Good afternoon friends!

Good afternoon friends!

Weekly "Aazinu" ( "Pay Attention")

The content of the chapter "Aazinu" is a song that Hashem commanded Moshe written in the Torah and which commanded to teach the Jews. Song-prophecy covers the entire history of the Jewish people, both past and present, already described in the Torah and the future: the entry into the Promised Land, prosperous life there. And the abundance of "Yeshurun grew fat ... [the Jewish people], and began kicking; you grew fat, fatter, came; Then he forsook Gd who created it ... "(Deuteronomy 32, 15). This is what happened. In the days of the First Temple Jews became greedy for pleasure - the prophet Amos (6, 4, 6) says about this time: "... lie on beds of ivory ... eating fattened sheep ... drink wine cups and rubbed the best butter ..." - and departed from Torah. "Deities strangers they annoyed him and abominations of his anger" (Deuteronomy 32, 16).

This song - a warning to the Jewish people that is, if it moves away from the Torah in the Land of Israel. It is said that this song is the "evidence" for the Jewish people. Then we are talking about the terrible events during exile, the suffering of the Jews in exile, and the final return of the Jewish people in their country. And the punishment of the enemies of the Jews. As the Rambam says, all the events foretold in this song, fulfilled with amazing accuracy. And we are waiting for the implementation of the last chapter of our predictions. After Yom Kippur, the Days of Awe and the Day of Atonement comes the joyful holiday of Sukkot, one of the three holidays, when the Jews went up to Jerusalem in the days of the Temple.

The Torah commands us within seven days of the autumn month of Tishri, from 15 to 21 the number of live in sukkot (huts or booths), ie eat and sleep there, and in general - live, as we do throughout the year in their permanent dwellings.

Uniqueness - unity

Rabbi Ben Tzion Zilber

On the first day of Sukkot, the Torah obligates us to offer four kinds of plants: the etrog (a citrus fruit), lulav (date palm escape), Hadas (myrtle) and Arava (willow river). There are several explanations for this commandment.

In the book "Sefer Chinuch" said that the ascension of the lulav is directly connected with the commandment to rejoice in celebration. Each of the four plant species has its own beauty, which contributes to the festive atmosphere. Etrog different grandeur and rough surface, palm branch characterizes a special kind, in the myrtle there is a special coating of leaves, but the willow branches attract attention to their freshness.

Several explanations given in the "servant of the Midrash," we point out one of them. Each of the four plants symbolizes the type of Jew. Etrog different taste and smell. It symbolizes Jews who have both the knowledge of the Torah and good deeds. Lulav - a branch of the date palm. We dates have taste but no smell, which symbolizes the people experienced in the Torah, but did not differ good deeds. We myrtle, respectively, there is a smell, but no taste - a reference to people who do good deeds, but not enough to know the Torah. Finally, willow branches are neither taste nor smell, alluding to Jews who yet can not boast of any knowledge or deeds.

The Midrash tells of the question asked by the Almighty: what can be done with such different people? The answer is - to gather them together to compensate for the shortcomings of another one.

It is interesting that the Midrash compares taste with knowledge of the Torah, and the smell - with good deeds. Why not the other way around? And because it forms the Torah Jew and inspires him to do good deeds. It is said that the really great is that the study of Torah, which leads to practical actions. Therefore, the Midrash compares the taste of the fruits of the Torah, and the smell - with good works. The greatness of the Jewish people lies in the fact that all the Jews who are so different and unlike each other, forming one large and sturdy body.

Sincerely, Shmuel