When the Beis HaMikdash was standing in
addition to the mitzvah of taking the four species, there was an additional
mitzvah to bring aravos to the Beis HaMikdash, stand them against the
altar and walk around the altar.[1] Today we commemorate this
mitzvah on Hoshana Raba, the last day of Succos by taking aravos in
addition to the four species. What is
the significance of the arava?
Why, of the four species is the arava singled out for an
added mitzvah?
Chazal
teach us that each of the four species alludes to different types of Jews. The esrog which
has taste and smells good alludes to those who have Torah and good deeds. The lulav which
has taste (i.e. the date, fruit of the palm tree) but no smell alludes to those
who have Torah but no good deeds. The hadas/myrtle branch which has a nice smell but no
taste alludes to those who have good deeds but no Torah. Finally the arava which has neither taste nor smell alludes to those Jews who have
neither Torah nor good deeds.
The arava was singled out for the additional mitzvah
in order to show that our special connection to God is intrinsic and
unconditional rather than based on our Torah and good deeds. The Torah unconditionally calls us children of
God, "בנים אתם לה' א-להיכם .../You are children to God, your Lord ..."
We see this
idea in a pasuk from Shir HaShirim (1:2),
"ישקני מנשיקות פיהו כי טובים דודיך מיין/If
only He would kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, for Your love is better
than wine." נשיקה/Kiss is closely related to the word השקה which means bringing together or touching. For example, a pool of water can be made kosher to be used as a mikva if it touches water that is already kosher for a mikva. This is called השקה. When we long for God's
kiss, as it were, we are asking for a connection to Him that would purify us
the way that water becomes pure through השקה/touching. That
connection is better than wine. What does
wine signify?
The end of the pasuk, "טובים דודיך מיין/Your love is better than wine" is an allusion to the wine libations
of the entire year. Using wine as a
libation represents our Mitzvos and good deeds. In contrast, on Succos, in addition to the
wine libation, there is a water libation. Water, the universal solvent, the simplest
liquid represents our intrinsic connection to God and God's unconditional love
for us. Our connection to God that we
merit as a result of our Torah and mitzvos cannot compare to the intrinsic
connection that flows from God Himself, "כי חלק ה' עמו/For God's portion is His nation."
This realization of the fundamental connection
between us and God causes us incredible happiness, another reason that Succos
is the time of happiness.
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