?Whoever has not seen the rejoicing of the water drawing ceremony has never seen rejoicing in his life... Saints and righteous men would dance holding torches and would sing songs of praise to G-d... Hillel the Elder would say, ?If I am here, everyone is here. If I am not here, who is here??? (Succah 51,53)
Hillel the Elder was a great lover of Israel, in the way of true lovers, who become so united that they are convinced that they and their beloved are one person. When such a person says ?I?, he has in mind both himself and the person he loves. Therefore, when Hillel the Elder says with enormous concentration, ?If I am here,? he means ?If my people are here.?
With great joy he says: When Israel are ?here? - in Jerusalem and the Temple - then everyone is here, meaning the whole world, all of mankind. To the eyes within his soul were revealed the unity of all creation, the idea that the universe has a Monarch and He rules over all, as we say in our prayers: ?May every breathing thing proclaim, ?The L-rd G-d of Israel is King, and His kingdom rules over all.?? (Amidah prayer of Rosh Hashanah)
He continued: If ?I am not here,? G-d forbid, i.e., if my people are not here in Jerusalem and in the Temple, then who is here? The Divine Presence shall not be revealed, neither shall G-d?s kingdom be revealed to the world.
Today, how fortunate we are and how good is our lot that the Jewish People have repented greatly and returned to Eretz Yisrael and to Jerusalem, the holy city. The day is not far off when we will merit also the rebuilding of the Temple. And through the return to Zion and Jerusalem may the centrality and destiny of the Jewish People be more and more revealed for all to see - that they will increase light and love and faith in the world, until the great joy of the water drawing ceremony becomes the heritage of all mankind.
With wishes for a joyous holiday.
Hillel the Elder was a great lover of Israel, in the way of true lovers, who become so united that they are convinced that they and their beloved are one person. When such a person says ?I?, he has in mind both himself and the person he loves. Therefore, when Hillel the Elder says with enormous concentration, ?If I am here,? he means ?If my people are here.?
With great joy he says: When Israel are ?here? - in Jerusalem and the Temple - then everyone is here, meaning the whole world, all of mankind. To the eyes within his soul were revealed the unity of all creation, the idea that the universe has a Monarch and He rules over all, as we say in our prayers: ?May every breathing thing proclaim, ?The L-rd G-d of Israel is King, and His kingdom rules over all.?? (Amidah prayer of Rosh Hashanah)
He continued: If ?I am not here,? G-d forbid, i.e., if my people are not here in Jerusalem and in the Temple, then who is here? The Divine Presence shall not be revealed, neither shall G-d?s kingdom be revealed to the world.
Today, how fortunate we are and how good is our lot that the Jewish People have repented greatly and returned to Eretz Yisrael and to Jerusalem, the holy city. The day is not far off when we will merit also the rebuilding of the Temple. And through the return to Zion and Jerusalem may the centrality and destiny of the Jewish People be more and more revealed for all to see - that they will increase light and love and faith in the world, until the great joy of the water drawing ceremony becomes the heritage of all mankind.
With wishes for a joyous holiday.