One Hundred Words on the Parshah

~ One Hundred Words on Koheles

“B’chol eis y’hiyu b’gadecha leveinm v’shemen al roshcha lo yechsar”

“Your cloths should be white at all times, and you should always have oil on your head” (Koheles 9:8)

R’ Akiva Eiger Zt’L explains that people always want to keep their white clothes clean; however, someone who always has oil on his head, has a difficult time doing this. A similar concept is expressed by Chazal. They said, “Break the barrel, but do not lose the wine.” Both tasks seem so daunting as to seem oxymoronic, but somehow they are doable. The take away is that often people have to balance various forces or situations witch seem contradictory. But we can do it anyway!

~ One Hundred Words on Succos

There is a Possuk in Mishlei that says "watch over your heart more than anything else."

We know that the esrog is compared ot the heart. Just as the heart need the most watching, so too the esrog needs more watching than the other Daled Minim. It is very delicate and can easily become possul.

May our hearts and esrogim always be protected.

Only B’Simcha Succos

A classic question is asked. If Succos is זכר ליציאת מצרים , shouldn’t it have been with Pesach at the time of יציאת מצרים ?

One answer can be, that the יום טוב of Succos is שמחתנו זמן and eating לחם עוני , which means “bread of afflication” or alternatively “bread of poverty” would mar that שמחה .

All learning should be a zechus for a refuah shelaimah for Yosef Ezriel Ben Chaya Michal