Monday, September 28, 2026

BEING HAPPY, THE MOST DIFFICULT MITZVAH

The Gaon was asked:

"Which is the most difficult Mitzvah?"

His answer was the Mitzvah of ושמחת בחגך והיית אך שמח

According to the Gaon, this Mitzvah is a 24/7 nonstop Mitzvah.

For all 8 days of Yom Tov, one must be בשמחה without any distraction.

Friday, September 25, 2026

The Two Maids - Sukkos

A Sukkos Discovery

Two Mothers or Four Mothers?

A small נקודה in an old פיוט — with a fascinating answer

The first day פיוט לסוכות, (Shachris before Kedusha — אקחה בראשון) we say:

“בַּעֲרָבוֹת שְׁתַּיִם” (we take 2 Arovos)
“כְּאִמָּהוֹת שְׁתַּיִם” (like the 2 mothers)

“בַּאֲגֻדּוֹת אַרְבַּע” (we take the 4 minim)
“כְּגִבְעוֹת אַרְבַּע” (like the 4 mothers)

THE OBVIOUS QUESTION

Are there two or four mothers?

My father a”h, while in Shul, was troubled by this question.

He looked in the מטה לוי who explains that the 2 mothers are Leah & Rochel.

But my father wasn’t satisfied with this Pshat.

He came up with his own Pshat that the pronunciation should be KeAmhos with a patach.

When he came home from shul, he checked in his Heidenheim Machzor, that he kept at home.

What Heidenheim Writes

החכם וולף היידנהיים writes that he found a very old Machzor where it says, instead of Keimahos (mothers) — Keamhos (maids).

Instead of a חיריק under the Alef, it is a פתח, referring to the two maids זלפה & בלהה.

This makes perfect sense.

The ערבות, which are the least of the Arba Minim, represent the Amahos — the maids.

And then, that same evening...

I had the opportunity to check out an old 14th-century handwritten Machzor.

In this Machzor it does indeed say KeAmhos with a פתח under the אלף.

כְּאַמָּהוֹת שְׁתַּיִם

Not the two mothers —
but the two maids: זִלְפָּה וּבִלְהָה

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שלש פעמים בשנה יראה כל זכורך

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חג הסוכות

שלש פעמים בשנה יראה כל זכורך

MITZVAS RE'IYAH

R. Akiva Yosef Schlesinger zt"l* said:

TO BE MEKAYAM MITZVAS ראיה

"To be Mekayam Mitzvahs ראיה, בזמן הזה, going to the Kosel won't suffice.

One must go to an elevated area, look down and see the ground of the מקום המקדש."

*Talmid of the Ksav Sofer & Maharam Schick

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The First Season Begins on Sukkos

A SUKKOS THOUGHT

The First Season Begins on Sukkos

חצי תשרי, מרחשון וחצי כסליו — זרע

ב"מ ק"ו ע"ב

SIX SEASONS

There are six seasons in the year, each lasting for two months. The first season of זרע starts in חצי תשרי (first day of Sukkos), the complete month of מרחשון and the first half of כסליו.

אבי מורי, ר' צבי יהודה זללה"ה said, on the famous Midrash,

"ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון"

Rishon L'cheshbon Avonos.

PERHAPS THE ORIGINAL גירסא

Perhaps the original גירסא was

עונות

instead of עוונות (difference in spelling: only one vav)

Seasons instead of sins.

The first day of Sukkos (15 Tishrei) is the first day of the first season זרע.

THE נענועים OF THE לולב

The גמרא says that the נענועים (shaking of the לולב) rids the world of harmful winds and dew. The Torah said the לולב should be taken on the first day of זרע to rid the world of harmful weather from the planting season.

ראשון לחשבון עונות

The first day of Sukkos —
the first day of the planting season.