Succos & Simchas Torah: ---------------------- The Parsha of Pinchas (29:12-29:39) discusses the offerings which were brought in the Temple on Succos. The offerings on Succos were unique in the fact: - that they included offerings to invoke the protection for the gentile nations. - the offerings were slightly different for each day of the festival. - there is a special water libation. Water libation: -------------- The special water drawing ceremony is called "Simchat Beit Hashoeiva". It was performed every evening, which was accompanied by intense night-long festivity. The water was poured into pipes at the top of the southwest corner of the Altar, every morning of Succos. The Talmud states that one who never witnessed the great joy of the water drawing ceremony, never saw a true celebration in his life. Succos is also the festival when the world is judged for water. (Above taken from Artscroll Chumash) Simcha through nature: --------------------- Rav Mordechai Ilan zt"l brings down in his Sefer "Mikdash Mordechai", that we normally say that true Simcha (happiness) comes when one drinks wine, yet here we are told that happiness is brought through water? He continues by explaining that on Succos we leave our permanent dwellings and enter into a temporary dwelling, we leave the normal natural way of our lives. We are then able to obtain happiness, even from the most simple thing of nature, water. One can hear the voice of Hashem (Kvayochal) through simple water, all we have to do is set our ears to hear it, since nature in itself is a miracle. Korbanos: -------- If we take a close look at the Pesukim, we will see that each day of Succos, the offerings become less and less. Rashi on Pasuk 29:36 explains that on Succos, the Korbanos get less and less each day to teach us Derech Eretz (The way one should act). Rashi (quoting the Medrash Tanchuma) gives a Mashal (parable) of a host who gives his guest on the first night of his visit, a nice beef steak. The next night he gives him a nice piece of smoked salmon. The third night he serves him chulent, and the last night he gives him just a simple vegetable salad. It seems from the above parable, that the host is trying to get rid of his guest, therefore he gives him less and less each day. If this is the case, why does Rashi say that this is Derech Eretz? Shouldn't we bring more and more Korbanos each day of the festival? Rav Leff Shlita explains Rashi's parable, that this is the correct way to act. For when one first meets someone, and he starts to get to know the other person, there is a need for physical things to help bring the initial connection between the two people. Thus the host brings out fancy food on the first day, in order to build a connection of friendship between him and his guest. However, once the connection is already built, their is no need for the physcial to increase the friendship. The same is true between the closeness of Clal Yisrael to Hashem. At first we need the physical offerings to come closer to Hashem, as we get closer to Simchas Torah, we need less of the physical to bring us closer to Hashem. Thus the offerings are less each day. On Succos we take the physical Lulav and Esrog to help us come closer to Hashem, once we reach Simchas Torah, we don't need the physical any more, we have the happiness and closeness to Hashem, by the fact that we have the Torah which we rejoice over on Simchas Torah. This can also teach us a lesson in our every day lives, if we need physical things like nice cars, houses, and fancy clothes, to feel part of a group or close to others, then this is not true friendship. For true friendship is met when there is no need of the physical, like the love which a mother and father have for their children. May we all merit to reach this level of closeness between one another, and may we learn from here how to obtain true closeness to Hashem.