Shabbat Sukkot 5784: The Significance of the Sukkah

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוק בְּדִבְרֵי תורָה:

Blessing for Torah Study

Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha'Olam Asher Kideshanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu La'asok Bedivrei Torah

Blessed are you Adonai, our God, Sovereign of Eternity, who has made us holy through Your sacred callings and called upon us to immerse ourselves in the words of Torah.

ויקרא כ״ג:ל״ט-מ״ד

(לט) אַ֡ךְ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֜וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בְּאׇסְפְּכֶם֙ אֶת־תְּבוּאַ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ תָּחֹ֥גּוּ אֶת־חַג־יהוה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים בַּיּ֤וֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֖י שַׁבָּתֽוֹן׃(מ) וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן פְּרִ֨י עֵ֤ץ הָדָר֙ כַּפֹּ֣ת תְּמָרִ֔ים וַעֲנַ֥ף עֵץ־עָבֹ֖ת וְעַרְבֵי־נָ֑חַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵ֛י יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃(מא) וְחַגֹּתֶ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ חַ֣ג לַֽיהוה שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י תָּחֹ֥גּוּ אֹתֽוֹ׃(מב) בַּסֻּכֹּ֥ת תֵּשְׁב֖וּ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים כׇּל־הָֽאֶזְרָח֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַּסֻּכֹּֽת׃(מג) לְמַ֘עַן֮ יֵדְע֣וּ דֹרֹֽתֵיכֶם֒ כִּ֣י בַסֻּכּ֗וֹת הוֹשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּהוֹצִיאִ֥י אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

(מד) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־מֹעֲדֵ֖י יהוה אֶל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}

Leviticus 23:39-44

(39) Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the festival of יהוה [to last] seven days: a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day.(40) On the first day you shall take the product of hadartrees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God יהוה seven days.(41) You shall observe it as a festival of יהוה for seven days in the year; you shall observe it in the seventh month as a law for all time, throughout the ages.(42) You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths,(43) in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt—I, your God יהוה.

(44) So Moses declared to the Israelites the set times of יהוה.

The Seven Shepherds
Zohar 3:103b
Translation by Howard Schwartz

It is known that on the first night of Sukkot a mysterious guest sometimes appears in the booths of the righteous. This is none other than Abraham, who is the first of seven guests to appear, one on each night of the festival. On the second night Isaac appears, and on the third, Jacob. Joseph appears on the fourth night, Moses on the fifth, Aaron on the sixth, and King David on the last night of Sukkot. Blessed, indeed, are those who receive these guests, who are known as the Seven Shepherds. Every day of Sukkot one of these seven shepherds arrives at the sukkah as a guest.

[Among some modern Jews there is a custom of inviting the four matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, along with Miriam, Deborah, and Ruth, or other female leaders of the Jewish people, to visit the Sukkah.]

Before these celestial guests can appear, they must be invited with the following words: "Let us invite our guests. Let us prepare the table. You shall live in booths seven days (Lev.23:42). Be seated, guests on high, be seated! Be seated, guests of faith, be seated!"

Some say there is another visitor who is present for all seven days of the festival. That is the Shekhinah, who dwells in the sukkah of each righteous person as She once dwelled in the Temple of Jerusalem. She spreads Her wings over him from above, and Abraham and the other holy guests make their dwelling with him inside it. And one should rejoice on each of the seven days, and cheerfully welcome these guests to stay.

All the other days of the year, the Seven Shepherds are not able to descend to the lower world. This happens only in the sukkah, when air from the upper worlds is drawn down, and the sukkah becomes the Holy of Holies, and the Shekhinah dwells in it. Only then can the Seven Shepherds descend and enter this world. Therefore, everyone who fulfills the mitzvah of the sukkah becomes a partner with God in the work of Creation. Through the making of the sukkah and making a place for the Shekinah to rest, one fulfills God's intention to make a dwelling place below.

Blessed is the portion of those who have merited all this. For it is said that those who welcome the celestial guests into their sukkah will rejoice with them both in this world and the next.

סידור אשכנז, חגים, סוכות, תפילות בסוכה, כשנכנסים לסוכה א׳

הֲרֵינִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַת סֻכָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוַּנִי הַבּורֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמו בַּסֻּכּות תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כָּל הָאֶזְרָח בְּיִשרָאֵל יֵשְׁבוּ בַּסֻּכּות:

לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ דרתֵיכֶם כִּי בַסֻּכּות הושַׁבְתִּי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשרָאֵל בְּהוצִיאִי אותָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Festivals, Sukkot, Prayers in the Sukkah, Entering the Sukkah 1

Behold, I am ready and prepared to fulfill the commandment of the sukkah (booth), as the Creator, may God's Name be blessed, commanded me - as is written (Leviticus 23:43-44), "You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.

