The two primary mitzvos of the holiday of Succos are dwelling
in the succah and taking the lulav. What is the connection between these two
mitzvos?
The Sfas Emes explains that the succah represents God
protecting us. God spreads His canopy over us, “הַפּוֹרֵס סוּכַּת שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ/He spreads His canopy of peace upon us.” (Evening
prayer on Shabbos and Yom Tov) We
leave our “secure” homes to live for a week in a temporary dwelling in order to
show that it is God who protects us, not our secure home. Whether we deserve it
or not, God wants to protect us just as a father wants to protect his son. In
fact, God relates to us as His children, “בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה׳ אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶם .../You are children of God, your Lord …” (Devarim
14:1) This is obviously a great kindness
that God shows us.
For our part, the children of Israel
also want to connect with God and come close to Him. We want to accomplish His
will so that we deserve His protection rather than being the beneficiaries of
God’s total kindness. Taking the lulav represents our accepting God’s
benevolence. “וּלְקַחְתֶּם
לָכֶם ... פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים .../Take for yourselves … the fruit of the citrus tree, branches of
palms …” (VaYikra 23:40) The
extra word לָכֶם/for yourselves implies that we take God’s
benevolence to ourselves.
Why does the lulav particularly represent God’s benevolence?
The word לוּלָב/lulav has the same gematria –
numerical value – as the word חַיִים/life. By taking the lulav we are showing
God that we want to receive true life from Him. In Tehillim we find, “תּוֹדִיעֵנִי אֹרַח
חַיִּים שֹׂבַע שְׂמָחוֹת .../Make
known to me the path of life, the satiating joys …” (Tehillim 16:11) Recognizing that true life comes from God
filled David HaMelech with joy and satiates us as well.
The succah represents more than God’s protection, though. It
also represents da’as/knowledge as we find regarding the mitzvah of
succah, “לְמַעַן
יֵדְעוּ ... כִּי בַסֻּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל .../In order that they may know … that I
settled the children of Israel in huts …” (VaYikra 23:43) The pasuk uses the word “knowledge” in order
to hint that God gives each Jew knowledge through the mitzvah of succah.
The
Sfas Emes takes this concept a step further and declares that the knowledge of
the entire year stems from Succos. Succos is the last holiday of three major
holidays, the shalosh regalim. The word for holiday that is used here is
regel which literally means foot implying that the entire year stands
upon the base of these holidays.
The Sfas Emes explains elsewhere that da’as/knowledge
represents applying our spiritual wisdom and understanding in our everyday
lives.[1] By taking the lulav we accept this
attribute of da’as/knowledge into the depths of our hearts.
The mitzvah of succah represents God’s protection,
enlightenment and gift of da’as/knowledge. The mitzvah of taking the
lulav represents our internalizing these gifts. May we merit it!
[1] The
Sfas Emes may be alluding to chochma/wisdom, bina/understanding
and da’as/knowledge. Each of the shalosh regalim would then
represent one of these midos with Succos representing the last midah of da’as/knowledge.
See Sfas Emes Naso 5631 First Ma’amar.
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