‫בס"ד‬

‫אושפיזין‬
)‫(קונטרס קטן‬

❑ Source in Zohar in Sefer Vayikra (Emor 103a) -- ‫אושפיזין עילאין‬

❑ Also connected to the Hakafos we make over Chag Sukkot
❑ This concept of inviting holy guests into the Sukkah emerges after the Yamim Noraim because
the main realm in which each one of these Tzaddikim lived was way above this world. As the
year progresses, we become more deeply rooted in this world. But right after the teshuva of
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we each have the ability to feel the sense that this world is just
a passing world. We become a ‫ גר‬of this world, and turn into an ‫( אזרח‬permanent dweller) of
the World to Come... ‫כָּל הָּ ֶאזְ ָּרח בְ י ְִש ָּר ֵאל‬
❑ We are invited to join the world of the Avos.

❑ ‫בַּ סֻּ כֹּת ֵת ְשבּו ִשבְ עַּ ת י ִָּמים כָּל הָּ ֶאזְ ָּרח בְ י ְִש ָּר ֵאל י ְֵשבּו בַּ סֻּ כֹּת‬
• Why the double language of ‫ ֵת ְשבּו‬+ ‫? י ְֵשבּו‬
• Zohar explains that the first part of the passuk is talking about the Ushpizin, and the
second part refers to us.

❑ The holy light of each one of the exalted guests shines into the world with extra strength on the
corresponding day, so that we can tap into that light and those characteristics.

❑ Pri Tzaddik: ‫נשפה שפע הקדושה בנפשות ישראל מבחינת שבע המידות הקדושות הנקראות אושפיזין‬

❑ We are meant to spend time on each day, concentrating on the middos of that day’s Ushpizin,
to perfect those middos in our lives.

Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #1

‫אברהם‬
‫לּוֹלת ִיְך ֶלכְ ֵתְך ַּאחֲ ַּרי בַּ ִמ ְדבָּ ר בְ ֶא ֶרץ ל ֹּא זְ רּועָּ ה‬
ָּ ְ‫ְעּור ִיְך ַּאהֲ בַּ ת כ‬
ַּ ‫זָּ כַּ ְר ִתי ָּלְך חֶ סֶ ד נ‬ ‫ְלָך ֶלְך‬
(Yirmiya 2:2)

❑ We leave our homes and go into a Sukkah. Our own, small-scale ‫ְלך לְֶך‬
❑ Avraham is the first Ivri
• Standing against world, even when the nations of the world think
we’re acting strange
• Leaving comforts of this world
• Leaving your comfort zone and suffer through problems, in order to
possess the ability to give others what they need
• The world mocked Avraham; he had every right to reject the world
that rejected him, but every moment of his life he stood by the
opening of his tent trying to bring people in. Avraham spent his
whole life trying to give and help. Chessed.
• In order to be able to truly give, one most go through a period of
‫לְָך לְֶך‬, of separation and longing
❑ Hashem says that all people of the world will be blessed through
Avraham, a person who was so isolated.
❑ Different types of sacrifices are brought throughout the Chag; they are
brought for the nations of the world. On a Chag when we are most
separated in our little tent, that is when we are most engaged in the being
a light to the rest of the world.
❑ Only the one who is separated, can give. Separation is going to hurt, but
then you will see that you have so much more to give.
Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #2

