The Goal of Sukkot

by Rav Yosef Zvi

Founder and Board Chairman, JobKatif

The Shulchan Orach writes “In the Sukkah you shall sit for seven days…because I made Nation of Israel dwell in Sukkot of the Clouds of Glory that protected them from the heat and sun”

This is a very unique commentary from the Shulchan Orach since usually the Shulchan Orach is a book of Halacha and it doesn’t usually discuss the meaning of a Mitzvah. Why here does the Shulchan Orach change his style and write the meaning of the Mitzvah for a Sukkah?

Rabi Yoel Sirkish (17 c.) answers in his Halachik book, Bach that normally when a reason for a Mitzvah is given it comes to enhance the doing of the specific Mitzvah but it is not at all part of it. This is different however when in comes to the Mitzvah of Sukkah where actually the reason it part of the Mitzvah itself. To take this even further someone who sits in a Sukkah with out knowing the reason doesn’t completely fulfill the Mitzvah. Why is this?

The Bach explains further that the reason for the Mitzvah of Sukkah is written clearly in the Torah. 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…” (Vayikra 23: 43). The Bach writes that Tiffilin (The reason: “so that you will have your Torah in your mouth” (Shmote 13:9)) and Tzizit (“So that you will remember to do all the Mitzvot”(Bamidbar 15:30)) are another two rare Mitzvot that have the reason for the Mitzvah attached to the Mitzvah it self.

A reason for the actual Holiday of Sukkah may be understood if we look at the set of Holidays that take place in Tishrei. Does the Holiday of Sukkot actually fit in? On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur a person is supposed to separate himself from physicality in order to uplift his soul. Even more so on Yom Kippur when a person refrains from all physicality.

However a person is not expected to stay on this level the entire year. This is the goal of Sukkot. The Holiday of Sukkot is completely physical. We fulfill Mitzvot on this Holiday by eating and sleeping the Sukka. This is even the Holiday with an aspect of double enjoyment,  “And you shall rejoice in your feast…and you shall be altogether happy” (Devarim 16:14-15). We come to this happiness through physical things such as eating meat, drinking wine and buying nice clothing for your wife.

The purpose of Sukkot is to take the high level of spirituality that we got on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and bring it into our daily, materialistic lives.

This Holiday even ends with Simchat Torah celebrating the Torah. After we got the Torah G-d said to Moshe “Go say to them: Return to your tents” (Devarim 5:26). The Rebbi Mekotz said that G-d was saying to Moshe: “say to the nation- at Mount Sinai you were on such a high level but this is not the meaning of life. Instead go to your houses and bring the experiences and meaning of what occurred at Mount Sinai in to your houses.”

This also applies to us. Sukkot is the test after the High Holidays. We sit in the Sukka, eat and drink, we are merry, and life is back to normal but within a setting of sanctity and purity. After Sukkot is over we have the ability to be better equipped to combine spirituality and physicality in our lives.

May this Sukkot we all succeed in bring the spirituality down to the physical world and then ultimately into are daily lives.

Shana Tova and Chag Sameach!