OHR SOMAYACH'S ASK THE RABBI 
Issue #250, September 25, 1999 
Succot Special
=====================================
In this issue:
SUCCOT SIGNIFICANCE
MYRTLE DEALER
CLOSE SHAVE
LEFTY LEAVES
HOLIDAY WRAPPING
WHY DO ANIMALS SUFFER
SUCCAH IN THE SUN 
PUBLIC DOMAIN 
=====================================

SUCCOT SIGNIFICANCE

Carol from Port Orchard, Washington <ies@web-o.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
I am wondering about Succot.  Why is it important?  What is the 
present significance?  How does this relate to the mashiach (messiah)?

Dear Carol,
	Succot celebrates the super-natural protection we, the Jewish 
People, enjoyed when G-d took us out of Egypt.  In this sense, Succot 
is like Passover.  While Passover celebrates our rescue from the 
Egyptians, Succot goes a step farther, celebrating our miraculous 
existence in the desert for forty years after that.

	Thus, the major significance of Succot is a message of 
gratitude.  If not for the food, water, and shelter G-d gave us in the 
desert thousands of years ago, we wouldn't be here today.  Our 
gratitude to G-d never fades, just like you never stop being grateful 
to your parents for giving birth to you.  So, for the seven days of 
Succot, Jews leave the protection of their roofed homes and live in 
huts covered only with branches, recalling the fact that it is not our 
homes, but G-d who protects us.

	Regarding the connections between Succot and messianic times:  
According to the Prophet Zacharia, the nations who survive the final 
"War of Gog and Magog" will come to Jerusalem every year "to prostrate 
themselves to the King, Hashem...and to celebrate the Succot 
festival."  (Zecharia 14:16)

	The Prophet Ezekiel describes the Jewish People prior to the 
"War of Gog and Magog" as living in an almost-messianic state, having 
been recently gathered from amongst the nations and living in 
prosperity in their own land.  Then, the world's nations -- led by 
"Gog" from the land of "Magog" -- will attack Israel in an attempt to 
put a final end to the Jewish People.

	Magog is identified by the Talmud as "Gothia," the land of the 
Goths.  The Goths were a Germanic people, in keeping with the 
midrashic rendering of Magog as "Germamia" or "Germania."

	Our miraculous victory against Gog is to occur during the Succot 
season, and those of our enemies who repent and survive will come to 
Jerusalem each Succot to celebrate  the anniversary of our victory.

	Rabbi S.R. Hirsch notes that "Gog" is related to the Hebrew word 
for roof.  A roof, with its ability to shut out the heavenly 
influences of rain and sun, symbolizes man's imagined independence 
from G-d.  The symbol of the roof stands in diametric opposition to 
the weak succah-booth.  A succah, covered only by some meager 
branches, symbolizes our dependence on G-d.  Thus, Gog's struggle is 
the battle of the "roof" against the "succah," in which those who 
believe only in man's ability to manipulate nature try to eradicate 
the Jews, whose very existence loudly nullifies this world-view.

	The universal nature of Succot is also alluded to in the special 
Succot offerings, which were seventy in number.  This corresponds to 
the number of primary nations of the world; i.e., the seventy nations 
descended from Noah (see Genesis Chapter 10).  Seventy is also the 
numerical value of the Hebrew phrase "Gog and Magog."

Sources:

* Book of Ezekiel 38
* Ibid. Commentary by Rabbi Moshe Eisemann, Mesorah Publications
* Yerushalmi Megillah 3:9
* Targum Yonatan 10:2, Bereishet Rabbah 37:1

************

MYRTLE DEALER

Ted Bucklin from California <tbucklin@vom.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
I am a myrtle grower in California and I have been preparing Succot 
myrtle for a gentleman in New York for years, but I am still in the 
dark about the use of the myrtle stems we so meticulously prepare.  I 
am also interested in exploring the marketplace to see if I can find 
other potential clients for this product.  Could you please explain 
the significance of myrtle in the New Year celebration, how it is 
prepared and used, and could you possibly refer me to someone who 
knows the myrtle market or who might be interested in purchasing my 
product.  Thank you very much.

