THE HUG

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well and enjoying Yom Tov, Shabbosim etc.

We here in London have been so happy to have some of the Family with us, filling the home with much joy BH. Of course we missed all those who could not be here!

Mazel Tov to Avi on his upcoming birthday next week. I think we can do some pre birthday partying this year in London BEH!

I have been learning a Maamer of The Alte Rebbe on Sukkos (Shmuel Levy’s ‘mischief’ from last Sukkos where he arranged a kvius of learning for me – Thanks Shmuel!), and also saw an Essay from Rabbi Jacobson. Both of these brought up an interesting point about the affectionate act of a HUG which I would like to share.

It is well known that the Hebrew word for Sukkah demonstrates the construction of a Sukkah ie the samech is a 4 walled sukkah, the chof has the shape of 3 walls, and the heh has the shape of the minimum size of a sukkah, ie 2 and a half walls. סכה.

The posuk mentioned is from Shlomo Hamelech ‘His (G-d’s) left arm lay under my head, and His right arm embraces me.’

The ‘left arm under the head’ refers to the love which comes about where there is distance between the loved and the beloved. – represented by discipline and awe – represented by Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

The ‘embrace’ or HUG is a love where there is closeness. – represented by Sukkos, the ‘time of our joy’

Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal describes Sukkos as the time when Hashem embraces us,- the sukkah surrounds us.

He uses the arm to describe this ie arm has 3 sections, upper arm, lower arm and hand.

This represents the minimum size of this sukkah of 2.5 walls (the hand being the half).

IE THE SUKKAH REPRESENTS HASHEM EMBRACING US WITH HIS RIGHT ARM WITH A DEMONSTRATION OF CLOSE AFFECTION.

In relation to the close type of love there are 2 categories:

1. Forms of affection facing each other ie the front eg speaking, gazing etc
2. Affection of a hug where the arm goes around the back of the body.

Now forms of affection facing each other usually demand some kind of reciprocation, and one loves the other because of these or other beautiful qualities.

However the love of a hug, which goes around the back of the person, is much deeper, and demands nothing in return.

It is an unconditional love.

Because it is, my soul that loves your soul.

We still have today and tomorrow to be in the SUKKAH and experience this very deep and close love of Hashem embracing us with His right arm and His unconditional love, ie it exists even when we are in the process of doing the most mundane activities in the sukkah. Even just sitting there and doing nothing.

Especially tomorrow, which is Shmini Atzeres, where we , the Jewish Nation are alone with Hashem in the sukkah, how much more so does this apply. (During all the other days of sukkos, there was also representation from the other Nations of the world)

Gut Yom Tov and Gut Shabbos to all.