Torah

A Sukkah of Peace

After having conducted a 40-day retrospective of our year, ultimately repenting for our mistakes on Yom Kippur - we are provided a moment to look forward to the year ahead. This is why Sukkot represents a kind of fresh start, the beginning of a new paradigm in our spiritual growth.

The Hidden Orchard

28 Sep 2023 — 4 min read

Sukkahs in Jerusalem

Sukkot is probably one of my favorite holidays. Aside from the fun of building a Sukkah¹, (often translated as a 'booth' or 'tent'), and spending time in it with friends and neighbors - this holiday marks a shift in our spiritual focus on both the collective and personal levels.

After having conducted a 40-day retrospective of our year, ultimately repenting for our mistakes on Yom Kippur - we are provided a moment in time to look forward to the year ahead. This is why Sukkot represents a kind of fresh start, the beginning of a new paradigm in our spiritual development.

Wholeness

Sukkot provides a chance to get away from the false sense of security of modern life, wall-mounted TVs, and industrial structures to spend time in a makeshift shelter. This experience can jumpstart our Emunah, reminding us that it is upon the Creator whom we truly rely.

Unexpectedly, the sukkah itself represents a kind of wholeness. We're reminded of this idea when reciting the Hashkiveinu prayer;

“Lord spread over us your (סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ)
sukkah of shalom.”

We'll explore this shortly, but it is from within the sukkah we can connect with the Creator to plan, establish new habits, and think about where we are headed.

Ushpizin

To help us with this, each night of Sukkot welcomes a spiritual guest (Ushpizin) to join us in our sukkah. Each of these guests will impart to us an opportunity to make use of a particular attribute (Sefirot²), or an energy that we may incorporate into our development plan.

They correspond as follows:

• Abraham represents Chesed (Lovingkindness)
• Isaac, Gevurah (Discipline)
• Jacob, Tiferet (Harmony/Balance)
• Moses, Netzach (Victory/Endurance)
• Aaron, Hod (Splendor/Humility)
• Joseph, Yesod (Foundation)
• David, Malchut (Kingdom)

This daily opportunity helps us to recalibrate our character traits with a little help from above.

Repair and Renewal

Another dimension of Sukkot is marital reunion, symbolizing the dynamics of a bride and groom. As we learned in a previous article³, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the day that humanity was created. As we are aware, not long after their creation, Adam and Eve made a significant miscalculation, forever altering humanity and the entirety of creation.

Tradition tells us that this mistake became the catalyst for their separation. After a repentance of their own, it was during the time of Sukkot that they reunited and began to move forward again. This reaffirms the mazal of the days of Sukkot as a symbol of reunion and the emergence of a new beginning.

This idea is reflected in the meditation of unifying above and below. When holding the Lulav and Etrog, we make a conscious effort to connect the spiritual and physical aspects of ourselves. This idea is reflected in the structure of the Sefirot.

Collectively

In addition to all of this, Sukkot also represents global redemption, a future time when all of humanity will unite and align around one shared vision, under One G_D.

This is hinted at in the Book of Jonah, a book we read during the prayer services of Yom Kippur. In the story, after Nineveh's miraculous repentance, Jonah builds a sukkah.

The prophet Zechariah indicates the kingdom will begin with the nations celebrating Sukkot:

All who survive of all those nations that came up against Jerusalem shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the King LORD of Hosts and to observe the Feast of Sukkot. - Zechariah 14:16

With these dynamics, Sukkot also represents the arrival of Messiah and the inauguration of the messianic kingdom. Though their timing was off, the people in Jerusalem seemed to be aware of this tradition as many of them waved palm branches upon Yeshua’s arrival into the city⁴.

A Loving Embrace

The kabbalists visually describe the Sukkah with its 3-walls, as a kind of hug from the Creator, standing before us with open arms.

During this time, undoubtedly, the world will continue to spin around us, abounding in busyness, fear, anxiety, and strife. Nevertheless, we are to take time to experience this Holy embrace.

From this sukkah of shalom, we are called to escape the madness to dream, pray, and recalibrate who we want to be in the coming year.