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Share(ד) מׇשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ {פ}
(4) Draw me after you, let us run! The king has brought me to his chambers. Let us delight and rejoice in your love, Savoring it more than wine— Like new wine they love you!
Setting: The Epichorus
Existential Considerations
Rosh HaShana is a wellspring. She who sits next to the wellspring has the opportunity to color the waters of the entire stream. The origin-point that is Rosh HaShana is just one such point: we can come into contact with time itself at its origin-point, the place where it emanates from the concealed into the revealed.
Obviously we all want to be healthy and to have sufficient income, but that is not enough. The Big Question of Rosh HaShanah is: What am I really living for?
A story is told about a Buddhist monk who had managed to save 10 rupees. With five rupees he bought a loaf of bread, and with the other five he bought himself a mango. They asked him: “What’s with the mango? Isn’t that a waste of money?”
The monk picked up the bread and said: “From this I live.”
Then with his other hand he picked up the fruit and said: “For this I live!”
..…The true essence of Rosh HaShanah is, in the classical phrase, “to accept upon myself the kingdom of Heaven.” But what does this really mean, especially to an ordinary secular person who doesn’t really consider themself to be halachically observant of Torah and mitzvot?
The point is that each of us must accept upon ourselves our unique “kingship.” Consciously and unconsciously we already do this. When I dedicate my life to something, in effect I make this thing my “king.”
What, in truth, is the governing principle in my life? What do I in practice allow to rule me?
(כח) וְכׇל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י י֤וֹם כִּפֻּרִים֙ ה֔וּא לְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
(28) you shall do no work on that selfsame b’etzem day. For it is a Day of Atonement, on which expiation is made on your behalf before your God ה׳.
Similarly in the case of the Day of Atonement, since He had said, “and ye shall afflict your souls, and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the Eternal,” and in the section of Acharei Mot (Lev 16) He made the [complete] expiation dependent upon the offerings and on the goat sent [to Azazel], therefore it was necessary to state here, “And ye shall do no manner of work on that very day, for it is a day of atonement” in itself “to make atonement for you,” besides the expiation effected by the offerings..…
בְּגוּפוֹ לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם מִלְּבַד כַּפָּרַת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת..…
בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם וְאֵין לָנוּ מִזְבַּח כַּפָּרָה אֵין שָׁם אֶלָּא תְּשׁוּבָה. הַתְּשׁוּבָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל כָּל הָעֲבֵרוֹת. …. וְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר לַשָּׁבִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא טז ל) "כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם":
Maimonides:
Teshuvah atones for all sins. …
The essence etzem of Yom Kippur atones for those who repent as [Leviticus 16:30] states: "This day will atone for you."
Sukkah and Chuppah: The Divine Embrace
(כג) וַיֹּ֘אמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒ זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י וּבָשָׂ֖ר מִבְּשָׂרִ֑י לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקְחָה־זֹּֽאת׃
(23) Then the Human said, “This one at last Is bone of my bones etzem me’atzamai And flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Wo/Man, For from Man was she taken.”
According to Sefer Yetzirah, the sense connected with Tishrei is tashmish / coition or [sexual] intimacy, and more generally, the sense of touch. The month of Tishrei, the headquarters of the year, imprints upon the entire year. One of the principal qualities that is imprinted is the ‘sense’ of intimacy with the Divine. The development of this sense through the stages of this month moves from commitment, to our engagement, to wedding celebrations, and finally to intimacy and ‘touch’ with the Holy One of Blessing, so to speak…
וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״צְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בָּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ״. ״בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ״ — זֶה מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, ״וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ״ — זֶה בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ.
And similarly, it says in another verse: “Go forth, daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11). This verse is explained as an allusion to special days: “On the day of his wedding”; this is the giving of the Torah through the second set of tablets on Yom Kippur.
