Women's Sukkos/Bereishis Class
Rabbi YY Jacobson
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Graciously dedicated by Jacqueline Blaff
This class was presented by Rabbi YY Jacobson on Tuesday, 11 Tishrei, 5784, September 26, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.
Sukkos is called the “Festival of Joy”, but what exactly is so joyful about it? The other major holidays are named after their very essences: Passover is the “Festival of Our Redemption,” and Shavuot is the “Festival of the Giving of Our Torah.” What’s the deep connection between joy and Sukkot?
And how can we understand the mystery of the four plants we shake on Sukkos? If someone unfamiliar with our tradition were to stop you today walking down the street with your four species and say, what are you holding in your hand? You would say: “This is my ritual bouquet!” Then they ask: What do you do with it? “Well, we shake it.” Hu?
What is more, the Torah states that when you take these four plants, “you shall rejoice before your G-d seven days.” Why? How does holding on and shaking these four plants generate happiness?
Who was the first person to take a fruit from a beautiful tree? Of course, Eve and Adam. What fruit was it? The Midrash says: the Esrog. It would appear that on Sukkos we are repeating the same story: we are again taking the Esrog off the tree, but this time around, we take it, shake it, swing it, but don’t eat it. It is almost like G-d is telling us, I want you to do this over again.
In the case of Adam and Eve, they were cursed with sadness. This time around we are blessed with joy. Also, after Adam and Eve eat the fruit they feel like they have to hide from G-d. On Sukkos, when we take the fruit, we “rejoice in the presence of G-d.” What is going on here?
The class (based on this wonderful class by Rabbi Ami Silver: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/arbaminim) provides us with a deep reflection on how Sukkos and the Four Species can help us calm our nervous system, reorients our brains, change our paradigms, and ease up the tension in our life, by going away from dissociation to connection. The Sukkah is the virtual “Garden of Eden,” and the four plants allow us to repair what happened millennia ago in the original Garden of Eden, once again reclaiming the joy and ecstasy of life.
The story of the raffle that happened in the IDF captures the timeless unity of our people who were chosen to unite the entire world under the sovereignty of Hashem.
Women's Sukkos/Bereishis Class
Rabbi YY Jacobson
Graciously dedicated by Jacqueline Blaff
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Shmuel -6 months ago
Excellent class. Thank you Rabbi Jacobson.
Just a quick question:
Does the myrtle/ Haddas represent both a branch and a trunk?
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benzi weiss -6 months ago
make your class live where can put my comtes in chat box where you can see it and answer me
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Mushky -6 months ago
Thank you!
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YY Jacobson -6 months ago
You are so welcome. Ty so much for the feedback.
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Mechy -7 months ago
Thank You!!
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Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson -7 months ago
You are welcome, your feedback means a lot.
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Raymond Cohen -7 months ago
Class
Hi rabbi
can you make the class like only 1 hour.
21/2 hour too long to finsh.
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YY Jacobson -7 months ago
I can try. But double speed was created for my classess...
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Anonymous -7 months ago
is this a maamer from one of the rabeim? where? please
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YY Jacobson -7 months ago
Part of it is from the Maamar v'kacha 5636. Part of it is from a class on rabbi david Forman website as I mentioned in class.
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Rachel -7 months ago
Thank you!
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Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson -7 months ago
You are welcome! Thanks for sharing
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y -7 months ago
Question for Rabbi YY
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YY Jacobson -7 months ago
Part of it is from the Maamar v'kacha 5636. Part of it is from a class on rabbi david Forman website as I mentioned in class.
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Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson -7 months ago
In the transcript below the video, you can see the sources on which this class is based on.
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