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Table of Contents
Sukkot 2014/5775
Dedicated in memory of

Bernice and Irby Cooper

by their Loving Family
Ushpizin: Our Sukkah Guests
Rabbi Reuven Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 3

Sukkat Shalom: Paradigms for Peace

Mrs. Chaya Batya Neugroschl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 9

The Sukkah of Redemption

Rabbi Yona Reiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 14

Sukkot in the First Temple Period

Rabbi Ian Shaffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Page 18

Ushpizin:
Our Sukkah Guests
Rabbi Reuven Brand1
Rosh Kollel, Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago
On the eve of the holiday, one should go to the sukkah and


bring a chair with a nice covering on it as a remembrance for

the seven holy and exalted guests. The covering is similar to

the one we place on Elijahs chair on the day of a

circumcision and it states in the holy Zohar that if one does
.
not set up a chair, he doesnt come. It has always been [the
'
tradition of] God fearing people to set up a dignified chair

for the seven holy and exalted guests. Each night, when in the .' "
sukkah, one should recite with purity Enter guests
" ' ' "
Chida, Moreh BEtzbah no. 9 (289)2
In order to comprehend and appreciate this unique concept of ushpizin (Aramaic for guests,
rooted in the Latin word hospice), we must begin with a metaphor about ourselves. When we
think about ourselves as people, perhaps we should view ourselves as amphibians, as strange as that
may sound.3 Amphibians are creatures that live on both land and water; hence, they earn their
name, which derives from ancient Greek, meaning two modes of existence. While we dont often
think about our lives this way, we too have two modes of existence. We live in a physical realm with
objects and places we can see and touch. We also live in another realm, one that is quite different,
but just as real and perceptible as the physical world. This second realm is comprised of thoughts,
feelings and experiencesconcepts that are not measurable in size or weightbut are very real in
our lives. Our connections with family and friends and our dreams and fears fill this realm, which
we can call the spiritual world. This world is one that transcends physical boundaries. In our view
of life as Torah Jews, it is in this second realm that we consider ourselves truly alive, for that which
sustains our existence is the energy of our soul, a transcendent connection to Hashem. According
to the Talmud (Shabbat 113b-114a), our physical body is just a cloak (levush) for the true self, the
soul (neshama), which is an eternal Divine spark.

I would like to thank Avi Mori, Mr. Etzion Brand; Professor Leslie Newman and Mrs. Andrea Polster for their help
with the article.
2
Chida is the acronym for Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, the 18th century Rabbinic luminary, who authored
scores of works on all aspects of Torah.
3
This idea is presented and developed by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in his work Simple Words, in the chapter entitled
Spirit and Matter.
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This basic principle of Judaism explains much of our practice that may seem odd to the
onlooker. When we clasp a palm branch, some twigs, and a citron on a morning in October and
wave them around, it might seem unusual from the perspective of the physical world. Yet this
action, according to the Talmud (Menachot 62a) is primarily focused on the spiritual world, and
its impact is difficult to measure in the physical world. This is true for all mitzvot. Similarly, in
the same light we can appreciate countless Talmudic stories and teachings, which speak of
realities that are completely foreign, or perhaps incredible to us. The sages of the Talmud lived
their lives with an acute awareness and sensitivity to the spiritual realm. They experienced this
spirituality in a way far beyond our understanding, which is why it can be challenging to connect
with or appreciate the lives they led.
Perhaps now we may begin to understand why, according to the Chidas description above, one
would arrange a chair in ones sukkah for guests that arent visibly present. The Chida is
referencing the welcoming of special spiritual guests to our sukkah. These guests are real;
however, they exist in a spiritual, not physical, realm.
This presents us with many questions. What does it mean that there are unseen guests in our
sukkah? Who are they? Why are they present and why specifically on Sukkot? If we cannot
detect them, of what significance is it to us that they are present?

Guests in Our Sukkah

Let us begin with a general appreciation of welcoming guests on Sukkot. Hachnasat orchim
(welcoming visitors) is a basic mitzvah of chessed (kindness) all year round and has increased
significance during all of our holidays, not just Sukkot. The Rambam (Hilchot Yom Tov 6:17)
teaches that one cannot experience the true joy of any Torah holiday without opening ones
gates to welcome the underprivileged and downtrodden, providing them food and nourishment.
Yet the practice of welcoming guests on Sukkot is unique. On one level, it can be traced to an
allusion in the book of Zecharya (3:10):
On that day, said God, the Lord of Hosts, each person will
call his friend under the grapevine and under the fig tree.
Zechariah 3:10

, , ' ,
. - , - --
:

Historians note that during this period of Sukkot, the holiday of gathering, when farmers had
concluded their harvest and were sitting beneath their vineyards and trees, was a time when they
invited guests.4 It is also fitting to fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim during Sukkot, for this
mitzvah was the hallmark of Avraham Avinu and in many ways, the Sukkah represents and
reflects the tent of Avraham.5 Hence legends abound of Chassidic Rebbes who insisted on

See The Ushpizin in our Sukkah by Professor Yom Tov Levinski in Sefer Hamoadim, volume four, p. 115; see also
On the Custom of Ushpizin that is Customary on the Holiday of Sukkot by Zecharia Green in Mechkerei Chag.
5
The holiday of Sukkot reflects the middot of Avraham Avinu. The 70 korbanot of Sukkot, which are connected with
the 70 nations of the world, is one example of the universal character of this yom tov, as explained by Rabbi Shlomo
Goren in his essay, The Universality of the Holiday of Sukkot in Torat Hamoadim; this universalistic view is
closely associated with our understanding of Avraham Avinus embracing relationship to the rest of the world of his
time. This openness and love of Avraham (Avraham ohavi in Yeshaya 41:8) also correlates with the notion of
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inviting guests and encouraged others to do so. Perhaps this is why, according to the Sefer Yesod
Veshoresh HaAvodah, we invite spiritual guests to our sukkah: to strengthen our fulfillment of the
mitzvah of inviting ordinary people, especially those who are less fortunate:
He sits in the shade of the sukkah and the holy ones who reside in
the heavens, our holy forefathers, come to reside with him in the
shade of the sukkah. They rejoice with him when he gives some of
his bread to the poor and destitute, proper people who follow the
Torah. He will bring the impoverished to his home and they will
take the portions of those holy and exalted guests (ushpizin) and
from their blessing, this God fearing individual will be blessed
with seven blessings.
Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah 11:13

