The Essence

The Festivals, the Process and the Promised Land

Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles

Michael Freund

On the festival of Sukkot, Jews around the world traditionally leave the comforts of their homes and go to dwell in little booths, temporary dwellings meant to recall the manner in which the Children of Israel lived in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. The commandment to dwell in the sukka (hut or booth) appears in the Book of Leviticus (23:42-3), where the Torah states: "You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period; every native in Israel shall dwell in booths. So that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took them out from the land of Egypt; I am the L-rd your G-d."
The Question: What does the sukka symbolize?
The Answer:
      The commentators note that the sukka, as a temporary dwelling, is symbolic of the Exile. [Rabbi Yisrael of Rizhin] the Knesset Yisrael (cited in MeOtzareinu HaYashan) offers a beautiful elaboration on this theme, pointing out that the laws regarding the construction of the sukka also hint at the nature of Jewish life in the Exile. For example: the material used for the s'chach (the covering of the sukka) is required to be detached from the earth (i.e. you can not use a branch attached to a tree, unless you remove it from the tree). This, says the Knesset Yisrael, is symbolic of how Jewish life in the Diaspora is not firmly rooted and can easily be detached. Also: the minimum height required for a sukka to be kosher (i.e. fit for use) is ten tefachim (fists), or a total about 40 inches, which is hardly tall enough to allow a person to lift his head. This, says the Knesset Yisrael, is to remind us how in the Diaspora, Jews must often walk with their heads bowed, cowering in fear, rather than upright and proud like a free people. Also, every year the sukka must be rebuilt from scratch, just as Jewish homes, businesses and communities in the Diaspora have been built and then subsequently dismantled, requiring the Jews to move on and rebuild again, starting over from the beginning. We see from the Knesset Yisrael's explanation that the sukka is meant to impress upon us the vulnerability of Jewish life in the Exile.
The Lesson:
     Jewish life in exile is transitory and uncertain. Living outdoors in a booth, exposed to the elements and with little in the way of physical protection, the Jew realizes that he must turn his gaze heavenward to seek security. Yet, while the Sukka symbolizes Jewish exile, it can also represent Jewish redemption. During the week of Sukkot, in the Grace after Meals, a special prayer is added which says: "May the Compassionate One erect for us David's fallen booth ["Sukkat David" in Heb.]." What exactly is this "Sukkat David"? The term itself is taken from the Book of Amos (9:11), where G-d says, "On that day, I will raise up the fallen booth of David ["Sukkat David"], and I will close up their breaches and I will raise up its ruins, and build it up as in the days of yore." The Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin (96b-97a) understands the phrase "Sukkat David" as referring to the Davidic monarchy, which will be restored when the Messiah comes. Thus, even when the Jew is living in his Sukka of Exile, he is thinking ahead to a time when the sukka will come to mean something far greater and more permanent -- the Final Redemption.
      Let us hope and pray that this year, we will all merit to see our own Sukkot similarly transformed -- from outposts of exile to fortresses of redemption.
Chag Sameach!

Michael Freund served as Deputy Director of Communications and Policy Planning in the Prime Minister’s Office from 1996 to 1999. He is currently an editorial writer and syndicated columnist for the Jerusalem Post. Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com