The Talmud mentions that every day the shofar, a horn made into a trumpet like instrument, was blown in the Temple.  Some shofar blasts were for sacrifices (see Numbers 10) while other signified opening the gates, or the water drawing ceremony.

On the afternoon before the Sabbath the shofar was blown so the people would know to stop work and come in from the fields, then it was blown again just prior to the start of shabbat.

The lesson for us is to set reminders and alarms.  When you have somewhere to be, be there on time.  Know when you gym opens and closes, put it into your calendar if needed.  Keeping your personal schedule straight is a necessary step to accomplishing your chosen mission.

The Talmud continues discussing the massive party made in the Temple during Sukkot, noting:

The pious and the men of action would dance before the people. The Sages taught that some of them would say: Happy is our youth, that did not embarrass our old age (meaning we did not sin then)… And some would say: Happy is our old age, that atoned for our youth. These are the penitents. Both these and those say: Happy is he who did not sin; and he who sinned should repent and God will absolve him.

Both groups are called pious men of accomplishment.  For some their accomplishment was avoiding the wrong path, for others it was changing their original path.  Both types of men were worthy of dancing and celebrating in front of the crowd (and some were juggling fire).

It is never to late to change your path.  The greatest challenge we face can be out own limitations, our internalized sense that we need to keep doing what we are used to doing.  When you always do the same thing, you get the same results.  Sometimes it takes a severe challenge or trauma to jog a man out of his habitual life and get him to realize he needs a new plan.

The Talmud bring this amazing statement:

They said about Hillel the Elder that when he was rejoicing at the Celebration of the Place of the Drawing of the Water he said this: If I am here, everyone is here; and if I am not here, who is here?

Rashi explains that Hillel was speaking on behalf of God.  If His holy presence was in the Temple, then true joy and miracles would be present.  Without His Divine favor, nothing was doing, no matter how many men showed up.

This statement also means that Hillel himself was fully present when at the party.  Sometimes it takes an overwhelming experience to bring your full consciousness to bear.  Remember the feeling of being on a roller coaster, you can’t think about your investments at the same time you are riding.

In modern life we are more often not fully present.  We work on one project but are thinking about something else.  Rav Kook said when you pray, pray, when you work work, when you learn learn.  Learning to focus your mind is a key to success.

Today we have an amazing Daf which touches on how Judaism views the human urge to sin, called “yetzer hara” literally evil inclination.  The Gemara gets on the topic from discussing how we built a balcony in the Temple courtyard for the women to be above the men.  This was to prevent their mixing and signaling to one another during the party.

Our sages learn from Zechariah 12:12 to separate men and women when there is risk of frivolity.  That verse is a prophecy about a funeral in the future, and some sages understand that funeral as being for the urge to sin, which will be removed in the Messianic age.

After the urge to sin will be destroyed, both righteous and evil people will cry – the righteous because it now appears to them as a huge mountain, impossible to surmount, and the evil because it now appears like a thin hair, which should have been easy to break through.  They will be disappointed in themselves for not overcoming their urges.

Temptation is a very personal concept.  Some men would never dream of doing certain actions which other men do regularly without a second thought.  Your own free will is like a shifting battle line, with some items safely within your territory, some beyond your reach, and others fiercely contested.

The Gemara brings advice from King Solomon about the evil inclination:

Solomon called it enemy, as it is stated: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21–22).  Do not read the verse: the Lord will reward you [yeshalem lakh]; rather read it: the Lord will pacify it for you [yashlimenu lakh].

Bread and water are an allusion to learning wisdom.  The Gemara brings a teaching from Rabbi Yishmael: If this scoundrel, the inclination, attacked you to tempt you, drag it to the study hall.  Intellectual development and character refinement allow a man to overcome his bodily desires and control his emotions.

A man who habituates himself to react with his mind before his feelings and body is better able to resist temptation.  When you consider the long term effects of your actions you are less likely to make bad decisions based on momentary pleasure.  This requires study and the developing peace of mind to contemplate potential outcomes.

