Last year at this time, Klal Yisroel suffered an unprovoked and savage attack on Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah. As of this writing, that outrage has not yet ended. Hamas is still holding hostages and many have already been murdered. Thousands of Yidden are still displaced and have not been able to return to their homes. Those who have been called up for military duty are also away from their families, with the obvious emotional, financial and personal ramifications and trauma. As we now approach that disgraceful anniversary, what should our hopes and tefillos be at this time?
First of all, we should remember that leaving our homes to live in the sukkah is considered a kapparah and form of golus (Yalkut Shimoni, Vayikra 653; Pesikta D’Rav Kahana, end of 29). As Rav Yonasan David, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchok, points out (Kuntrus Sukkos, Maamar 23:5), this is surprising, since sitting in the sukkah is pleasant and evokes our splendid dwelling in the Clouds of Glory. How can this beautiful experience atone for the punishment of exile, which is the embodiment of suffering and distress?
Rav Yonason answers that when we go from home to sukkah, we do so to fulfill a Torah mandate and perform mitzvos. Furthermore, “in doing so, we are actually leaving the mundane dimensions of Olam Hazeh – this world – and entering the special universe of Hashem’s protection. In the sukkah, we are surrounded by the Ananei Hakavod, which transport us to both Eretz Yisroel and the End of Days. Thus, simply by sitting in the sukkah, we replace the sufferings that are attendant to Acharis Hayomim with the enjoyment and sublime splendor of our avodas Hashem in the sukkah.”
Let us expand this concept a bit more, since if we merit this exchange, perhaps we can even avoid some of the ravages of Gog UMagog and the last stages of ikvesa d’Meshicha.
Although we often compare Sukkos and Pesach (Sukkah 27a), let’s explore some of the contrasts between the two. First of all, we know from the korbanos that all of the days of Pesach are identical, whereas on Sukkos we bring a different korban each day (see Arachin 10a). Tosafos (Taanis 28b, s.v. “V’Yom Tov”) explain this distinction with the phrase, “On Sukkos, every day is a Yom Tov of its own, since the offerings are diminished each day, unlike Pesach, when we only recite [the entire] Hallel on the first day.” Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron, uses this definition to explain why the Torah (Vayikra 23:6) refers to Pesach as a Yom Tov only by the single day of the fifteenth of Nissan, whereas in the case of Sukkos (23:34), the Torah calls it “a seven-day period for Hashem.” He concludes that “from the beginning, Sukkos was established as a seven-day Yom Tov, with each day being considered a separate and unique holiday.”
We are still puzzled about the essence of this difference and what it means in our personal avodah during these week-long Yomim Tovim. I would like to suggest that this distinction can be understood with another. On Pesach, we have strict rules about who may consume the Korban Pesach with someone else. One must be registered for the Korban Pesach in advance. Otherwise, there can be no sharing. However, when it comes to the sukkah, Chazal (Sukkah 27b) make the point of telling us that “all of Klal Yisroel is worthy of sitting in one sukkah.” Rav Yonasan (ibid 4:10; 8:15; 31:7) explains this statement as flowing from the fact that “the protection of the sukkah does not belong to any one individual. It is based in the totality of the nation of Klal Yisroel, unlike the four species, which are meant to praise Hashem” (Medrash, Tehillim 102:19) and therefore must belong to each person independently (lochem). He adds that since Sukkos represents the finality of all the Yomim Tovim (see Maamorei Pachad Yitzchok 9:9, 99:13), its essence is rooted in the World to Come, when we will all be gathered together as one.
This concept is one of the most important facets of Sukkos. First of all, Chazal (Taanis 9a) teach us that Klal Yisroel in the Wilderness had three great leaders (parnassim): Moshe, Aharon and Miriam. We received three gifts from them. The well that traveled with us was in the merit of Miriam. The monn was in the merit of Moshe and the Clouds of Glory were in the merit of Aharon. The Maharal (Netzach Yisroel 53-54) explains that Aharon was the great unifier of Klal Yisroel, which is exactly what the Ananei Hakavod did as well, since we all dwelled under the same clouds.
