This week's Kli Yakar focuses on Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, which is sort of funny at this time of year, but the themes of teshuvah (repentance) are so inspiring, I couldn't resist....
"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of the etrog tree, date-palm fronds [lulav], and a branch of braided tree [myrtle], and willows of the brook...." (23:40)
וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת וְעַרְבֵי נָחַל
The Kli Yakar reminds us of the classic symbolism of the above-mentioned flora:
....Of course, the Arba Minim [the Four Species] represent 4 categories of Jews:
1) The etrog tree, which possesses taste and scent, represents the masters of Torah and mitzvah, who are complete tzaddikim
Etrogs
2) And the willows, which possess neither taste nor scent, represent those who possess within themselves neither "taste" [ta'am=purpose/taste] nor scent, which symbolizes the groups that possess neither Torah nor mitzvah. And they are complete rashaim.
Willow trees hanging over a brook
3) And the date-palm fronds [lulav] which give forth food, but not scent
Jews buying lulavs
4) And the branch of braided tree [myrtle] which gives forth scent, but not food
Myrtle branches
—both of them [the last two] represent the benonim, who either possess Torah or mitzvah.
The Kli Yakar notes that during the period, which spans Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, Hashem does not forgive the entire nation at once. Instead, His forgiveness is a gradual process:
1) At first, He waives the transgressions of the groups symbolized by the etrog. And they are the spiritual giants who are the first to welcome the Blessed One on Erev Rosh Hashanah.
2) Later, He concedes one-third for the benonim that welcome him during the Ten Days of Repentance, and who are symbolized by the date-palm fronds [lulav] and the branch of braided tree [myrtle].
3) And then later, on Yom Kippur, He concedes to everyone, even the rashaim, who are symbolized by the willows because everyone welcomes Him and are fasting [in repentance].
This is why the Kohen Gadol could only come to the Kodesh Kadoshim on Yom Kippur in a cloud of Ketoret that contained a mixture of chelbanah [the bitter galbanum] with the Ketoret Spices—to include all the sinners of Yisrael and to make them as one unit [agudah achat] with the good ones in order for these [the good Jews] to atone for those [the sinful Jews].
To annihilate them is impossible.
Instead, they will become one unit and these will atone for those....
While the teshuvah of even one Jew is very precious and powerful, the teshuvah of many Jews together is even more effective and can induce atonement when individual teshuvah cannot.
Therefore, the Kli Yakar explains that Hashem orchestrated the spiritual mechanics to enable individual teshuvah to be calculated as mass teshuvah in the Heavenly accounting. And He does so by melding the different categories of Jews into one single unit, starting on Rosh Hashanah.
But why is it actualized on Sukkot?
Because, explains the Kli Yakar, the ten-day period that spans from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur transforms individual teshuvah to the status of mass teshuvah.
And from Yom Kippur until Sukkot, all Jews are (theoretically, anyway) engrossed in the myriad mitzvot involving preparations for Sukkot (like obtaining the Arba Minim and building a sukkah, and meal preparation, etc.).
This constant mitzvah-involvement protects the Jewish people during that time.
The Kli Yakar explains:
Therefore, the Kli Yakar explains that Hashem orchestrated the spiritual mechanics to enable individual teshuvah to be calculated as mass teshuvah in the Heavenly accounting. And He does so by melding the different categories of Jews into one single unit, starting on Rosh Hashanah.
But why is it actualized on Sukkot?
Because, explains the Kli Yakar, the ten-day period that spans from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur transforms individual teshuvah to the status of mass teshuvah.
And from Yom Kippur until Sukkot, all Jews are (theoretically, anyway) engrossed in the myriad mitzvot involving preparations for Sukkot (like obtaining the Arba Minim and building a sukkah, and meal preparation, etc.).
This constant mitzvah-involvement protects the Jewish people during that time.
The Kli Yakar explains:
However, the first day of the [Sukkot] holiday is the first for the accounting of transgressions, therefore, the establishment of mass teshuvah needs to be done on that very day. And when all four of these groups will be as one unit, these [the good Jews] will atone for those [the sinful Jews]. |  A sukkah |
Once again, the Kli Yakar demonstrates how Hashem always sets things up for our maximum advantage, all while operating within the laws of His spiritual physics, so to speak.
So the ability to have our teshuvah count for maximum effect now, during the time between the Spring holiday of Pesach and the Summer holiday of Shavuot, goes all the way back to the heavy Autumn season of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
It just shows how much Hashem really wants things to work out for us.
So the ability to have our teshuvah count for maximum effect now, during the time between the Spring holiday of Pesach and the Summer holiday of Shavuot, goes all the way back to the heavy Autumn season of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
It just shows how much Hashem really wants things to work out for us.
Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntschitz (1550-1619) lived in Bohemia (which is today Poland and Czechoslovakia). He served as rabbi and dayan and wrote several books, the most well-known being his commentary on the Chumash known as the Kli Yakar.
This is my own translation and any errors are also mine.
This is my own translation and any errors are also mine.
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