A Different Kind of Joy

The holiday of Succot, זמן שמחתנו, is one of the happiest times of the Jewish year. 

Curious what was the biggest party of the year back in the day? That would probably be the celebration that occurred in the temple during Succot  (Simchat Beit Hashoeiva) for a few reasons. 

•  Succot is one of the three pilgrimage festivals of the Jewish calendar so every Jew- your friends, relatives, and fake uncles, were all there for the celebration. 

• Succot is the time for collecting the harvest. If you are a farmer (which many were), you had just received your annual paycheck. All the crops you planted over the year, all the time you spent working the land was finally paying off. It's time to celebrate: 

So what did the Biggest Party of the Year look like two thousand years ago? 

Probably not look like this 

Thankfully the Rambam describes it in full. The description is long so if you do not feel like reading through the whole thing at least skim through the bold [the bold is mine]. 

"Even though it is a mitzvah to rejoice on all the festivals, there was an additional celebration in the Temple on the festival of Sukkot, as Leviticus 23:40 commands: "And you shall rejoice before God, your Lord, for seven days.  

What was done? On the eve of the first day of the festival, they would set up a place in the Temple where women [could watch] from above, and men from below, so they would not intermingle with each other. The celebration would begin on the night after the first day of the festival. Similarly, on each day of Chol Hamo'ed, after offering the daily afternoon sacrifice, they would begin to celebrate for the rest of the day and throughout the night.  

What was the nature of this celebration? The flute would be sounded and songs played on the harp, lute, and cymbals. [In addition,] each person would play on the instrument which he knew. Those who could sing, would sing. They would dance and clap their hands, letting loose and whistling, each individual in the manner which he knew. Words of song and praise were recited. This celebration does not supersede either the Sabbath or the festival [prohibitions] 

It is a great mitzvah to maximize this celebration. The common people and anyone who desired would not perform [in these celebrations]; only the greatest of Israel's wise men: the Rashei Yeshivot, the members of the high court, the pious, the elders, and the men of stature. They were those who would dance, clap their hands, sing, and rejoice in the Temple on the days of the festival of Sukkot. However, the entire people - the men and the women - would come to see and hear.  

Rambam: Hilchot Shofar, Succah, and Lulav Chapter 8 

The Party Is Exclusive 

Like most parties today, the celebration involved everybody coming together with dance and music. But there is one unusual aspect of the celebration. Most people were barred from actually taking part in the celebration- they were only allowed to watch. It was only the Rashei Yeshivot, the members of the high court, the pious, the elders, and the men of stature" that got to dance, and sing, and play.

What is with the exclusivity? If this is the greatest celebration and expression of joy in the Torah's framework, how can most of the nation be excluded from active participation? 

 It seems that according to the Torah, the kind of joy and happiness that should be expressed during the Succot celebrations are only accessible to the wise and the learned. But why? Aren't we all happy? Why can't we all take part. 

Questions

• What is about a person who is not learned and wise that prevents him from being able to experience the kind of joy and celebration that the Torah endorses? 
• What is it about knowledge and wisdom that brings a person to a state where he can experience that kind of joy?

Reading Kohelet on Succot 

On Shabbat of Chol Hamoed Succot we read the book of Kohelet, written by King Solomon. An initial reading of the text suggests that it is ill suited for the holiday of Succot. 

"Futility of futilities, said Solomon, everything is futile", is the beginning of a book that goes on to describe why everything that man pursues- wisdom, power, accomplishment, material possession, do not bring us real fulfillment (Yitron) but leave us unsatisfied and unhappy. 

Why read such a depressing book on such a happy day? Why be reminded of the futility of human existence at a time when we should be in joyous celebration?  

A Different Kind of Joy  

The next part of the Rambam provides us with the beginning of the answer:  

The happiness with which a person should rejoice in the fulfillment of the mitzvot and the love of God who commanded them is a great service. 

Whoever holds himself back from this rejoicing is worthy of retribution, as states: "because you did not serve God, your Lord, with happiness and a glad heart." Whoever holds himself proud, giving himself honor, and acts haughtily in such situations is a sinner and a fool.  

Concerning this, Solomon warned "Do not seek glory before the King."[In contrast,] anyone who lowers himself and thinks lightly of his person in these situations is [truly] a great person, worthy of honor, who serves God out of love.  

Thus, David, King of Israel, declared: "I will hold myself even more lightly esteemed than this and be humble in my eyes," because there is no greatness or honor other than celebrating before God, as states: King David was dancing wildly and whistling before God.

The Rambam explains that the happiness with which a person would rejoice was "in the fulfillment of the mitzvot and the love of God". It is a joy that is directed outwards towards God and His Torah.  The Rambam also highlights what it is that gets in the way of that joy: Whoever holds himself proud, giving himself honor, and acts haughtily in such situations is a sinner and a fool."

Your Ego is in the Way 

The joy that most of us experience on a daily basis is a joy that is focused on the self.

• We are self centered in what brings us joy.
• We are self centered in how express that joy. 

Most of the time, we feel joy when we get what we want- we achieve a goal, we receive a raise, we find something we were seeking. 

The holiday itself is a natural time for  experiencing that kind of joy. As we harvest our crops, we are predisposed to a feeling of accomplishment. We get to come across old friends and acquaintances we probably haven't seen in a while. That is the time to share our achievements.   

Furthermore, the way in which we celebrate is always focused on the self. At a wedding, a party, a dinner, it is always about us- how our party is going, how much recognition are we receiving, and how we are being perceived.  

The Celebration in the Temple 

The celebration of the temple is not the kind of celebration most of us are used to because the celebration of the temple was not focused on the individual's milestones or his accomplishments. The joy expressed in the temple was precisely the opposite of most parties- a mindfulness and a humility of standing before God and a complete disregard for one's own ego. 

For this reason, most of the nation was only allowed to watch the celebration. Most of the nation would be too focused on themselves- on their own accomplishments, on their own family, or on their own dance moves. And in as much as we are caught up in ourselves we are unable to experience the joy that was experienced in the temple. 

Why We Read Sefer Kohelet 

I would venture to say that part of the reason we read sefer Kohelet on Succot is to get us out of our current framework that shapes our experience of joy. 

We search for meaning and joy through a focus on the self- a focus on finding the thing that will be the "it" for us and will finally make us happy. So we become obsessed with accumulating wealth, or power, or knowledge only to find a futility inherent to all these pursuit. 

Sefer Kohelet is a preparation for the celebration of the temple because it challenges our current experiences of joy. It shows us the inherent futility in what we seek.  In doing so, it makes space for a different kind of joy that stems from an outward directed focus and appreciation for the Torah System. 

It is an experience of joy that only the most knowledgeable and the pious individuals who have freed themselves of their own ego can experience. The process takes years of work and development. Only they can express the celebration of the temple.  

It is not a coincidence that the greatest individual- Moshe Rabbeinu is not described as the most wise individual. Rather, he is described as the most humble.

Conclusion 

The celebration of the temple was an opportunity to show the nation a kind of joy that they may have never experienced before. It is a joy that is not motivated by the ego and and is not focused on the self. It is a joy that comes through years of involvement in Torah learning and Mitzvot. 


May we all merit to experience that joy.