Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot: How Does the Sukkah Bridge Between Heaven and Earth?

 

Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot 

How Does the Sukkah Bridge Between Heaven and Earth? 

What is the Significance of the Fragrance of the Sukkah? 

Sukkot is one of my favorite holidays, although each of our festivals carries its own beloved flavor. What I cherish most is the fragrance of the Sukkah. I can still recall the special spiritual scent from my childhood sukkah in my secular Jewish school, and to this day, I decorate our sukkah with lavender and other fragrant herbs. Yet beyond the physical aroma, I yearn to sense the lingering elevation of Yom Kippur within the atmosphere of the sukkah. Having done teshuva and received atonement, we can no longer be confined within the hard walls of our homes. We long to break free from the constriction of selfishness that so often defines the houses of our daily life. Emerging from Yom Kippur, we feel as if we lack a true home – one that can hold our newly expanded neshamah. We no longer desire protection from wood and stone alone, but from a dwelling that proclaims at every moment how Hashem alone is our shield. We do not want to live in a house that blocks the heavens; we yearn for a sukkah open to the stars, where every little glimmer whispers a message of light from Above. 

After Yom Kippur, when Hashem has purified my heart, I feel at one with all of Am Yisrael, and even with the entire world. All sukkot are, in essence, one great Sukkah, for Hashem desires that every Jew dwell together beneath the same shelter (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 27b; Rav Shlomo Carlebach, Lev Hashamayim, Sukkot, pp. 239–240).  

Here in Bat Ayin, we can glimpse this unity, as songs and prayers rise from every sukkah and weave together in the night air. The local custom of preparing candies for children who go sukkah-hopping adds to this shared joy and connection. The fragrance of the sukkah embodies the unity as well: scent is created by the merging of aromas, blending into something greater than each part. More than any other sense, smell bridges the physical and the spiritual. It is rooted in the body, yet it reaches into the soul. Thus, the fragrance of the sukkah reveals the deepest secret of sukkot – the spiritual dimension hidden within the physical. 

 

What is the Connection between Sukkah, the Word Amen, and Angels? 

The gematria of סֻכָּה/sukkah is 91, which arises from the unification of Hashem’s two Names: י־ה־ו־ה/yud/key/vav/key – the Name of mercy (26), and א־ד־נ־י/alef/dalet/nun/yud – the Name of kingship and sovereignty (65). Together 26 + 65 equals 91. Thus, sitting in the sukkah means entering a space where the Names of Hashem are joined – where His transcendent mercy (Y-H-V-H) is fused with His immanent rulership (Adnut). The sukkah envelops us like a Divine embrace, sheltering us under this unification of G-d’s attributes. The same gematria appears in the word אָמֵן/Amen. When we answer “Amen,” we are not merely agreeing; we are actively affirming the unity of Hashem’s Names. We connect Heaven and Earth, transcendence and immanence, mercy and judgment.  

Remarkably, the word מַלְאָךְ/malach – ‘angel’ also equals 91. Angels serve as emissaries that carry Hashem’s will from the higher realms into our world – from Above to below. They serve as channels between Heaven and Earth, just as the sukkah bridges human existence with the Divine. In this sense, the sukkah itself becomes like an angelic presence surrounding us – a messenger of Divine presence, a shield of holiness, and a channel of blessing, embodying Divine protection and guidance. In this way, sukkah, Amen, and malach – all sharing the gematria of 91 – embody the same mystery: they are bridges that connect spirit and body, mercy and judgment, Above and below.  

The sukkah is the physical channel of Hashem’s protective presence. Amen is the verbal channel of affirming Hashem’s unity. Angels are spiritual channels through which Hashem’s influence flows into the world. Together, they reveal that the sukkah is not just a temporary booth, but a structure of Divine unification and angelic protection, where every breath and word of Amen further strengthens the bond between us and Hashem. 

How Do the Ushpizin – Spiritual Sukkah Guests – Embody the Unity of Hashem’s Names?   
The unity of the sukkah finds further expression in the Ushpizin – the seven spiritual guests we welcome each night: Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya’acov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and David. Each corresponds to a Divine attribute (sefirah) and brings angelic light, blessing, and guidance into our temporary dwelling. When we welcome them, we are not merely recalling ancestral figures, but drawing down their living presence and spiritual qualities into our sukkah. Avraham infuses kindness, Yitzchak strengthens awe, Ya’acov radiates truth and harmony, Moshe channels Torah, Aharon brings peace, Yosef embodies holiness in the physical world, and David establishes kingship. Together, they form a complete spiritual structure that mirrors the very unity of Hashem’s Names within the sukkah. 

Just as the sukkah itself unifies the transcendent and immanent aspects of Hashem, the Ushpizin embody the angelic channels of this unification, ensuring that each night of sukkot is illuminated by a different facet of Divine light – infused with the presence of a distinctive heavenly messenger. 

In this way, the sukkah becomes not only a shelter but also a living sanctuary where human beings, angels, and the souls of our forefathers converge. 