סידור אשכנז, חגים, סוכות, תפילות בסוכה, אושפיזין א׳

תִּיבוּ תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין עִילָאִין, תִּיבוּ תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין קַדִּישִׁין, תִּיבוּ תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵיהון דְיִשרָאֵל דִּכְתִיב כִּי חֵלֶק יהוה עַמּו יַעֲקב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתו:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Festivals, Sukkot, Prayers in the Sukkah, Ushpizin 1

Be seated, guests on high, be seated! Be seated, guests of faith, be seated! Worthy is Israel's portion, as it is written (Deuteronomy 32:9), "For the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotment."

סידור אשכנז, חגים, סוכות, תפילות בסוכה, אושפיזין ה׳-י״א

(ה) בלילה ראשון כשנכנס לסוכה קודם שישב לאכול ובכל יום קודם סעודתו יאמר זה:

(ו) אֲזַמִין לִסְעוּדָתִי אוּשְׁפִּיזִין עִילָאִין אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקב משֶׁה אַהֲרן יוסֵף וְדָּוִד:

(ח) ביום הראשון אומר:

(ט) בְּמָטֵי מִינָךְ אַבְרָהָם אוּשְׁפִּיזִי עִילָאִי דְיַתְבֵי עִמִּי וְעִמָּךְ כָּל אוּשְׁפִּיזֵי עִילָאִי יִצְחָק יַעֲקב משֶׁה אַהֲרן יוסֵף וְדָּוִד:

(י) ביום השני אומר:

(יא) בְּמָטֵי מִינָךְ יִצְחָק אוּשְׁפִּיזִי עִילָאִי דְיַתְבֵי עִמִּי וְעִמָּךְ כָּל אוּשְׁפִּיזֵי עִילָאִי אַבְרָהָם יַעֲקב משֶׁה אַהֲרן יוסֵף וְדָּוִד:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Festivals, Sukkot, Prayers in the Sukkah, Ushpizin 5-11

(5)On the first night when one enters the sukkah before sitting to eat, and on every night before the meal, one should say:

(6) I am inviting the lofty guests, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Deborah, Joseph, Ruth, and David.

(8)On the first day, one says:

(9) If you please, Abraham and Sarah, my lofty guests, may all of the exalted guests - Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Deborah, Joseph, Ruth, and David - sit with me and you.

(10)On the second day, one says:

(11) If you please, Isaac and Rebecca, my lofty guests, let all of the exalted guests - Abraham, Sara, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Deborah, Joseph, Ruth, and David - sit with me and with you.

Rabbi Michael Strassfeld

There is another connection between the ushpizin and Sukkot. All of the ushpizin were wanderers or exiles: Abraham left his father's house to go to Israel; all three patriarchs wandered in the land of Canaan, dealing with the rulers from the a position of disadvantaged; Jacob fled to Laban; Joseph was exiled from his family; Moses fled Egypt for Midian and later, together with Aaron, led the people for forty years wandering in the desert; and David fled from Saul. The theme of wandering and homelessness symbolized by the temporariness of the sukkah is reflected in the lives of the ushpizin.

Rabbi Nina Mandel

Ushpizin need not be limited to biblical ancestors. On the first night of Sukkot, while lighting the candles, you can have tea lights available (most safely in votive cups) and invite everyone present to invite their own ancestors by lighting one of these candles. Other practices also invoke the spirit of hospitality and generate conversation and remembrances- hanging pictures of friends and relatives in the sukkah; hanging gourds with people's names written on them; and discussing pertinent topics, such as which historical figure you would like to invite into the sukkah.

Questions for Discussion:

How do you understand the significance of building and dwelling/eating in a Sukkah? What meaning do you make of the experience?
How is that understanding altered by the teaching around the ushpizin/the "seven shepherds"? What significance do they bring to our understanding of sukkot?
How does it influence your understanding of sukkot for ourselves to take in the teaching by Rabbi Strassfeld that all of the uspizin/seven shepherds are "wanderers or exiles"?
Which historical figure would you invite to the Sukkah? And why?

Rabbi Nathan Kamesar