1.
It is told of a Hasid named Zalman, who came before his rabbi and shared with him what was troubling him these days. He said: "Rabbi, you must help me, I have a problem with pride, save me, please!""
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The Rebbe replied: "Look, what you are asking of me here is too complicated. I cannot pull an answer out of my sleeve like that. Sit by the dais. In the meantime, I will think about it, and when I have an answer, I will call you.".
After Zalman, another Jew entered the rabbi's room and also told him everything he had been going through recently: "I have problems with the tax authority. They claim that I did not report any income I had. I don't know what to do.".
""Don't worry," said the Rebbe, "you arrived just in time. There is a Jew named Zalman, who sits right here in our seminary, by the dais, and he is a great expert in tax matters. Consult him.""
When Halla approached Zalman and asked for his help, not forgetting to mention that the Rebbe had sent him, Zalman thought that there had been a mistake.
""What do I know about tax matters?!" he said in amazement. "Let's go to the rabbi to clarify the matter.".
When the two entered the room, Zalman expressed his bewilderment: "What's going on here? Why did His Holiness send this Jew to me?""
The rabbi was also puzzled: "What do you mean, you don't understand income tax matters?""
""No!" Zalman replied immediately.
""Well, it seems I was wrong," the rabbi stated. "Go back and sit by the stage, I'll call you...""
A few moments passed, and suddenly another Jew approached Zalman and asked him for a loan.
This time too, Zalman was embarrassed and asked the Hasid: "What loan do you have in mind? I can barely take care of myself. Why did you turn to me?!""
""The rabbi referred me to you. He said you were very rich," the Jew replied.
Zalman was no longer in his element and hurried back to the rabbi's room. When he entered, the rabbi looked at him with a slightly surprised look: "Aren't you rich?""
""No," Zalman answered.
The rabbi immediately said to him: "It seems I was wrong. Go sit by the dais, I'll call you.""
Thus an hour passed, during which every few minutes another Jew would approach, pour out his troubles to Zalman, and ask for help, claiming that the rabbi had determined that he was the most suitable person to help with the matter...
One Hasid heard that Zalman was a great scholar and would certainly be able to tell him how many times 'Akavia ben Mahalalel' is mentioned in the Shas. The other heard from the rabbi that Zalman was physically strong, another heard that Zalman had great understanding of medicine, and so on.
After another period of time, a Jew came to the Rebbe with a question about the laws of hunting. He told the Rebbe that he had slaughtered an animal and found that it had a healthy sirka, and he did not know whether it was kosher or hunting... This Jew was also asked by the Rebbe to leave the room and head towards Zalman - "the one who sits by the bimah.".
Zalman decided to put an end to this, and when he saw the "on-duty requester" leaving the Rebbe's room, he shouted to him from the stage: "Don't bother, wait there, I'm coming to you.".
The rabbi was surprised again: "You don't even know how to rule on tripot laws?!""
""No!" Zalman said the usual answer. "I don't remember the last time I opened a Shulchan Aruch.".
The Rebbe raised his voice slightly and called out to Zalman: "Excuse me, Rabbi Id, did you come to ask for advice about pride?! Head - you don't have it. Money - you don't have it. Power - you don't have it. Torah - you don't have it. What advice do you want, where do you even get your pride from?!""
2.
What intensifies quarrels and arguments between people is pride. It is pride that causes everyone to fixate on their position, not moving or budging lest they humiliate themselves, and worse yet - elevate their friend.
If we lived by the fact that we are all equal, we would have no problem truly listening to each other's voices, and would often even reach understandings.
The holiday of Sukkot symbolizes the way in which one should behave towards one another. During the week of the holiday of Sukkot, we all sit in the same temporary tent, without distinctions of status between the rich with luxurious homes and the poor without housing. When there are no distinctions of status, there is no room for gratuitous hatred between brothers. When no one feels more exalted than another, and everyone understands that we are the sons of one man - the children of Israel, there is no room for polarization and division.
3.
The only holiday in which the Torah commands, time and time and time again - three times, to be in joy, is the holiday of Sukkot. Unity is dear to God, and joy comes from unity over many. During these seven days, which are the symbol of unity, it is possible to reach the height of joy and love, and as the Mishnah says in Tractate Sukkah: "He who has not seen the joy of the house of the water-drinker has not seen joy in his days.".
I hope that after the great darkness that came upon us for evil in the midst of Yom Kippur, there will come a great light on the holiday of Sukkot that will bring us good, and that God, blessed be He, will spread over us the tent of His peace, the tent of mercy, life, and peace, amen.
