Friends of Itamar

Succoth 5769

A Blessing for the Fruit of the Trees – Succoth 5769 The secret of the Four Species The great Cabalist and student of the famous Ramchal, Harav Moshe David Wali, was an author of an amazing work on the Tanach which included 2800 pages! I want to relate to you a message that he writes on his commentary on the book of Leviticus, chapter 26, where the Torah teaches us about the holiday of Succoth. The Torah tells us ” Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast to G-D seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.” Rabbi Wali says that it is known that the produce of the land that is gathered up on Succoth time is fruit and not grains which are harvested up on Passover and Shavuot. From these grains the “Omer” and the “Two bread” offerings were brought. Therefore, in order to complete the blessing on the produce of the land, G-d gave us a Divine service on Succoth that pertains to the fruit of the trees. By blessing over the four species all the different types of trees are incorporated into the blessing. There are trees that their fruit have taste and smell they are represented by the Etrog (Citron). Other trees have taste and no smell, to signify them we were commanded to take the Lulav (date palm). The myrtle (Hadas) corresponds to the trees that have a smell but no taste. Finally, the Aravah (willow) stands for the trees without smell and taste. This is the simple explanation on the Mitzvah of the four species. On a cabbalistic level each of the species represents a letter of the Divine name – the Tetragrammaton. By taking the four species we are unifying the name of G-d and thus bring down a special blessing to the fruit of the trees. This stresses the importance this Divine service of blessing over the “Arbaat Haminim” each and every day of the Succoth holiday. If the Jewish nation would not perform this Mitzvah, G-d forbid, the fruit of the world would dry up! A proof of this is what our rabbis bring down that when the Holy Temple was destroyed the taste was taken away from the fruit of the trees. It is a known fact that the major portion of the Divine abundance was channeled through our Holy Bet Hamikdash in Jerusalem. Therefore, when the four species were blessed on in the Temple a tremendous blessing of abundance was brought down into the fruit of the trees and the result was that the taste of these fruit was the most delicious possible! Unfortunately, when the Temple was destroyed this Divine service was only preformed outside of the Temple. The repercussions were an immediate loss of Divine abundance given to the fruit which led to the fruit losing there special taste. The little abundance that we succeed in bringing down outside the temple on Succoth sustains the fruit of the trees throughout the world. If we weren’t performing this Mitzvah the world would be without fruit! Interestingly, if we taste the fruit of Israel today it is quite delicious. One can imagine how great the taste of the fruit was during the time when our temple stood in Jerusalem in all its glory. Let us pray that we will speedily rebuild our Temple! If the world only knew how much of a blessing our temple will bring to the entire world they would be demanding us to start rebuilding our Bet Hamikdash today. Chag Sameach – Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith, Itamar, Israel