Sukkot

“The Meaning of Sukkot: Insights of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch”

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), the great leader of German Jewry, uncovers extraordinary insights in the mitzvah of Sukkah. Among other insights, Rabbi Hirsch boldly proclaims that the message of Sukkah is to go into the Sukkah with G-d and have ultimate faith in Him, Who sustains everyone in the wilderness and in their homes.

“A Turning Point for Humankind”

As much as Sukkot is a nature-oriented celebration, it is much more a G-d-centered festival, and therein lies the essential revolutionariness of Sukkot.

"Sukkot: The Dialectic of a Festival"

The festival of Sukkot actually represents a delicate balance between the spiritual and material worlds. The Talmud records a dispute between the rabbis concerning whether the "sukkot" (booths) referred to in the Torah were actual physical booths that were built by the people of Israel, or Divine Clouds of Glory that hovered over the people as they traveled in the wilderness. These two opinions represent the dialectic between the physical and the material world that is necessary for achieving a proper balance in life.

"The Imperative of Joy"

Non-Jewish theologians often promote the misleading notion that Jewish worshipers pray while trembling in fear and mortal dread before a vengeful deity. The truth is that Jews are meant to serve G-d in joy and happiness. It is on the festival of Sukkot where joy reaches its peak. Therefore we are mandated on Sukkot to be joyful, and to reaffirm that joy is intended to be the natural state of the Jewish people.

"Sukkot- The Festival of Joy"

The holiday of Sukkot, known as the "Festival of Joy" was renowned in ancient times for its most festive celebration of Simchat Beit Hashoeva, the festival of the water libation. Around the year 95 B.C.E. when the King of Judea, Alexander Yannai, attempted to change the ritual of water libation, he was pelted by the traditionalists, leading to a massacre of many of the celebrants. While even the minute detail of the Sukkot rituals were sacred to the ancients, most contemporary Jews fail to celebrate Sukkot in any manner, and know absolutely nothing of this very special joyous festival.