Ushpizin: Moses, the Great Leader of the Jewish Nation, Enters Your Sukkah - Illustrated by AI

[music] On [music] the fourth day of the Sukkot holiday, the fourth guest enters the Suka. Moshe, our teacher, [music] the greatest of the prophets, the giver of the Torah, and the faithful shepherd of the Jewish people. There is no figure in the history of the Jewish nation who accompanies us like Moshe. He is present at the Exodus from [music] Egypt, at the parting of the Red Sea, at the standing at Mount Si, and during the 40 years [music] of walking in the desert. He stood between the Jewish people and Pharaoh, between Israel and the accusers, and sometimes even between the people in the attribute [music] of justice. But despite all his status, the Torah testifies about him. And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth. Specifically, the person who reached [music] the highest spiritual levels was also the most humble. The story of [music] Moshe begins in a very difficult period. The Jews are enslaved in Egypt [music] and Pharaoh decrees to throw every male child into the Nile. Amidst [music] the darkness, a baby was born in the home of Amram and Yohvit. Our sages [music] teach that when Moshe was born, the entire house was filled with light. Yoh [music] hid him for 3 months. But when she could no longer hide him, she prepared a small ark for him, coated it with clay and pitch, placed him inside it, and sent him upon the Nile. Miriam, his [music] sister, stood from afar to see what would become of him. Pharaoh's daughter went [music] down to bathe in the Nile, noticed the ark, and sent her maidservant to take it. When she opened it, [music] she saw a crying child. She realized he was one of the Hebrew children. But her mercy was stirred for him. The child who was saved from Pharaoh's [music] decree grew up specifically inside Pharaoh's palace. Here already at the beginning of his life, the special providence [music] of God is seen. The place that was supposed to be the most dangerous for him became the [music] place where he grew up and was protected. But Moshe did not forget his brothers. When he went out of the palace and saw an Egyptian man beaten a Hebrew man, he did not stand aside. [music] He intervened and saved the Hebrew. Afterwards, he was forced to flee from Egypt and arrived [music] in Midyan. There, by the well, he saw Yetro's daughters being driven away by the shepherds. Again, he didn't remain indifferent. He stood up, saved them, and watered the flock. Even before he was chosen to be a leader, Moshe already acted like a leader. He saw injustice [music] and responded. He saw the weak and protected him. Later, Moshe married Zipper and began to [music] shepherd Yetro's flock. The Midash tells that once a small goat ran away from the flock. Moshe went after it and found it [music] drinking water. Moshe said to it, "I did not know that you ran because you were thirsty." He carried it on his [music] shoulders and returned it to the flock. God said, "One who shows such mercy [music] to a man's flock is worthy of shephering my flock, the Jewish people." And so, [music] specifically through the quiet work of a shepherd, Moshe prepared for the greatest role of his life. One day, Moshe arrived at Mount Horev [music] and saw a wondrous sight, a bush burning with fire. Yet, it was not consumed. He approached [music] it and from within the fire, God called out to him, "Moshe, Moshe." Moshe replied, [music] "Here I am." God commanded him to return to Egypt and lead the Jewish [music] nation from slavery to freedom. But Moshe was not quick to accept the mission. He did not [music] see himself as worthy. He asked, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" He explained he was slow of speech and tongue and [music] asked God to send someone else. This was not an evasion out of laziness. This was true humility. Moshe did not seek honor, [music] power, or control. He felt the weight of the responsibility and feared he wouldn't be [music] worthy of it. Finally, he accepted the mission and returned to Egypt. From here begins the great struggle against Pharaoh. Moshe stands before [music] the most powerful king in the ancient world and tells him in the name of God, "Let my people go." Pharaoh refuses and Egypt receives plague after plague. After long years of enslavement, the Jewish [music] people leave Egypt. But even then, the danger is not yet passed. Pharaoh and his army pursue them, and before them stands the sea. The people are terrified, but God [music] commands Moshe to lift up his staff. The sea is split in two. The Jewish [music] people cross on dry land within the sea, and the Egyptians drown in the water. Moshe received the [music] Torah from Sinai and handed it down to Yahushua. Thus begins the chain of the Torah's [music] transmission from generation to generation. Moshe stays on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. He neither [music] eats nor drinks, but rises to a spiritual level that we have no ability to understand. When he descends with the tablets of the covenant and sees the sin of the calf, [music] he breaks the tablets. Afterward, he ascends the mountain again and pleads for the Jewish nation. [music] He does not distance himself from the people because of their sin, but gives of himself for their sake. After his prayers, Moshe [music] merited to bring down the second tablets on Yam Kapour. Immediately afterward, [music] the Torah commands the building of the tabernacle. Here, too, there's a deep connection to the holiday of Sukkot. The Suka is a place where [music] we leave our permanent home and enter under the shadow of the divine presence. Moshe, our teacher, is the one who established the tabernacle, the place where the divine presence dwelt within the camp [music] of Israel. In the desert, the Jewish people were surrounded by clouds of glory that protected them from the heat, winds, and pests and [music] showed him the way. The holiday of Zukat reminds us of those clouds of glory. Moshe was the leader [music] of the generation. For 40 years, he led an entire nation through a [music] parched land without fields, houses, or permanent water sources. Food descended from the [music] heavens in the form of mun. Water was given to Israel through Miriam's well and the clouds [music] of glory surrounded the camp. The suka brings us back to that same sense of security. Like the Israelites [music] in the desert, we also leave our sense of control and enter a temporary structure. We remember that it is not the walls that protect a person [music] but rather God. Moshe, our teacher, instructs us to live with this awareness, not only in times of open miracles, but also in [music] daily life. According to teachings of Cabala, Moshe, our teacher, is connected to [music] the attribute of Nets. Nets expresses the power of perseverance, overcoming, and continuity. For years, Moshe dealt with Pharaoh, with the desert, with wars, and with the recurring complaints [music] of the people. He experienced very difficult moments yet he continued in his mission. This is the [music] quality of nets. Not to despair of the path even when it is long. In the suka, everyone sits under the [music] same roof. The rich and the poor, the honored and the simple. Everyone leaves [music] their homes and enters a temporary structure. The suka reminds us that honor, possessions, and status are temporary. What truly remains [music] is faith, the Torah, and good deeds. Moshe also established for us the attribute of truth within the Torah. According to tradition, [music] no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moshe. The Torah testifies, "And there is not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moshe, whom the Lord knew [music] face to face." When we invite Moshe into the suka on the fourth day, we ask that his light enter our lives. That we may merit [music] to love the Torah and live by it. That we may know how to continue on the path even when it's long and full of obstacles. [music] Remembering that every strength or talent we received is a gift from God. That we may learn to be leaders [music] out of responsibility and not out of seeking honor. And that we may feel that even within the simple suka, a great holiness dwells. And as the wind [music] enters through the walls of the suka and the roof moves above us, we [music] can remember the journey in the desert, the clouds of glory and an entire nation that followed God into [music] an unsewn land. For the suka is not just a memory of the structures in which the Israelites sat. It is a memory of the faith of [music] an entire generation that walked in the desert under the leadership of the faithful shepherd. And on the fourth day of Sakot, the one who [music] teaches us Torah, humility, perseverance, and trust in God is the fourth guest, Moshe, [music] our teacher.