Page 11 - Mizrachi-RZC Sefer Berachot 5781

Rosh Hashanah to Sukkot: Rambam’s View of It
Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff
Chief Academic Officer, Hebrew Theological College

Rambam deployed the phrase “simchah yiterah,” extra joyousness,
twice in his Mishneh Torah. The Talmud, almost offhandedly,
introduces the term to describe the major Sukkot-time activities in
the Temple. Seizing on this, the Rambam elevated simchah yiterah
to the focal theme of Sukkot. Even though there exists a mitzvah to
be joyous on all holidays, there exists “extra joyousness” on Sukkot.
The other use of the term in Rambam’s writing raises an important
question. In discussing the laws of Hallel, Rambam lists all the
occasions in which it is recited. Halakhah does not require Jews to
sing Hallel on the High Holidays. Why not? “Hallel is not
incorporated in Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” stated the
Rambam, “because these are days meant for repentance, fear and
awe. They are not days of simchah yiterah.” The Talmud in several
locations describes the High Holidays as awe-inspiring occasions,
serious and fearful, intended for repentance and Jews in search of
atonement.
Nowhere, however, does the Talmud use simchah yiterah in its
many discussions about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Why,
then, did the Rambam deploy the phrase here?
I suggest Rambam wanted to create a self-improvement process for
the holiday season, one that commences with Rosh Hashanah and
extends to Sukkot. His model for this process was the paradigmatic
Ish Hashem: the prophet. Prophets, Rambam wrote, cannot access
their powers in certain conditions. “Prophecy cannot rest upon a
person when he is sad or languid, but only through joyousness.” For
this reason, Yaakov, overcome with sadness, could not tap into his
powers to intuit that his son, Yosef, was alive and not dead, as
Yaakov’s other sons had alleged.

The High Holidays tasks us with undergoing a Maimonidean
process. We start out very distant from Hashem, mindful of the steps
of self-improvement required to move closer to Him. We have our
sights set on emerging as the Ish Hashem but do not assume that
role. Instead, we comport ourselves with attitudes of awe and
fearfulness without traces of joy. We aren’t yet prophets. This is not
a moment for simchah yiterah.
In due time, we gain confidence, step forward and reclaim that joy.
We rediscover Hallel, and then some. The simchah yiterah
noticeably absent from the High Holidays is deposited into Sukkot,
elevating its joy and happiness beyond all other occasions. We are
improved, once again Anshei Hashem.