Sukkot: The sukkah – God's embrace

• Author: SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
• Published date: 23 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

We can try to imagine the tremendous celebration that took place in Jerusalem: extended families – men, women, and children – would come to celebrate Sukkot in Jerusalem for seven days. Both the local residents and the pilgrims would eat and sleep in sukkot that filled the streets and markets of Jerusalem. But above all – was the Temple. The sages of the Mishna describe the Temple being lit every night and illuminating the entire city. Masses would ascend to the Temple to celebrate in song and dance against the backdrop of the Levites' music until the early morning hours when they would descend together to the stream to draw water for the altar. These celebrations were called Simchat Beit Hashoeva. The sages of the Mishna declared, "He who did not see the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life" (Sukkah 5, 1). We can only try to imagine the incredible joy and unity that Sukkot brought with it.

The Torah explains the commandment of Sukkot as follows:

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In order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the Children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt (Leviticus 23, 43).

In what kind of sukkot did the Children of Israel live when they left Egypt? Rabbi Akiva, a sage of the Mishna, explains that this is a reference to ananei hakavod, the divine cloud that enveloped the Jewish nation in their desert journeys.

The sages of the Talmud reveal another layer in our understanding of the commandment of sukkot:

"In sukkot shall you reside seven days." The Torah said: For the entire seven days, emerge from the permanent residence and reside in a temporary residence (Sukkah 2,1).

By examining these two sources for the reason behind the commandment to sit in a sukkah, we can reveal the wondrous light in this holiday.

All year long, man is engaged in his routine life: he builds himself a house where he can shelter from the weather and the world outside, and he creates for himself a life of security and order. From this place, he aspires to...