely — this is however seemingly not a matter in taking the <b>lulav</b> — the very study and comprehension in Torah,

since through this he is already connected with the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He.

They say that "the mitzvah of <b>taking it</b> in the sukkah" is "the choicest mitzvah",

this pertains to his understanding and comprehension in Torah⁶²

: he <b>takes</b> the wisdom of the Torah,

which is the wisdom and will of the <b>Holy One, blessed be He</b>,

when he hears and feels that what he learns is a matter that encompasses him and is incomparably higher than him,

And consequently, within him there is the self-nullification and desire to receive the Torah of the Holy One, blessed be He,

which is hidden from all living beings,

in his understanding and comprehension.

And likewise in general — when within him there is not only the actual engagement in Torah,

but also the endearment and preciousness of Torah,

He blessed him with Torah first⁶³,

becomes the opposite of "the land was lost"⁶⁴

— and one merits very soon to "and spread over us the shelter of Your peace",

in the building of the Holy Temple, about which it is stated "and in Salem was His shelter"⁶⁵,

which will be built by Mashiach our righteous one⁶⁶,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the farbrengen of Simchas Beis HaShoevah 5724)