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Can we STOP focusing on what people AREN'T doing!?
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The "arava" Jew's real value
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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