The Secret of the Seal of Life: Building the New Year During the Days of the Festival of Sukkot

Class No. 263 | Monday, 3rd day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot, the eve of 18 Tishrei 5761 - the yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of our holy Rebbe Nachman in the Beis Midrash at Ido HaNavi

An in-depth discourse on the secret of the twenty-two days of the month of Tishrei and the difference between the sealing of the tzaddikim and the sealing of the entirety of the Jewish people. The Rav explains how the days of the festival of Sukkot and the Four Species draw down loving-kindness and build the new year through joy and humility.

On a day when there is a hillula (yahrtzeit, anniversary of passing) of a tzaddik, one can accomplish everything in the world. The moment there is a yahrtzeit of a tzaddik, there is nothing in the world that cannot be achieved, and nothing is withheld from us. This takes on even greater force when it occurs during the days of the festival of Sukkot. On the first day of the festival, we are given the crown of Rachel, which represents the Sefirah of Malchus (Kingship), the secret of emunah (faith).

The Secret of the Twenty-Two Days of Tishrei

It is brought down in the book "Divrei Yosef" regarding the verse:

"And let our lips substitute for the bulls"

that the words "uneshalmah parim" (and let [our lips] substitute for the bulls) have the same gematria (numerical value) as the word "Atzeres" (with the kollel, adding one for the word itself: uneshalmah = 431, parim = 330, together 761. Atzeres = 760). All of our preparation throughout the twenty-two days of the month of Tishrei is in order to reach Shemini Atzeres, to attain the secret of "and let our lips substitute for the bulls."

For twenty-two days we prepare the vessels in the secret of "And God built the rib." The entire concept of the tikkun (rectification) of Rachel is 'and let our lips substitute for the bulls.' Therefore, all the rectifications performed during these days are done within Rachel, in order to elevate her from the World of Beriah (Creation) to the World of Atzilus (Emanation), and to restore her throughout all the Sefiros (Divine emanations), from Kesser (Crown) down to Malchus (Kingship).

The Seal of Leah and the Seal of Rachel

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, completely righteous individuals are immediately sealed for a good life. The holy Arizal asks in his book "Shaar HaKavanos": If completely righteous individuals are immediately sealed on the very first day, why do we say "Remember us for life" and not immediately say "Write us and seal us in the Book of Life"? After all, perhaps we will merit to be sealed in the book of true tzaddikim on the very first day!

The holy Arizal explains that the seal of the tzaddikim, which corresponds to the aspect of Leah, is indeed a seal, but it is still not considered the true and complete seal until the seal of Rachel is present. Rachel represents the entirety of the Jewish people. While the completely righteous are called "Leah," the rest of the nation and the intermediate individuals are called "Rachel."

The sealing of Rachel takes place on Yom Kippur. Afterward, on Hoshana Rabbah, a "seal within a seal" is formed. On the night of Hoshana Rabbah, all the intermediate individuals who did not yet manage to be sealed on Yom Kippur are sealed with an inner seal.

Transforming the Visions of Fire into Visions of Light

For this purpose, we were given the days of the festival of Sukkot. Regarding the Ten Days of Repentance, it is said, "His left hand is under my head," but from the conclusion of Yom Kippur, the chasadim (loving-kindnesses) begin to be revealed in the secret of "and His right hand embraces me." We begin to receive the inner chasadim, dancing for Hashem out of love, songs, and yearning. We purchase the Four Species, build a sukkah—and everything is done with an immense passion for the Creator. Through this, all the fiery visions of strict judgments are transformed into luminous visions of loving-kindness.

On each day of the festival of Sukkot, we receive an additional illumination of loving-kindness. On the first day of Sukkot, we receive "Chesed within Chesed" (loving-kindness within loving-kindness) in inner lights in order to perfect our character traits, and we immediately merit surrounding lights as well through the mitzvah of the sukkah. Thus, day after day, the chasadim are drawn down into the Sefirah of Yesod (Foundation), and on Hoshana Rabbah, all the chasadim gather together into the Sefirah of Malchus (Kingship).

Now, during these days, we receive all the chasadim of "and His right hand embraces me." A tremendous abundance of light descends, and from it, we draw down loving-kindness for the entire new year. Our entire existence right now is the building of Rachel. We are building the new year at this very moment—through the dancing, the songs, the lulav, the esrog, and the rest of the Four Species.

The Esrog and the Secret of Humility

Therefore, the esrog hints at the verse:

"Let not the foot of pride overtake me"

The entire essence of these twenty-two days is to distance oneself from any thought of pride, even the smallest particle. A person must know that everything they do, speak, or think—everything is a gift from Hashem. It is brought down in the Yalkut Shimoni that every action and thought of a person is a gift from Heaven, and the person, for their part, has not yet done anything in their life.

Moshe Rabbeinu earned the title "Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person" specifically because he saw Hashem face to face, and through this, he truly knew that he never did anything on his own. This is the ultimate purpose of these days of joy – to build the new year out of absolute humility and recognition of Hashem's loving-kindness.

Part 2 of 4 — Lesson No. 263

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