Sukkos

The Tur begins his Hilchos Sukkah with the following:


"Sukkos are a remembrance of the ananei hakovod ( the clouds that protected the Yidden as they left Egypt). And why, therefore, do we not celebrate this holiday in the springtime - the season that we in fact left Egypt? Because when one leaves his home and enters the Sukkah in the spring it is NOT APPARENT that he does this as a mitzvah- but rather for pleasure.

The Vilna Gaon in his peirush to Shir Hashirim (Ch.3) gives a different answer to the Tur's question of why Sukkos is in the Fall. The Bnei Yisroel sinned by making the "golden calf"and Moshe Rabeinu broke the Luchos in response. This took place on the 17th of Tammuz in the first year of the Exodus from Egypt. On the first of Elul Moshe Ascended the mountain to receive a new set of Luchos. 40 days later he returned with the new set and Hashem's forgiveness. That was on Yom Kippur.

The command to build a Mishkan followed immediately and funds were collected for four days. On the 15th of Tishrei all the materials were in place and work was ready to commence.

A marvelous thing happened on that day. According to the Gaon's interpetation of Shir Hashirim the "clouds of glory" which had been a source of protection to the Yidden had not been visible since the act of making the golden calf. They were there, but were only visible to the most righteous individuals.Now as a sign of His forgiveness, Hashem made the clouds, the magnificent source and symbol of His love and guidance of the Jewish people, reappear for all to see.

Now we understand why on the 15th of Tishrei we celebrate Sukkos as a remembrance of these clouds. Because Sukkos brought the return of the clouds.

This said it, suddenly seems that the Tur's reason for sukkos in the fall is a very practical reason (that the Sukkah shouldn't seem like a pleasure outing) but doesn't tell the whole story!

In truth though the Tur and the Gaon are saying the same thing. That is, the Tur said that 1) Sukkos is in remembrance of the Clouds.2) Sukkos is not in the spring because then it wouldn't be NOTICEABLE.

If we connect the two statements we can understand that only because it is a remembrance of the clouds does it need to be noticeable. Had it been a remembrance to the huts of the Jews in the wilderness it could have been in the spring!

The idea here is simple. We are not only celebrating Hashem's constant protection and love for us, but the fact that he demonstrates that love for all to see. And so we go out to the Sukkah at a time when it is APPARENT that we are doing a mitzvah. We are celebrating the supernatural, and so we too go the extra mile. And since we are celebrating the inner-connection between Hashem and His people we celebrate it in Tishrei when we have been saved from the accusatory angels of the nations and blessed with a bright new year.

Good Yom Tov!

{M.M.}