27 Sep SPECIAL GUESTS

USHPIZIN – Aramaic for guests.
Seven nights of Succos. Seven exalted,
spiritual guests.
We welcome the holy neshamaos of the
raya mehemna, the faithful shepherds,
leaders of our people, to our succahs.
Avrohom, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe,
Aaron, Dovid.
There is a beautiful welcoming tefilla that
is recited upon entering the succah: “Tivu
tivu ushpizin iloyin…, Be seated, be seated,
exalted guests; Be seated, be seated holy
guests; Be seated, be seated guests of
faithfulness; be seated in the shade of the
Holy One, Blessed is He.”
While the neshamos of all seven Ushpizin
grace our succah, there is a different
honored leader from amongst them for
each night. The first night, Avraham, the
second night Yitzchok, and so on.
It is written in the Zohar that when we
leave our home and enter the succah
“l’shem Shomayim – for the sake of

Heaven” (with the intention to fulfil a
mitzvah), we merit that the Shechinah,
Divine Presence and all seven faithful
shepherds join us in the succah.
Some have a custom of preparing an
“Ushpizin seat”. They decorate a chair and
place sefarim upon it, welcoming the
honored guests to their succah.
Succos is the only Yom Tov called Z’man
Simchaseinu, Festival of our Joy. The
Ushpizin, our holy guests descend from
Gan Eden and rejoice together with us,
bringing blessing to our succah.
On Succos, we connect to our past. We
recall how our nation lived in succahs
during their forty years in the desert. They
traveled to the “unknown”, trekking
through uncharted desert sands. How did
they survive? From where did they muster
their added strength? They were fortified
with emunah and bitachon, faith and trust
in HaShem. Although they didn’t know
what lay ahead of them, their connection to
HaShem remained strong and steadfast.
Each of the Ushpizin had their own
personal life journey. Journeys that gave

them the strong foundations
needed to become leaders of
Am Yisroel.
Avraham answered
HaShem’s call of “Lech
Lecha – Go for Yourself”. He
left everything familiar
behind him, and went on a
journey of self-discovery
and connection to HaShem.
A journey that led him to
become the father of the
Jewish nation.
Yitzchok’s journey was to Har Moriah –
site of the Akeidah. He was ready to
sacrifice himself to serve HaShem. A
strength which became embedded in the
spiritual genes of future generations.
Yaakov had to live life “on the run”,
escaping from his brother Eisav. His
journey led him to the house of Lavan, and
eventually becoming the father of the
Shivtei Kah, the Twelve Tribes.
Yosef had his own difficult life journey. As
a young boy, he was sold as a slave, ending
up in Egypt. By uncompromisingly
clinging to his faith, and always having
the “d’yukno shel aviv – the image and
teachings of his father” before him, he
rose to become Viceroy to the Pharaoh,
saving the entire nation during a time of
famine.
Moshe and Aaron journeyed through the
desert with the Jewish people. Each one
was a leader in his own right. Moshe was
chosen by HaShem to liberate Am
Yisroel from Egypt and was a teacher
and mentor to the entire nation. Aaron,
was the first Kohein Gadol, and had the
special virtue of being an ohev sholom, a
lover of peace and a rodeph sholom, a
pursuer of peace.
Dovid had to run and hide from Shaul,
and ultimately became the progenitor of
Malchus Dovid, the Davidic dynasty. At
times, Dovid HaMelech’s life journey
came with challenges and difficulties.
Despite it, or precisely because of it,
Dovid composed Tehillim, which to this
day gives comfort to so many.
On Succos, we recall the faith and
fortitude of the Generation of the Exodus.
We remind ourselves of the inner strength
and trust of the Ushpizin. We leave our
secure, comfortable homes for just a
little while, and enter the succah. As we
gaze through the schach, the succah roof
covering, to the heavens above, we
realize that HaShem is watching over us,
as a father watching over his children,

and we have nothing to fear.
Just as we invite the guests from Above, it’s
important to open our succahs to “living
souls” and fulfill the mitzvah of hachnosas
orchim, welcoming guests.
A beautiful story is told of Rabbi Chaim
Ozer Grodzinski zt”l. Rav Chaim Ozer was
already getting on in years, weak and frail.
He had a visitor on Succos, and explained
to his guest that although he himself was
exempt from being in the succah due to his
weak health, his visitor should please make
use of the succah.
A short time later, Rav Chaim Ozer slowly
entered the succah, bringing treats for his
guest. The rav explained that though he
may be exempt from staying in the succah,
he isn’t exempt from the mitzva of
welcoming guests.
The Talmud relates that Rav Yocḥanan
says: “In the future, the Holy One, Blessed
be He, will prepare a succah for the
righteous from the skin of the gigantic
Leviathan whale. This special succah is to
house a banquet for the tzaddikim, the
righteous of the world.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Barditchev zt”l,
also known as the Holy Bardichever, was
always careful to invite guests into his
succah. Very often they included the
homeless and needy. When asked why, he
responded, “In the time of Moshiach, when
the tzaddikim will be in the succah of the
Leviathan, I will want to join them. For
sure, I will be stopped – who are you to sit
with the righteous?” The Bardichever
continued and said, “I will be able to justify
my entry, for in my succah, I too invited
ordinary Jews to join in our rejoicing of the
festival.”
We recite in theMaariv of Yom Tov, “Ufros
Aleinu sukkas rachamim, chaim v’sholom,
and spread over us the shelter of
compassion, life and peace”.
May this Succos bring peace and tranquility
to all of mankind.
Chag Succos Sameach!