Sukkos
The pessukim state, “בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים…למען ידעו דורותיכם כי בסוכות הושבתי את בני ישראל, in Sukkos you shall dwell for seven days…in order for your generations to know that I caused the Bnei Yisrael to dwell in Sukkos.” The Gemara writes that we sit in a sukkah as a zeicher for the ananai hakavod that Hashem gave us in the Midbar. What was the function of these ananim?
The Midrash brings that there were 7 ananim; 6 surrounded Bnei Yisrael and another led the way. The ananim shielded Bnei Yisrael from the terrible heat and sun of the desert, and they also leveled out the mountains and valleys. The ananim hid Bnei Yisrael from all enemies; no one knew where they were camped in the desert. We see this from the passuk that states immediately after Aharon died, “and the Canaani heard and they came to fight Bnei Yisrael.” While Aharon was alive the Bnei Yisrael were covered and concealed by the ananim; after his death they became seen.
The ananim also served another important function; they showed that the hashgachas Hashem and the Shechina was amongst Bnei Yisrael. The Gra is mechadeish that before Yom Kippur the ananim were only seen by Nevi’im; after Yom Kippur they were seen by all. Hashem showed everyone His hashgacha and shemira and therefore they all felt Hashem around them.
An example of this is what happened with Rav Yonasan David whose plane was hijacked. He asked a child what he was learning in cheder to say over a passuk (psok l’psukaich). The child answered “lo sira maihem, do not be afraid of them.” Hashem was showing His hashgacha and shemira throughout the hijacking and baruch Hashem they were saved!
There is a halacha that the Sukkah cannot be above 20 amos. The word Sukkah refers to sechach, a covering, meaning protection. We need to sit in a Sukkah in which we can feel the protection from the sun. This reminds us of Hashem’s hashgacha and shemira that we felt in the Midbar, and the special feeling of closeness to Hashem.
May we be zoche to always see the hashgacha and shemiras Hashem with us!
