THE INTERSECTION OF SUKKOS AND MOSHIACH

Dear Reader sh’yichyeh,

We are approaching the Yom Tov of Sukkos. It is a special holiday of unity and joy, achieved by combining the Arba Minim and everyone eating in the embrace of the Sukka. Both of these components are inherently connected to Moshiach.

The time of Moshiach is the ultimate time of Jewish unity. As the Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 12:1) writes: “In that era, there will be neither famine nor war, envy nor competition, for good will flow in abundance and all the delights will be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d.”

That is why unity is so important in the era right before Moshiach. The Rebbe writes (Matos-Massei 5751): “The connection between Ahavas Yisroel and the future Redemption can be emphasized yet again, and not only because the negation of exile comes through the negation of the cause of exile (which comes through the opposite of Ahavas Yisroel). For in our situation, after the completion of our actions and Divine service throughout the time of exile, and after the completion of all forty two journey in the ‘wilderness of the nations,’ [when] we find ourselves already ‘by the Yarden near Yericho’ (the stage of Moshiach who ‘smells and judges’), on the threshold of Redemption, certainly the reason for exile has already been corrected. Therefore, the emphasis on Ahavas Yisroel anticipates the beginning of the true and complete Redemption, which is connected with the point of unity above any division. This emphasis on the unity of the Jewish people is a result of the aspect of yechida (the fifth level [of the soul]) that is in all Jews equally. For this is a spark of the soul of Moshiach, the general yechida.”

In addition, our Sages tell us that, “Joy breaks all boundaries.” This definitely applies to the boundaries of exile, which came as a result of not serving Hashem with joy (Arizal).

The power of joy and the vital importance of the avoda of simcha are emphasized in the following Sicha of the Rebbe, 14 Elul 5748:

“There is no explanation why Moshiach hasn’t come! It is certain that every Jew has done t’shuva, the T’hillim of Dovid Malka Meshicha have been recited in the greatest quantity, many farbrengens have been held, and the spreading of the wellsprings [of Chassidus] has been going on since the Baal Shem Tov, more than seven generations […]

“If so, the question is asked: what more can be done that hasn’t already been done?!…

“We could say that the thing which still wasn’t done in order to bring Moshiach is to accomplish the desired service of simcha [joy] in order to bring Moshiach.

“In addition to the fact that ‘simcha breaks all limitations,’ including the limitations of galus [exile], there is a special segula [hidden power] in simcha to bring the geula. This is as it is explained that Hashem’s simcha atzmis [true, essential joy] will come with the building of the 3rd Bais HaMikdash, and we awaken this simcha atzmis through simcha shel mitzva, that the simcha shel mitzvah reaches higher than the mitzvah itself, and through it davka we awaken the simcha atzmis of the Time to Come.

“Even though there was certainly simcha shel mitzvah in all the previous generations, since simcha shel mitzvah is a fundamental matter in serving Hashem, as it is written ‘serve Hashem with simcha’ and ‘you served Hashem your G-d with simcha and goodness of heart’ … nonetheless, in any case, in simcha shel mitzvah the main emphasis on the way of doing the service, that the service needs to be with simcha, and if we are speaking here about the simcha to bring Moshiach it is referring to the simcha itself that it be pure simcha – the service of simcha for the sake of the goal of the coming of Moshiach.

“Since this is so, then we find that the way to bring Moshiach is by adding in simcha, pure simcha, simcha that will immediately bring Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

“How could it be that over all the generations they didn’t make an effort to bring Moshiach with simcha? They did all they could do to bring Moshiach, even crushing the Crown Jewel in the king’s crown, etc. [a metaphor for the teachings of Chassidus], in order to get a drop in the King’s mouth[…]

“We could say as a simple explanation that when we are found in the doubled and redoubled darkness of galus, when all Yidden are in galus, and the Sh’china is in galus, it is understood that due to the amount of pain of galus, pure simcha is not relevant.

“But nevertheless, since in the end we are obligated to bring Moshiach, there is no choice but to bring Moshiach through simcha, pure simcha.

“Regarding the difficulty to bring about a feeling of pure simcha in the darkness of galus: since we are obligated to bring Moshiach Tzidkeinu, then we must say that at the end of galus we are given the special powers to be able to have pure simcha. The explanation is that this simcha is generated by contemplating that mamash immediately Moshiach is coming, and then the entire world will be in ultimate simcha, and therefore, there is already a feeling of pure simcha (a taste and sampling of the simcha of the geula).

“And the main thing is that instead of lengthy discussion, etc., they will begin to actually do it: to go out and declare and announce about the special increase in simcha in order to bring Moshiach, and certainly through this Moshiach will actually come mamash, and with the greatest alacrity, ‘in the blink of an eye.’” 

Try it and you will be convinced!

May we merit the revelation of Moshiach Now!

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.