Dear Ted Bucklin,
	Myrtle is one of the "four species" of trees which Jews are 
commanded to pick up and hold during the Succot 
tival.  As the Torah says regarding Succot, "You shall take to 
yourselves...the fruit of an etrog tree, palm fronds, braided (myrtle) 
branches, and brook willows...."  (Leviticus 23:40).

	Myrtles are called "braided" because the leaves grow in sets of 
three with each set of leaves covering the set above it on the branch, 
giving the myrtle branch the appearance of a braided chain.  The 
myrtle used for Succot has special requirements; for example it should 
be complete, and the three leaves of each set should grow from the 
same point along the stem.  Agronomists in Israel have recently 
developed a method which produces myrtles of the highest standard.

	For the expansion of your clientele, contact dealers in Jewish 
communities throughout the USA.  You might do this by contacting 
official congregations listed in in the phone book.

************

CLOSE SHAVE

Name@Withheld wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
Is someone who shaves daily all year round allowed to shave during the 
week of Succot and Pesach (on Chol Hamo'ed)?

Dear Name@Withheld,
	No.  Shaving is forbidden on Chol Hamo'ed.  Shaving one's beard 
with a razor is always forbidden, but during the week of Succot and 
Pesach, it's even forbidden to trim it with scissors.

	In the times of the Chatam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer), some Jews 
in the high society used to shave with a razor, disregarding Jewish 
Law.  Now, the Torah prohibition against shaving with a razor doesn't 
apply until the beard stubble has grown somewhat (approximately two or 
three days' growth).  So the Chatam Sofer said that it was better for 
them to continue shaving on Chol Hamo'ed so that the hair would not 
have time to grow to that length, rather than letting it grow during 
and shaving after the festival, which would entail the violation of 
hundreds of Torah prohibitions, one prohibition for every two hairs 
shaved.  Many people misunderstood this, mistakenly thinking that the 
Chatam Sofer was lenient regarding the prohibition of shaving on Chol 
Hamo'ed.

************

LEFTY LEAVES

Mel Tanen <meltanen@juno.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
I am left-handed so I hold my lulav (palm branch) in my left hand and 
the etrog (citron) in my right hand.  Do I still place the hadassim 
(myrtles) to the right of the lulav and the aravot (willows) to the 
left of the lulav?

Dear Mel Tanen,
	According to Ashkenazic custom, a lefty holds his lulav in his 
left hand. However, the setting of the haddasim and aravot is the same 
as everyone else, which is that the haddasim go on the right of the 
lulav (as you hold the lulav with its spine facing you).

	The Sephardic custom is that even a lefty holds the lulav in the 
right hand.

Sources:

* Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 651:3 and Rema
* Mishna Berura ibid. note 12 in the name of the Pri Megadim

************

HOLIDAY WRAPPING

Michael Braitman from Givat Shmuel, Israel <hy59@popeye.cc.biu.ac.il> 
wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
What's the significance of "isru chag" (the day after a festival)?  
Why is there no school (in Israel, at least) on isru-chag?  A friend 
said it has something to do with the fact that there was an extra day 
for people to bring a korban (Temple offering) during the festival, in 
case they couldn't make it to Jerusalem on time.  If so, why is this 
pertinent to our day, when there are no sacrifices?


Dear Michael Braitman,
	Ever go jogging?  When you're done, you're not supposed to stop 
suddenly; it's too big of a shock to the system.  Rather, you "warm-
down" by walking, and finally you can stop.

	The same is true of a Festival.  We don't go directly from a 
joyous festival back into everyday life.  We need a day to "warm-
down," or rather to "wrap-up" the joy of the Holiday.  "Isru chag" is 
that day.  "Isru chag" literally means "tie up the festival."  That 
is, take the happiness and meaningfulness of the festival and bring it 
with you into the rest of the year.

	In Temple times, festive offerings were brought on isru chag of 
the Shavuot Festival.  Isru chag remains a semi-festive day, even 
today when there is no Temple.

Sources:

* Shulchan Aruch 429:2
* Succah 45b
* Jerusalem Talmud, Avodah Zarah 1:5

************

WHY DO ANIMALS SUFFER

Basha Majerczyk<chasidiste@aol.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
Here's something that just popped into my head recently:  If the 
specifics of childbearing are a curse, the result of Adam and Eve's 
sin in the Garden of Eden, why do animals experience similar cycles, 
pain, etc.?  Thanks.  The ladies of my shul are waiting for an answer.

