Category: Sukkos

The Gathering of Koheles

On Shabbos Chol HaMo’ed Sukkos we read Koheles, which speaks at length of the futility of this world, that all is vanity. It is called Koheles because Shlomo delivered these words in assembly, as the sages taught. (Koheles Rabbah 1:2) Through the gathering of many Jewish souls together, it becomes possible to impress more deeply upon the heart that the world is truly “vanity of vanities.” (Koheles 1:2) Each person alone might otherwise imagine that it is possible to find true satisfaction solely in material concerns. But through Koheles—the true tzaddik in whom wisdom is gathered, as Rashi explains—people are brought together, their experiences understood as a whole. In this way he reveals that everything is vanity, for the world is filled with suffering, as it says: “For all his days are pain and vexation.” (Koheles 2:23) There is no true good except to turn from evil and do good, as the book concludes: “The end of the matter, all having been heard: Fear Hashem and keep His mitzvos, for this is the whole of man.” This means that the only true definition of man is one who fears Hashem and observes His mitzvos. Whoever lacks this consciousness has not actualized himself into a true mentsch.

Regarding the tzaddik who attains this in perfection, it is said: “For this is the whole of man.” As the sages taught: “The entire world was created only for this one, to accompany him.” (Berachos 6b) All people must gather to him to receive the true and holy daas that brings them close to Hashem. Each one, according to his closeness to the tzaddik, is included within the definition of Adam, for “this is the whole of man.”

Sukkos is called “the Festival of Ingathering,” when all types of produce are harvested. (Shemos 23:16; see Rashi and Chagigah 18a) This parallels the ingathering and assembly of the souls of Israel, who are gathered into the sukkah of peace, into the clouds of glory. The flavors of all foods are drawn from daas, which is the Torah, and this flows through the gathering of the souls of Israel, since daas contains all the symbolic hints and from it come all the flavors of the world, concentrated in bread. Bread is the main food, in which all flavors are gathered, like the manna. For this reason the primary mitzvah of eating in the sukkah is eating bread. Fruits may be eaten outside, since they do not constitute a fixed meal. (Shulchan Aruch, OC 639:2). The obligation of sukkah rests on bread, and specifically then one recites the blessing “to dwell in the sukkah.”

The Holy Gathering

The cycle of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and the Four Species is united by one central theme: the holy gathering of the Jewish people. All the rectifications of Tishrei are achieved through this gathering, when the Jewish people bind themselves to the true tzaddikim—the shepherds of each generation. On Rosh Hashanah, this is revealed in the shofar blasts, which “draw in the scattered ones.” On Yom Kippur, each Jew seeks peace with his fellow, for the essence of the gathering is unity, and without peace the assembly is broken.

This unity takes visible form on Sukkos, whose structures parallel the ananei hakavod, the clouds of glory that encompassed all 600,000 souls of Israel in the wilderness. These clouds came in the merit of Aharon the Kohen, who “loved peace and pursued peace, loved people and brought them close to Torah” (Avos 1:12). The sukkah represents the sanctity of gathering the Jewish people and drawing down holy daas that unifies all the supernal worlds. As it says, “All the native-born in Israel shall dwell in sukkos” (Vayikra 23:42)—a hint to the collective souls of Israel gathered together within sukkas shalom, the sukkah of peace.

The ushpizin, the seven shepherds, enter the sukkah, embodying the tzaddikim, the true spiritual guides in every generation, as it is written: “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock; with His arm He will gather the lambs.” (Yeshayah 40:11) Their task is to gather the scattered and to sustain the holy community for all generations. This is the deeper meaning of the sages’ teaching: “The entire Jewish people can fulfill their obligation with one sukkah,” (Sukkah 27b) for the sukkah is the symbol of Israel’s eternal unity.

Amalek seeks to destroy this unity. When Aharon died and the clouds of glory departed, Amalek attacked. As the sages taught, Amalek’s war is directed against the weak and straggling ones—the very people whom the cloud would cast out, as it says: “He struck the weak who lagged behind you.” (Devarim 25:18). The true tzaddik fights on their behalf, saving them from Amalek’s forces and corrupt ideas, and draws them back into the holy gathering within the clouds of glory, the sukkah of peace. The Zohar explains that Moshe restored the clouds of glory even after Aharon’s passing. The well, the manna, and the clouds all returned in Moshe’s merit, as the sages taught. He also fashioned the copper serpent: “When a serpent bit a man, he would look at the copper serpent and live.” (Bamidbar 21:9). And our sages said: “Does a serpent kill or give life? Rather, when Israel looked upward they were healed; when not, they perished.” (Rosh Hashanah 29a) This parallels Moshe’s uplifted hands: “When Moshe raised his hands, Israel prevailed.” Both teach one lesson—that the Jewish people must always look upward. This is the essence of the holy allusions of daas, the illumination that enables us to reflect at all times and to draw strength to remain firm in our place, focusing on the positive and overcoming all discouragement and despair.

Helping Hands in the Sukkah

The sukkah represents makifim (“surrounding lights”—supernal illumination that is as yet out of one’s reach). This corresponds to the illumination of Divine will that shines specifically during eating if one is focused on connecting to Hashem. For this reason one must eat in the sukkah, and specifically then recite the blessing “to dwell in the sukkah.” As we eat, we receive light from the hints that Hashem sends to us, especially when things are difficult–these hints are called the “hands in the sea of wisdom.” The hands are handholds of understanding that are provided to us from on high. Just as we take hold of the bread in our hands when we eat in the sukkah, our minds take hold of the ways in which Hashem extends the nourishing glimpses of understanding to us even when we struggle.

The same pattern appears in the Four Species, which are taken in hand on Sukkos and waved in every direction. The purpose is to remind each person not to despair, but to strive to be included in the holy gathering that draws from the waters of daas, from the fountains of salvation. The Four Species allude to the different groups within Israel, as the sages taught (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12): the esrog has both taste and fragrance; the lulav has taste but no fragrance; the hadassim have fragrance but no taste; and the aravos have neither taste nor fragrance. All are bound together, as it says: “He binds His bundle upon the earth,” (Amos 9:6) as the sages explained. (Tanchuma, Emor 17) In this binding, even the sinners of Israel, represented by the aravos, are included in the holy gathering and rectified, for “whoever joins with the pure becomes pure.” (Bava Kama 92a)

Special attention is given on Sukkos to the aravos, as the sages said: “They would bring large branches of willow,” especially on Hoshanah Rabbah. (Sukkah 45a) The main effort is for the sake of the aravos, to awaken them also to join the holy assembly, for this is their only rectification. With this binding we also pray for sustenance, which comes through bitachon when we merit to receive from the “hands,” those sustaining hints we receive from on high. This is the aspect of the Four Species, which are specifically taken in hand.