Free translation of an excerpt
from Likutey Halakhos, Chezkas Karka’os, Halakhah 3
As found in Otzar HaYirah,
“Teshuvas HaShanah,” sec. 164 and 165
By Dovid Sears
The ritual of taking the Four
Species on Sukkos, the “season of our rejoicing,” is meant to imbue the heart
with simchah shel mitzvah, the joy of the mitzvah, as the verse states,
“You gave joy to my heart” (Psalms 4:8).
This is an aspect of the World to
Come. For a person contains within himself all of the worlds; each of us
contains an aspect of the “World to Come” and “This World.” That is, the head
and higher consciousness (da’as) of a person is an aspect of the World
to Come, which represents the culmination of higher perception. The body is the
aspect of This World.
The key factor is the heart,
which possesses two chambers that house the two basic inclinations: the Yetzer
Tov (good urge) and Yetzer HaRa (evil urge). This makes it possible
for a person to possess free choice, which is the great challenge of this
world. Accordingly, it is possible for one to mentally sense the aspect of the
World to Come. However, the main thing is to draw down this perception to the
heart, which alludes to This World, the world of free choice.
This is the drawing down of the
joy and delight of the World to Come to very midst of This World, in keeping
with the verse, “And you shall know (da’as) today and place it in your
heart…” (Deut. 11:2). And we accomplish this through the ritual of the Four
Species—thus transmitting the joy of the World to Come from the brain to the
heart, so that we may feel the joy of the World to Come right here in this
world and in the heart, which is the main locus of joy.
Thus it is written, “And you
shall take for yourselves on the first day [of the Sukkos festival] a fruit of
the Eytz Hadar [‘beautiful tree,’ which Chazal understand to denote the
Esrog] and rejoice before Hashem, your G-d” (Leviticus 22:40).
For in this way, we draw down the
complete joy of the mitzvah to this world—to such a degree that we will merit
to perform all mitzvot, constantly, throughout the year, with inherent joy of
the mitzvah, free of any desire for reward in the World to Come. Rather, our
entire joy will be in the experience of performing the mitzvah itself.
This is why “hiddur” (beauty)
is especially associated with the Esrog, which represents the heart, as our
Sages state; and the taste of this tree and the fruit are the same. [Our Sages infer
from the Torah’s language that the Creator’s initially commanded this to all
trees, but only the Esrog tree properly fulfilled that command.]
For the tree itself alludes to
This World, where ordinarily we don’t experience the “taste” of holiness so
much. Rather, this is a world of action. Yet from this tree grow wondrous
fruits which we may merit to eat and enjoy in in the World to Come, at the time
of receiving divine reward. However, the ideal is to experience the taste and
the pleasantness of the fruit in the tree, as well. This is the experience of
the World to Come when we perform the mitzvah [in this world]—the aspect of the
tree and the fruit tasting the same.
Throughout the seven days of Sukkos
we merit to elicit this happiness and to rejoice in G-d. This corresponds to
“Israel will rejoice in its Maker.” This is the aspect of our joy in performing
the mitzvos themselves. For the mitzvos are one with G-d who commanded them.
This too is the meaning of the Simchas
Beis Hasho’evah [i.e., the rejoicing in drawing water from the Shiloach stream for
a special Water Libation in the Holy Temple. This celebration took place on the
first night of Sukkos, and lasted until dawn, when the water was drawn, amid
great festivity and song. However, even today it is customary to celebrate on
the nights of Sukkos. These festivities are also called “Simchas Beis
HaSho’evah.”]
Afterward, on Shemini Atzeres and
Simchas Torah, G-d rejoices (so to speak) in the Jewish people. As our Sages
state, it is as if G-d asks, “Please remain with Me one more day…” This
corresponds to “G-d will rejoice in His works.”
Then joy is complete; for both joys become one.
At this time we hold the Torah
scroll and rejoice with her. This shows that all of our joy is derived from the
Torah alone—which is one with G-d. And reciprocally, G-d rejoices with
us. Thus the two aspects of joy become one.
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