Dear Basha Majerczyk,
Good question.  Let me add to your question:  Why do animals die?  The 
Sages answer that Adam and Eve went around to all the animals and fed 
them some of the forbidden fruit.  Whether this is meant literally or 
not, the idea behind it is that this world is created for us humans to 
have free will, either to build or destroy.  When we sin, we destroy 
not only ourselves but the world as well.

************

SUCCAH IN THE SUN

Name@WIthheld from New York, NY wrote:

Dear Rabbi,
Can one place branches over the open sunroof of one's car in order to 
create a valid succah?

Dear Name@Withheld,
	The mishna says "One who makes a succah on a wagon, or on a 
ship, it is a valid succah."

	However, a succah has certain minimum dimensions of height and 
area.  The sunroof must be at least 7 x 7 halachic handbreadths 
(approximately 70 X 70 cm) and the walls must be at least 10 halachic 
handbreadths high (approximately 100 cm).  Ideally, the branches which 
cover the sunroof should not sit directly on the metal of the car; but 
rather, they should rest on top of other wood or branches.
************

THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Comments, quibbles, and reactions 
concerning previous "Ask-the-Rabbi" features 

RE: CORPORATE HEADS (http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask248.htm#Q1):

	You recently wrote regarding wearing a yarmulke (skull cap) at 
work, and the respect one gains for the integrity of doing so.  I 
would like to relate the following incident told to me by a very 
religious surgeon, the intern in the incident:

	When the intern appeared to participate in an orthopedic 
surgical procedure, the head surgeon expressed doubt about the 
intern's ability to operate with his long beard.  The intern assured 
him that the beard would be fully covered by the surgical mask and 
would not hinder the operation at all.  After successfully completing 
the procedure and impressing the head surgeon with his skills, the 
head surgeon told the people present that all during his professional 
life he had tried to hide his own Judaism and here was someone who was 
professionally competent and not afraid to live openly according to 
his beliefs.  He even offered the intern to join his lucrative group 
practice in orthopedic surgery!

                                       Shimshon <shimshon@rokar.co.il>

	Regarding the Manhattan man who feels his yarmulke hinders his 
career advancement:  I work in a totally non-Jewish business setting 
in rural Missouri, in a town where I am one of less than a dozen Jews 
and the only Orthodox Jew, except for my wife.  I think that wearing a 
yarmulke's effect on one's coworkers is often based on the perception 
of the wearer.  Although I only recently started this job, I have 
never felt that my yarmulke was creating a negative response.  It is 
hard to believe that people in Manhattan (where I am originally from) 
would feel negatively toward yarmulke wearing since it is so common in 
NY.

           Larry Weinberg from Maryville, MO<edlawlarry@geocities.com>

RE: ROSH HASHANA (http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask249.htm#Q3):


	You wrote that Jewish kids can feel special when they "get out 
of school on Rosh Hashana while all their friends are in school."  You 
should be aware that many major county school systems do not have 
school on Rosh Hashana (first day), Yom Kippur, or the first day of 
Pesach.

                                       Menashe Katz <mkatz@sysnet.net>

	Is it not true that Rosh Hashana is the new year for the world, 
so that actually it should be a worldwide holiday?  What a great thing 
it would be if people worldwide would join together to realize that 
Hashem is judging the entire world at the same time and thus create a 
day of world prayer.

                                         Stuart Wise <swise@amlaw.com>

RE:  WHAT LEVITES NEVER SEE (http://www.ohrnet.org/ask/ask248.htm#YR):

	Regarding your Yiddle Riddle, "what does a levi never see in his 
adult life," here's a second answer:  Before the kohen blesses the 
congregation (on Festivals outside the Land of Israel, or daily in the 
Land of Israel) a levi washes the kohen's hands.  If no levi is 
present then a bechor (first-born son) washes the kohen's hands.  
Thus, a levi would never witness anyone other than himself or another 
levi washing the kohen's hands.

                  Bruce M Selznick, Richmond, VA <bmselznick@juno.com>
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