[Avodah] Ushpizin and Sheva Berakhos

[Kohn, Shalom]

 Recent posts dealt with whether Uzhpizin would serve as panim chadashot
for sheva brachot, as does Shabbat.

As I posted some time ago (probably on a different list) on the subject
of "why not ushpizot," these questions miss the point about the Ushpizin
(in my view).

Bi-kituzur nimratz:

The Sukkah represents tzelta d'mehaminusa, reminiscent of the clouds of
glory in the desert.  Sitting in the sukah, therefore, we welcome the
shechinia.  There are seven aspects (sefirot) of the schechina,
corresponding to the midot of chesed, gevura (pachad), tiferet, etc.
Each of these aspects corresponds to the avot and other leaders (Moshe,
Aharon etc.)  E.g. Avraham is chesed, etc.  (There is some dispute as to
some of these correspondences.)  Thus, when we welcome the Uzhpizin, we
are welcoming the shechina, and each day focusing on another aspect of
the shechina as we use the entire chag to rise in our spiritual growth
as we go through the sefirot.  That is also why we mention one name each
day, but say we welcome you together with the other six names, because
the shechina in its entirely is present each day, although the daily
focus is on one aspect.

No, I did not see this anywhere (although I once say another poster say
the same thing), but it is an idea which as I recall I originally
discerned within the language of the Zohar (source not now available to
me).  Moreover, I've never heard an alternative satisfactory explanation
for ushpizin.

Doubtless the kabalists on the list can lend additional detail.

On a related subject, there is another deep explanation between the
cloud motif of Sukkot and timing of simchat beis ha'shoeva, which
involved an attempt to discern the shechina at simchat beis hashoeva
(sho-avim mi-ruach hakodesh), following immediately after the "cloud" on
the kaporet and the smoke in the kodesh ha-kodashim of yom kippur [my
drash for this sukkot], but time does not permit elaboration of this
idea in depth.

S.



Shalom L. Kohn 	

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