The Maharsha (Rabbi Shmuel Eidels, 1555 – 1631) has a different explanation of Solomon’s advice.  We give the inclination bread and water, meaning only the basic essentials, but not any feasts or luxuries.  We recognize that humans are physical beings, but we do not indulge unnecessarily.  Judaism recognizes the human need to care for your body.  We are involved in the world and all her pleasures, but only to the extent necessary.

The Gemara continues with advice specific to the desire for sexual relations:  Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A man has a small organ. If he starves it, it is satiated; however, if he satiates it, it is starving.

This is a powerful concept.  A man can get used to having a certain level of fun or luxury, and become effectively addicted to it.  If he doesn’t get it he can turn desperate and appear needy or creepy to others.  While intimacy is a key aspect of human life, it should not overshadow a man’s other needs and his larger goals.

Tosafot here notes that King David did not follow this advice: when he was told he would be tempted with sexual impropriety he immediately summoned one of his wives (he eventually had 18 wives) and they were together during the daytime, which was not the ideal time to be intimate (See Talmud Niddah 17a).

Instead of reducing his urges, this made his desire even stronger that night.  That lead to the embarrassing troubles caused by David taking Bathsheba before the proper time. David’s plan was shrewd but did not account for consequences of giving in to desire.

The key is be aware of your desires and use your intellect instead of your emotion to manage your behavior.

The Talmud is describing the famous party made in the Temple during the Sukkot holiday.  Yesterday we brought a debate over if the central part of music is the vocals or instrumentals, today the Gemara ties that argument to a dispute over who played the musical instruments in the Temple.  If the players were from the tribe of Levi or men of distinct lineage, then if you saw a man playing in the Temple you knew he was a fit match for your daughter (assuming she was of proper lineage).

It is not merely an ancient custom to see a man performing in public and think about his eligibility to marry.  We see that in modern society musicians are considered highly desirable by women.  This can be due to their creativity, focus on their art, the emotions that music evokes, or simply because these men are willing to perform in front of other people.  This proves that they have overcome shyness or embarrassment, and will not back down if judged by others.

You can acquire this trait for yourself.  If you play an instrument, try playing it in public.  Maybe you enjoy photography; instead of hiking to a remote location for landscapes, try going into a crowd and asking people to take their portraits.  If you are a jogger, jog around others and start up conversations.  Use your talents or hobbies to increase your social aptitude.

The Talmud states:

One who did not see the Celebration of the Place of the Drawing of the Water, never saw true celebration in his life. One who did not see Jerusalem in its glory, never saw a truly beautiful city. One who did not see the Temple in its constructed state, never saw a truly magnificent structure.

On this topic the Gemara describes a massive synagogue in Alexandria, Egypt.  One of the features of this congregation was that men from each profession sat together – there was a goldsmith section, a blacksmith section, a weaver section and the like.  When a new man came into town, he would recognize men with the same craft in the synagogue.  They would help him establish himself in their trade.

A man needs guidance from others to succeed.  Seek out men who have made it in your chosen field.  This is another example of using your existing skills to meet others.

We begin the last chapter of Sukkah, entitled the flute.  The first subject is about the music played for the “Simhat Beit haShoevah”, a massive party in the Temple’s outer courtyard celebrating the holiday and the water drawing ceremony. . 

Music is a powerful force in Jewish tradition, and can even bring about prophecy.  Jonah received prophecy during a Simhat Beit haShoevah.

Music is considered a necessary part of the Temple service, and the Levites would sign as offering were brought on the altar.  Our sages dispute which element of the music is the critical part.  If instruments are the main part of the music, then they should be used on Shabbat.  However, if the vocals are the main part the the instrument are the accompaniment, then we cannot use instruments for the Temple song on Shabbat.