רִבִּי זְעִירָא הֲווֹן בָּעְיָין מַמְנִיתֵיהּ וְלָא בָּעֵי מְקַבֵּל עֲלוֹי. כַּד שְׁמַע הָהֵן תַּנָּיָיא תַנֵּי חָכָם חָתָן נָשִׂיא גְּדוּלָה מְכַפֶּרֶת. קְבִיל עֲלוֹי מַמְנִיתֵיהּ. חָכָם. מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן. מַה כְתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ וְכִי יָגוּר אִתְּכֵם גֵּר בְּאַרְצְכֶם לֹא תוֹנוּ אוֹתוֹ. מַה הַגֵּר מוֹחֲלִין לוֹ עַל כָּל עֲווֹנוֹתָיו אַף חָכָם שֶׁנִּתְמַנֶּה מוֹחֲלִין לוֹ עַל כָּל עֲווֹנוֹתָיו. חָתָן. וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂיו אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵאל וַיִּקַּח אֶת מָחֲלַת בַּת יִשְׁמָעֵאל. וְכִי מָחֲלַת שְׁמָהּ. וַהֲלֹא בָּשְׂמַת שְׁמָהּ. אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּמְחֲלוּ לוֹ כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו. נָשִׂיא. בֶּן שָׁנָה שָׁאוּל בְּמָלְכוֹ. וְכִי בֶּן שָׁנָה הָיָה. אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּמְחֲלוּ לוֹ כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתָיו כְּתִינּוֹק בֶּן שָׁנָה.
They wanted to ordain Rebbi Zeïra but he did not want to take it upon himself. When he heard a Tanna [bearer of an authoritative older teaching] stating:
“For an ordained person, a bridegroom, a patriarch, the dignity deletes [his sins],” he accepted being ordained. …
The bridegroom: (Gen. 28:9) “Esau went to Ishmael and married Maḥalat bat Ishmael.” But was her name Maḥalat? Was it not Basemat? But all his sins were forgiven him. [Mahal / mehila - forgiveness].
The president: (1S. 13:1) “Saul was one year old when he became king.” Was he one year old when he became king? But all his sins were forgiven him as to a baby of one year.
(כ)וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה׳ סָלַ֖חְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
(20) And ה׳ said, “I pardon, as you have asked.
Being in the sukkah is a time of intimacy. The sukkah extends an invitation to be real, totally and authentically oneself, and to welcome others to be fully themselves as well. This intimacy with self and others brings happiness and awakens the child within each of us. Sitting in the sukkah is fun, yet also profound and mystical. The sukkah imparts a deep teaching more powerful than words alone could ever convey: in truth, all human beings are children of the One God, and the world is God’s home.
“Yom Kippur comes and we are washed clean and fully atoned. Now comes Sukkos and in a revealed way we sit basking in the Presence and full embrace of the Holy One of Blessing…. On Sukkot we are already home and Hashem is holding us tight and near. The Shechina embraces us in Her loving embrace and is gently telling us, Everything is OK, you are home. I love you, and I will forever protect you.” And thus we feel joy. The Baal Shem Tov teaches that when we enter the sukkah we are like a child running to be protected by their mother. (Maor vaShemesh, Rimzei Yom Bet Sukkot)
Sukkot: A Deeper Freedom
(מב) בַּסֻּכֹּ֥ת תֵּשְׁב֖וּ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים כׇּל־הָֽאֶזְרָח֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַּסֻּכֹּֽת׃ (מג) לְמַ֘עַן֮ יֵדְע֣וּ דֹרֹֽתֵיכֶם֒ כִּ֣י בַסֻּכּ֗וֹת הוֹשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּהוֹצִיאִ֥י אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
(42) You shall live in sukkot seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in sukkot, (43) in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt—I, your God ה׳.
Becoming Fruitful
Ephraim and Menasheh, unlike all the other brothers in Genesis, do not quarrel. Instead, both tribes are fruitful, and neither tribe quarrels with the other. Ephraim teaches us not only about reproduction but about how to create families in which there is love and respect. As we enter the ‘days of rain’, we hope for our houses and our most intimate relationships to be places of sanctity, gentleness, and compassion.
Libra as the 7th month connects to the 7th house - balance point between self and community, plus a new capacity and desire to bring balance and harmony into the world. Marriage and relationships are core to the 7th house; Libra is ruled by Venus.
Love is the primary force in the creation and sustenance of the world. Love is the primary force within us and it is what attracts and binds people together in harmony. The month of Tishrei brings people together to renew and strengthen their relationships with each other. Two lammeds face to face look like a heart. “Tishrei is the heart of the year. Like the heart, it distributes the energies for the entire year. Tishrei is the headquarters for the opening of the heart...
Love, love and love some more. Remember that when we leave this physical world, we will be unable to take with us any of the physical possessions we have acquired. We will however take with us the love we have shared in the world. Love without expectation.”
(ו) מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר …מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מֹר֙ וּלְבוֹנָ֔ה
(6) Who is she that comes up from the desert [Like columns of smoke,] In clouds of myrrh and frankincense, [Of all the powders of the merchant]?
(ו) שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת לְרֹאשִׁ֔י וִימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃
(6) His left hand is under my head, His right arm embracing me.
Setting: Nava Teh