‫פחד יצחק‬
‫דין‬
‫יצחק‬ ❑ Simchas Beis HaShoeiva begins on the
night of Yitzchak. We would have
never thought this made sense based
on the perceived personality of
Yitzchak – simcha and Din?! Yet
Chazal tell us that there was not a
❑ Hard for us to recognize the connection between Middas haDin of Rosh Hashana and Yom place in Yerushalayim that wasn’t
filled with joyous light of Yitzchak
Kippur, with the joy of Sukkot…
❑ Yitzchak is laughter. His name is made
• Rabbeinu Yona says that by human beings, fear and joy are opposites; if a person is
up of two words: ‫ = קץ חי‬even at the
nervous, he usually pulls away
end of life, there is still light.
• Fear and joy usually don't go together, but by HKBH it does.
❑ He was born at a time of no hope, to
• The more a person meditates upon the greatness of Hashem and filled with deep awe barren and elderly parents.
and fear, he rejoices in that fear and becomes filled with simcha. Instead of creating ❑ After we’ve lost hope, and we think
more anxiety, all the little fears melt away. Hashem is too angry with us, Yitzchak
teaches that there is still hope.
❑ Dovid aMelech says, You Hashem are my ‘light’ (RH) and my ‘salvation’ (YK), and ❑ Bracha of Yitzchak in the Amida is:
therefore I am not afraid of anything. ‫ירא ה' מָּ עֹוז חַּ יַּי ִמ ִמי ֶאפְ חָּ ד‬
ָּ ‫אֹורי וְ יִ ְשעִ י ִמ ִמי ִא‬
ִ '‫ה‬ ‫ְמחַּ יֶה מֵ ִתים בְ ַּרחֲ ִמים ַּרבִ ים‬
ַּ‫ירא לִ בִ י ִאם ָּתקּום עָּ לַּ י ִמלְ חָּ מָּ ה בְ ז ֹּאת אֲ נִ י בֹוטֵ ח‬
ָּ ִ‫ִאם ַּתחֲ נֶה עָּ לַּ י מַּ חֲ נֶה ל ֹּא י‬ ❑ Just like by the Akeida, where
Avraham has knife in one hand, but
❑ …and he concludes, that Hashem ‘takes me into His Sukkah’; I am always then drops it and embraces Yitzchak
surrounded by Hashem, and therefore not afraid. ‫כִ י יִ צְ פְ נֵנִ י בְ סֻּ כֹּה בְ יֹום ָּרעָּ ה‬ ❑ Yitzchak digs wells; he fights impurity
❑ AriZal’s lesson from the following passuk (SS 2:2): to allow the waters of Avraham to
• The left hand is RH and YK (fear and judgment), and right hand is Sukkot flow into the world. Events may look
(embracing). ‫ימינֹו ְתחַּ בְ ֵקנִי‬
ִ ִ‫ֹּאשי ו‬
ִ ‫ְשמ ֹּאלֹו ַּתחַּ ת לְר‬ dim, but really it’s only for purpose of
• Rav Leibele Eiger further explains: This is like a parent who gets upset at his paving the way for the reviving
child and takes a strap in one hand about to hit the child, but then hears the waters of Avraham.
child begging for forgiveness, and immediately drops the strap and gives a ❑ ‫ יצחק‬-- Laughter that comes after lost
hug with the other hand. hope, after Din. Hashem shows us we
• Concept of Din is to bring us to forgiveness and love. Hashem holds up the have new chance, new life.
strap only so that we’ll give him an opportunity to give us a hug. ❑ Gevurah: Power and energy of
• Sukkah is shaped like a hug – minimum 3 walls Yitzchak to turn away the forces of
impurity that have tried to destroy
our life to strengthen us to return to
ways of Avraham.
Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #3

❑ First place Torah mentions Sukkot is by Yaakov

‫יעקב‬
❑ Koach of taking individual people and making them into a nation
• End of Yaakov’s life he said ‫ = הֵ ָּא ְספּו‬Come together, no more fighting
• Sukkot is in-gathering
❑ Gemara Sukkah 27b: ‫ = ראויים כל ישראל לשבת בסוכה אחת‬All of Bnei Yisrael will sit in
one Sukkah when Mashiach comes.
❑ Yaakov institutionalizes the loneliness of Avraham. Avraham was individual lonely
man; Yaakov is the nation that dwells alone -- ‫הֶ ן עָּ ם לְ בָּ דָּ ד יִ ְשכֹּן‬
❑ Reb Gershon Henoch in Sod Yesharim, explains: The deeper meaning of going away
from diras keva is the koach of not being stuck
• Yaakov is ‫ ;תפארת‬Beauty is symmetry, blend of colors.
• Avraham was permanent Chessed – taken to an extreme you get Yishmael
• Yitzchak was permanent Din – taken to an extreme it cripples and paralyzes;
Eisav says he could never change
❑ Yaakov is life in the Sukkah – I’m going to be whatever Hashem wants from me in this
moment.
• Our nature may be Avraham/sweet, but if the moment calls for anger, we must
realize that Hashem’s will is that you step outside your comfort zone.
• Designated servant of Hashem for whatever He wants. Truth of this moment.
❑ Kotzker Rebbe asked a chassid of Rav Moshele Kabrina – what’s your Rebbe’s greatest
characteristic? The chassid said ‘whatever he’s doing that moment’.
❑ ‫ – וַּ יִ שָּ א ַּי ֲעקֹּב ַּרגְ לָּ יו‬Rashi says his feet were ‫ ;נעשה קל‬Yaakov’s movement was light, light-
footed. Meaning:
• Yaakov bent to the will of Hashem.
• I don’t need to be exclusively one way; do what the moment is asking of you.
• Yaakov’s “thing” is whatever Hashem wanted from him at that moment; all the
colors, balance.
❑ ‫ וְ ַּי ֲעקֹּב ִאיש ָּתם יֹּשֵ ב אֹּהָּ לִ ים‬-- Yaakov lives in a tent; on call at all times. Designated Hitter.
Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #4