,


'
.
:

Spiritual Guests
The well-established origins of the practice of inviting spiritual guests can be traced to several
passages in the Zohar, which appear in Parshat Emor. The Zohar describes that when people
reside in their sukkah, they are joined by spiritual guests:
R. Abba said: Avraham, five righteous people and King David,
'

establish their residence with him. This is what is stated You
,

shall dwell in Sukkot seven days. It states seven days and
...
not during those seven days [a hint to the seven spiritual

"
spheres] A person must rejoice each day and greet the
.
guests who reside with him with a joyous countenance.
,
Zohar, Emor no. 276
According to this teaching, there are seven guests who arrive in our sukkah. These are spiritual
guests of obviously great meaning and historic significance. The notion of seven great Jewish
leaders is referenced in a verse in Micha:
,
- ; ,
, ,

.
:

And this will ensure peace. If Assyria will come

into our land or trample on our palaces, we will
stop them with seven shepherds and eight officers.
Micha 5:4

Here, as in the Maoz Tzur poem, we refer to our seven great leaders specifically as shepherds.
They guide their flockthe Jewish peoplewith the devotion, sensitivity and sense of purpose
of a shepherd. Yet we may still wonder why we specify seven leaders from among the countless
spiritual giants of our history. Why not six or eight? Perhaps, if we understand the significance of
the number seven, we can appreciate why we refer to seven spiritual guides and why tradition
has identified exactly these individuals.

Sukkot as a time of teshuva meahavareturn to Hashem with love, after the Yamim Noraim that are characterized
by return with awe.
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Seven
In life and in Judaism, the number seven is ubiquitous and has great significance. On a universal
level, much of our existence is framed in patterns of seven, including the number of days in a
week, notes of the common musical scales and the popular colors of the rainbow. In Torah life,
patterns of seven appear in the mitzvot of Shabbat, shemittah and sefirat haomer as well as
minhagim such as hoshanot and hakafot. This number is a nexus between the physical universe
and the spiritual realm; both are governed by the same framework of seven. The root of these
patterns, according to tradition, is a manifestation of seven Divine energies that power our
world; they reflect different dimensions of life and aspects of our personalities. Hashem provides
us with seven different energies that, when manifested in their ideal balance, create true accord
between matter and spirit in our world. These qualities are referred to as: chessed (love), gevurah
(restraint), tiferet (harmony), netzach (dominance), hod (submissiveness or empathy), yesod
(continuity and foundation) and malchut (kingship). We allude to these Divine aspects in our
daily tefillah, when we cite a Biblical verse:
Yours, God, is the greatness (chessed), the power (gevurah), the
harmony (tiferet), the dominance (netzach) and the glory (hod)
for everything is in the heavens and the earth (yesod). Your, God,
is the kingship (malchut) and You are exalted as head above all.
Chronicles I 29:11

,
'
:

, - ,
, '
.
: '

Here, we acknowledge that Hashem is the source of all the seven aspects of our life.
Even the beginnings of a simple understanding of any of these middot or sephirot (aspects or
dimensions) require a full exploration and study. 6 However, for our purposes, we can note that
while every individual contains all seven of these diverse aspects, different people emphasize
various middot to varying degrees. Even one individual may, at times, employ a greater measure
of love than restraint and at other times emphasize fortitude more than magnanimity.
While this is true on an individual level it is also true on a national level. There are leaders who
capture, develop and reflect the essence of a particular middah; they model this ideal in their
lives and in their actions. We, their disciples and spiritual heirs, learn from their example and
incorporate the aspects of these middot into our lives. Therefore, we understand why we are
visited by seven historic leaders, who serve as timeless models, exemplars of the seven qualities
and sources of their energies in our lives. Our tradition identifies them as Avraham, Yitzchak,
Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef and David.7
The following chart illustrates the unique characteristics of each of the ushpizin:8

For an explanation and introduction to these concepts, see Lesson Twenty One in Flames of Faith: An
Introduction to Chassidic Thought by Rabbi Zev Reichman.
7
Although the Gemara (Sukkah 52b) relates the seven shepherds in the verse in Micha to seven other figures in
Tanach.
8
The Biblical verses that parallel the seven attributes are found in many siddurim according to the seven circuits of
Hoshanot on Hoshana Rabba. The seven verses of blessings each of the leaders manifests and represents in our
world is developed in the Sefer Hatodaa (pp. 120-121) by Rabbi Eliyah KiTov.
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Leader

Avraham

Yitzchak

Yaakov

Moshe

Aharon

Yosef

David

Source of blessing

A father of many nations.
(Bereishit 17:4)

And I bless the nations of the
world through your progeny.
(Bereishit 22:18)

Nations will serve you and
states will bow to you.
(Bereishit 27:29)

He set the borders of the

nations according to the
numbers of the Jewish people.
(Devarim 32:8)

' ...

Like the good oil on the head
that runs down the beard, the
beard of Aaron for there,
God has commanded blessing
and life forever.
(Tehillim 133:2-3)


And Joseph is the ruler of the
land, he is the provider for all
people of the land.
(Bereishit 42:5)

I will make him the firstborn,

the supreme leader of the kings
of the world.
(Tehillim 89:28)

Divine
attribute

Love

Restraint

Source for attribute

For I said, the world is built on kindness.
(Tehillim 89:3)

Yours is the arm with power, Your hand is
strengthened, Your right arm is raised.
(Tehillim 89:14)

Harmony

Give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham.
(Micha 7:20)

Dominance

The pleasures are in Your right hand for
eternity.
(Tehillim 16:11)

Submission
or Empathy

'

God, our master, How mighty is Your name
in all of the land, Who places Your glory on
the heavens. (Tehillim 8:2)

Continuity
or
Foundation

'
God is righteous in all of His ways and pious
in all of His actions. (Tehillim 145:17)

Kingship

,

, ' :
, - ,


Yours, God, is the greatness, the power, the
harmony, the dominance and the glory for
everything is in the heavens and the earth.
Your, God, is the kingship and You are exalted
as head above all.
(Divrei Hayamim I 29:11)

