Can we STOP focusing on what people AREN'T doing!?

because if we're really experiencing that Joy we're going to see beauty okay friends holiday of sukot the holiday of sukus coming up the holiday of sukus is really the holiday of unity it's the holiday of gathering the Torah tells us that the holiday suus falls out during the time that crops in the field would be gathered because it's a holiday of gathering it's a holiday of unity it's a holiday of togetherness that togetherness the solidarity that we've experienced on yum Kipper everybody flocking to the sh and us getting that fresh restart well now guess what we can connect with each other we can Unite with each other and we sit together in the Suka and we bring together the four species the minim the four different kinds of uh vegetation we have the lulav we have the esrog the palm branch the Citron the Myrtle the hadasim and the Arava the willow we take all these four branches together representing the diversity of the Jewish people and we bring it together we represent that Unity we bring it close to our heart because that Unity has to be near and dear to our heart the mid tells us that the four species these four kinds these four vegetation correspond to four types of Jews types for lack of better word you have the lul love you have the date palom which has has flavor has the flavor of the date but it doesn't have a smell representing the Jew who is engaged in the pleasantness of Torah study but doesn't necessarily exemplify the beauty of observance the beauty of Mitzvah observance you have the esrog the Citron which has a beautiful smell and a taste representing the Jew who's well-rounded in his philosophy and his understanding of his religion of his Torah study and his observant he actually does what he studies right he's beautiful inside and out you have the Hadas you have the Myrtle smells beautiful doesn't have any taste the Jew who does what he can he does the observances he does the Mitzvah he does the Traditions but doesn't necessarily exemplify the value of learning about them and then you have the Arava The Willow The Willow has no scent the willow has no flavor has no taste you have that Jew who doesn't necessarily exemplify or represent um a practicing Jew doesn't necessarily represent a Jew who understands his Heritage or where he comes from yet the Torah says take all poor of these take the diversity bring it together bring it to our heart do it in the Suka because at the end of the day we're all one we're all United and here's an interesting thing I think it's important to note that even the ARA even the willow even the plain branch that has no taste or no flavor he's still important important because if he's not present we're not doing the Mitzvah properly if we amputate a Jew whom we think is less than because their observance is not to the degree that we are observing or their study or understanding is not to the degree that we may understand they're different than you on the outside and they don't live up to the expectations that you have or maybe even not to the expectations that God has deep down inside there's inherent value and they are necessary they are part of that bundle they are part of that Branch I'll tell you a fascinating the B Ciro quotes this that the blessing that we recite when taking these four species is Al God who has commanded us to take the lulav even though we're grabbing all four species we exemplify or highlight the lul love rather than the other species theud says the lulov is the tallest another explanation is that the lulov which exemplifies the one who's engaged in Torah study and that's a a prime way to connect to our Judaism that's something we want to highlight we don't really mention the other ones in the blessing even though we're taking them all together but here's an interesting thing the Bas ysf RAB ysf Cairo explains that were you to pick up the four kinds and make the blessing that God has commanded usul on The Taking of the Lula all four species and you look at it oh I forgot the Arava I forgot the willow start over and what do you make ARA God who has commanded us on taking the Arava taking the willow ideally we make the blessing on the lulav but there is sources in and Jewish that say that the blessing is made also on the araba and although we may not prati we may not follow that opinion in practice there's an incredible value here we have to look at the AR we have to look at the willow we have to look at the person who seems plain who seems like they're lacking flavor who seems like they're lacking scent who seems that they're not fully engaged and we have to fully embrace them to the point that if we've forgotten or neglected them we have to give them a special blessing because we have to dig deep and see that there's inherent value beyond the behavior and Beyond the philosophy and beyond their understanding there's something deep inside them we have to see that within them that's the holiday of suus that's the holiday of sukot holidays the holiday of sukot is the season of Joy because if we're really experiencing that Joy we're taking these four species and like the Torah says rejoicing before the Lord Our God we're going to see beauty in all four of these kinds we're going to see beauty not only in the lul love and the esrog or in the Hadas where taste or and scent is present but even in the ARA even in the willow even that person who seems very plain and it's like is there any depth to you what value do you bring to the table we have have to believe that there's incredible value there that's my story and I'm sticking to it