As we prepare for the glorious days of Sukkot, it behooves us to have the proper mindset and focus our attention on the fundamental messages of this special holiday.
The essence of Sukkot is joy. It is called זמן שמחתנו – “our occasion of joy” – and we are commanded ושמחת בחגך, to rejoice on the holiday. The Peleh Yoetz explains that after the Yamim Nora’im, when we are purified from our sins, Hashem wants us to once again rejoice, and so He commanded us to do so. It thus turns out that we are to feel joyful and will then earn reward for our happiness.
True joy is experienced through a feeling of closeness with Hashem. We are so fortunate that Hashem has chosen us to be His special nation, that He loves us, and that He has told us many times how much He loves us.
The Peleh Yoetz adds that on Sukkot, השכינה פורשת כנפיה עלינו והאם רובצת על הבנים – the Shechinah “spreads it wings over us” like a mother bird protecting its young. The sukkah represents the clouds of glory which were a manifestation of G-d’s presence protecting our ancestors in the desert. The Torah explains למען ידעו דורותיכם – Hashem wants all generations of Jews to know this, because just as He protected us back then, He protects us now, as well. The Netivot Shalom describes the holiday of Sukkot by citing the pasuk in Shir Hashirim, הביאני המלך חדריו – Hashem takes us into His private room. The Zohar cites a different pasuk in Shir Hashirim: בצלו חמדתי וישבתי – we sit with Hashem basking in His “shade.” This is the holiday of joy because it is the holiday of love. During the times of the Bet Ha’mikdash, we performed on Sukkot the mitzvah of ניסוך המים, pouring water on the altar. The Netivot Shalom notes that the Zohar views water as a symbol of love and kindness, and thus pouring water on the altar signifies our pouring our love towards Hashem. This was the greatest of all offerings, as it was a love offering. Hashem shows us His love by inviting us into the sukkah. The Arizal commented that when we sit in the sukkah, we are in Hashem’s embrace – וימינו תחבקני – and we show Him love in return by pouring water on the altar.
This is why the שמחת בית השואבה celebration held in the Bet Ha’mikdash during Sukkot was the happiest occasion, to the point where the Gemara comments, “Whoever did not see the שמחת בית השואבה never saw joy in his life.” There is no joy like feeling close to Hashem. When we are with Hashem, we have everything, as the pasuk says in Sefer Debarim, ה' אלקיך עמך לא חסרת דבר – when Hashem is with us, we are lacking nothing. Sadness and depression are the result of feeling distant from Hashem. But we can all achieve closeness. On Sukkot we take the etrog, which represents the heart; the lulav, which represents the spine; the hadasim, which represent the eyes; and the aravot, which represent the lips. We shake them toward Hashem to express what we recite in the Nishmat prayer, כל עצמותי תאמרנה ה' מי כמוך – all our bones and limbs call out to Hashem and proclaim, “There is none like You.” When we express love, we feel love, and this will lead to genuine happiness. The Torah commands, ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון...ושמחתם לפני ה' אלקיכם. We are to take the four species on Sukkot to express our love for Hashem, and this will lead to ושמחתם – to the experience of true joy in Hashem’s presence.
Hashem loves us, and we have to feel His love and love Him in return. We will then be able to truly fulfill the mitzvah of ושמחת בחגך