Thus, sukkah, Amen, and malach all embody the same mystery: they are bridges that connect spirit and body, mercy and judgment, Heaven and Earth, above and below. To sit in the sukkah, to say Amen, and to welcome the Ushpizin is to participate in the living unity of Hashem’s Names, the very essence of 91. 

What is the Connection Between Dwelling in the Sukkah and Living in Eretz Yisrael? 
There are three mitzvot we fulfill with our entire body – to dwell in the sukkah, to immerse in the mikvah, and to live in Eretz Yisrael. Each of these mitzvot entails placing our entire being within the embrace of Hashem. Through them, His presence surrounds us, drawing holiness even into the simplest and most ordinary moments. 
In the sukkah, our whole being is enveloped in holiness on every side. In the mikvah, our body and soul are entirely immersed and reborn in purity. In Eretz Yisrael, our complete existence – body, soul, daily rhythm, and spiritual striving – is lived within the sanctity of the Land. Just as the sukkah unites Hashem’s Names and shelters us in an angelic embrace, so too the Land of Israel itself embodies this unification, where the physical earth and the spiritual covenant meet. Living in Eretz Yisrael is not simply about residing on a piece of land. Rather, it is like entering into a boundless sukkah, where every breath, every step, and every harvest is infused with Divine presence. 

According to the Vilna Gaon, there are two mitzvot in which a person literally “enters into the mitzvah” with their entire being – sukkah and Eretz Yisrael. This teaching is rooted in the verse וַיְהִי בְשָׁלֵם סֻכּוֹ וּמְעוֹנָתוֹ בְצִיּוֹן – “His sukkah was in Shalem, and His dwelling place in Zion” (Tehillim 76:3). Later sources extend this idea to include the mikvah as well, where the body is wholly immersed. The Gaon explained that both the sukkah and the Land of Israel are places where the body itself becomes the vessel of the mitzvah. Whether crossing the border into the Land or stepping into the sukkah, we are surrounded and held completely by the mitzvah – even in the simplest acts of eating, sleeping, walking, or simply being. In these holy spaces, even the simplest acts are elevated beyond the ordinary, transforming those very acts into mitzvot (Rav Hillel of Shklov, Kol HaTor 1:7). 

Parashat Emor: Why is the Spiritual experience of the Holidays only complete in Eretz Yisrael?

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Parashat Emor
Why is the Spiritual experience of the Holidays only complete in Eretz Yisrael?

Why is it so challenging to celebrate Jewish Holidays Properly Outside the Land of Israel?

When we lived in Memphis, Tennessee, back in 1990-1991, celebrating the Jewish holidays properly was not only a challenge – it often felt like something vital was missing. The holidays lacked the deep spark of connection and excitement we had experienced in the Land of Israel. There was no blossoming almond tree to greet us on Tu B’Shevat, and the awakening of nature had yet to arrive on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, when it was time to bless Hashem for the flowering trees. Celebrating the birth of the State of Israel felt hollow in the Diaspora, and we longed for the charged energy and exhilarating dancing at the Kotel on Yom Yerushalayim. I remember trying to celebrate Sukkot in our plexiglass sukkah, with its green plastic siding, set up in the communal parking lot behind our condominium. It stood in stark contrast to our memories of Sukkot in Israel, where joyous singing and music flowed from every neighboring sukkah, and you could feel how the entire people were dwelling together in one vast, unified sukkah.

And then came the rains – heavy downpours that flooded our sukkah and soaked our sleeping bags, furniture, and food. We tried spreading out our drenched blankets on nearby parked cars, only to be met by a shouting neighbor: “What are you doing, you crazy Jews? Is this how you try to relive the Israelites’ desert experience? Do you really think they dwelt in plexiglass booths with green plastic walls?” We felt quite ridiculous and very much out of place. Ironically, there was one hidden blessing in that moment: this same non-Jewish neighbor, appalled by our dripping sleeping bags, decided to throw them in her washer and dryer. And needless to say – we didn’t protest.

 

How are the Mitzvot of Sukkot Synchronized with the Land of Israel?

It is not coincidental that our holiday experience in the Diaspora especially clashed with Sukkot, whose celebration is linked with entering and dwelling in the Land of Israel. As it is written, “…when you gather the produce of the land.”

 

ספר ויקרא פרק כג פסוק לט אַךְ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאָסְפְּכֶם אֶת תְּבוּאַת הָאָרֶץ תָּחֹגּוּ אֶת חַג יְהוָֹה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן שַׁבָּתוֹן וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שַׁבָּתוֹן: (מ) וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת וְעַרְבֵי נָחַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּם לִפְנֵי יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים:

“But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the festival of Hashem for seven days; the first day shall be a rest day, and the eighth day shall be a rest day. Then you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree, date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Hashem your G-d for seven days.” (Vayikra 23:39-40).

