The Humble Beauty
Sukkot 5784: Hod V'Hadar - Finding the beauty in the humility
Hod V’Hadar by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky featuring the Chaverai Nevarech Band
Well, the High Holidays are over. The Sukkah is mostly up, and we are making our way towards Z’man Simchateinu -the time of our great joy! What a beautiful name this is for the holiday of Sukkot specifically! Rav Simcha Bunim of Pesischa taught that Rosh Hashanah, a day of petition and breaking open your heart, was originally established for one day (two in diaspora) and Yom Kippur, a day for fasting, repentance and atonement was also established just for one day. But Sukkot, a time of joy and celebration, the Torah says we must celebrate for seven days. Why? It is God’s instruction to us that we must increase joy in the world!
There is an Israeli film called Ushpizin starring Shuli Rand where the protagonist goes on a search for the most beautiful, the most expensive, the largest Etrog he can find. He almost loses everything in the process. In the Torah we learn about the accouterments we’re supposed to during Sukkot:
וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים וַעֲנַף עֵץ־עָבֹת וְעַרְבֵי־נָחַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃
On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God seven days. (Lev. 23:40)
The point is to celebrate and to engage and to make each act feel beautiful and uplifting for ourselves and the community with whom we gather.
The Etrog is called Pri Etz Hadar, the fruit of a beautiful tree. With all mitzvot we are encouraged to do what is called hiddur mitzvah, beautifying the mitzvah - not just doing the bare minimum, but showing that we care and elevating each deed or action we take. But that doesn’t mean to be showy - we don’t need the biggest or fanciest sukkah or etrog, the most extravagant decorations - that’s not the point. The point is to celebrate and to engage and to make each act feel beautiful and uplifting for ourselves and the community with whom we gather.
In this prayer Hod V’Hadar, I love the juxtaposition of these two potentially opposing concepts: Humility and Beauty. How can we find the beauty in the humility, and the balance between the two?
May your holiday be filled with joy, beauty, humility, and song!
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Josh Warshawsky