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Our Ushpizin
Perhaps now we can understand the concept of ushpizin. On Sukkot, we leave the comfort of the
homes we have built for ourselves in the physical world and focus on living our spiritual lives with
greater focus, having just completed the realignment process of the Yamim Noraim. During this
time, we live in the shade of Hashem, taking in the rays of spiritual light. According to Rabbi Eliezer
(Sukkah 11b) our sukkah reminds us of the clouds of glory, with which Hashem enveloped us during
our sojourn in the desert. According to tradition, there were seven clouds surrounding us completely
on all sides, above and below, with the seventh paving the way ahead of the camp. The seven clouds
reflected the seven energies into the desert camp and continue to do so as we sit in the sukkah.
Each day, we enjoy all seven aspects of this light, personified by the seven spiritual guests in our
sukkah. Yet each day of Sukkot is unique and has one guest that receives special attention, because
each day of Sukkot has its own unique character and sanctity. This idea is expressed in the Talmud
which explains why we recite a full Hallel each of the seven days, while on Pesach, we only recite
full Hallel on the first of the seven days (outside Israel we recite it on the first two days):
Why do we recite [full] Hallel on each day of Sukkot, and on
Pesach, we dont recite it each day? On Sukkot there is a
unique sacrifice each day and on Pesach, the same sacrifice is
offered each day.
Arachin 11a-11b

, '
?
,
.
:-.

The fact of a distinct number of korbanot on each day is a manifestation of the individuality of each
day, a uniqueness that requires its own recitation of full Hallel and its own guest in our sukkah.
Today, practices vary regarding the tradition of ushpizin. Some designate a special chair, as
mentioned in the Chida above. Others light special candles in the guests honor, a practice
recorded in the commentary of the Shaarei Teshuva to Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 625).
Most who observe this tradition are careful to invite the ushpizin with a declaration; one such
text is found in the Siddur Beit Yaakov of Rabbi Yaakov Emden (page 453):
Enter, exalted and holy guests, enter exalted and holy fathers
and sit in the shade of the exalted Faithful One. Enter Abraham
the compassionate and with him, Isaac who was bound on the
altar and with him, Jacob, the complete one, and with him,
Moses the faithful shepherd and with him, Aaron the holy priest,
and with him, Joseph the righteous one and with him David the
king and messiah. You shall dwell in Sukkot, dwell exalted
guests, dwell, dwell, my faithful guests, dwell.

.



.

.

Whatever ones specific practice regarding the tradition of ushpizin, the concept is profound and
relevant. Whether one contemplates the specific middah of a specific spiritual guest on a given
day, or studies the relationship between this guest and the holiday of Sukkot in general, ushpizin
can help connect us with a more meaningful experience of the mitzvah of Sukkah specifically,
and our relationship with Hashem in general.
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Sukkat Shalom:
Paradigms for Peace
Mrs. Chaya Batya Neugroschl
Head of School, Yeshiva University High School for Girls
With the escalation of dangerous events in Eretz Yisrael during this past summer, weve all felt
the yearning for peace with increased intensity. While peace in the world remains a universal
hope, when Klal Yisrael is endangered, we are more contemplative about the absolute need for
peace and the cost of its absence. Our frequent recitation of the tefillah Oseh Shalom, He Who
makes peace at the end of our daily Shemoneh Esrei is a place of comfort where, in prayer or
song, we beseech Hashem to do what we seemingly cant manage to do on our own:
He Who makes peace from His high places, He should make
peace for us and for all of Israel, and let us say Amen.

.
: .

In this context the peace we seek is the product of heavenly intervention. This is expressed by
the opening words of the paragraph Sim Shalom, which describe peace as a gift bestowed upon a
deserving or needy people. Certainly this type of peace has its place, in its ultimate sense, but
universal peace is beyond the scope of our individual efforts. This image leaves us without
specific direction.
The uptick in communal prayer this past summer combined with the creative efforts to increase
chessed (kindness) and expressions of unity allow us to enter the month of Tishrei with a new
perspective on the need for peace. How do we lead lives that increase the chances for peace in
the world? What paradigms for peace can we find and use for guidance in this season of renewed
hope and prayer?
Peace is not a new themeit is a universal dream, and indeed it is a part of our daily prayers.
Not only is it the concluding blessing of each Shemoneh Esrei in the form of Sim Shalom, but
there is a unique formulation that relates specifically to Sukkot as well. Each night, as we reflect
on the completion of a day and recognize the symbolic and realistic dangers of night, we seek the
protection and assurances of Hashem in the Maariv prayer. The fourth berakha before the
Amidah begins with HashkiveinuLay us down to peace(ful rest), and introduces this image of
the sukkah as a protective shelter of peace:
Help us lie down, O Lord our God, in peace, and rise up, O
our King, to life. Spread over us Your canopy of peace. Direct
us with Your good counsel, and save us for the sake of Your
name Guard our going out and our coming in, for life

, '
.
.
...

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and peace, from now on and for ever. Blessed are You, Lord,
who guards his people Israel for ever.17

:

'

As we prepare for the festival of Sukkot, this phrasefrom our nightly Maariv prayerresounds
with hope and expectation. In the context of our nightly prayer, the metaphor conveys an image
of a heavenly peace that is benevolently confirmed as a protective shield upon the hopeful
People of Israel. As we look toward the positive potential for a future day we hope that Hashems
guidance is there, as well as His protection, in the form of a sukkat shalom.
How do the sukkot that we build on the festival connect with this sense of security, peace and
protection? Furthermore, we see this phrase ufros aleinu sukkat shelomekha slightly altered as
we examine the same Maariv prayer that welcomes in Shabbat. Here we read:
Spread over us Your canopy of peace. Blessed are You, Lord
who spreads the canopy of peace on us and on all of the
nation of Israel and on Jerusalem.

...
'
.

The mainstay of this tefillah is essentially the same, and is presumably also about invoking
Hashems protection as night begins to fall and as our week draws to a close. We see in this
formulation a redoubled emphasis on peace that is highlighted by the concluding blessing. In
this way we find that the same prayer for a personal peace, and a personal security, that we wish
for every one of our kin has been transformed, elevated and expanded. On Shabbat, we
reconsider our nightly focus during the week and consider the need to secure our own needs and
our own safety as insufficient. On Shabbat, we ask for more. We ask for a type of peace that
includes the destiny of our people, our national sovereignty. On Shabbat, the prayer for peace is
presented as part of the national dream. The cornerstone of this prayer becomes more about
peace than about security, and is expanded to include a prayer for more than just a personal form
of protection; rather, it adds a national and political aim for peace and sovereignty for all of Israel
and Jerusalem. Thus, the closing blessing that usually summarizes the key feature of a prayer
concludes with the addition of peace for all of Israel and Jerusalem.
Why does our Shabbat tefilla make this, ever so slight and yet clearly significant, shift in this way?

