An anthology from the teachings and doctrines of the rov
of Klal Yisroel about matters concerning Yom
Tov, the succah, the arba minim, Simchas Beis
Hashoevo the last day of Yom Tov and more.
The combination of Middas Horachamim and Middas
Hadin
"You shall dwell in succos seven days; every
ezrach among the Jews shall dwell in succos;
that your generations may know that I made Bnei
Yisroel dwell in succos when I brought them out of
the Land of Egypt. I am Hashem your G-d." (Vayikro 23:42-
43)
The question has to be asked: What is the meaning of
"every ezrach"?
Moreover, why does it say, "They made for themselves actual
Succos" (Succah 11b)? It is normal for
travelers in the desert to live in tents and huts. So what
special miracle was there to commemorate?
Also Chazal (Yalkut Shimoni, Emor 553) bring a reason
for the mitzvah of succah: in case the Bnei
Yisroel were liable to be exiled on Yom Kippur, leaving
their homes to live in the succah can be considered as
if they were exiled and this would atone for those things
needing the punishment of golus. But apparently the
posuk brings another reason for the succah
— "for I made Bnei Yisroel dwell in
succos"!
Another question: Every place in the Torah where it says, "I
am Hashem your G-d", Chazal explain it as being a case of the
combination of middas horachamim and din, but
what does that mean in this context?
The Chasam Sofer explains: Hashem, in His great mercy, took
Bnei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim before the actual time
for their redemption had come. If they had been deserving,
Hashem would have taken them out of Mitzrayim and then
immediately into Eretz Yisroel. However, because
Bnei Yisroel sinned with the Egel Hazohov,
although they were saved from annihilation by Moshe's prayers
they had to complete their allotted years of exile by
wandering in the desert all their lives.
So we see that even though they did not die in the
midbor before they reached the age of sixty (Rashi
Shlach 14, 33), they wandered about all their lives from
hut to hut and did not merit to set up a permanent home. And
if they had been in Mitzrayim, they would have been
enslaved to the Egyptians to their dying day, so their living
in the succah in the desert is considered an exile.
And therefore certain mitzvos and days were foreordained for
generations as a memorial for an event, which happened to our
forefathers long ago. For example Yom Kippur is fixed for all
generations as a day of forgiveness and atonement, to
commemorate the day on which it was said, "And Hashem said,
`I have forgiven as you have said.' " The day on which
Bnei Yisroel received atonement for the sin of the
egel. So also, the mitzvah of the succah is
determined forever, in order to guard and protect us from
golus, as Hashem did with Bnei Yisroel when
they came out of Mitzrayim. After they sinned with the
egel, sitting in their succos was considered as
if they had been exiled.
On the face of it, it could be proven that "In the
succos I made [the Bnei Yisroel] dwell" means
"they made real succos for themselves" and not
"anonei kovod," since if we do not say this, then why
was the tribe of Dan also instructed to make succos?
We know that the anonei hakovod would not accept the
tribe of Don (Yalkut Shimoni, end of Ki
Teitzei). If so, it must be that "they made real
Succos for themselves" including the Tribe of Dan.
That is why it says "every citizen of the Jewish nation
shall dwell in Succos" — to include those who were
not accepted by the onon. The main reason for the
mitzvah of succah is, "so that you generations may
know that I made Bnei Yisroel dwell in succos,"
their dwelling in the succos was considered as if they
had gone into exile.
"In order that your generations will know" — just as
then the dwelling in the succah was an atonement for
the punishment of golus which they were liable for, so
too, for all generations to come, each and every year, if
golus is decreed upon them on Yom Kippur, Bnei
Yisroel will be able to atone for a punishment of exile
by sitting in the succah on Succos.
*
"Will know" — refers to punishment, as, "and with them
he taught the men of Succos" (Shoftim, 8:16). "When I
took them out of the Land of Egypt" — before their
time, and dwelling in the succos was considered as if
they were in golus, to complete the passage of years
they were obligated to be in golus, all the days of
their lives.
"I am Hashem your G-d" — I combined middas hadin
with middas horachamim and considered your dwelling in
the succah as exile.
(Droshos of the Chasam Sofer, year 5555, [1795])
Anonei Hakovod, for the honor of Bnei
Yisroel
"So that your generations will know that in Succos"
(Vayikro 23, 43) — two sorts of Succos:
anonei hakovod and actual succos during the battle
of Sichon and Og. (Eliyohu Rabo, beginning of siman
625 in the name of the Rokeach).
On the face of it how would "your generations" know that the
succah symbolizes simultaneously two types of
succos? After all, everybody is commanded to sit only
in one succah, and if so, maybe it symbolizes only one
of them and no more.
Another question: Why is the great war and the wonders of the
victory symbolized specifically by sitting in the
succah? Is this not insignificant compared to weapons
of war? Would it not have been more appropriate to
commemorate the battle and the great victory with greater
things symbolizing in greater measure the victory in the war
waged with Sichon and Og?
The Bircei Yosef asks:
Why did the anonei hakovod merit commemoration for
generations whereas the other presents they received in the
desert, like the mon and the be'er, did not?
We therefore have to say, that the mon and the
be'er were necessary for their survival and without
them Bnei Yisroel would have died in the midbor
from thirst and starvation. In contrast to this, the
anonei hakovod were there only for the honor of
Bnei Yisroel, and because of their great spiritual
level and merits it was ordained to commemorate them
forever.
You may say: The anonei hakovod were also for Bnei
Yisroel's survival, for if they would not have been there
they would have been harmed by sand storms, the sun, snakes,
serpents and scorpions.
But the second reason for the mitzvah of succah proves
it. After the battle of Sichon and Og, Bnei Yisroel
left anonei hakovod and dwelt in actual succos
and they still were not harmed. This is our proof that all
the forty years in the desert the Jews could have survived
without the anonei hakovod and Bnei Yisroel's
survival was not dependent on the anonei hakovod. The
anonei hakovod existed only for the honor and
greatness of Bnei Yisroel.
We can now understand that the succah symbolizes both
succos — the anonei hakovod and the huts
that Bnei Yisroel dwelt in during the battle of Sichon
and Og. And so "your generations will know" that I made
Bnei Yisroel dwell in two types of succos,
because the one proves the other and we cannot have one
without the other.
(Droshos of the Chasam Sofer, year 5597 [1827])
