English translation — ברכת כ"'ק אדמו"ר שליט"א להארחים שיחיו, בעת ביקורו בסוכה - ליל א' דחג הסוכות ה'תשמ"ז

First of all — we begin with a blessing¹:

Good Shabbos and good Yom Tov to all men and women,

young children, boys and girls.

And from this Yom Tov may it be drawn forth for the entire year. As the purpose of Yom Tov in general is — that from it be drawn forth for the entire year.

All the more so a Yom Tov in the month of Tishrei, the letters of which spell “beginning”²,

whose festivals are universal festivals³.

All the more so the festival of Sukkos,

which is celebrated because of that which “You shall dwell in sukkos for seven days, so that your generations may know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in sukkos when I brought them out of the land of Egypt”⁴,

as the Alter Rebbe writes in his Shulchan Aruch⁵ explaining “I caused the children of Israel to dwell in sukkos” — “they were the clouds of His glory that surrounded them for shade, so that the heat of the sun should not strike them, etc.”

That is, when they went out of Egypt, the Most High surrounded the Jewish people with “clouds of glory”,

with His personal clouds which protected the Jewish people and smoothed the way and removed all obstacles and delays so that the Jewish people could enter the Land of Israel.

And as a remembrance of this — “we are commanded to make sukkos made for shade, so that we recall His wonders and awesome deeds”⁶.

And this remembrance must be throughout the entire year,

“so that your generations may know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in sukkos when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” — all the more so on the festival of Sukkos itself,

when one must actually fulfill the commandment of “You shall dwell in sukkos for seven days”.

And furthermore:

The mitzvah of sukkah is exceptional

(from other mitzvos)

in that the intent of the mitzvah — “so that your generations may know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in sukkos when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” — is part of the fulfillment of the mitzvah⁷. As the Alter Rebbe rules there:

“And so too every person must intend in his sitting in the sukkah that he sits in order to fulfill the commandment of the Holy One, blessed be He, who commanded us to sit in the sukkah as a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.”

So that this should remind the Jewish people,

that just as the Most High then protected them in the desert with His clouds of glory in order that they could enter the Land of Israel without obstacles and delays — so too He protects the Jewish people now,

in the “desert of the nations”⁸ during the time of exile,

so that they can enter the Land of Israel in the future redemption without any obstacles or delays!

From this it is understood,

that standing in the festival of Sukkos when one recalls this matter

(that the Most High protects the Jewish people from all matters)

— it must arouse in the Jewish people a great joy,

knowing that it is “the time of our rejoicing”⁹,

“our rejoicing” in the plural,

our joy,

and here “our” means

(as the Alter Rebbe explains¹⁰)

— “Yisrael shall rejoice in its Maker”¹¹,

the joy of the Jewish people,

and a multitude of Jewish people

(“our rejoicing” in the plural),

together with “Hashem shall rejoice in His works”¹²,

that the Most High rejoices in the joy of Israel.

And simply — that each and every one should participate in the joy of the festival,

“the time of our rejoicing”,

and especially — in the Simchas Beis HaShoevah each and every night

(and each and every day)

of the days of the festival,

beginning from the first night

(and day)

of Simchas Beis HaShoevah — tonight — as is seen in human nature,

that at the beginning of a matter one puts in the greatest effort and exertion

(but this out of delight)

so that it should be a joy with the greatest intensity.

And through that which we will increase in Simchas Beis HaShoevah — joys will come to each one. As is known the explanation¹³ of the Sages’ statement¹⁴ “Whoever has not seen the rejoicing of the Beis HaShoevah has never seen joy in his life”,

that through the fact that there is the “seeing of the rejoicing of the Beis HaShoevah”,

and with a true seeing,

one removes all obstacles and delays so that there should be “seeing joy in his life”.

That is, Simchas Beis HaShoevah is the vessel to see joys in all matters.

And simply:

Through the fact that each and every one celebrates Simchas Beis HaShoevah — the Most High will help that out of good health and nachas from children and grandchildren, each and every one will see joys in his days,

both private joys in one’s own home and family,

and communal joys.

Until the most universal joy — of the true and complete redemption through Moshiach our Righteous One.

In the aforementioned great joy of Simchas Beis HaShoevah — another matter is added

(as was discussed earlier¹⁵ at length):

It is known¹⁶ that on Sukkos the ushpizin come: Avraham,

Yitzchak,

Yaakov, Moshe,

Aharon,

Yosef and David¹⁷ to every Jew in the sukkah. And each night one particular ushpiz comes,

“and with him”¹⁸ come the others.

And my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, revealed¹⁹ that also the Chassidic ushpizin come:

the Baal Shem Tov,

the Maggid,

the Alter Rebbe,

the Mitteler Rebbe,

the Tzemach Tzedek,

the Rebbe Maharash and the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab)

may their souls rest in Eden, together with his son,

my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe

(as discussed above²⁰).