Prayer for a Communal Experience of Peace

Shabbat as a model for communal peace is well-rooted in our tradition. Many customs of
Shabbat emphasize the effort to create unity and build up our community. As we refrain from
commerce, we are able to move away from the competitive nature of weekly business and avoid
its inherent interpersonal strife. In recognizing Hashems mastery over creation, we remove
ourselves from being active agents in the creative process and are at peace with the natural
order that God has granted us. In spending our day focused on both basic physical and spiritual
matters, we bring together the needs of both our body and soul, which for many hours of our
busy week may be neglected, at best, or actively competing with one another. Lighting Shabbat
candles is one custom that helps to bring peace to ones home. Having formal meals suffused

17

Translation from Koren Siddur.

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with prayer and song even elevates the mundane physical needs and embraces a Shabbat quality
in our homes and throughout our communities.
This emphasis is reflected in the reoriented Haskiveinu prayer and in the three main stanzas of
Shalom Aleikhem as we welcome Shabbat into our homes and set the context for peace, in singing:
...
... ...
...

Peace onto you Come in peace, angels of

peace, angels of high Bless me for peace, angels
of peace, angels of high Leave in peace, angels
of peace, angels of high.

On Shabbat, the day of rest, we find that our prayers, customs and songs reflect this broader
contemplation of our place in this world. On this day we remind ourselves of our ability to make
a difference by increasing the peacefulness in our homes and in our communities; we thereby
embrace our dream for a universal peace and recognize that we can model that peaceful
engagement with nature, with those closest to us, and with those who are others too.
Why then does the refrain ufros aleinu sukkat shelomekha appear in the Maariv prayer of each
weeknight and then retain its prominence on Friday night? In what way does the sukkah reflect a
peaceful paradigm that inspires these prayers?
The notion that a sukkah is a metaphor for peaceful protection deserves some critical attention.
Rav Avraham Kook reflects on the unusual metaphor and suggests that indeed the hope for peace
might be better served by a metaphor for a fortress of peace. In his commentary on the verse You
protect them in a sukkah from the strife of tongues (Ps. 31:21), Rav Kook highlights the special
features of a sukkah as a flimsy and temporary structure.18 The notion of a sukkat shalom raises very
reasonable questions: In what way does the sukkah, a temporary and often flimsy dwelling, reflect
our hopes for an enduring and permanent peace? How do we understand the paradigms of peace
that this holiday offers? What type of peace are we invoking in this formulation?
Rav Kook explains:
Jewish law validates a sukkah even when it has gaping
holes, when it is built from little more than two walls, or
has large spaces between the walls and the roof. Even such
a fragile structure still qualifies as a kosher sukkah. The
same is true regarding peace. Peace is so precious, so vital,
that even if we are unable to attain complete peace, we
should still pursue a partial measure of peace. Even an
imperfect peace between neighbors, or between an
individual and the community, is worthwhile.
"How great is peace!" proclaimed the Sages (VaYikra
Rabbah 9:9). The value of peace is so great that we pray
for it even if it will be like a sukkahflimsy and
temporary, rendered fit only by special laws.

,
,
" )( -
" " ,
' , "
, -
, ,
,
, ,
,
.'
" ,"
, ,

18

Adapted from Ma'amarei HaRa'ayah vol. I, pp. 149-150.

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Adaptation of Moadei HaRaayah by Chanan

Morrison19

.
- " '

The very vulnerability of the sukkot that we build demonstrates our faith in man and in Hashem
that peace is more valuable than assurances, and that in valuing even partial peace we become
deserving of Hashems blessing for a fuller peace.
Alternatively, I would like to suggest that the sukkah is an apt paradigm of the type of peace that
reflects not a minimalist peace but rather a maximal approach. The sukkah can be seen as the
apex of our aspirations for peace. On Sukkot we connect our personal hopes present in the
nightly Haskiveinu with our communal aspirations and experiences of the Shabbat Hashkiveinu.
On an individual level, we show our personal security by placing ourselves in the sukkah, a semivulnerable place. On a communal level, Sukkot unites all Jews in the peace of Yerushalayim for
the festival celebrations. While the description of the requirement to sit in sukkot seems to
include only current members of Bnei Yisrael, there is a reference to the implication for the
future saliency of the Jewish peoples mission.
You shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in
Israel shall dwell in booths so that your generations may know
that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I
brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your
God.
Vayikra 23:42-4320

, - ;
,
, . , ,

-
,
: ,

. ' ,
-:

Additionally, Sukkots unifying force is also reflected in the Hakhel ceremony, which describes a
national experience of great significance:
When all of Israel comes to appear before the LORD
, ' - , -
,
- : ,
your God in the place which He shall choose, you shall
,

.--
-
read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble
--
, ,
the people, the men and the women and the little ones,

'

,
and your stranger that is within your gates, that they

-- ,
,
may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD
.
your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.
-:
Devarim 31:11-1221
Furthermore, Sukkot also highlights our national destiny to bring about universal peace. The
korbanot of Sukkot unite the 70 nations of the world in the recognition of the glory of Hashems
benevolence in this world. In describing the effects of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, the
Gemara describes the loss of the Beit HaMikdash as a loss to the Nations of the world as well;
Rabbi Elazar said: The 70 bullsto what do they
" )(
" ...
correspond? They correspond to the 70 nations Rabbi

Yochanan said: Woe to the heathens who have lost out, but

19

http://www.ravkooktorah.org/SUKKOT62.htm.
Adapted from JPS translation.
21
Adapted from JPS translation.
20

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know not what they have lost. During the time of the Temple,
the altar atoned for them, but now what atones for them?
Sukkah 55b

"
.
:

Furthermore, Zecharia describes a time when peace among all nations is exemplified by their
participation in the festival of Sukkot:
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the
nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to
year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the
feast of Tabernacles.
Zecharia 14:16

