Ep. 46 The Holiday Season and The Search For Adam

The Thinking Jew Podcast

The incredible holiday season, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, continuing to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, and then Sukkos, finally comes to a climax with the holiday of Shemini Atzeres. And while all the other holidays have unique commandments associated with them (shofar, fasting, lulav and esrog, sitting in a sukkah etc.) there are no special commandments for this final day. Why is that? Why doesn't Shemini Atzeres have any unique mitzvahs?

In this episode, we take a whole new look at the entire holiday season, uncovering a deep storyline running through all the holidays and coming to a climax on Shemini Atzeres! The story of the holiday season is in a certain sense a story of the world: beginning with the creation of Adam, his sin and judgement and continuing with the search for Adam in the world until he is found and his mission reaccepted.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

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Sources:

Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 48a, Shemini Atzeres is an independent holiday - https://tinyurl.com/regelatzmo

Tosafist on Tractate Rosh Hashana 8a titled Litkufos, Rosh Hashana is actually the birthday of Adam - https://tinyurl.com/tosrh8a

Derech Hashem, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lozzatto, Part 2 Ch. 4, Adam was created with potential to impact; Abraham (the Jews) accepted this mission going forward - https://tinyurl.com/derechhashem2-4

Ethics Of Our Fathers, 5:2, generations between Adam and Noah and God's patience - https://tinyurl.com/ethics5-2

Pirkei DiRebbi Elazar Ch. 31, purpose of Abraham's tests were to see if he can uphold the Torah (Adam's mission) - https://tinyurl.com/prde31

Genesis Ch. 22, story of the binding of Isaac - https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.22?lang=bi&aliyot=0

Pachad Yitzchak, Rav Hutner, Ma'amarei Sukkos #21, "don't send your hand towards the lad" replaced "let us create man" - not available online

Babylonian Talmud, Yevamos 61a, Jews are called Adam - https://tinyurl.com/yevamos61a

Numbers 29:12-36, listing of the bull sacrifices - https://tinyurl.com/bamidbar29

Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 55b, 70 bulls correspond to 70 nations and single bull to Jewish nation - https://tinyurl.com/sukkah55b

Rashi, Genesis 10:25, during the lifetime of Peleg the world was divided into 70 nations- https://tinyurl.com/70peleg

Text of the prayer for Rain - https://tinyurl.com/praygeshem

Genesis 2:5, Rashi titled Ki, rain didn't fall until the creation of Adam - https://tinyurl.com/bereishis2-5

Pachad Yitzchak, Rav Hutner, Ma'amarei Sukkos #118, only once G-d found the new Adam (the Jewish nation) do we pray for rain - not available online