19th of Tishrei, 5724 part 2
In chapter 16, marked as page 79, the Rebbe discusses the Posuk (Nechemiah 7,6) stating that when Ezra returned with the exiles they celebrated Sukkos as had not been celebrated since the time of Yehoshua. Since Sukkos had obviously been celebrated since then, this Possuk is explained in the Gemara to be referring to things other than Sukkos, and in the commentaries on Tanach to refer to the joy being greater than any since then.
The Rebbe takes the question a step further according to these commentaries: Why would there not have been a greater joy in the time of King David and Shlomo, when the Bais Hamikdosh was first built?
After first comparing these two eras to that of Baalei Teshuvah and Tzadikim, the Rebbe explains that the joy on becoming a Tzadik is not as great as that of becoming Baalei Teshuvah. This is evident in the fact that Pesach, the service of Hashem in the mode of Tzadikim, is not Zman Simchaseinu - Sukkos, the service of Teshuvah, is the time of greater joy.
In comparison, the time of Yehoshua was the time of Tzadikim - they had spent 40 years learning Torah in the desert, and the new generation had not challenged Hashem - [and perhaps that of Dovid and Shlomo Hamelech was as well, as they were all unified under one king and had external peace and it was the first time around for building the Bais Hamikdosh] while the time of Ezra was that of Baalei Teshuvah returning from Bavel to build the second Bais Hamikdosh. Therefore, the joy of this new Sukkos as Baalei Teshuvah coming to rebuild the Bais Hamikdosh was much greater.
You know, thinking of all this makes me miss Sukkos again - it's been a few weeks already. Missing Sukkos with the Rebbe - obviously as well.
