On Sukkos, the sukkah and lulav play integral roles in the makeup of the Yom Tov. There is another interesting component included in the festivities of the Yom Tov; the “nisuch hamayim”- the libations of water on the mizbeach. Tremendous joy accompanied this avodah that took place every night of Chol Hamoed. What is the significance of this avodah and how does it relate and interact with the theme of Sukkos?

A bit of history regarding water. The Medresh relates; The lower bodies of water are referred to as ‘wailing, crying waters’. Why this cryptic name? At the creation of the world, Hashem divided the waters and decreed some bodies of water to reside in the heavens and the other waters to inhabit the earth. When the lower waters realized that they were relegated to spend eternity in this lower world, they burst out in tears, crying out, “Why were we not zocheh to reside in the heavens in close proximity to Hashem”? They pushed and persisted until the Eibershter halted them and declared, “Since you persisted in order to enhance kvod shomayim, I will award you with the privilege of being placed on the mizbeach on the Yom Tov of Sukkos.

How did this serve as an appeasement to the lower waters? Rav Dessler shlit”a explains that the upper waters represent the supernatural conduct of the universe and the lower waters represent the natural order of the operation of the world. The lower waters were distressed, since their role is within the confines of nature, and Hashem’s hashgochah is concealed, they would have much less opportunity to create kvod shomayim. Had they earned a berth in the heavens, they would have been enabled to function in the realm of the supernatural and evoke tremendous kiddush Hashem with the reality that the supernatural openly proclaims Hashem’s directorship over the entire universe.

The great appeasement to the lower bodies of water was they will be poured on the mizbeach on the holiest of days. This will serve as a symbol to all of Klal Yisroel that Hashem is central to the hanhagah of nature also. Water on the mizbeach represents nature in the thickness of kedushah.

Sukkos is in the past but let us maintain its relevance as we enter the rain season. Let us remember the message of the water. Water is nature itself, but the key to rain lies in Hashem’s hands. Hashem is orchestrating nature at every twist and turn.

Using an item that arrives from outside the techum

If a non-Jew was asked to deliver a package from one Jew to another, and he arrives on Shabbos or Yom Tov from outside the techum, the halacha is as follows: If the non-Jew was sent with ample time to reach his destination before Shabbos but was unexpectedly delayed, the recipient may use the item on Shabbos. If the non-Jew was deliberately sent to travel on Shabbos from outside the techum, it is forbidden for the recipient to use the object until after k’dei sheya’aseh on Motzoei Shabbos or Yom Tov. Under all circumstances, even when use of the item is permitted, it may not be moved more than four amos. If it was brought into an enclosed area, it may be moved throughout the entire enclosure.

It is forbidden to eat (on the same day) fruits that were picked off a tree on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Likewise, freshly caught fish may not be eaten. If a non-Jew was sent to deliver fish or produce from one Jew to another, it is possible that although he was sent with items that were harvested before Shabbos and Yom Tov, he may have exchanged them for items that were harvested on Shabbos and Yom Tov. This would be a real concern if the Jew’s produce was of high quality; the non-Jew would then have an incentive to replace it with lower quality produce and sell the finer items to turn a profit. Under such circumstances, the Jewish recipient may only eat the food if it arrived in a sealed package to ensure that it was not tampered with.

Is an item that is beyond its owner’s techum muktzeh?

As we have learned, if a non-Jew transports an item from outside the techum, the prohibition against benefit applies only to the intended beneficiary and not to any other Jews. This rule only applies if the item transferred is owned by a non-Jew or is ownerless. If the item was owned by a Jew who is not in the same techum as his object (and does not have access to the object), some opinions hold that the item is muktzeh and that no one may use it. Others disagree and maintain that since the owner did not directly disengage from his item but merely distanced himself from it, it is not muktzeh and other Jews may use the object. This discussion only applies to the opinions which forbid using muktzeh on Yom Tov. According to those who permit muktzeh, the discussion is irrelevant.