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Without the Sukkot offerings that united the fate of the 70 nations with the destiny of the Jewish
People, we are a fractured world. The ultimate sukkah of peace has the promise of a universal
peace embedded within it.
Thus the sukkot we build today are symbolic of both the booths that the Jews of the desert lived
in and the clouds of Divine Glory and Providence that guided them through their travails.22 As a
nation in the desert, the need for shelter and protection was defensive and reflected our
vulnerability. On the festival of Sukkot, we reflect on our bounty and remind ourselves of the
source of all this blessing by leaving the real shelters and real luxuries and instead becoming
vulnerable to nature, open to our community and inviting the other nations of the world to join
our celebration of the ultimate form of peaceunited in celebrating the bounty we have been
granted in this majestic world of Hashem.
Therefore, it is specifically with these shelters, in our sukkot, that we publically demonstrate a
measure of our meager efforts to construct a representation of what it means to be a people with
a grand destination and to confront the many many obstacles we face along the way. Our sukkot
by design must be something between permanent and temporary, must be durable but without
assurances, must be able to offer shelter and still open to the elements. In this way, our sukkot
reflect our practical initiatives and our theological commitments while they recognize our
dependence on Hashem and interdependence on each other. In this way, when we invoke the
notion of ufros aleinu sukkat shelomekha, the peace of Sukkot, we beseech Hashem to grant us a
peace that connects to each of these elements: the personal, the communal and the universal, all
of which are present on the festival of Sukkot. This offers up the promise of a world in which
each of us experiences the fulfillment of peace in its fullest sense.

22

TB: Sukkah 11b.

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The Sukkah of
Redemption
Rabbi Yona Reiss
Rosh Yeshiva, RIETS Av Beth Din, Chicago Rabbinical Council
In the Grace after Meals (Birkhat Hamazon) recited during the holiday of Sukkot, there is a
special prayer inserted beseeching G-d for the
restoration of the fallen sukkah of Dovid. The reference is to a verse in the prophetic book of
Amos (9:11) that states, in connection with the redemption of the Jewish people,
at that time, I shall erect the fallen sukkah of David. Many of the
classical commentators, such as Rashi and the Radak, explain that this is a reference to the reestablishment of the Davidic monarchy. But what does that have to do with the holiday of
Sukkot, in which we sit in huts to commemorate the clouds of glory that protected us in the
desert after we departed from Egypt?
In the recent treatise Inyano Shel Yom by Rabbi Dovid Falk (Moadim, page 27), the author writes
that he posed this question to the great sage Rabbi Chaim Kaniefsky of Bnei Brak. Rabbi
Kaniefsky responded in characteristically succinct fashion that since the word sukkah appears in
this recitation, it is therefore an appropriate prayer for the holiday of Sukkot.
While this response may indeed explain the origin of the insertion of this prayer on Sukkot, there
is a well-known principle that minhag yisroel Torah hi (see Tosafot, Menachot 20b, s.v.
nifsal)established customs become part of the corpus of Torah. The special insertion for
Sukkot in the Grace after Meals has been an established custom for hundreds of years (as
demonstrated by R. Tzvi Ron, Hamayan, Tishrei 5773). Accordingly, a number of
commentators have probed other Torah sources in order to suggest a deeper connection.
The Maharal, in the book Netzach Yisroel (chapter 35), offers two explanations of the
connection between the sukkah and the Kingdom of David. First, he observes that a sukkah
needs to be a temporary dwelling, impervious to the physical permanence of this world. In this
sense, the sukkah parallels the Kingdom of David, which is linked to Divine providence and to
the supernatural destiny of the World-to-Come, as opposed to having its permanent place in this
world. Upon fulfilling the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah and being freed from the shackles of
the mundane world of our physical houses, we can aspire for the time when the Messiah will
emerge from the Davidic dynasty and elevate us to spiritual majesty. Along these lines, the
Talmud actually describes the Messiah as bar nafli (the fallen one) and explicitly links the
Messiah in this regard to the fallen sukkah of David (Sanhedrin 96b).

