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Orchard of Delights Shemini

is transformed into the sukkah’s walls and especially its upper that had begun to consume the camp. According to the Zohar, at the
covering. This interpretation makes sense as Sukkot, the Festival of critical moment when Pinchas decided to act, the souls of Nadav and
Booths, begins five days after Yom Kippur, so the spiritual energy Avihu entered him, giving him the strength and courage he needed
is naturally transmuted into the next spiritual endeavor. There is to step forward and kill Zimri and Cozbi, thus averting the people’s
actually a custom to do some work on building one’s sukkah on total destruction.
the evening after Yom Kippur in order to emphasize the spiritual The impregnation of a departed soul in a living person, in a process
connection between the two holidays. called ibbur, is dealt with extensively in the writings of the Arizal.
The question of what happens to an awakened or inspired soul Pinchas’ act enabled Nadav and Avihu to rectify their original lack
once the peak experience begins to fade into memory is an important of respect for Moses and their elders, by having Pinchas request
one on both practical and theoretical levels. Thus, Chassidut asks permission from Moses before acting. Furthermore, the new paradigm
the same question about the aroused soul once the sounds of the 100 of spirituality they embodied found its appropriate channel in the
Rosh Hashanah shofar blasts fade into memory. Chassidut answers 12 zealousness of Pinchas, who drew closer to God by acting out of
that the numerical value of the Hebrew word for the foliage used impeccable motivations, the desire to save the nation of Israel. (For
to cover the sukkah (sechach) is 100. The heart awakened by the more on this incident, see the portions of Balak and Pinchas in the
piercing sounds of the 100 shofar blasts does not become dormant book of Numbers.)
again; its spiritual energy is transmuted into the very structure of
the holy sukkah.

Sukkot, following the contemplative days of Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur, is in essence a continuation of the same teshuvah £To Everything There Is a SeasonTo Everything There Is a SeasonTo Everything There Is a Season
process, but with a special emphasis on joy and integration. What ££
began on Rosh Hashanah as ethereal and idealistic longings of the
heart must now be actualized within the real world. The Torah
commands us to shake the four species (palm, citron, myrtle, and Moses inquired insistently about the he-goat of the sin
willow) on Sukkot in six directions – the four cardinal directions as offering, for behold, it had been burned. And he was
well as above and below. This represents the hands-on integration angry with Elazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons,
of the deep introspection and prayers of Rosh Hashanah and Yom saying: “Why did you not eat the sin offering in a holy
Kippur. In the process of shaking the four species in each direction place, for it is most holy; and He gave it to you to gain
they are first held close to the heart, then they are thrust outwards forgiveness for the sin of the assembly and to atone for
and shaken, and finally they are brought back to the heart. All them before God? Behold, its blood was not brought
the innermost, deep-felt prayers born in the heart and mind and into the Sanctuary within; you should have eaten it in
represented by the blasts of the shofar and the incense cloud must the Holy as I had commanded!” Aaron spoke to Moses:
now find the means to manifest themselves in the outside world. “Was it they who this day offered their sin offering and
their burnt offering before God? Now that such things
The mystic sod tradition teaches that when a Jew sits in the
sukkah – underneath the sechach, which symbolizes the Shechinah’s befell me – were I to eat this day’s sin offering, would
God approve?” Moses heard and he approved. (Leviticus
protective wings – it is just as if he is in the Holy of Holies. The High
Priest’s experience when he entered the innermost sanctuary and 10:16 – 20)

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