during which lulavim were so scarce that people passed them down through generations permanently impacts future practice – we may now forever use such produce . By contrast , the unnamed sages who disagree with Rabbi Yehudah recognize the necessity of using dried out species during difficult times , but urge us to try to return to normalcy once the crisis has passed . While we may forever remember the circumstances that forced us to use dried out species in the past , now that we have moved beyond that moment , these sages say we should resume the greater sense of continuity with the earlier way of performing the ritual .
For me , this Tosefta passage reminds us that even in moments of exigent circumstances – whether it be a global pandemic , a war , or another dramatic situation that weighs on us each day – we must ground ourselves in our past to preserve continuity for the future , even as the imprint of the present moment will forever echo in our minds . This Sukkot , Shemini Atzeret , and Simchat Torah – all traditionally referred to as the time of our joy ( ו נ י ת ח מ ש ן מ ז )
– will for me always bear the mark of the horrific events of Simchat Torah , October 7 th , 2023 , and will always carry a note of sadness even as we try to recapture some joy . Even as we wave our four species in the hope of a year of life and sustenance ahead , we remain cognizant that we are uprooted and our future forever altered .
101