Search results for: ""Tzadik""
Four Sons
Only three of the Four Sons' questions are mentioned in the Torah (which all related to the Passover sacrifice), since the fourth (smallest) child cannot ask questions. Regarding this child, the hagada says, "Aht p'tach lo" (in the feminine).
Reason The mother is supposed to be a child's primary teacher while the child is young.
There is a difference in attitude between the wise son and the evil son: The wise son says "Eloheinu" (OUR God); he is asking a question and seeking and answer. The evil son makes a statement (sort of a rhetorical question), instead of asking a question for which he seeks an answer.
Reason The mother is supposed to be a child's primary teacher while the child is young.
There is a difference in attitude between the wise son and the evil son: The wise son says "Eloheinu" (OUR God); he is asking a question and seeking and answer. The evil son makes a statement (sort of a rhetorical question), instead of asking a question for which he seeks an answer.
Why is there a “wise” (chacham) son and not a “righteous” (tzadik) son, which would be the logical counterpart to the “evil” (rasha) son?
We don't know who is a tzadik. We cannot be sure by external appearance or even by seeing certain behaviors. We can tell who is a chacham by hearing him speak or by discussing Torah with him.
Yet, regardless of the sons' level of observance, it is a commandment to teach them about going out of Egypt.Introduction to Sukkot
Sukkot means “huts.” The Jewish festival of Sukkot celebrates and commemorates the shelters in which the Israelites lived for 40 years after leaving Egypt.
Symbols
The main symbols associated with Sukkot are living in a sukka (eating and, when possible, sleeping in the sukka) and the lulav and etrog.
Sukkot is observed at fall harvest time. When many Jews were feeling wealthy due to their produce, we were commanded to live in temporary shelters--in part, to ward off feelings of arrogance or pride in what we had accomplished in the material world. Instead of thinking or feeling that our hard work or great wisdom has made us wealthy, we are reminded that whatever we have comes from God, and that God will take care of us, even in a flimsy “house.”
The lulav and etrog have many meanings. Here are two:
Likening to the Human Body
The four components are compared to four parts of the human body:
Likening to Types of Jews
The four components are likened to four types of Jews:
Symbols
The main symbols associated with Sukkot are living in a sukka (eating and, when possible, sleeping in the sukka) and the lulav and etrog.
Sukkot is observed at fall harvest time. When many Jews were feeling wealthy due to their produce, we were commanded to live in temporary shelters--in part, to ward off feelings of arrogance or pride in what we had accomplished in the material world. Instead of thinking or feeling that our hard work or great wisdom has made us wealthy, we are reminded that whatever we have comes from God, and that God will take care of us, even in a flimsy “house.”
The lulav and etrog have many meanings. Here are two:
Likening to the Human Body
The four components are compared to four parts of the human body:
- Palm branch: Spine.
- Myrtle leaves: Human eyes.
- Willow leaves: Human lips.
- Etrog: Human heart.
Likening to Types of Jews
The four components are likened to four types of Jews:
- Etrog smells nice and tastes nice--like a tzadik who is knowledgeable in Torah and does mitzvot;
- Myrtle smells nice but does not have a good taste--like a person who does mitzvot but is not knowledgeable in Torah;
- Palm tree (date palm) has a nice tasting fruit but no scent--like someone who has knowledge but lacks mitzvot;
- Willow does not smell nice nor has a good taste--like a person who has neither.