The three pilgrimage festivals, Pesach, Shavuot and Succot, are one chain linking the Jewish People to their past and their future.
Pesach is the season of our freedom. The Jewish Nation was formed at that time, a unique, exclusive creation of G-d. As we find in Scripture: "I created this people for Myself that they might tell My praise." (Isaiah 43:21) We were created and we emerged from slavery to eternal freedom by means of miracles, signs and wonders, G-d's handiwork for all to see. On Pesach, the Jewish People are revealed as the firstborn son of the Master of All. They are the nation chosen from amongst all other nations, not just in the past, but also in the present and forever. As we recite daily in our prayers: "Blessed are You O G-d, who lovingly chooses His people Israel."
Shavuot was when we received the Torah. It was then that the main Torah blessing, "asher bachar banu," was fulfilled. G-d "chose us from all nations and gave us His Torah." Yet, that blessing was not just fulfilled back then. It is perpetually fulfilled in the present, as well, as we say at the end of that blessing: "Blessed are You, O L-rd, who gives us the Torah." It shall likewise be fulfilled forever, as well: "As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the L-rd: My spirit it is which shall be upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children's children, says the L-rd, henceforth and forever." (Isaiah 59:21)
Succot is the season of our joy. The succah is a reminder of the Exodus, and a reminder of the clouds of glory with which G-d protected us during the Exodus and in the desert (Orach Chaim 621:1). It thus says, "You saw what I did in Egypt, carrying you on eagles' wings and bringing you to Me." (Exodus 19:4); as well as, "Like an eagle, arousing its nest, hovering over its young, He spread His wings and took them, carrying them on His pinions." (Deuteronomy 32:11) Not just in the past, but down through the generations, G-d has defended us. He did so starting with Abraham, from whom all of Israel emerged, and on through King David and the Messiah, who are the fruits of the Jewish People. Thus, in the Shemoneh Esreh, we call G-d "the Shield of Abraham," and in the Haftarah blessings we call Him "the Shield of David."
On Succot, Israel's ultimate destiny as a light unto the nations is revealed; hence, the enormous joy associated with that holiday. As our sages said, "Whoever has not seen the joy of the Succot Water-Drawing Celebration has never seen joy his whole life." (Succah 51a)
Today, we must delve deeper and deeper into the historic roots of the Jewish People, so that we can gaze ahead to the future that awaits us. Just as during Pesach, we emerged from slavery to freedom, so did our own generation emerge from a 2,000-year exile, from political slavery to freedom. Yet, political freedom is not enough. We also need spiritual freedom, and as our sages said, the Torah provides that (Shemot Rabbah 51). And just as we received the Torah in the desert after leaving Egypt for freedom, so too, in our own generation, we pray that the Jewish People shall be receiving the Torah on a mass scale soon, in our day. When that happens, we will reach the pinnacle of our joy, with the Messianic era and the building of the Third Temple. Then, we will see with our own eyes the fulfillment of Isaiah 56:7: "I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt-offerings and sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)
Pesach is the season of our freedom. The Jewish Nation was formed at that time, a unique, exclusive creation of G-d. As we find in Scripture: "I created this people for Myself that they might tell My praise." (Isaiah 43:21) We were created and we emerged from slavery to eternal freedom by means of miracles, signs and wonders, G-d's handiwork for all to see. On Pesach, the Jewish People are revealed as the firstborn son of the Master of All. They are the nation chosen from amongst all other nations, not just in the past, but also in the present and forever. As we recite daily in our prayers: "Blessed are You O G-d, who lovingly chooses His people Israel."
Shavuot was when we received the Torah. It was then that the main Torah blessing, "asher bachar banu," was fulfilled. G-d "chose us from all nations and gave us His Torah." Yet, that blessing was not just fulfilled back then. It is perpetually fulfilled in the present, as well, as we say at the end of that blessing: "Blessed are You, O L-rd, who gives us the Torah." It shall likewise be fulfilled forever, as well: "As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the L-rd: My spirit it is which shall be upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children's children, says the L-rd, henceforth and forever." (Isaiah 59:21)
Succot is the season of our joy. The succah is a reminder of the Exodus, and a reminder of the clouds of glory with which G-d protected us during the Exodus and in the desert (Orach Chaim 621:1). It thus says, "You saw what I did in Egypt, carrying you on eagles' wings and bringing you to Me." (Exodus 19:4); as well as, "Like an eagle, arousing its nest, hovering over its young, He spread His wings and took them, carrying them on His pinions." (Deuteronomy 32:11) Not just in the past, but down through the generations, G-d has defended us. He did so starting with Abraham, from whom all of Israel emerged, and on through King David and the Messiah, who are the fruits of the Jewish People. Thus, in the Shemoneh Esreh, we call G-d "the Shield of Abraham," and in the Haftarah blessings we call Him "the Shield of David."
On Succot, Israel's ultimate destiny as a light unto the nations is revealed; hence, the enormous joy associated with that holiday. As our sages said, "Whoever has not seen the joy of the Succot Water-Drawing Celebration has never seen joy his whole life." (Succah 51a)
Today, we must delve deeper and deeper into the historic roots of the Jewish People, so that we can gaze ahead to the future that awaits us. Just as during Pesach, we emerged from slavery to freedom, so did our own generation emerge from a 2,000-year exile, from political slavery to freedom. Yet, political freedom is not enough. We also need spiritual freedom, and as our sages said, the Torah provides that (Shemot Rabbah 51). And just as we received the Torah in the desert after leaving Egypt for freedom, so too, in our own generation, we pray that the Jewish People shall be receiving the Torah on a mass scale soon, in our day. When that happens, we will reach the pinnacle of our joy, with the Messianic era and the building of the Third Temple. Then, we will see with our own eyes the fulfillment of Isaiah 56:7: "I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt-offerings and sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7)