Friday, October 7, 2016

Two for One

"Judaism leaves other disciplines to teach that by renunciation of this world one wins the next world. It reserves for itself the teaching that by a life of God-acknowledging duty one can attain beatitude in this world and Paradise, life in the next world can begin here in this one. And this teaching preached by the Succoth Festival for Israel throughout the ages makes itself the universal prospect for the future of all nations by its group of Moed·offerings. From the summit of its national joy the People of God look to the future happiness of all mankind. According to the Jerusalmi Succa V.I it was also just the summit of joy of this Festival of Succoth embracing the hopes of Israel and the whole of mankind, on whose heights the "Well of Happiness and Salvation" sprang out of which the young disciples of prophecy drew the spirit, which enabled them to prophesy. (see on V.19). " (R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Commentary on Bamidbar 29:13)

Here we find two points of Torah Im Derech Eretz that are very important to me: the idea that happiness is for this world too and the idea that we care about the happiness of the rest of the world. With gratitude to the Almighty for directing me to this commentary which I found simply by opening a Hirsch Chumash.

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