Think about a certain song you enjoy, you may focus more on the lyrics and vocal performance, or you might give more attention to the instruments.  Of course it depends on the song and the performer, but this issue was already fiercely debated thousands of years ago by Jewish sages.

This dispute over music reminds us that communication takes place not just through the words, but also in the tone, body language, and facial expressions of the speaker.  Often men focus on just the words and the information they convey.  Women are more apt to notice the unspoken sub-communications and emotional impact of the exchange.

Women are better at reading between the lines, and also at giving subtle messages.  Sometimes a woman may insist that she is “fine” while her tone and body language convey that she is anything but fine.  A wise man will notice both elements of communication and understand the full message.

On the topic of the libations pouted onto the altar, the Talmud brings teachings about the deep chasm called “sheettin” under the altar that the libations would drain into.  The Torah hints that this chasm was made at the beginning of creation and descends down to the unknowable depths of the earth.

This reminds us that a man cannot know everything about the world.  Yes, scientists and sociologists can discover and describe many forces at play in the universe.  But there is more going on than any one man can comprehend.

On a personal level, you may not understand what really motivates other people.  The truth is that you don’t have to. You don’t need to clarify the depths of someone else’s soul and learn why this person does what they do.  As long as they treat you right and you enforce your chosen boundaries, that is what matters.

Even if you don’t get along with a person, you don’t need to figure out their clinical diagnosis or why it isn’t working.  They either fit into your life the way you want it or they do not.  If they don’t, say goodbye instead of trying to analyze what happened.

The Talmud notes that when they poured the wine and water onto the altar, they would plug the drain to let the wine fill the pipe, due to the verse “In sanctity shall you pour a libation of strong drink unto the Lord” (Numbers 28:7). The same word is used for intoxication, satiation, and drinking alcohol.  Our sages learn from here that wine satisfies in the throat – you should gulp it down and feel the satisfaction of intoxication.

We have mentioned that Judaism is not an ascetic faith that rejects physical pleasures.  However, all physical items are tools for greater goals and personal growth.  The spiritual and physical are not separate, but are two sides of the same coin.  We see today that a Jew learns how to drink and enjoy wine from the laws of libations on the Temple altar.

The Talmud describes the ancient ritual of the water libation performed during Sukkot.  We have wine libations throughout the year, the water libation was only during this holiday.  One of the sources is “With joy [sason] you shall draw water out of the springs of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

The Gemara brings an exchange:

Two heretics, one named Sason and one named Simḥa. Sason said to Simḥa: I am superior to you, as it is written: “They shall obtain joy [sason] and happiness [simḥa], and sorrow and sighing shall flee” (Isaiah 35:10). The verse mentions joy first.

Simḥa said to Sason, On the contrary, I am superior to you, as it is written: “There was happiness [simḥa] and joy [sason] for the Jews” (Esther 8:17).

Sason said to Simḥa: One day they will dismiss you and render you a mere runner, as it is written: “For you shall go out with happiness [simḥa]” (Isaiah 55:12). Simḥa said to Sason: One day they will dismiss you and draw water with you, as it is written: “With joy [sason] you shall draw water.”

This may sound like a simple game of one upmanship using verses, but there is a deeper implication.  Sason is gladness, through external means like food, drink, and luxuries.  Simcha is an inner joy, an emotional attitude from inside out.  These heretics were having an important philosophical debate.

The Gemara continues:

The heretic named Sason said to Rabbi Abbahu: You are all destined to draw water for me in the World-to-Come (implying I will go heaven but you will not), as it is written: “With sason you shall draw water.”

Rabbi Abbahu said to him: If it was written: For sason, it would be as you say; but it is written: With sason, meaning you will be skinned, your skin of made into a wineskin, and we will draw water with it.

The heretic was claiming that the regular Jews would have no heaven, and was given a smart rebuke. But skinning sason also hints to a greater concept.

In Jewish consciousness joy is important, but it is a means to an ends, the goal itself. We use happiness as energy to accomplish our real goals. Therefore joy is just a skin to draw water, and water refers to wisdom and spiritual inspiration.

