Walk Through the Parsha by Rabbi David Walk

Happy Penitence
Sukot - 5769
October 10, 2008
Sukot is the happiest time of the year. This delightful status is confirmed in our prayers. While Pesach is described as the time of our redemption and Shavuot as the time of the giving of the Torah, Sukot is identified as the time of our joy. This declaration seems a bit daunting. I understand how the Sages, while organizing the prayers, can classify Pesach and Shavuot based upon historical events, but isn’t it a bit cheeky to tell me that I’m going to be happy on Sukot? There must be something objective that triggers this designation. And, what, pray tell, makes us so happy? Generally, the happiness of this season is the same joy which precipitated our American Thanksgiving celebration, namely the harvest. Historically most people were farmers and lived their lives tied to the agricultural realities. However, added to this is another source of pleasure, unique to the Jewish experience of the season, and that is the forgiveness of Yom Kippur. We are supposed to be filled with glee because God has just forgiven us for all our transgressions.

This scenario presents me with a problem. Assuming that this is true, and I’m now unencumbered by guilt, how come we traditionally say that Hoshana Raba (which means the great recitation of the Hoshana or salvation prayer, special name for the seventh and final day of Sukot) is called the final day of the judgment process? This tradition triggers all sorts of practices on Hoshana Raba, like wearing a kittel, using High Holiday tunes, and even the hitting of the willow branches on the floor (a personal favorite, let out that aggression). All of this is disturbing because our Sages ask why we don’t say the happy Hallel (Psalms 113-118) prayer on Rosh Hashanah, and the answer they give is that happiness and imminent judgment don’t mix. Well, they do seem to mix on Hoshana Raba, when we have both judgment and Hallel, and the declaration in our prayers that we are celebrating the time of our joy. What’s going on?

Allow me to back up a bit. The Torah doesn’t explicitly give any Teshuva (repentance) status to Sukot. The awe inspiring references to remembering our deeds, blowing the Shofar and the unique Temple service of repentance are reserved for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Nevertheless there are more esoteric sources (Reb Shlomo Hacohen of Radomsk, in his Tiferet Shlomo, for example) that point out something unusual about the verses describing the mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah. The central citation is the following verse: For a seven day period you shall live in booths. Every resident among the Israelites shall live in booths, in order that your generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt (Leviticus 23:42-43). The word for live or dwell (shev) shares the same root as teshuva, and is repeated three times in this short passage. Therefore many believe that the dwelling process is also a teshuva practice.

However, the clearest and most famous source for the judging process on Hoshana Raba is the Zohar (part 3, 32a): And on this day (Hoshana Raba) Jews complete their judgment, and receive blessing on another day. The Zohar then goes on to say that those who dwell with God (by sitting in the Sukkah) have the right to ask and receive whatever they desire.

So, we have a conundrum. Those same Rabbis who prohibit the mixing of joviality and judgment on Rosh Hashanah, demand it three weeks later on Hoshana Raba. Since we’ve been quoting all these mystical sources you may find it hard to believe, but I believe the answer can be found by looking at a famous law in Maimonides (Rambam, 1135-1204). In his laws of repentance (chapter 7), he says that there are two kinds of teshuva. One is to atone for actions and the other is to improve character. According to some authorities, the atonement and purification promised on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:30: For on this day God will atone for you to purify you.) describes this phenomenon. The atonement is on past deeds; the purification is about moving forward in a better direction. This makes sense. Remembering and repenting for sins in unpleasant, but developing a better personality is more pleasant, hopefully actually joyous.

This character building aspect of repentance is also reinforced by a famous Sukot custom. Every night we invite another historic visitor into our sukkah. These seven Ushpizim or guests are the seven great shepherds or leaders of the Jewish nation. Each one represents another attribute (in Kabballa, sefirot) of the well developed Torah personality: Avraham, chesed (kindness); Yitzchak, gevurah (strength); Ya’akov, tiferet (splendor); Moshe, netzach (eternity); Aharon, hod (majesty); Yosef, yesod (foundation); and King David, malchut (royalty). The opening of our homes and hearts to these great heroes is more than a folk myth; it’s the attempt to emulate their great qualities. It’s for that reason that I am enamored of the new fangled custom of welcoming seven great female leaders (usually: Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Ruth, and Esther), because our daughters need role models, too.

A repentance regimen free of guilt over past misdeeds is indeed a joyous task, especially when we do it in such a happy atmosphere of greeting our forefathers to learn from them. So, the problem is solved. We can mix joy and teshuva when the proper perspective is employed. And there’s one more benefit. When we continue this work on ourselves in this positive, upbeat manner, the result is blessing from God. That’s the blessing referred to in the Zohar passage, and the other day is Shmini Atzeret, the day after Hoshana Raba. That two day festival (in the diaspora, one in Israel) when we finish the Torah (Simchat Torah) also marks the completion of our spiritual make over.

Enjoy your Sukot holiday and its fun celebrations, but remember to continue the personality development. Chag Sameach!