We read that a famous athlete spends long hours each day training above and beyond the rigors demonstrated by his teammates and we react with admiration saying How very impressive! What dedication! It is only by going the extra mile that he became an All-Star. He is a true sports hero, a future hall-of-famer who might inspire our children with his accomplishments and hard work. The reaction is understandable. We appreciate the athletes goal and we respect his dedicated pursuit of achievement.

In our heart of hearts we know that spiritual goals are achieved much the same way. We understand that the musician must spend long hours practicing if he ever wishes to reach Carnegie Hall. We can forgive the entrepreneur for neglecting his family while slaving to build his new business into a valuable IPO. Can we expect spiritual goals to be achieved with a lesser measure of perseverance? Yet, the individual who begins to ascend the spiritual ladder of growth is often regarded with distaste, if not a touch of hostility. Who does he think he is? Holier than thou? How dare he intimate that he is better than the rest of us! When the athlete rises above his teammates he is hailed as the MVP who will likely carry the team through the postseason. When a Jew strives to distinguish himself in Avodas Hashem, should he not be admired as a most valuable member of Klal Yisroel who may well carry his community to Olam Habah?

Succos is a festival of extremism. It is the Chag Haasif  the festival of ingathering, in which the mundane and even the superfluous may be elevated and utilized in the service of Hashem. More aptly, it is a time when we extend our Avodas Hashem to even the most pedestrian of things. Being confident in Hashems mercy, we demonstrate our faith that he has accepted out Teshuva and our Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Tefilos with a joyous display of dedication. We leave our homes and live within the confines of the Succah in which our eating and even our sleeping is elevated to the status of a Mitzvah. In our desire to express our love and devotion to Hashem, we unite the Lulav, Esrog and Hadassim with the Aravos, which represent those who possess neither Torah nor acts of Chesed and binding them together, we recite the Hallel and rejoice before Hashem. Scach, the most critical component of the Succah, may not be made from fruits or finished products but only of the refuse of the harvest  the stalks and branches that are left behind in the field. In short, the simple and unremarkable are key components in the festival of Succos. It is a unique opportunity for us all to strive for higher aspirations. It is a Chag in which our most mundane surroundings are imbued with Kedusha in which the most simple among us are elevated.

When Avraham hosted the three Malachim, he served them under the shade of a tree. In the Midrash we find that this incident alludes to the mitzvah of Succos. The shade of the tree is a representation of shelter offered by the Scach. But what is the significance of an allusion to the mitzvah of Succah in the context of the episode of Avraham and the three Malachim? The answer may lie in the recognition that in his hosting the Malachim, Avraham the Amud Hachesed is demonstrating his extreme dedication to Gemilas Chasidim. Rather than be satisfied with the lifetime of chesed and acts of kindness he has performed, he sits in the opening of his tent in the heat of the day while recovering from a painful operation at an advanced age in the hope that an opportunity to do chesed for a complete stranger will present itself. Avrahams extreme dedication to the service of Hashem far surpassing the call of duty and even normal human expectations stood to merit his descendants with festival of Succos during which the simple and mundane become imbued with Kidusha. It is of further significance to point out that it is the same intense heat of the sun that could not deter Avraham from his Avodas Hashem that will prove the unworthiness of the nations and the end of days. As the Talmud teaches, the intense heat will cause them to forsake the mitzvah of Succah thereby demonstrating their lack of dedication to the mitzvos of Hashem. Avraham hurried to do chesed for the Malachim in the heat of day. His extreme dedication is reflected in the mitzvah of Succah. It is the mitzvah of Succah that demonstrates the inability of the nations to claim a part in the heritage of Avraham.

The Chachomim said, Whoever did not see the rejoicing of the drawing of the water  - Simchas Bais Hashoeyva - never saw rejoicing in his lifetime. Why is the drawing of water to be poured upon the Mizbeach such a cause for celebration? While it is certain that water is the basic element for the sustenance of life, it is not the drink of royalty. The kings cupbearer has only the finest wines at the ready to quench his masters thirst. When the kings love for his subjects is such that he commands them to bring him water in the golden goblet that is typically reserved for fine wine, he is conveying the message that even the simplest offering they bring is as dear to him as a fine delicacy. Much as the adoring parent treasures the homemade birthday gift or drawing presented by his young child as if it were a valuable piece of art, our Heavenly Father treasures the simple offering of water and commands that it be brought as a libation together with the usual offering of wine. This expression of Hashems love for us, as a father to a young child, is the cause for such an outpouring of joy. Only on the festival of Succos, when we elevate the most basic and simple aspects of our world in the service of Hashem, can the simple libation of water be as noble as an offering of fine wine.

And when is the water poured upon the Altar? During the days of Succos, when we offer seventy bulls for the seventy nations. Even the most prominent of the kings ministers is watchful, lest his fellow courtier grow in prominence and supplant his high position. The minister, too, is a servant to his master. He has no guarantee that another servant will not come to be seen by the King as abler or more loyal. Yet, the Prince is confident in his position. He does not hesitate to speak to the King on behalf of one of the servants. Even the most dedicated servant can never take the place of a beloved son. We pour water upon the Mizbeach and rejoice in our position as Banim Lamakom. The bulls are large and prominent offerings, yet they steadily diminish in number while the number of sheep offered each day remains constant. The sheep, though smaller and less substantial an offering, represent the Jewish people, Hashems children, whose water libations and simple offering are dearer to Hashem than the most lavish gifts.

Succos is the festival of extremism, extreme devotion to Hashem in a manner that permeates our every activity and elevates the world around us. It is the Chag Haasif, the festival of ingathering during which the riches of our spiritual bounty may be gathered and stored to remain with us and satiate us during the long cold winter. Let us not squander this unique opportunity to capture the spirit of intense and extreme devotion to Avodas Hashem. Let us preserve the loving relationship between Hashem and Yisroel his dear children. Let us truly gather and store this bounty in a lasting manner.

A word of caution to the would-be extremist: We speak here of extremism in a most positive sense. Extremism is not to be confused with fanaticism. One need not be shy about his deep love and extreme loyalty to his parents, his spouse, his children. One need not be shy about his dedication to Hashem. Being focused and goal oriented in pursuit of godliness is no less noble than the extreme dedication demonstrated by the athlete, musician or businessman. However, we must be reminded that in all matters spiritual, the Yetzer Horah attempts to thwart our efforts. Without the careful guidance of accomplished Chachomim, extremely good intentions may lead to counterproductive and potentially detrimental outcomes. In our efforts to achieve, we must proceed carefully and deliberately, but proceed we must if we hope to accomplish.