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שבת שלום - חג שמח
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch the video shiur by
Rabbi Scott Kahn about ברכת החמה |
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News and Notes
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Yom Kippur in the yeshiva
was an extraoridinary
event for all of Yesodei
HaTorah's students.
In between Kol Nidrei
and Maariv, Rav Wolicki
spoke poingnantly about
two different approaches
to Teshuvah, and illustrated
these ideas with two
chassidic stories. The
tefillot of the day were
led by Rav Kahn, Rav
Wolicki, Rav Lichtman,
and Rav Krohn, and were
representative of the
slow and meaningful style
of yeshiva davening on
the Yamim Nora'im.
Before
Ne'ilah, Rav Kahn spoke
briefly about the moments
in time which allow us
to create an echo which
will last throughout
our lives - unlike most
moments, where we listen
to the echoes of earlier
events.
With
G-d's help, the unique
experience of Yom Kippur
at Yesodei HaTorah will
stay with our students
throughout this year,
and throughout their
lives.
The
yeshiva begain its bein
hazmanim this week, as
students prepared for
Sukkot and planned tiyulim
for the chag. On Wednesday
night of Chol Hamoed,
the entire yeshiva is
invited to Rav Kahn's
sukkah for his annual
Simchat Beit Hashoeva,
and the yeshiva will
again reconvene for Shmini
Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
The
entire yeshiva wishes
our friends and supporters
Shabbat shalom and chag
sameach!
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Sukkot: The Culmination of It All
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
"So that your generations will know that in sukkot I housed Bnei Yisrael when I took them out of Egypt." (Vayikra 23:43)
The Gemara (Sukka 11b) records a dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says that the verse refers to actual sukkot that Bnei Yisrael lived in during their time in the desert. According to Rabbi Eliezer the verse refers to the Clouds of Glory that enveloped them.
Rashi, in his comment on this verse cites only the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer - that "sukkot" in the verse refers to the Clouds of Glory.
Rashi chose this opinion as it solves the textual problem presented by the phrase "I housed" - "hoshavti". G-d "housing" Bnei Yisrael must refer to something that is not man made.
Why did Rabbi Akiva choose to interpret the phrase differently? Was he merely choosing the seemingly more rational less supernatural explanation?
We can answer this question by first asking an additional question.
Why is the fact that Bnei Yisrael dwelled in huts important enough to warrant being remembered through an important mitzvah?
The Meshech Chochmah points out that this verse is the only mention of the Exodus from Egypt in the entire forty-four verses of Vayikra 23.
This entire chapter is devoted to the details of the laws of the holidays. Discussion of Shabbat, Pesach, Sefirat HaOmer, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur all precede the mention of Sukkot - the last holiday in the chapter. Even when discussing the laws of Shabbat and Pesach there is no mention of Egypt or the Exodus.
The Meshech Chochmah goes on to explain that Sukkot represents the purpose of the entire cycle of holy days. The purpose of the Exodus (Pesach), receiving the Torah (Shavuot), coronation of G-d as King (Rosh Hashana), and repentance (Yom Kippur), is to bring us to the realization that we are G-d's servants and everything that we have is from Him and Him alone.
We sit in a Sukka at the time of the end of the harvest season to remind ourselves that our entire existence in this world is a "dirat ara'i - temporary dwelling" as the Sukka is often called.
In other words, the purpose of the Exodus was the receiving of the Torah. The purpose of the receiving of was to refine us according to the will of G-d and to draw us near to Him (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur). Sukkot - rejoicing in the recognition that all that we have is from Him - is the culmination of this entire process. In effect, Sukkot is the true purpose of the Exodus.
Now we can see Rabbi Akiva's opinion in a new light. While the verse says that G-d "housed" Bnei Yisrael, Rabbi Akiva says that this refers to actual sukkot. Rabbi Akiva is teaching us that even as I sit in a sukkah made by man, I understand that in truth it is from G-d.
This is the Torah perspective at the time of harvest. At the time that I feel most independent and most proud of the work of my own hands, I must realize that in truth, even if I physically built it, G-d housed me all along. All that I have and all that I do, in reality, comes from Him.
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