What’s a Sukka?
A Sukka is a temporary dwelling.
A hut with a thatched roof.
It needs to have a minimum of 2 1/2 walls.
That formation looks like a hug, a Divine embrace which surrounds us in the form of a hug called a Sukka.
There is a sun/star/shade ratio when constructing the roof which is made of vegetation.
The vegetation needs to be plentiful, but not too much.
A bit see through but not too sparse.
There should be more shade than sun but when you look up in the evening you should still be able to see the stars.
Aka sun/shade/star ratio.
Can you build a Sukka on a boat?
Yes you can!
On the back of a camel?
Yup
How about using an elephant for one of the walls?
Affirmative.
Have Sukka - will travel.
Which is sort of the point.
The first Sukkas were the ones our ancestors lived in during their sojourn in the desert.
They literally lived in portable huts which they would transport from station to station, from stop to stop.
A Sukka is also called Tzila D’Mehemnusa in Aramaic. That means Shade of Faith.
During that long trek in the desert, the Jewish people were literally surrounded by Clouds of Glory which sheltered them from the sun and protected them from the cold.
It was a Divine hug.
The purpose of the Sukka is to carry the special closeness and connection we experienced on Yom Kippur - into our lives.
Yom Kippur is, as Charlie Harrary says, like life on a mountaintop. We take away everything physical and we confess, cry and connect. But the danger is thinking that Gd only wants to connect with us only on that plane.
Sukkot teaches us otherwise.
It’s the same Gd as on Yom Kippur, but now we interact in the place of daily life.
Sukkot sends the message that Gd wants to be with us in every facet of life. Thats why eat, sleep, have joyous meals with family and friends and I even know someone who is setting up a place for mahjong in her Sukka. We live real life in the Sukka over the holiday of Sukkot.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks puts it all into perspective by saying
“Gd created the Universe to make room for us. A Sukka is a space we make room for Gd.
It’s reminiscent of the Tabernacle in the desert.
The artisan who created that edifice and crafted all its accoutrements was a man named. Betzalel.
(Like the art school in Israel. Now you know why it’s called Betzalel School of Fine Arts)!
Betzalel is a conjugation of two words, B’tzel E-L. In the shadow of Gd. Betzalel had the wisdom to create a physical place where one could interact with the Divine.
That’s what happens in the Sukka
The Maor VShrmesh teaches that the vegetation on top of the Sukka has to allow us to see the stars. He calls it the glimmering of Divine kindness.
We are all on a journey through a virtual desert. Times can be dark. There doesn’t seem to be much light.
But when you go into a Sukka and you want to check its viability ie the shade/star ratio, you have to look up.
The Sukka teaches us to look up.
To see the stars glimmering in the darkness.
It’s a Shade of Faith.
We know they even in what seems to be the darkest of times, the light hasn’t left us.
In the words of Mrs. Feigie Selzcer
“The light hasn’t left us , it has simply become the light we can carry”.
It’s the virtual hug and everlasting faith which will carry us through the darkest of times.
Sukkot is called Zman Simchateinu, our time of joy.
It’s recognizing the glimmer of Divine kindness, the hug we feel even at the darkest of times, even in a flimsy hut, as long as we remember to keep looking up.
Chag Sameach
Happy Sukkot!
Will reconnect after the holiday.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!