It was discussed earlier at length,

that although each and every year the same ushpizin come, seemingly — they are, however, elevated from year to year in ascents upon ascents beyond measure. Consequently, it is understood,

that this year the ushpizin are incomparably more elevated than in all previous years!

From this it is also understood regarding the Jewish people

(to whom the ushpizin come),

and especially — guests

(as is known that the ushpizin have a special connection with guests²¹)

and those who host guests — that although there are among you

(the guests)

those who were already here in previous years,

and also the hosts

(husband and wife,

who are as one body²²)

are seemingly the same as in previous years,

this is only in the externality of things,

when one looks superficially;

but when one thinks deeply into it,

one understands that they are entirely different people — because in the meantime

(since previous years)

a multitude of mitzvos have been added to all Jewish people

(for all Jewish people are “full of mitzvos”²³),

and especially — the mitzvah of tzedakah every day,

which is among the greatest mitzvos,

including also — the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim,

which is also among the greatest mitzvos²⁴,

to the extent that “hospitality to guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence”²⁵,

And also — prayer every day,

and Torah study every day,

together with many other mitzvos.

And both among men and among women,

and also among children — for each and every day every child said “Modeh ani lifanecha Melech chai v’kayam shehechezarta bi nishmasi b’chemlah rabbah emunasecha”,

and afterwards said Birkas HaShachar,

and Birkas HaNehenin,

and fulfilled many mitzvos,

each one according to his ability. This certainly caused that over the course of the year the child grew not only physically and in understanding,

but also — in his soul, simply.

It is therefore understandable that after this multitude of mitzvos that every Jew has fulfilled since previous years — every Jew is entirely different from how he was in previous years.

Because even the added mitzvos of one day,

effect an elevation in a Jew,

all the more so the multitude of mitzvos of an entire year,

and all the more so a leap year

(last year)

of thirteen months — certainly effect that this year the Jewish people are entirely different from how they were in previous years!

Consequently, it is understood,

that notwithstanding the great joy of Simchas Beis HaShoevah in previous years — this year there must come an incomparably greater joy.

And as mentioned,

beginning already from the first night of Sukkos,

at which time itself additional mitzvos come to the Jewish people,

and primary mitzvos,

both among men and among women and among children,

and on the contrary — the entire Yom Tov is ushered in and begins with the women lighting Yom Tov candles with a blessing,

and this year — “a candle for Shabbos and for Yom Tov”,

together with the blessing of Shehecheyanu,

“Who has granted us life, sustained us, and brought us to this season” — thanking the Most High, including for the fact that we have merited to meet together in health and happiness.

And also the men begin the Yom Tov by sanctifying the Yom Tov through Kiddush on wine,

Kiddush of Yom Tov,

and this year — also of Shabbos,

which shows that the Jewish people stand elevated and above weekday,

and furthermore — that the weekday matters,

the foods and vessels of chol, etc., become sanctified with the holiness of Shabbos.

All of which adds further to the greatness of the joy that must be in Simchas Beis HaShoevah on this night.

And in practical terms:

Each and every one should participate in Simchas Beis HaShoevah on this night,

with greater vigor and strength,

incomparably more than in previous years.

Beginning with the celebration of Simchas Beis HaShoevah in the sukkah and in the synagogue,

and afterwards — continuing it into the public domain,

so that even non-Jews should see it,

and through this — see how Jews conduct themselves in a Jewish manner throughout the entire year,

all the more so on Sukkos itself,

at which time they will not only not interfere with this,

but they will even help out.

Until the public domain²⁶ will be transformed into a private domain,

for the Unique One of the world.

And the Simchas Beis HaShoevah,

whose joy breaks through barriers²⁷,

will further hasten the joy of the true and complete redemption,

that the Most High takes out every Jew and all the Jewish people from exile,

“with our young and with our old, etc., with our sons and with our daughters”²⁸,

as it is written²⁹ “and you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel”,

the Most High takes every single Jew by the hand³⁰ and takes him out of exile,

in the true and complete redemption,

and leads all the Jewish people to the Land of Israel,

and there itself — to Yerushalayim, the holy city,

“the city that is united together”³¹,

and there itself — to the Temple Mount,

and to “the Sanctuary, Hashem, which Your hands have established”³²,

“which will be built speedily in our days”,

speedily in our days, literally,

as the Jewish people ask and demand in their prayer,

and as the Rambam adds³³ — “Amen, may it be His will”,

May this come down from that “will” into actual reality — in the true and complete redemption,

and out of joy and goodness of heart. For this, however, one needs strength — therefore one must first eat the Yom Tov meal,

which will give strength to be able to celebrate Simchas Beis HaShoevah,

and especially that during the meal one says “L’chaim”,

and sings a joyous melody,

And out of joy and goodness of heart.

A good Yom Tov,

and a good meal,

and afterwards — immediately go celebrate a truly joyous Simchas Beis HaShoevah!