Time waits for no man. We are well into the month of Tishrei. We started off with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at the beginning of the month, and now we are celebrating Sukkos. If we are to follow our recurring theme that each month has its own form of growth, then the question we should be asking ourselves now is “What should we be learning from Tishrei?” It’s a tricky question. The holidays of the month are usually our guiding light, but Tishrei has so many holidays that it’s hard to know where to start. Let’s analyze the individual themes of the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur) and then of Sukkos and see if we can’t put them together to draw an enduring message from which can grow.
Everyone knows the theme of the Yamim Noraim. Rosh Hashanah is the day of Malchuyos – when we make G-d our King. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. The days in between are the Days of Repentance. Together, these days are called the Yemei Din – the Days of Judgment. The Machzor states, “On Rosh Hashanah the decree is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.” Thus we see that the first third of Tishrei is the time during which Hashem analyzes our deeds and uses them as the basis for the judgment of how the next year will look.
The theme of Sukkos, on the other hand, is a little trickier to pinpoint. Let’s turn to the Shulchan Aruch as a reference point. “[The Torah commands] ‘You shall dwell in booths (sukkos) for seven days because I caused the Jewish People to dwell in booths when I took them from the land of Egypt.’ These booths mentioned in the verse are actually a reference to the Clouds of Glory.” It seems from the Shulchan Aruch that the holiday of Sukkos is all about remembering the Clouds of Glory. Indeed, the Mishna Berurah states, “When one sits in the sukkah, he must have kavanah (active intent) and think about the Exodus and the fact that Hashem surrounded us with the Clouds of Glory to protect us from the elements. This kavanah is necessary in order to fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah properly.” So what is it about these clouds that we want to recall? It seems these clouds were what Hashem surrounded us with in the wilderness to protect us from the desert sun and the sweltering heat. Scorpions and snakes could not penetrate these clouds, nor could enemy armies. It could then be said that the Clouds of Glory were Hashem’s way of enveloping us in His all-powerful and loving embrace.
But even this needs explanation. In what way does the sukkah remind us of the Clouds of Glory? If you were to say that Hashem took care of us following the Exodus and protected us from the elements when we were living in were actual booths (as one Sage in the Gemara indeed opines), then I would understand why we should live in booths as a remembrance. But in what way are clouds represented by a booth? And let’s ask a few more questions. Why does Hashem require the sukkah to be built according to such precise laws? What is the meaning behind the halacha that a sukkah must be temporary (i.e. less than a height deemed to be permanent)? Why did Hashem command that while the walls can be strong as steel, the roof must be made of weak, natural growth? Why must the roof be of a thickness that causes more shade than sun, while at the same time the stars must be able to be seen? What is the meaning behind all these laws? And how do they connect to the theme of the Clouds of Glory?
In order to answer all these questions, let’s turn to the arba minim – the four species that Hashem commanded us to take and wave on Sukkos. The Midrash (Vayikrah Rabbah 30:2) compares the Four Species to a victory banner held aloft and waved by triumphant soldiers returning from the battlefield. Why these particular four species were chosen to be part of this victory banner is a discussion beyond the scope of this article. But the idea of the Midrash remains. The arba minim join to form a victory banner. Why are we celebrating? The Midrash explains that we are celebrating because Yom Kippur just ended and the judgment was sealed, so we rejoice with confidence that we were acquitted of our sins and judged favorably.
But herein lies an essential question. Who are we fooling? Who said we received a favorable decree? Who said Hashem decided we were going to have a sweet year? Every year has problems. So why are we waving a victory banner so joyously?
The answer is as follows. It is true that we don’t know what our decree contained. It may contain hardships or bitterness. But it is coming from Hashem and therefore it is, by definition, good. Hashem does everything for a good reason. Everything He does is for our benefit. True, it is difficult to see Hashem in this world. His light is often not visible. Most of the time there is more shade than sun. But we are enjoined to recall that this world is but a temporary place. Hashem is above time and space; He is infinite. He knows better. He’s got a plan. We can work as hard as we want, we can build skyscrapers of steel, but at end of the day we are under the dominion and control of the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. He is in complete control. He displayed his omnipotence in the wilderness when He surrounded us with mere clouds and they somehow sufficed to protect us from fierce beasts and marauding armies. His Hand may not be as visible and obvious anymore, but in spite of the fact that there is more shade than sun, the stars can always be seen twinkling through the cracks. Hashem is indeed always maytzitz min hacharakim – peering through the lattices (Shir Hashirim 2:9). He’s always watching us, and everything He does is good.
Now I think we have what we can learn from Tishrei. On Rosh Hashanah we declare Hashem King. We accept His yoke and beg for a sweet new year. We have ten days of repentance in which we try to show Hashem that we indeed wish to come closer to Him. On Yom Kippur we beg forgiveness for all our misdeeds and plead that Hashem seal us in the Book of Life. Then, on Sukkos, we celebrate. We live in the sukkah and wave our victory banner. Why the sukkah? And why the victory banner? Because the sukkah, in all its minute details, displays how we will now try to live according to the reality we perceived during the Days of Awe. We will now live with the reality that Hashem is the omnipotent King of the universe. We will accept Him and all He decrees for us. Not resentfully; au contraire – joyfully! We know that He knows best and He only wants what’s best for us. He has a master plan, and we have the privilege to watch it unfold! Can you help but feel the simcha? Have a meaningful and joyous Tishrei.