Page 31 - HaMizrachi # 23 Sukkot Simchat Torah 2020 USA

HOLIDAY READING

message of Kohelet than on Sukkot. self-compassion and to find the true acute and primal emotional need.
This was our historical harvest resilience from within. The Midrash This year, perhaps Sukkot can give
festival – Chag HaAsif - when the in Bereshit Rabbah (1:14) explains the us an opportunity to recalibrate our
farmers, having gathered all the meaning of this verse: “For it is not an lives according to Hillel’s teaching.
produce of their fields, estimated empty thing for you, for it is your life” While most external factors are
the annual revenue of their business. (Devarim 32:47): אוה םכמ ,קיר םא – if beyond our control, we still have
It is specifically at this time of your life feels empty, it is because of the ability to work on our personal
ingathering and assessment we were your inner emptiness!” growth, practicing authenticity and
told to move out of our comfort self-compassion, and developing the
zone and into the sukkah. Sitting in The Holy Spirit drawn from the muscles of resilience and belonging.
the most fragile possible dwelling waters of the Beit HaShoeva was our
under the shade of the s’chach, own spirit, empowered and inspired Especially this year, Sukkot is our
which symbolizes the Shechina by G-d. Only when we dare to opportunity to recognize our most
(Divine Presence), teaches us to lend believe in ourselves, and in the spark authentic place in the world. When
meaning and purpose to all we have of holiness within our souls, can we we pick up the Arba Minim, we
accumulated. attain the level of authentic, internal say: “Let it be recognized that I am
and everlasting happiness. These called by the Name of Hashem.”
In her book, Gifts of Imperfection, waters of the Beit HaShoeva served The Sfat Emet explained this verse
Brené Brown writes: “Often people as a mirror to help us reflect on our by saying: “The wisdom (da’at) that
attempt to live their lives backward: inner spiritual strength, which is the descends on us on Sukkot lies within
they try to have more things, or root of our security and resilience, our ability to recognize our unique
more money, in order to do more of and for that reason, Hillel exclaimed: place in the world” (Sukkot 5657).
what they want so that they will be “If I’m here, everything is here, and
happier. The way it actually works if I’m not here, who is here?” Do we have the courage to leverage
is the reverse. You must first be the challenges of COVID-19 to find
who you really are, then do what Our challenge this year is to develop our inner resilience and happiness?
you really need to do, in order to a true inner joy based not on our
have what you want.” On Sukkot, we external assets but rather on our “[Hillel] used to say: If I am not for
stop living our lives backward. We faith and inner resilience. During me, who will be for me? And when I
realize that in order to find true joy, the past few months, many of us am for myself alone, what am I? And
we need to be our most authentic have experienced a feeling that if not now, then when?” (Avot 1:14)
selves, and define ourselves without our world is collapsing. We have
any external factors or conditions. experienced enormous uncertainty,
financial challenges, lockdown,
Sometimes, when we feel empty or illness, and the loss of dear relatives
depressed, we tend to attribute it to and friends. The pandemic has
the many challenges and hardships shut down everything that usually Rav Ronen Neuwirth, formerly Rav of the
we believe are unresolved in our lives. provides us with a sense of security Ohel Ari Congregation in Ra’anana, is author
In truth, the core reason for our feel- and happiness. The loneliness of of “The Narrow Halakhic Bridge: A Vision
ings of worthlessness emanates from social distancing has affected our of Jewish Law in the Post-Modern Age,”
our inability to love ourselves, to have sense of belonging, which is an published in May by Urim Publications.

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