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1. From the Holy Kabbalists  “The Mystical Dimension of Hakhel”“At the end of seven years, at the time of the Sabbatical year, on the festival of Sukkot….” [31, 10]If you will analyze the mystical dimension of the commandment of Hakhel, you will find that just as the Shemittah year itself is an allusion to the 7^th millennium during which our universe will revert to chaos, so the commandment of Hakhel, which commences after completion of the seventh year alludes to the word “la’asot” in Genesis 2,4 which follows the report of the conclusion of the seven days of creation after the Torah had introduced the concept of the Sabbath.  We also find in Psalms 92, the hymn dedicated by David to the Sabbath, that he speaks about the righteous who will flourish like the palm tree, (presumably after the seventh millennium).  I have already dealt with the meaning of that psalm in connection with Genesis 2,2.  The mystical dimension of the commandment of Hakhel is that all people who exist at that time are called to appear before the L-rd, the King of the universe.1. From the Holy Kabbalists  “The Mystical Dimension of Hakhel”“At the end of seven years, at the time of the Sabbatical year, on the festival of Sukkot….” [31, 10]If you will analyze the mystical dimension of the commandment of Hakhel, you will find that just as the Shemittah year itself is an allusion to the 7^th millennium during which our universe will revert to chaos, so the commandment of Hakhel, which commences after completion of the seventh year alludes to the word “la’asot” in Genesis 2,4 which follows the report of the conclusion of the seven days of creation after the Torah had introduced the concept of the Sabbath.  We also find in Psalms 92, the hymn dedicated by David to the Sabbath, that he speaks about the righteous who will flourish like the palm tree, (presumably after the seventh millennium).  I have already dealt with the meaning of that psalm in connection with Genesis 2,2.  The mystical dimension of the commandment of Hakhel is that all people who exist at that time are called to appear before the L-rd, the King of the universe.  This is why this commandment had to be performed by the king.  He represented the King in the celestial spheres.  He had to read from the Torah (not the High Priest).  This is reflected in the statement of the scholars of the Kabbalah who posit that before proceeding with the creation of the universe the Lord consulted His blueprint, i.e., the Torah. Another reason for reading from the Torah on that occasion was to remind the people that without Torah the universe cannot endure, just as it could not have been created without it.  The reason the site for the fulfillment of the commandment is described as “the place which the L-rd will choose,” is that the Temple-site was the place whence the universe started being created.  This is the meaning of Psalms 50,2: “for from Zion, perfect in beauty, G-d appeared.”  As the sages say in Yuma 54: “the world was perfected starting with Zion.”Selected from the seven-volume English edition of The Torah Commentary of Rebbeinu Bachya, as translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk. 2. From the Rebbes of Chabad   “Personal Hakhel”In the mitzvah of Hakhel the king would influence the entire people  by reading the Torah on the second day of Sukkot  “to do all the words of the Torah.”  This applies also on the individual level: the “king” in a person, the brain and intellect, must rule over his heart and limbs and influence them to be careful to do the mitzvoth of the Torah.Everyone needs to fulfill “Hakhel” within himself, to “assemble” all his thoughts, words, and deeds and to bring them into his inner “Temple,” motivated by total self-nullification to the “word of the King”  the will of G-d.The mitzvah of Hakhel exists also in Torah study.  This means to collect and assemble together the four levels of the Torah, literal, allegorical, homiletic, and mystical, and join them together into a single comprehensive understanding.(from Likkutei Sichot, as presented in Days of Awe, Days of Joy, p. 261)3. Chol HaMoed - The Weekdays of the Festival (some laws and customs) We required to honor Chol Hamoed, and to sanctify it through cessation of labor, good food and drink, and proper clothes.Any labor in a matter where loss would be sustained, if the act were not done at the time  is permitted. However, even where loss would be sustained by delay, if the particular labor could have been done before Yom Tov, but was deliberately not done, with the thought that it could still be done on Yom Tov, it is prohibited. If one had a certain prohibited-on-Chol-HaMoed labor to be done, and a poor man asked to do it in order to be able to provide for the needs of Yom Tov with the wages he would earn, it is permitted, provided it be done in privacy.It is forbidden to cut one’s hair during Chol Hamoed, but if one could not cut his hair before Yom Tov (a mourner, or a prisoner), he may do so during Chol Hamoed. The washing of clothes is prohibited, other than if they are greatly needed for the forthcoming Yom Tov, and it was completely impossible for them to be washed Erev Yom Tov.  The washing of baby diapers is permitted.Business matters may not be written down, except if one fears that he might otherwise forget such details as would cause him a loss. Friendly letters, which contain no reference to business matters may be written, but not in one’s customary manner.One may not move from one residence to another (unless the new apartment is in the same courtyard as the old).  If one has been living in a rented apartment and wishes to move to a residence of his own, he is permitted to do so, for it is a joy to a person to live in a residence that is his own.The buying and selling of merchandise is prohibited on Chol Hamoed unless one of the following conditions applies:

1.      One needs to earn a sum in order to provide for the festival;

2.       He has an opportunity to earn a much larger profit than usual, and if he could obtain it, he would spend more than he originally intended, in honor of Yom Tov;

3.      If he should fail to sell now, he would lose even the principal.  However, the loss of profit is not considered a loss.(based on The Book of Our Heritage)4. From the Chassidic Masters  “Sukkah Decorations”“The Eighth Day shall be a gathering (Atzeret) for you. [Shemini Atzeret Torah Reading]All the elicitations of holiness and the revelations that take place during Sukkot are “encompassing.” On Shemini Atzeret they are absorbed and internalized.   [Likutei Torah]“Rejoice and be happy in the Joy of the Torah” [Simchat Torah Prayers]A joy that is felt by one side while the other side is morose and bitter is not a true joy. Therefore, on Simchat Torah the relatives from both sides have to be happy: the Jews with the Torah and also the Torah has to take pleasure in the Jews.   [Peninim]Good Yom Tov!  The ASCENT staff  

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