It is written in the Zohar as follows: Rosh Hashanah is a manifestation of Ya'akov gaining the blessings from his father Yitzhak, stealing them from his brother, Eisav. The Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur parallel the time when Ya'akov ran away from Eisav toward Lavan in Aram. Yom Kippur is the time when Ya'akov confronted Eisav, and was saved. Sukkot corresponds to his living in the place called Sukkot, after his encounter with Eisav.
One explanation is as follows: Ya'akov and Eisav are together in the womb. In a sense they are two sides of the same being: meaning, we all have a Ya'akov and an Eisav. If they could work together, there could be great unification in the world. And there are times to work toward that goal. But Rosh Hashanah is not that time.
Rosh Hashanah is the time for us, and for G-d in our proxy, to clarify that in us which is essential and positive, and therefore should be retained, and that in us which is excess and must be removed. The Eisav portion is to be removed.
This is played out dramatically in Ya'akov's efforts to 'steal' the blessings from Yitzhak. If we could imagine that the Source of Blessing is available, and any part of us that we wish may be blessed, it is up to us to clarify which parts of us are of benefit and should be given longevity and blessing, and which parts of us are unhealthy and should be let go of. If the wrong parts of us are blessed, we are destined to repeat in the coming year the mistakes that ensue from an imbalance of priorities. Ya'akov, the Good, must arrange himself to receive the blessing. And he must get all of it, if balance is to be restored.
On Rosh Hashanah, we are capable of bringing our 'best foot forward', and of arranging ourselves in such a way as to receive maximum blessing. But G-d's willingness, so to speak, to give blessing depends on His faith that that blessing will not go to waste on aspects of ourselves that are not worthy.
And then Rosh Hashanah ends, and the remnants of reality set in: Eisav is still around, and he is angry. So we run away and attempt to emphasize those positive parts of ourselves in the non-realistic environment of escape. We are also told that Ya'akov spent time at the yeshiva of Shem and Ever as he escaped Eisav. This is a time when we, artificially (i.e. not in contact with Eisav), as it were, build ourselves up to be strong and clear. This is manifested in the sense that there are many customs to up our level of observance during the 10 days of Teshuva, even if it is not 'real.'
But the next stage must be approached - Yom Kippur, the encounter with Eisav. We must emerge into reality again. We cannot live a life of hiding forever. We must look that part of ourselves in the eye and stay strong. This is the greatest challenge, but we are helped with the laws of Yom Kippur that keep us away from most of the parts of ourselves that tend toward 'the old ways' of selfishness and low desire - no food, no drink, no sex.
But the ultimate goal is Sukkot. Sukkot is relaxation without fear. It is brought down that Sukkot is Ya'akov's holiday, but it is in Eisav's realm - outside, in the world. The mitzvot of Sukkot emphasize engaging those 'dangerous' areas of our lives - eating, drinking, sleeping, lounging. But now that Eisav energy has been neutralized, we can enjoy the ultimate goal of who we are - to be able to manifest godliness in very aspect of our lives.
Rav Gavriel Goldfeder
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Rav Gavriel Goldfeder is one of the first semicha recipients of the yeshiva. A graduate of Drew University in Religious Studies, he came to Bat Ayin after stints in other yeshivot and found a spiritual and intellectual home. Here he met his wife, Ketriellah, who was a student in our short-lived Women's Yeshiva. Upon graduation, Gavriel took the position of rabbi of the Aish Kodesh Congregation in Boulder, Colorado and together with Ketriellah and their growing family, they are busy creating (in Gavriel's words), "a community infused with Torah values, passion for learning and prayer, consideration of one another, and action, as well as deep celebration of the joys of life." |