Judaism is not an ascetic faith, we enjoy good food, drink, song, dance, and sex. But all the physical pleasures and joys are only tools to get you to your ultimate purpose.

We begin discussing the special holiday of Shemini Atzeret, which comes immediately after Sukkot.  The Talmud discusses the issue of sitting in a Sukkah on this day.  Technically Sukkot is over but outside of Israel there is a doubt about which day we began, since the calendar is fixed in Israel and locations far away did not receive word that the new month war declared before the holiday.

The Gemara brings an episode where a group a great rabbis came to eat in a Sukkah on Shemini Atzeret, they sat inside the Sukkah but did not make the blessing on being in a Sukkah.  The Gemara notes that these rabbis were out in the field protecting their livestock, so they did not yet have a chance to use a Sukkah.

This seems bizarre, why would prominent rabbis go out to pasture during an important holiday?  It appears that at this time (almost 2000 years ago), the government persecuted the Jews by making a decree against using a Sukkah during the holiday of Sukkot.  To avoid being in the city but unable to build a Sukkah, these rabbis went out to their flocks where they would not have the opportunity to be in a Sukkah.

This tactic of avoidance can be used when you cannot fight against an outside authority.  Simply get out of the way of the people trying to make your life miserable.  A man should realize that when he is being abused and persecuted that the best move may be to go out the door.

It is important that these rabbis did return to civilization on Shemini Atzeret, and were able to sit in a Sukkah then, even though the holiday of Sukkot was technically over.  When you cannot accomplish your goals right away, do what you can to get it done when you have the opportunity.

The Talmud notes that a man who needs to take his Four Species on Sukkot should not transfer their ownership to a child, since children are not yet capable of legally transferring ownership back.  He needs to perform the commandment of the Four Species first, then he can safely give them to his children to use.

On a practical level, a father should be a role model to children, demonstrating proper behavior through his actions.  Seeing him do the commandment properly is a better education than their holding the Four Species.  When you learn a new skill it is wise to see it demonstrated by an expert before you try it yourself.

On a deeper level, Jewish law holds that children can acquire items but do not have the full agency required to give or sell them.  A child can take but not give.  This is not limited to legal ownership, but is the default attitude of children.   They must rely on what others give to them as they are not yet able to generate their own resources or care for themselves.  Taking is not a flaw in children, but most grow out of it and gain the ability to give as well.

Understand that many people never grew up, even as adults they continue to take but not give.  In modern society this flawed attitude is unfortunately common.  Be on the lookout for grown ups who continue to act like children.  They are still a child emotionally.

These people feel entitled to your time, attention, and effort but do not give you back much of value for your investment.  Do not enter partnerships with such people, they will take all you have to give without reciprocation.

We are beginning to study the ritual of the willow, which was one of the four species used on Sukkot and was also brought to the ancient Jewish Temple and carried around the altar.  The Gemara brings a teaching that the willows must be stood up against the altar in the same way they grow from the ground.

The Gemara brings another teaching from the same source:

And Ḥizkiya said that Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: I have seen the highest level (the truly righteous), and they are few.  If they number one thousand, I and my son are among them.  If they number one hundred, I and my son are among them; and if they number two, I and my son are they.

This was not a statement of arrogance, Rabbi Shimon had spent 13 years hiding in a cave from a Roman death sentence, learning Torah the entire time.  He was regarded as a miracle worker and is the primary source of Jewish mysticism.

The vital lesson for us is to be aware of our own personal level.  This is not just your bank balance or value of your car and house.  How you respond to the stresses of life is the main measure of man.

Rabbi Shimon reminds us that very, very few can attain the highest levels.  Men are hierarchical, by definition one or a handful of men are on top of their game.  The challenge is not only to work your way to the top, but to find the areas you can excel in, where you have a chance to be among the few who are considered a master.