The Meshech Chochmah (20:18) also points out that Aharon wore on his heart the names of all of the shevatim, reflecting his love for each and every Jew. As the Chevroner rosh yeshiva points out (Zeman Simchoseinu, page 83), this was also reflected by the fact that when Aharon passed away, each and every Jew in Klal Yisroel mourned him personally (Yalkut 764). Thus, the unity of Klal Yisroel is built into the first moments when we received the divine protection of the Clouds of Glory, which were later commemorated by the Yom Tov of Sukkos.
Indeed, Rav Eliyohu Eliezer Dessler (Michtav M’Eliyohu, Sukkos, page 109) writes, “Sukkos, which teaches us to subjugate our very essence – bittul hayeish – to Hashem, automatically results in achdus, since there is no conflict between one person and another. There is no ego and therefore no conceit or self-centeredness. Perhaps for this reason, there is room in the sukkah for all Jews, because no one is pushing anyone away or claiming priority. We are all one. This is most manifest in the four species with which we daven and say Hallel all of Sukkos. The Chida (Rosh Dovid to Parshas Emor), amongst many others, understands the lulav, esrog, haddasim and aravos, which represent different types of Jews, to be the source of the great joy of Sukkos. Unity results in joy because there is no rancor or acrimony.
The Ramchal (Mesillas Yeshorim 13) adds another dimension to the achdus aspect of Sukkos. He quotes the Medrash (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12), which delineates the four types of Jews represented by the four species. Some have Torah but few good deeds. Some the reverse. Some have neither. Some have both. But all are part of Klal Yisroel. What the Ramchal adds is that this disparity is actually inevitable. “It is impossible,” he asserts, “that all of Klal Yisroel should be identical.” Therefore, there had to be a mechanism that would unify us despite our differences. This is the Yom Tov of Sukkos.
Rav Dovid Cohen (Zeman Simchoseinu, chapter 33) uses this idea to explain the words of the Rambam (Hilchos Lulav 8:12) that at the original Simchas Bais Hashoeivah in the Bais Hamikdosh, “only the gedolei Yisroel, roshei yeshivos and heads of the Sanhedrin…danced and sang, while everyone else came to see and hear.” Rav Cohen raises the obvious question that since all of Klal Yisroel is obligated to celebrate and be b’simcha on Sukkos, why is this event limited to the teachers of Torah and the leaders? He answers that just as the arba minim reflect that every Jew is a precious member of Klal Yisroel, there are levels of greatness and diverse responsibilities. None of this takes away from our achdus, but we must nevertheless recognize those levels of respect, especially on a Yom Tov and in the Bais Hamikdosh. We should add with the Pachad Yitzchok that since Sukkos is the Yom Tov of Acharis Hayomim, the days when the world will achieve perfection, this can only be learned from those who have already achieved a certain degree of perfection in their noble lives.
A good deal of Klal Yisroel and even many gentiles as well have become convinced that we are living in the End of Days. The haftoras of Sukkos are replete with references to that time of redemption, and we all cried over the devastation of last Sukkos, perhaps being a Gog UMagog phenomenon. We asked: What should we do now?
Sukkos brings us to achdus, and we must work on our love for each Jew, the Esrog Yid, the Lulav Yid, the Haddasim Yid and even the Aravos Yid. We all cried over those who were murdered last Sukkos who were not quite religious. That, too, led us to care about those who are different than us. Much of the religious revival of the past year, those who were actively chozer b’teshuvah and those who just put on tefillin or tzitzis for the first time, found a place in our hearts and we in theirs. This, too, is part of Sukkos and part of geulah.
Leaving our homes to go to our beautiful sukkos should remind us of our displaced brethren who have had to endure a truly bitter golus in our own land. But it gives us an opportunity to recall that we are looking forward to a true geulah, im yirtzeh Hashem. Sukkos is a Yom Tov when each day is different and unique, also inspiring us to continue to grow in our teshuvah and ahavas Yisroel over this Yom Tov. When we were created as a nation on Pesach, we had to separate into different groups, because we were just emerging from the 49th level of defilement and were just beginning to taste kedusha. However, on Sukkos, after a time when we suffered together and mourned together, we must try to sit in the great sukkah of all of Klal Yisroel, hopefully soon not only with the Ushpizin, but with Moshiach Tzidkeinu, bimeheirah beyomeinu.
