Achdus and Shmini Atzeres

Ozmom

Thu, Oct 12 2006, 8:33 am

I am revising a really nice Sicha I learned this week
From לקוטי שיחות ב page 433

(The whole succos different amounts of karbonos were given on each day, 13 first day 12 next and so on till 70 on behalf of the non jews. Shmini atzeres comes along however and we give karbonos for ourselves only.)
the toichen of shmini atzeres is (brought down in rashi) קשה עלי פרידתכם your separation is hard for me. So shmini atzeres is us spending one last day just us and hashem together.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe asks, what's the advantage of having one extra day if we are going to separate anyway? what difference will one extra day make?
So it seems that the advantage is that this extra day has an effect on the future, in order to prevent a separation. (explained further on)

Why is the language used "your separation"? Shouldn't it be "OUR separation"?
From the Aibishters point of view there is no separation. He always has a connection with the yidden פנים בפנים.
So "your separation" refers to the separation from our side. A separation amongst ourselves, between yidden. Hashem is telling us its hard for him if after succos which is a time of unity, a time where we all come together to do hashems will, that afterwards we might return to being separate from each other.
and when there is a lacking in כולנו כאחד-everyone as one, there is a lacking in ברכנו אבינו - hashems blessings.
(from "sim shalom .....barcheinu avinu kulanu ke'echad")

When we do the mitzva of the 4 kinds we use an esrog that has taste and smell until the arovos that has neither.
(In brief, each one represents a different kind of Jew, but that's for another post)
We combine them all together for ONE mitzva, and so too we come together all types of Jews as one group to do Hashem's will.
However when we go back to regular "chol" days after succos there is the possibility for a "pirud" -separation between us Chas Ve sholom, so the aibishter tells us קשה עלי פרידתכם
The solution for this is to spend one more day together with the aibishter.
How does shmini atzeres help to continue the achdus after succos?

There is an advantage of the achdus of shmini atzeres over the achdus of succos.
When you bring the 4 kinds together they are still separate entities. Its not like taking ingredients in a cake and mixing them all into one batter. Each "min" still has its own essence and being and when you finish the mitzva and take them away from each other they go back to being what they were before the mitzva.

On shmini atzeres when the karbonos were brought (and we say them in the mussaf) ONE cow, ONE ram... .
the ONE symbolising a true achdus where there is only one, versus a group of details brought together.
So too with the dancing on simchas torah, we are all dancing as one in one from the greatest to the simplest as one. Not each one dancing according to their own style and manner, but in a way that is unified and includes everyone.
This is a true achdus. With such kind of unity, its not possible to separate.
Once the cake batter is mixed, you cannot separate the ingredients, so this achdus is meant to serve us and continue after yomtov and for the rest of the year, and to be a vessel for hashems brochos!

may you all have a gutte kvitel, a good yom tov, and a wonderfull achdusdik year, full of revealed brochos, nachas from all your children and only happiness.

Last edited by Ozmom on Thu, Oct 12 2006, 10:05 pm; edited 2 times in total