THOUGHT OF THE WEEK - 10.14.22
This week in the Jewish tradition, we celebrate the holiday of Succot, which literally means a hut or a temporary dwelling. This is to commemorate how God took care of the people in the desert, and how even though the dwellings were temporary, they were protective. Additionally, on a spiritual level, it’s to remind us that all physical and material items are only temporary; while they may provide us comfort, they do not last.????
There is another aspect to the holiday, known as the Four Species. The Four Species are the “Etrog”, the citron fruit, the “Lulav”, the branch of the date palm, “Hadasim” three myrtle twigs, and “Aravot”, two willow branches.?
The combination of the Four Species represents the human being in their totality. The citron has a beautiful taste and smell, which signifies when we are at our greatest. The date palm represents taste, yet no smell, which is when we are in our growth phase. The myrtle represents smell and no taste, which is when we are stuck in ego, and the willow represents no taste and no smell, which signify our character defects.?
I believe that the significance of the Four Species is to show us that each part of us serves a purpose, yet it’s only when we are in communion with all our parts that we can be of ultimate service to ourselves and others. No part of us is bad, unless we are solely focused on that part and not focused on the others.?
Yet there is something quite interesting about the blessing being made on the date palm, which isn’t the most beautiful of species, and I was wondering why??
I think the answer is that the date palm has a strong spine and stands tall, thus serving as a reminder that we strive for perfection, yet we accept our imperfections. When we see ourselves as small and are in a place of shame over our character defects, we cannot heal. We heal from a place of worthiness, and just as the date palm is imperfect—unlike the perfection of the citron—we too are imperfect, and that is the source of the larger blessing.?
This week, let’s accept ourselves for the perfectly imperfect beings that we are. Be full of love towards the parts of ourselves that are dark, as they serve us too.?
Accountability, Community, Unconditional Love
Asher
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