7. Holy Use: Relating to Resources Sustainably

(Rabbi Zadok)¹, translation by J. Neril
Here, where it says that ‘for the righteous, their money is more dear to them than their bodies, so that they do not come to steal’ (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sotah, p. 12a) [can be understood] to mean that they do not take that which is not destined for them from God...[The above teaching] calls it ‘stealing,’ based on the teaching (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Brachot p. 35b) that it is as if that person is stealing from God and the
Jewish people, since “to God is the land and its fullness” (Psalms). That which is not created for this specific person is like stolen property when they are in possession of it, and thus [the righteous are careful] not to take possession of it. Because of this, property that is assigned to and created for them is very precious to them—so much so that our patriarch Jacob risked his life for his property. Thus the Ishbitzer Rebbe heard from his rebbe of Przysucha who said in the name of the Yehudi Hakadosh (three generations of Hassidic rebbes of Przysucha):
a righteous person is obligated to enjoy that an object which is fitting for them even if it means risking their life. That is why Jacob-- who knew that the small vessels were his, appropriate to his soul, and created for him— risked his life to save them. So too with all the silver and gold that they [the Jewish people] took out of Egypt— they sought to extract the holiness that was trapped inside of [the wealth].”

(7) The union between the righteous person and the Community of Israel is achieved through masa u’matan. This is because everything in the world has in it sparks of holiness that fell at the time of the Shattering of the Vessels. “Shattering” is the aspect of letters that shattered and fell into each and every thing of this world. For every thing has its time: it must come at that time, to that person who shares the same root with those sparks in that thing.

(8) Thus, when that thing comes to this person, and he receives vitality from it—i.e., from the shattered letters that are there—through this the shattered letters are encompassed in this person, in his vitality. They become a complete entity, and infuse the vitality of the entire body. Through this the letters are restored and become complete. Then that thing must stay with this person, for him to use, until the letters and sparks that are associated with his root terminate. After this it leaves his possession for someone else; the time has come for the remaining letters to have an ascent. They share the same root with that other person and so depart for his possession.

(9) Still there are times when the thing returns to that person who had it originally. Since he did not possess the components of soul-spirit-higher soul <that relate to the letters>, he was unable to complete these letters until now that these components of soul-spirit-higher soul have become his. Through them he is able to complete the remaining letters, which in the meanwhile had to remain with the other person.

(10) And when he completes these letters, he gains illumination in his soul-spirit-higher soul because of the illuminations of these letters that came to him and which he completed. Through this illumination he illuminates the root of his soul-spirit-higher soul, which is with the righteous person and the Community of Israel; the root of all the souls <being there>, as explained above...

Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi, when the bread from the eiruv² would happen to become available to them, they would begin and recite the blessing over it. They said in explanation: Since one mitzva was performed with it, let an additional mitzva be performed with it.

translated by Rabbi Aviel Orenstein³
The eyruv is required to be at beyn ha-shemashos [between sunset and three stars] in a place where it is fit to be taken. Consequently, if a heap of stones fell upon the eyruv and one is unable to take it from its place without the use of a hoe and a pickax, one is forbidden to rely on it.

Gloss of the Rama: The eyruv is only required to be in existence at beyn ha-shemashos, but once it is definitely dark one can eat the eyruv. One should use the bread of the eyruv for the breaking of the bread at the morning meal of Shabbos. This only applies in a locality where it is the practice to make an eyruv every Erev Shabbos. However, it is preferable to make an eyruv for the entire year once, as stated above in Sec. 368, in the gloss to par. 3.

(13) Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise; Instead of the nettle, a myrtle shall rise. These shall stand as a testimony to the LORD, As an everlasting sign that shall not perish.

(4) 4. It is customary to make a blessing over the myrtle whenever possible. RAMA: And there are those who say that we do not make a blessing over a dry myrtle who's fragrance has mostly faded, but rather we use other spices and this is the custom in our countries. And it seems to me that one should use a myrtle with spices for this is what the rest of the world does.

translated by Rabbi Aviel Orenstein⁴
Over a myrtle branch. i.e., one taken together with a lulav on Sukkos. For since one mitzvah was already done with the myrtle-branch, one should use it for another mitzvah...The phrase in the Shulchan Aruch, 'wherever this is possible,' means that as long as it has somewhat of an odor it is a mitzvah, initially, to search after and use it. So too, writes the Zohar. A Scriptural support for this is the verse, “A myrtle will rise instead of the thorn' (Isaiah 55:13)--which is juxtaposed to the verse, 'Whoever keeps the Shabbos from desecrating it.' (Isaiah 56:4)...

(9) 9. There is one who says that it is forbidden to benefit from the willow after it is taken unless it was stipulated from the beginning because each day it is dedicated to the function of its mitzvah. Rem"a: It is customary to store the hoshanot for the baking of matzos so as to do a mitzvah with them (Mahari"v and Mahari"l).

(2) The prophets instituted the custom, that each person should take a special aravah, on that day besides the aravah in the lulav bundle. Whatever disqualifies the aravah of the lulav [bundle] also disqualifies this aravah. Therefore, a Jew should not cut it himself for his own use. (as I have written in ch. 136:7 above); the only difference [of the special aravah] is that even if most of the leaves fell off, it is valid. Even if there is only one leaf left on one branch, it is valid. However, the beauty of the mitzvah is enhanced when the aravah has many leaves and a long branch. It is a beautiful custom to take five branches [for the special aravah] and tie them together with a leaf of a lulav.

