The Essence

THE FESTIVAL OF G-D

Rabbi Moshe Alshich

"On the fifteenth of this [seventh] month shall be the festival of Sukkot to G-d" (Lev. 23:34)

We must first understand the basic difference between Sukkot and Passover and Shavuot. The latter denote historic events which had already taken place and had been experienced by the people whom Moses addressed. When it came to Sukkot, the events being celebrated had not taken place yet. There had not been an important historical event to cause the Jew to move out of his house into a flimsy hut for seven days every year. If we were to consider the fact that G-d provided ananey hakovod, (clouds representing the presence of G-d's glory,) to protect us from the sun, as implied in verse 43, surely the forty years of manna and the wandering well, would rate equally with the clouds, and we have no festivals commemorating those miracles!

The repeating of laymor, 'to say', in verse 34, and the emphasis on "this seventh month," is to tell Israel that this festival does not occur in Nissan, when the Clouds of Glory first manifested themselves, but in this 7th month, when your honour was restored before G-d, and the justification of the existence of mankind altogether was demonstrated.

Both Passover and Shavuot represent a reward to Israel who had displayed dedication at the Exodus, and who had accepted the yoke of the Torah. These festivals are lashem, they represent justification for G-d (i.e. they are G-d's) who had argued that man was worth creating because Israel would display such a lofty moral level. It is a celebration for G-d, then also. G-d's greatest victory, however, was the fact that Israel had recovered from the stain on its soul due to the golden calf episode, which first appeared to give the angels a chance to confront G-d and remind Him that they had voted against the creation of man. The rehabilitation process had been completed right after Yom Kippur, when G-d had first seen fit to forgive Israel, (at the end of Moses' third forty day stay on the mountain.)

The Sukkot festival then is first and foremost chag lashem, a "festival of G-d," Israel not having contributed any input to merit this festival. We rejoice that G-d is happy and has seen His judgment proven right.

By taking the 4 species, (which according to the Zohar represent the four letters in the holy name of G-d) we express our joy in His joy, His celebration. In Vayikra Rabba 30, we find a similar interpretation of the meaning of the 4 species.

The meaning of this is that, since according to tradition the 15th of Tishrey is the first day on which our sins are recorded again after the Day of Atonement, we arm ourselves with symbols of the holy name of G-d, to appeal to His mercy and kindness, to help us resist our evil urge.

(adapted from Torat Moshe - 16th commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshich of Zefat on the Torah, as translated and condensed in the English version of Eliyahu Munk)