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What emerges from this insight of the Maharal is a counter-intuitive message pertaining to the
Sukkot holiday. Only in impermanence can there be an appreciation for genuine permanence.
All too often in the hullabaloo of daily life we can lose sight of the teaching in Pirkei Avot (4:16)
that this world is akin to an antechamber before the World to Come. The sukkah reminds us
that what appears permanent in this world is truly fleeting, and that which has no permanence in
this world, namely the spiritual structures that are primarily intended for the World to Come, are
the only matters that have eternal significance. In the same way that the sukkah serves as a
reminder of the antechamber nature of this world, so too the sukkah of David, representing the
eternal Kingdom of the House of David, awaits its ultimate realization in the future world of
salvation and deliverance.
In his second explanation, the Maharal explains the comparison in a different manner. The
distinguishing feature about the sukkah is that even when it falls down, it is easy to reassemble
precisely because it is built in a slipshod fashion. Thus it never loses its identity, but remains the
same sukkah, waiting to be propped up again. In this sense, a fallen sukkah is somewhat
reminiscent of the old-time commercial jingle weebles wobble but they dont fall down. So
too, argues the Maharal, the Kingdom of David, even when it is in the current state of being the
fallen sukkah of David, retains its identity as the sukkah of David and remains poised to be
resurrected at any moment. Furthermore, just as a fallen sukkah still contains usable schach
(sukkah covering materials) that can be re-employed, so too the Kingdom of David has
continued to keep its pieces through significant communal leaders in every generation who
descend from the tribe of Judah.
According to this explanation of the Maharal, the sukkah is the symbol of Jewish resilience. By
virtue of its simplicity, the sukkah represents the elasticity of our survival. Even when the sukkah
falls down, it maintains its components and its character. Thus, the sukkah serves as a reminder
that no matter how many times the Jewish people have been exiled and persecuted, the essential
components of our legacy and our people have survived, and our sovereignty can therefore be
easily and naturally restored at any moment. In this sense, the recent events of the restoral of the
Jewish nation to the land of Israel validate and reinforce this optimistic national perspective.
Even when there are continuing setbacks in our path to redemption, we remind ourselves
through the message of the sukkah that salvation is always within our grasp.
Interestingly, the Mahari Kara offers a different explanation of the meaning of the fallen sukkah
of David in his commentary to Amos. According to the Mahari Kara, the sukkah is a reference
to the Beit Hamikdash, to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed. Accordingly, our
prayer denotes a yearning toward the restoration of the Holy Temple. Is there a clear connection
between the sukkah and the Holy Temple?
Perhaps the connection can be gleaned from a passage in the Talmudic tractate of Sukkah (11b)
indicating that the clouds of glory originated at the time of the creation of the world, when a
mist arose from the earth (Bereishit 2:6; Targum Yonatan ad locum) forming the clouds above
that watered the whole face of the ground. Inherent in creation itself were these clouds,
established from the purity of the earth, thus providing the Talmudic basis for the law that the
sukkah covering must similarly be made from items from the earth that cannot contract
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impurity. It would seem, based on this passage that the sukkah, which commemorates the clouds
of glory, symbolizes the pristine state of pure reliance upon the Almighty that existed at the time
of creation.
The Talmud states that the Heavens rejoiced on the day of the building of the Tabernacle as if
the world was created on that day (Megillah 10b). The Holy Temple, which represents a
fulfillment of the mitzvah to build a tabernacle in the Land of Israel (see Rambam, Mitzot Aseh
20, Hilkhot Beit HaBechira 1:1, and Kesef Mishneh ad locum), serves as a manifestation of the
return to a state of spiritual perfection that existed at the time of creation. The sukkah, through
its evocation of the original clouds of glory that hovered over the world during that time,
provides the same opportunity to connect to that state of spiritual perfection as the Holy
Temple itself. Hence the association of the sukkah with the sukkah of David representing the
Holy Temple becomes perfectly understandable.
This association of the sukkah with the Holy Temple also helps to explain why the sukkah
structure is endowed with Divine sanctity (Sukkah 9a), and why the mitzvah of living in the
sukkah precludes any kind of activity that is not respectful or dignified (Orach Chaim 639:1),
similar to the requirement of maintaining dignity in the area of the Holy Temple (see, e.g.,
Yevamot 6b). Through the observance of the mitzvah of sukkah which enables us to relive the
pure, unadulterated state of devotion to G-d at the time of the creation of the world, we are able
to focus our aspirations upon the rebuilding of the sukkah of Davidthe Holy Temple
which represents the spiritual pinnacle of creation.
In similar fashion, Rabbi Meir Zvi Bergman writes (Shaarei Orah 1:318-319) that the
comparison of the sukkah to the Holy Temple is a reference to the spiritual essence of the Holy
Temple. The proof is that the Temple is described as the sukkah of David when in fact the
Temple was built by his son King Solomon. The reason the Temple is attributed to King David
rather than to his son is because, as indicated in the Talmud (Shabbat 30a), the gates of the
holiest chambers of the Temple only opened up for Solomon in the merit of his father, who
conceived the idea of building the Temple during his lifetime. King David thus represents the
spiritual essence of the Temple, as opposed to King Solomon who represents its physical
manifestation. When we pray for the restoration of the sukkah of David, we demonstrate our
yearning for the spiritual closeness with the Almighty that is achieved through the essence of the
Holy Temple.
The connection with the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple also helps to explain the timing of the
celebration of Sukkot. The Vilna Gaon (commentary to Shir Hashirim 1:4)- in response to the
question posed by the Tur (Orach Chaim 625) regarding why Sukkot is celebrated in Tishrei as
opposed to Nissan when the exodus from Egypt took place and the clouds of glory began to
protect the Jewish people- explains that the holiday of Sukkot was timed to coincide with the
date of the beginning of the construction of the Tabernacle. Moses delivered the second set of
Tablets to the Jewish people on the 10th of Tishrei and taught them the laws of the Tabernacle
on the 11th of Tishrei (Rashi, Shmot 35:1). Afterwards, the Jewish people gathered materials for
construction on the 12th and 13th of Tishrei (based on Shmot 36:3 that the donation period
consisted of two days), and Moses then dispensed the materials on the 14th of Tishrei to the
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artisans who would engage in the construction. Thus, the actual construction of the Tabernacle
commenced on the 15th of Tishrei, which is the first day of Sukkot. Similarly, the Bible recounts
that the dedication of the Holy Temple by King Solomon took place immediately prior to the
time of the Sukkot holiday (Melachim 1, 8:2, 65-66).
There is also another possible connection between the sukkah and the Holy Temple. The
Talmud (Sukkah 27b) states:
[The verse states] All the residents of the Israelites will sit
in the sukkah (Vayikra 23:42); this teaches us that all of
the Jewish people are eligible to sit in the same sukkah.

The Sefat Emet (Sukkot) explains that this is meant to refer to the unity of the Jewish people that
exists after Yom Kippur when the entire nation becomes an agudah achat, a united assembly.
The Second Holy Temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred (Yoma 9b). In order to
restore the Holy Temple, it is necessary for the Jewish nation to rectify this sin and join together
in unconditional love for each other. The concept of sukkah is intertwined with the notion of
everybody being able to join together in one sukkah, much in the same way that the Holy
Temple is the central place of worship for the entire nation. In order to merit the rebuilding of
the Temple, it is necessary to create an atmosphere where the entire Jewish people will feel
comfortable sharing one sukkah in a spirit of mutual respect and affection.
With this understanding we can appreciate why Sukkot is the holiday of the ushpizinof the
inviting of the honored guests (Zohar, Emor 103-104). The purpose of the sukkah is to create a
spiritual haven that is open and welcoming to all members of the Jewish nation in a
demonstration of unified spirit. This may also explain why the classical sukkah of the Torah only
has three walls (Sukkah 2a, 6b)in order to ensure that one side always be open to an endless
stream of guests.
Perhaps in this sense, all of the various explanations regarding the sukkah of David coalesce.
Through the ushpizin, in which we usher in the forefathers from the time of creation through the
building of the Holy Temple, beginning chronologically with Abraham and ending with King
David (and according to some traditions, ending with King Solomon), we connect the sukkah
not only to the entirety of the Jewish people in our time, but to the entirety of the Jewish people
throughout history. The rebuilding each year of the sukkah, which evokes the clouds of glory of
creation, and the Holy Temple as the spiritual pinnacle of creation, propels the Jewish nation to
become united and worthy of the future redemption that will usher in the Kingdom of David for
eternity. Furthermore, as the Maharal indicates, we are blessed with the ability to bring about
this ultimate sukkah of redemption in a heartbeat. All we need to do is come together, click our
heels, and acknowledge that there is no place like the sukkah to cast aside the artificial walls of
this temporal and tempestuous world and to unite as a people of eternal destiny.