(3) You should not take this aravah together with the lulav, but when you begin to say Ta'aneh emunim [Answer the faithful] you put down the lulav and the esrog and take the aravah, for then we pray for water. At the conclusion of the Hoshanos, you wave the aravah and beat it on the ground five times, and it is sufficient, even if no leaves fall off in the process. After beating the aravah, you should not throw it on the floor, because it shows contempt of the mitzvah. It is best to put save it and cast it into the fire of [the oven] when you bake matzos (for Pesach), since it was used for one mitzvah it should be used for another mitzvah.

The Gemara asks: If that juxtaposition is the source of the halakha, say: Just as the Festival peace-offering is brought from animals, so too the sukka roofing should consist of animals. As that is clearly not the case, that verse cannot be the source for the roofing of the sukka. The Gemara cites a different source: When Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said that the verse states: “You shall prepare for you the festival of Sukkot for seven days as you gather from your threshing floor and from your winepress” (Deuteronomy 16:13), and the Sages interpreted that it is with regard to the waste of the threshing floor and of the winepress⁵ that the verse is speaking. One uses grain stalks and vines for roofing the sukka, materials that are not susceptible to ritual impurity and grow from the ground. The Gemara asks: And say that the verse teaches that one uses the items placed on the threshing floor itself, i.e., stalks with the grain still attached to them, and the items placed in the winepress itself,⁶ i.e., vines with the grapes still attached, as roofing. Grain and grapes, like all foods, are susceptible to ritual impurity. If the verse is interpreted in this manner, the mishna’s criteria for roofing fit for a sukka could not be derived from it. Rabbi Zeira said: “Winepress” is written in the verse here, referring to the wine, and it is impossible⁷ to roof with wine. Apparently, the verse is referring to stalks and sheaves but not to produce. Rabbi Yirmeya strongly objects to this: Why can’t a sukka be roofed with wine? Say that it is referring to congealed wine that comes from Senir, from Mount Hermon, which is similar to a cake of figs⁸. Since it is possible to interpret the verse as referring to the use of food for roofing, the mishna’s criteria for roofing fit for a sukka could not be derived from it. Rabbi Zeira said: This matter was in our hands, as we assumed that we found the source in the Torah for the materials fit for roofing, and Rabbi Yirmeya came and took an axe to it⁹. He destroyed the proof by raising the matter of congealed wine. Rav Ashi said: One may nevertheless derive the ruling of the mishna from this verse: “From your threshing floor,” indicating an item that comes from the threshing floor, but not the items placed on the threshing floor, i.e., grain, itself¹⁰; “from your winepress,” but not the items placed in the winepress, i.e., grapes, itself. The verse is referring to the waste products of the produce placed on the threshing floor and in the winepress. Rav Ḥisda said¹¹ that proof can be cited from here: “Go forth to the mount and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and the boughs of a dense-leaved tree in order to make sukkot as written” (Nehemiah 8:15)¹². From this verse, the materials for sukka roofing can be derived. Apropos this verse, the Gemara asks: These myrtle branches are the same as those boughs of a dense-leaved tree; why does the verse mention both¹³? Rav Ḥisda said that this is how it is to be understood. The term “myrtle branches” is referring to a wild myrtle,¹⁴ unfit for use as one of the four species, to be used for the roofing of the sukka. And the term “boughs of a dense-leaved tree”¹⁵ is referring to the myrtle, whose leaves overlie each other, to be used for the lulav, the mitzva of the four species.

as it is written: “And the festival of gathering, which is at the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labors out of the field” (Exodus 23:16). What is the meaning of “gathering”? If we say that it means: A Festival that comes at the time of gathering the crops, isn’t it already written: “When you have gathered in your labors”? There is no need to repeat this a second time. Rather, what is meant here by “gathering”? It means harvesting... Rabbi Ḥanina strongly objects to the proof brought from the verse in Exodus cited above, which refers to Sukkot as the festival of gathering: How can you say that this “gathering” means harvesting? But isn’t it written: “You shall observe the festival of Sukkot seven days, after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your winepress” (Deuteronomy 16:13), and the Master said about this: The verse speaks here of the waste of the threshing floor and the winepress,¹⁶ which is used to make the roof of the sukka. If so, the gathering mentioned with regard to the festival of Sukkot is referring not to harvesting but to gathering straw from the threshing floor.

translation by Yonatan Neril
“And this (the aforementioned) is the sense of the essential part of the Sukkah coming from the [agricultural] waste of the threshing floor and wine vat, as the Sages of the Talmud say (in Tractate Rosh Hashana 13a) on the verse (from Exodus ch. 23), “in your gathering” etc.-- that the verse is speaking about the [agricultural] waste of the threshing floor and wine vat. Because in this is repaired that which Adam corrupted or anyone in their sin when they fell to the abundance [fitting] for animals by being drawn after the animal desires. Because now [in using agricultural waste for the Sukkah covering] a person raises and elevates the abundance [fitting] for animals, which is the aspect of the [agricultural] waste of the threshing floor and wine vat, and a person makes from it the Sukkah... It is thus found that in that which a person corrupted is repaired, which is how it must be for the repair of every person, to repair in that which one corrupted.”