‫משה‬
❑ ‫וְ הָּ ִאיש מֹּשֶ ה עָּ נָּו ְמאֹּד ִמכֹּל הָּ ָּאדָּ ם אֲ שֶ ר עַּ ל פְ נֵי הָּ אֲ דָּ מָּ ה‬
❑ Humility has a strong connection to simcha / ‫זמן שמחתנו‬
• ‫( וְ י ְָּספּו ֲענָּוִ ים בַּ ה' ִש ְמחָּ ה‬Yishayahu 29:19)
• Humble people experience consistent joy.

❑ Minimize your space and make more room for Hashem; create a
dirah for you and Hashem.

❑ A haughty person creates a ‘palace’ for himself, and makes tiny Sukkah
for Hashem; no room for Hashem due to a person’s expanding ego.

❑ During Hakafos we say: ‫אני והו הושיע נא‬

• After we go through the Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur process,
hopefully we realize there are forces and agendas that are much
bigger than us. Once we have this humbling feeling, then
Hashem can once again live with us.
• ַּ‫ּושפַּל רּוח‬
ְ ‫שכֵן עַּ ד וְ ָּקדֹוש ְשמֹו מָּ רֹום וְ ָּקדֹוש ֶא ְשכֹון וְ ֶאת דַּ כָּא‬
ֹּ (Yishayahu 57:15)
I [Hashem] dwell in the high and holy place, yet with him also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit…

• Greatest joy is when Hashem comes to live with you in the same
place. ‫ – שמחה במעונו‬joy in the dwelling place.

Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #5

‫אהרון‬
❑ Debate exists whether Sukkah commemorates literal tents or the Clouds of Glory / ‫ענני‬
‫הכבוד‬
• The clouds we had protecting us in the desert, were in the zechus of Aharon.
• Sfas Emes explains that Aharon’s zechus was because he was a Ba’al Teshuva; he
repented for Sin of Golden Calf. He loved Bnei Yisrael so deeply that he made a
mistake in his judgment (on his level) and went ‘in’ on the sin with them.
• Aharon subsequently spent his whole life trying to bring Jews in and atone.
• ‫במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדים אפילו צדיקים גמורים אינם יכולים לעמוד‬

❑ ‫ הוי מתלמידיו של אהרן אוהב שלום ורודף שלום‬:‫) הלל אומר‬1:12( ‫פרקי אבות‬
• Rodeif shalom between (i) one person and another, and (ii) people and Hashem.
❑ ‫ ּופְ רוש עָּ לֵינּו סֻּ כַּת ְשלומֶ ָך‬-- Sukkah is a place of gathering. We ask Hashem for Shalom.
❑ ‫( שָּ לֹום שָּ לֹום ל ָָּּרחֹוק וְ ל ַָּּקרֹוב‬Yishayahu 57:19)
• ‫ ל ָָּּרחֹוק‬refers to the Ba’al Teshuva; ‫ ל ַָּּקרֹוב‬refers to the Tzaddik.
• Aharon was born a tzaddik, then went in the way of a Ba’al Teshuva seeking
repentance for the Golden Calf. He felt a distance and tried to come closer and
bring others closer. Aharon was both aspects of the passuk: ‫ רודף שלום‬from the
perspective of Ba’al Teshuva, and ‫ אוהב שלום‬from perspective of Tzaddik.
❑ In Sifrei Kabbala, Aharon is compared to the Lulav -- ‫ צַּ ִדיק כ ַָּּתמָּ ר יִפְ ָּרח‬-- linked to
blossoming of Aharon’s staff in Parshas Korach.
❑ ‘Sukkah’ also means to ‘see/have vision’. Sarah/Yiskah – saw with power of holiness of
Ruach haKodesh.
• Aharon can bring all the blessings into our lives, such that we should SEE
Hashem’s love for us. Birchas Kohanim – Ahava. Love that is shown to us, visible
blessings that bring tranqulity.
Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #6

