From Yom Kippur Repentance to Sukkos Reconnection

There is a discussion amongst the Poskim (Halachic Authorities) if one performs a Mitzvah without intending to fulfill one of the Torah's commandments if they actually fulfilled their requirement[1]. As an example, what if someone ate matzah the first night of Pesach only because they were hungry and there was nothing else there to eat, did they fulfill the obligation to eat matzah? For almost all Mitzvos the consensus is that bedieved, if already done, one does not need to repeat the Mitzvah. There are three exceptions: Sukkah, Tzizis, and Tefillin[2]. Since by these three specific Mitzvos the Torah says ‘למען- that you may know’, and states a reason for the Mitzvah, the Halacha requires one need to know the stated reason, and keep it in their thoughts, in order to fulfill the obligation when performing any of these three Mitzvos.

Vayikra Ch. 23 v.42-43 states: לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ דֹרֹֽתֵיכֶם כִּי בַסֻּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶת־בְּני יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהוֹצִיאִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. The question is which part of the verse are we supposed to think about? Is it to remember Yetzias Mitzrayim or the Sukkos themselves. Moreover, there is a dispute in Messeches Sukkah[3] when the Torah says they dwelled in Sukkos does it means literal booths and huts or is it referring to the ananei hakavod, clouds of glory, which encompassed the encampment of the Bnei Yisroel. While the Halacha is that one is to recall the ananei hakavod[4], many are careful to meet all opinions and think about Yetzias Mitzrayim, and both versions of Sukkah, the ananei hakavod and literal booths.

Taking the above into consideration, what is the significance and message that Sukkos follows Yom Kippur? If Sukkos is all about what happened when we left Egypt, why isn't the Mitzvah and holiday in the springtime in the time of year when we actually left Mitzrayim. Furthermore, there were multiple miracles done for the Bnei Yisroel when they left Egypt. What is it about the miracle of the ananei hakavod, living in Hashem shadow, that we have a Mitzvah of Sukkah? Weren't there other miracles, such as the well of fresh water, or manna that fell from heaven, among many others, that are worthy of commemoration as well?

Additionally, while all three Regolim, holidays, have a mitzvah of Simcha, to be joyful, it is on Sukkos where there is an emphasis on that mitzvah. Additionally, simchas beis hashoeva, the legendary all-night celebrations in the Beis Hamikdosh, was only Sukkos and not for any other Yom Tov. What is it about Sukkos that we celebrate more than Pesach or Shavuos?

The Vilna Gaon offers the following insight. The recalling of the ananei hkavod on Sukkos, are not those same clouds that accompanied us when we left Egypt. As when the Jewish people sinned at the Chet Haegel, golden calf, those original clouds left. Moshe Rabbeinu went to heaven to receive the second set of Luchos on the first of Elul and was there for forty days until Yom Kippur. All the while Klal Yisroel repented for their sin, with the climax being on Yom Kippur when their repentance reached its pinnacle state and Moshe returned with the new Luchos. When Moshe Rabeinu returned, so did the ananei hkavod return with him. Says the Vilna Gaon, it is those ananei hkavod that we are recalling when we fulfill the Mitzvah of Sukkah, the ones that returned with the repentance of Klal Yisroel on Yom Kippur.

This can also explain the special simcha of Sukkos. The Jewish people assumed that after they sinned with the Golden Calf their relationship with Hashem was over and would never be the same. Even when they saw Moshe Rabbeinu return with the Luchos, the second set of tablets, they assumed their relationship with Hashem would never be the same and would always be tainted. However, when Klal Yisroel saw the ananei hkavod returned as well, they were especially joyful. The simcha of Sukkos is not ordinary, it is a recognition that Klal Yisroel has been brought back together with Hashem, but not in a secondary manner, rather with the full original love as when they left Mitzrayim and accepted the Torah at Sinai. The Gemarah in Sukkah[5] points out that the songs at the simchas beis hashoeva were all about repentance. As essentially that is what the celebration of Sukkos is all about, Klal Yisorel ability to return to Hashem, as we did this past Yom Kippur.

When we sit in the Sukkah let us recall the Yetzias Mitzrayim, and both versions of Sukkah, the ananei hakavod and literal booths or huts. However, let us also take time to reflect on the unique joy our ancestors had as their relationship with Hashem was reestablished. Similarly, this year we are celebrating the reestablishment of our connection with Hashem, a renewal that took place this past Yom Kippur.

[1] כתב השו"ע (סי' ס סע' ד) "י"א שאין מצות צריכות כוונה וי"א שצריכות כוונה לצאת בעשיית אותה מצוה וכן הלכה".

[2] שו"ע או"ח סי' ח, ח

[3] ובגמ' מסכת סוכה (יא ב) נחלקו ר' אליעזר ור"ע אם הזכר של "כי בסוכות הושבתי את בנ"י" היינו סוכות ממש וזכר ליצ"מ, ונפק"מ להלכה מה צריך לכוון לכתח' כשמקיים מצוות ישיבת סוכה, ז"ל הגמ' "דתניא כי בסכות הושבתי את בני ישראל ענני כבוד היו דברי ר' אליעזר, ר"ע אומר סוכות ממש עשו להם".

[4] שו"ע (סי' תרכה סע' א)

[5] סוכה (נג א) - ת"ר יש מהן אומרים אשרי ילדותנו שלא ביישה את זקנותנו אלו חסידים ואנשי מעשה ויש מהן אומרים אשרי זקנותנו שכפרה את ילדותנו אלו בעלי תשובה אלו ואלו אומרים אשרי מי שלא חטא ומי שחטא ישוב וימחול לו