Thank youThe fourth day of Sukkot always falls on the 18th of Tishrei. The Hebrew word “chai” (“living”) equals 18 in gematria, and the 18th of Tishrey is often called “Chai Tishrey” for it helps us add liveliness and enthusiasm of the service to ha-Shem into the whole month – and ultimately the whole year.
The Rebbe reveals:
– Chai Elul gives “life to all the days of Elul,” as well as the Divine service of Torah and mitzvos… In a like manner the theme of Chai Tishrey will be to inject life into the month of Tishrey, especially the holidays of the month, from which the spirit of each holiday will radiate to the entire year.
Consequently, on the 18th day itself there must be intense enthusiasm and “life,” which brings us to the lofty quality of the joy of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah on this fourth night of Sukkot. By virtue of the fact that it is the 18th of Tishrey — where joy would normally burst all boundaries — now it will be even more intense!
The guests of the day
The drawing of the Divine Spirit during the Simchas Bais HaShoeivah in the Bais HaMikdash was analogous to the future effulgence of G‑dly knowledge. On the one hand, the loftiest level of Supernal Chochmah (wisdom) was tapped, and at the same time it was attainable by everyone in a manner of drawing — universal availability. Here we will find the connection between today’s Ushpizin and the theme of Simchas Bais HaShoeivah.
Moshe-rabbeinu and the Mitteler Rebbe both represent the broad river of binah – understanding. The role of the Mitteler Rebbe in the area of binah has been often explained in Chassidus. Moshe, our teacher, also has a special connection to binah as the Talmud relates:
Fifty gates of understanding were created in the world, and all were given to Moshe save one, as it says: “Yet You have made him but a little lower than a G‑d. (Tehillim 8:6, Rosh Hashanah 21b)
Thus, Moshe attained 49 gates of understanding during his lifetime and actually reached the 50th gate, too, as the language of the verse seems to indicate: “all were given to Moshe [save one]” — which he did fully attain upon ascending Mount Nevo before his death. This we know from the interpretation propounded by the Great Maggid on the word “Nevo” — (“Nun bo”), “the 50th was then in him” — on the day of his death Moshe reached the full radiance of the 50th gate of understanding!
Thus, both Ushpizin tonight carry the theme of the “broad river of understanding” which symbolizes the lofty and esoteric descent to the broadest state of dissemination…
From the Rebbe’s talk on the 4th Night of Sukkot, 5746.