The mitzvah of rejoicing before Hashem with the Lulav and its bunch is a tangible expression of joy and gratitude for the good land to which Hashem has brought us, and for the ingathering of its produce. These four species are more than symbolic – they embody the transition from a barren wilderness, “a place without figs, grapes, pomegranates, and water” (Bamidbar 20:5), to a fertile land rich in fruits, fragrance, and flowing rivers. That’s why, in memory of this transition, we take the most beautiful fruits with the most delightful fragrance, and the most attractive leaves the Land has to offer – readily available in Eretz Yisrael during the harvest season (Rambam, Guide of the Perplexed III:43). Thus, the mitzvot of Sukkot are deeply attuned to the Land’s agricultural and spiritual rhythm.

Why Does Parashat Emor Write the Mitzvot of Sukkot in Two Separate Sections?

The unique character of Sukkot as celebrated in the Land of Israel – distinguished from the festivals celebrated in the desert – is reflected in its dual mention in our parasha. While all the festivals share a common mitzvah of bringing sacrifices, commanded even in the wilderness, Sukkot includes mitzvot that are tied directly to life in the Land. The mitzvah of waving the four species contrasts with the desert experience, devoid of plant life, while the mitzvah of leaving our comfortable homes, bursting with goodness, and dwelling in the sukkah is specifically to remind us of the contrast to the past wilderness wandering, when we didn’t have homes within which to settle in our own land.  

Parashat Emor mentions Sukkot twice – first in verses 34-36, and again in verses 39-43 – with a summary of all the festivals placed in between (Vayikra 23:37-38). This split reflects the dual character of Sukkot: The first part pertains to every part of the world, whereas the second part is uniquely rooted in the experience of Eretz Yisrael.

The connection between the holiday of Sukkot and Eretz Yisrael is furthermore reinforced again in emphasized in Parashat Ekev: “You shall make the festival of Sukkot...when you gather in from your threshing floor and winepress” (Devarim 16:13), echoing “when you gather the produce of the land” (Vayikra 23:39). As the Rashbam explains, when our homes are filled with goodness – grain, wine, and oil – we are commanded to step out of that comfort and remember how Hashem had us dwell in Sukkot during our forty years in the wilderness, without homes or inheritance. By leaving our solid homes for temporary huts, on Sukkot, we give thanks to the One who gave us Eretz Yisrael and homes full of blessing (Rashbam, Vayikra 23:43).

How does Sukkot Highlight the Connection between the Jewish People and Their Land?

The festival of Sukkot highlights the bond between the Jewish people and their land more than any other holiday. The mitzvah to dwell in the sukkah is especially synchronized with the climate of Eretz Yisrael. It falls during a season when it is just cool enough to make it clear that we are not simply ‘camping’ outdoors, but fulfilling a mitzvah. At the same time, it is usually not yet too cold or rainy to make the mitzvah burdensome – unlike our experience celebrating Sukkot in Memphis, Tennessee, where storms flooded our sukkah and dampened both our gear and spirits.

Chag HaAsif – the Festival of Ingathering – celebrates the harvest season in the Land of Israel. It teaches us how the physical can be elevated through joy and gratitude. Rav Kook emphasized that in Eretz Yisrael, the body meets the soul. The holiness of the land itself imbues the physical acts performed within it with spiritual meaning. The Four Species – the materials used for shaking the lulav – further amplify this bond. Each of them grows in the Land of Israel and reflects its beauty and bounty. As Rav Kook explains, the holiday of Sukkot is so deeply tied to the sanctity of the Land and to the joy of her fruits that Chazal required us to intercalate the year to ensure that Sukkot would always fall during “the time of the ingathering of the crops of the Land.”

What is the Connection between Living in the Land of Israel and Dwelling in the Sukkah?

The Vilna Gaon teaches (as cited in Kol HaTor 1:7) that there is a profound connection between the mitzvah of living in the Land of Israel and the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah. In both cases, we enter the space completely, with our whole body. This concept is hinted at in the verse: וַיְהִי בְשָׁלֵם סֻכּוֹ וּמְעוֹנָתוֹ בְצִיּוֹן – “His sukkah was in Shalem, and His dwelling place in Tzion” (Tehillim 76:3)

The Vilna Gaon further explains: “The sukkah must be ta’aseh – built intentionally and not from something already made. So too with Tzion – it must be actively built through our deeds.” This echoes the Midrash on the verse: וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל “A redeemer shall come to Tzion” (Yeshayahu 59:20) – which teaches that as long as Tzion is not built, the redeemer does not come. As our Sages say: “Once Jerusalem is rebuilt, the son of David will come.” In the Midrash: “The son of David does not come until Jerusalem is rebuilt” (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 17b).

Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa similarly taught: “There is no mitzvah as beloved as the sukkah, for we enter it with all our limbs, his clothing – even our shoes and boots.” He added: “So too with the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel. We enter it entirely, and it encompasses every part of us. One who dwells in the Land fulfills this mitzvah constantly – day and night, whether awake or asleep – without interruption. That is why it is considered equal to all other mitzvot.”

May we all merit returning to the Land of Israel and celebrating Sukkot in the highest way – experiencing the joy of all of Am Yisrael dwelling together in one vast, unified sukkah. In the merit of returning to the Holy Land, may we soon witness the rebuilding of the fallen Sukkah of David – the Beit HaMikdash.