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Sukkot in the First

Temple Period
Rabbi Ian Shaffer
Adjunct Professor of Bible, Stern College for Women
This article is dedicated in memory of my father, Mr. Max Shaffer zal - Mordechai ben Nechemiah, who passed away on
11 Iyar 5774 in London. Thanks also to my son, Rabbi Yechiel Shaffer who edited and offered thoughts on this essay.

The obligations of Sukkot are prominently presented in Parashat Emor (Vayikra ch. 23), and are
publicly read as part of our Sukkot laining.
39 Howbeit on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye
have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep the feast of
the LORD seven days; on the first day shall be a solemn rest,
and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And ye shall
take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of
palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook,
and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the
year; it is a statute forever in your generations; ye shall keep it
in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days;
all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths; 43 that
your generations may know that I made the children of Israel
to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of
Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

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As is well established, once the mitzvot were transmitted to Moshe at Sinai, they were to be
maintained in their entirety, for all time. This is explicitly conveyed in the Torah Shebichtav
(written Torah) and expounded within the Torah She'Bal peh (oral tradition). [For a thorough
exposition of this idea, see Rambam's Introduction to the Mishnah].
An unusual source that bolsters our commitment to the eternity of mitzva observance is found in
Sefer Melachim 1 ch. 8. The inaugural celebrations of the opening of the First Bet Hamikdash
are recorded in this chapter, and they seem to override the communal mitzva to observe Yom
Kippur. The commentaries are troubled that the observance of Yom Kippur can be overridden
in this instance (see Redak ad. loc. for an explanation), thus showing that even during the unique
historical moment of inaugurating the First Bet Hamikdash, an explanation is required for the
changing of mitzva observance. In context of this and many other sources, it is fair to conclude
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that the Biblical mitzvot are eternal in their nature and thus were always being observed from the
days of Moshe onwards.
This axiom of belief is challenged by the following verses found in the Book of Nechemiah (ch.8
v.17-18):
17 And all the congregation of them that were come back
out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths;
for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day
had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very
great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day unto
the last day, he read in the book of the Law of God. And they
kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a
solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance.

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In describing the renewal of Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael at the beginning of the Second Bet
HaMikdash period, Nechemiah seems to indicate that Sukkot observance was renewed because it
had not been observed "from the days of Yehoshua until now." Does this mean that the festival of
Sukkot was not celebrated during the whole of the First Bet Hamikdash time period? Did David
Hamelech not sit in a sukka? How do we understand this difficult statement of Nechemiah?
There are many approaches in explaining the pesukim in Sefer Nechemiah, and we will examine
a number of them, from ancient to modern sources.
A. Talmud Bavli: Erchin 32b
"What is the rationale to say that the 'first sanctity' of the land was
only for its time and not for the future? It says in the book of
Nechemiah: 'And all the congregation of them that were come back
out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths; for since
the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children
of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.' Is it possible
that (as this verse implies) David Hamelech did not celebrate Sukkot
and it was only kept properly now at the return of the Jews to Eretz
Yisrael (with Ezra)? The verse is actually to be understood as
follows: The verse is comparing the return of the Jews in the time of
Ezra to the arrival in the times of Yehoshua: Just as in the time of
Yehoshua they established certain mitzvot which are dependent on
the land (e.g. shemittah) so too in the times of Ezra were these laws
reestablished in Eretz Yisrael."

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The Talmud is clearly dividing the verse in Sefer Nechemiah into two distinct parts.
1) All the congregation that came back out of captivity made sukkot and dwelt in them
(referring to the festival of Sukkot, which was now renewed after the exile and which had
been practiced in Israel during the First Bet Hamikdash period prior to the Churban Habayit
in 586 BCE).
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2) For since the days of Yehoshua . . . the children of Israel had not done so (referring to the
renewal of the mitzvot ha'teluyot ba'aretz (agricultural mitzvot such as shemittah etc.), which
had not been celebrated with such joy during the whole of the First Bet Hamikdash period.
The Talmud creates a division in the verse that is not evidently there. This methodology is
commonly utilized in Talmudic exegesis to explain difficult juxtapositions found in various
verses. For our purposes this does not explain the verse in its entirety, especially within the terms
of our question. We must seek other interpretations for a more complete explanation of our
original problem in terms of the actual text itself.
B. Malbim (1809-1879) on Sefer Nechemiah (ch 8 v.14-17)
"This verse is very strange (as pointed out by the
Talmud in Masechet Erchin). . . . I would suggest an
explanation based on the halachic ruling of Rabbi
Moshe Isserles (Rema) in Orach Chaim ch.637, that
one should not construct a sukka in a public
thoroughfare. Furthermore, Jerusalem was not
divided up amongst the tribes and there was no
status of a private thoroughfare anywhere in
Jerusalem. Consequently a sukka could not be built
in Jerusalem during the First Bet Hamikdash period.
This changed when Ezra gathered in the exiles and a
new condition was established that a sukka could be
erected in a public domain (Tosefta Bava Kama
ch.6). This now enabled sukkot to be built in
Jerusalem. This allowance was only in Eretz Yisrael
and not in the Diaspora where gentiles use the public
domain (Magen Avraham on the Rema ad loc). This
condition was not enacted by Yehoshua and was only
put into place later by Ezra. Therefore, one can
suggest that David Hamelech and Shlomo Hamelech
did NOT have sukkot in Yerushalayim, and this is
true to the literal meaning of the verse in Sefer
Nechemiah. . . ."

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This is a very novel approach and certainly disturbs our sensibilities regarding the observance of
this mitzva by David Hamelech and others during the First Bet Hamikdash period. The Malbim
does not offer an explanation as to why Yehoshua did not make the takana/enactment regarding
the building of sukkot in public domains. One could argue that this would not have been a
priority for Yehoshua, who was absorbed in fighting against the prevailing tribes in Canaan in
order to subjugate them and drive them out of Eretz Yisrael.
Maybe we can also suggest that the image of the "sukkat David Hanofalet," the fallen sukka of
David (Sefer Amos ch.9 v.11), which we mention in the bentsching on Sukkot, is to be taken

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literally as fallen. According to the Malbim, David HaMelech never had the opportunity to
erect a sukka in Yerushalayim and this mitzva was fallen at that time.
C. Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook (d.1935), as presented by Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who
heard this explanation in a drasha given by Rav Kook in the late 1920's:
Rav Kook noted that we must understand the verses in Nechemiah in the context of the previous
verses:
15 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and
in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive
branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm
branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is
written. 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made
themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their
courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place
of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.

