V’samachta b’chagecha–Let us rejoice this Sukkot!

By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.

On the first two days of our upcoming holiday of Sukkot, we read from Vayikra 23:42-43 about the mitzvah of dwelling in sukkot for seven days: “All citizens in Israel shall live in sukkot (huts). This is so that future generations will know that I (God) settled B’nei Yisrael in sukkot when I brought them out of Mitzrayim (Egypt). I am God your Lord.”

According to these verses, a sukkah is a kind of shelter and it’s important to remember the shelter that God gave to our ancestors when they left Mitzrayim. 

But what kinds of shelter were they? As is often the way in Jewish tradition, a midrash shares two rabbinic opinions. R. Eliezer says: They were actual sukkot, or huts. R. Akiva says: They were clouds of God’s presence. 

But could both of these opinions be right? R. Eliezer focuses on the literal, physical hut, whereas R. Akiva considers the metaphorical and spiritual experience of this commandment.

While this is a very hands-on holiday, building and dwelling in a sukkah, even assembling and shaking the arba’at haminim (the 4 species) throughout the week, the physicality inspires the spiritual. When we dwell outside and shake the lulav and etrog, these tangible experiences in and with nature remind us of God’s presence in the world, both over our sukkot and in the creation of everything.

So let us rejoice in God’s creations this week, as we are also commanded in the Torah to be happy on this holiday: V’samachta b’chagecha v’hayita ach sameach, You shall rejoice on your festivals​, and should be fully happy!

Chag Sukkot Sameach!!