Succot 5766 -- To the Redemption -- Now!
                          By Moshe Burt


Having emerged from Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and, hopefully we have all been inscribed and sealed for a happy, healthy, successful and meaningful year and years ahead, we find ourselves in the midst of Succot.

During Succot, the B'nai Yisrael, as an Am Segula (a nation apart and unique from the other nations), as Hashem's special, chosen people, visit, bond, and celebrate our special and unique relationship with HaKodosh Borchu.

Prominent in our thoughts during Succot are the Haftorahs which the prophecy of the War of Gog and Magog, Moshiach, the Ge'ula Shlaima (the Redemption) and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash are pronounced.  And as the expression goes among fans (What d'ya know -- this year is a shocker; the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros) in the springtime, "Hope springs eternal."

But the question can be asked; What relationship is there between the War of Gog and Magog and the simanim of Succot and Lulav, Etrog, Hadassim and Aravim?

We learn about the simanim; the Lulav, Etrog, Hadassim and Aravim and how they represent the attributes of man and the world.  And we learn, as Shem Mishmuel explains; the 4 Species (the Arba Minim) that we take on Succot equate with the three Cardinal Sins for which a Jew must be prepared to give up his life rather than commit, plus one. 

He explains that the etrog (citron), like one's head which corresponds to idolatry, but whose fruit and bark taste alike symbolizing that Hashem is one and his name is one.  He explains that the lulav (palm branch), like one's spine equates with lust and man's ability to overcome these lusts; that the hadas (myrtle), like one's eyes corresponds to murder for which the ultimate cause is jealousy and which we overpower once we view our fellow Jew as a brother, an extension of self.  And finally, the aravah (willow), like one's lips corresponds with the speaking of loshen hora and conveys our ability to prevail over our tendencies toward malicious gossip and rumor-mongering and to channel our speech toward Torah and Mitzvot.  (Shem Mishmuel, Succot 5674, pages 442-444)

From eating, drinking, sleeping and doing our daily activities in the Succah, we learn that man and the entire world are under the jurisdiction of Hashem.  We learn that seemingly impregnable stone, brick or steel walls, buildings and roofs are as nothing before the Almighty.  In recent history, 9/11 clearly showed us that. 

If only Memshelet Yisrael (the government of Israel) would absorb the lessons of Succot.  If only PM Sharon, Omri and Gilad would sit in the Succah for more than a few fleeting, "symbolic" moments and take time out from their schemes, deceptions and intrigues over these days of Succot to learn or (as PM Sharon expressed regrets in a previous year) to really, thoroughly "review the sources", to know, to understand why they are here and internalize the lessons and to feel even a morsel of regret for what they have done to their brethren and to this Holy Land.  Gam Bibi, gam Lapid, gam Ehud Olmert, unless all of their hearts have been so irretrievably hardened that the exercise is futile.  And if only the entire B'nai Yisrael would contemplate and internalize this fundamental Jewish lesson of Unity and love for one's Jewish Brethren and Kiddush Hashem and hopefully emerge from Succot with a renewed understanding of why there is an Eretz Yisrael and why they, we are all here.

And so we ponder the War of Gog and Magog. 

"When Gog, all his army and all of the nations attack israel, even in a redemption 'in haste,' Israel will tremble with fear.  Afterward, G'd will rise up and destroy the nations in the final redemption, as in the first one." ("The Jewish Idea", by Rabbi Meir Kahane, Z'l, Vol. 2, page 984)

"Our sages said (Tanchuma, Re'eh, 9);  "...In the future, Gog and Magog will attack Israel, and they too will be burnt up with one fire, as it says, 'I will punish him with pestilence,blood and torrential rain [...fire and brimstone].  At that moment, I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and make Myself known to many nations.'" (Yecheskel, 38.22-23 in part, as quoted from"The Jewish Idea", by Rabbi Meir Kahane, Z'l, Vol. 2, page 984)

May it be, throughout these chaggim and beyond, that our brethren -- the refugee families from Gush Katif and the Shomron as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard are central in our thoughts, prayers, chassadim and actions.

B'Ezrat Hashem, may we soon know the day when Torah is the law of the land (not as that Shinui MK claims -- Ortho-Fascism), when we pray thanks to Hashem for the Ge’ula Shlaima and for the restoration of our Brethren, expelled by the evil regime from Gush Katif and the Shomron towns to bigger and more beautiful homes and neighborhoods, Bati Knesset, Yeshivot in Gush Katif and the Shomron and only happiness and success for all time.  May this abominable period of history called hitnatkut be as a bad dream. And may we soon see freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael for Jonathan Pollard.
  
May we be zocha in this coming year take giant steps toward fulfilling Hashem's blueprint of B'nai Yisrael as a Unique people -- an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with "the nations."

May we be zocha this year -- Now, to the Moshiach, the Ge'ula Shlaima, "Yom Hashem V'Kol HaGoyim", the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v'yameinu -- speedily, in our time". 

May we see the “Yom Hashem Al Kol HaGoyim,” Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol.

****************************************************************************************
Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.