‫יוסף‬
❑ Sukkot = Chag ha’Asif = to add, to gather
❑ Yosef has dreams about the stalks of wheat.
• Lulav also associated with Yosef; Lulav is the ikar of the 4 Minim, stands the
tallest, all others bow down to it.
❑ Gematriya of Yosef is ‫חי‬
• Middah of Tzaddik is ben ish chai
• Leave Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as tzaddikim
• ‫ – וְ יֹוסֵ ף הּוא הַּ שַּ לִיט עַּ ל הָּ ָּא ֶרץ הּוא הַּ מַּ ְשבִ יר‬Yosef is known as the master/ruler over
Egypt.
• Yosef overcame and mastered his yetzer hara; in a place if lowliness, he
flourished. He was alive, and was able to give life. ‫ שולט על יצרו‬and ‫ משביר‬--
sustained others
• That is the power of the Tzaddik: He/she sustains existence. Connects heaven
and earth; ladder upon which heaven descends into this world and upon which
a human being can climb to the higher world.

❑ ‫ בֵ ן פ ָֹּּרת יֹוסֵ ף‬-- fruitful one. Also, same letters as ‫ = תפר‬to sow together.

❑ Master of Yetzer Hara; being alive and holy instead of dead and impure. Bring upper
and lower worlds together.

Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/
 Day #7

‫דוד‬
❑ All the energy of the prior days comes together as Malchus.
❑ The Beis haMikdash is the Sukkah of Dovid
❑ ‫ ֶאבֶ ן מָּ אֲ סּו הַּ בֹונִים הָּ י ְָּתה לְר ֹּאש פִ נָּה‬-- Originally, Dovid was rejected and cast aside, but
eventually becomes cornerstone of the world. And then, ‫זֶה הַּ יֹום עָּ שָּ ה ה' נָּגִ ילָּה וְ נ ְִש ְמחָּ ה בֹו‬
❑ All the kochos are merged into Mashiach
• Dovid is the day of Hoshana Rabba when we go through all the prior days.
• Also focuses on the Aravos, which have no taste or smell. Dovid felt he had no
beauty like the Arava, but in reality was beautiful like the Esrog.
• Everything is expressed through and in Dovid HaMelech / Tehillim

❑ Chaim and Da’as – AriZal:

• Mashiach ben Dovid is Eitz haChayim | Mashiach ben Yosef is Eitz haDa’as
• Misery and sin comes from the separation of Eitz haChayim and Eitz haDa’as.
This is why we have to join the Lulav and Esrog in our hands.
• Kohelles (1:18 – 2:1):
❖ Too much thinking/philosophical inquiry, on its own, brings pain:
‫יֹוסיף מַּ כְ אֹוב‬
ִ ‫יֹוסיף דַּ עַּ ת‬ִ ְ‫ו‬

+
❖ So next he tries a life of only simcha, but that too is incomplete:
‫ְלכָּה נָּא אֲ נ ְַּסכָּה בְ ִש ְמחָּ ה ְּור ֵאה בְ טֹוב וְ ִהנֵה גַּם הּוא הָּ בֶ ל‬
➢ We need Da’as AND Chayim. Ideal is to struggle to understand the world
and Torah, but always with chiyus and joy.
➢ Shlomo concludes in Kohelles 2:26, that “to the good person” Hashem
gives chochma, da’as and simcha: ‫כִ י ל ְָּאדָּ ם שֶ ּטֹוב ְל ָּפנָּיו נ ַָּּתן חָּ כְ מָּ ה וְ דַּ עַּ ת וְ ִש ְמחָּ ה‬

❑ Sukkos is the time of: ‫לְמַּ עַּ ן י ְֵדעּו ֹּדר ֵֹּתיכֶם כִ י בַּ סֻּ כֹות הֹושַּ בְ ִתי ֶאת בְ נֵי י ְִש ָּר ֵאל‬
❑ The time of knowing and of simcha. Learning and dancing. Knowing more can lead to
more joy; knowledge and joy in balance. Prepared BS”D by Binyamin Casper. Based on a shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a:
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/825913/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/the-holy-ushpizin-guests-give-us-strength/