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Rav Kook, as quoted by Rav Goren, suggests the following:

This verse does not mean that Sukkot was not observed during
the whole of the First Bet Hamikdash period, but it is referring
to the preparation for the mitzva . . . such as chopping the wood
or putting up the sukka and not just sitting in the sukka . . . and
in the days of Ezra this element of preparation was restored to
its proper place in terms of the performance of the mitzva. This
is seen from verses in the book of Nechemiah which state: and
that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities . . . It is
with reference to this concept of preparation that the verse
continues by saying: for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun
unto that day had not the children of Israel done so.

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The joy described here is that of hachanat hamitzva, prepration for the mitzva, which had not
been carried out in this way during the entire First Bet Hamikdash period. Rav Kook examines
the context of the pesukim in Sefer Nechemiah and illustrates that the verses refer to a different
focal point in the description of the mitzva. As we shall see, other modern commentaries take
Rav Kook's approach and try to explain the verse in a similar way.
d) Rav Shlomo Goren (d.1993) Sefer Moadei Yisrael (republished in 1997)
The reason given in the Torah for Sukkot is:
43 that your generations may know that I made the
children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them
out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

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This implies that in future days there will be an exemption from this mitzva, as the verses state in
Sefer Yirmiyahu (ch. 23:7-8):
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7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no
more say: As the LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out
of the land of Egypt; 8 but: As the LORD liveth, that brought up and
that led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all
the countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own
land. The exodus from Egypt will be superseded by the future exodus, and
this will override the reason for observing Sukkot as a remembrance for the
dwelling in sukkot, which we did when leaving Egypt.

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However, we are then challenged by the prophecy of Zechariah (14:16), which states:
16 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all
the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from
year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to
keep the feast of tabernacles.

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This is referring to messianic days when the festival of Sukkot will be celebrated by all nations in
Yerushalayim. Zechariah is not referring to the original festival of Sukkot but to a future
international celebration of this festival.
When Ezra returned with the exiled Jews to Israel, this was meant to be a messianic time, as
explained in Talmud Bavli (Berachot: 4a); but their sin caused this not to happen.
In Sefer Nechemiah (9:1-2) this sin is explained further. The Jews had indulged in intermarriages
to an alarming degree and this future prophecy of Yirmiyahu was not to be fulfilled with that
generation, and the complete redemption, as prophesied by Yirmiyahu, was not going to happen.
Therefore Sukkot reverted to its original designation as found in the Torah as explained above.
It is this failure to elevate the festival to a new spiritual dimension that Nechemiah is referring to
in the enigmatic verse with which we began this analysis.
,
- - is referring to the dismal lack of response to
the call to return to Israel at the time of Ezra (only 40,000 Jews returned with Ezra). This pasuk
is not stating that the people did something positive in Ezra's days but, in fact, did not do then
what they had done originally in the time of Yehoshua, to enter/return to Israel in such a way as
to bring about a new existence for the Jewish people and the world. This reality is yet to come,
and is what is referred to in this enigmatic verse. The question of the observance of Sukkot in the
First Bet HaMikdash time is not the subject of this verse at all, and of course it was observed by
David Hamelech during the First Bet Hamikdash period.
E. A final example of modern interpretation can be found in the writings of Rabbi Z.H.
Ferber (d.1966) (Sefer Hamoadim pp. 116-117).
Rabbi Ferber was a Lithuanian gaon who came to England in 1910 and was the Rav in London's
West End district for nearly 50 years. He suggested an array of interpretations, and one in
particular offers tremendous insight.

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There are two types of simcha in life: 1) Natural joy such as at the birth of a child, and 2) an
obligatory joy, such as at the time of yom tov as expressed by the Torah, with a heightened
emphasis on simcha at Sukkot time.
The joy on Sukkot in fact becomes challenging because there is also the natural joy of having
secured the harvest and all the benefits this brings with it. In order to maintain the spiritual
dimension of the simcha we leave our homes to enter temporary dwellings. This will ensure that
we do not dwell on our material gains but on the deeper spiritual joy that this festival represents.
In the days of Shlomo Hamelech the ability to rejoice was easier, as we were living in the land in
complete peace and prosperity and our joy may not have been fully for the sake of heaven as it
was supposed to be. However, when we entered Eretz Yisrael with Yehoshua, the land was
exposed to war and devastation and our rejoicing at Sukkot time was purely on a spiritual level,
as the land was not yet producing the wonderful crops that it would do in later years.
When Ezra returned with the exiled Jews to Israel the land was again desolate, so therefore any
joy at Sukkot time was purely spiritual. As this was a time of uncertainty and difficulty, especially
in rebuilding the Bet Hamikdash, which was hampered for many years by negative voices from
within and without, material simcha could not be achieved.
This is now the explanation of the pasuk in Sefer Nechemiah. Our celebration of Sukkot at the
time of Ezra was so great (on such a spiritual level) that it had not been experienced on this level
since the days of Yehoshua. We entered a desolate land and rejoiced in a pure form without any
material motivation, during both the times of Yehoshua and Ezra.
Rabbi Ferber adds that: Following the Holocaust, when so many nations turned their backs on
the Jewish people and we found ourselves again in Eretz Yisrael in a situation of material
difficulty, the observance of Sukkot as an act of pure joy should be a true merit for us so that we
will arrive at the future observance of Sukkot as referred to by the prophet Zechariah. Our joy
should be totally for the sake of heaven to bring about the final messianic redemption speedily in
our days."
In attempting to explain the enigmatic verse in Sefer Nechemiah, we have undergone an
exegetical journey from the Talmud to the present day. The consensus of opinions is that the
verse does not rule out actual dwelling in sukkot in the days of the First Bet Hamikdash (except
for the approach of the Malbim), but see in the verse a longing for a higher level of mitzva
observance and connection to God as initiated by Ezra.
In our days, when over seven million Jews now live in Israel, let us hope that the fullest
expression of joy on Sukkot will take place to usher in the final redemption and the future
celebration of Sukkot as seen in Sefer Zechariah (which we read in the haftara on Sukkot), and
may we soon see the true realization of the raising of the fallen sukka of David for which we
pray every year on Sukkot.

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Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series Tishrei 5775