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The Torah also declares that the seven days of Sukkot are days of feast (chag). This command to
feast is presented twice in the section dealing with Sukkot (verses 39 and 41) and does not
appear at all regarding the other holidays. This highlights the physical nature of the holiday.
There is another practice that exhibits the physical nature of the holiday:
He who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the waterdrawing
has never seen rejoicing in his life. At the conclusion of
the first festival day of tabernacles they descended to the court
of the women where they had made a great enactment. There
were golden candlesticks with four golden bowls on the top of
each of them and four ladders to each, and four youths drawn
from the priestly stock in whose hands were held jars of oil
containing one hundred and twenty log which they poured into
the bowls. From the worn-out drawers and girdles of the priests
they made wicks and with them they kindled the lamps; and
there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illumined
by the light of the place of the water-drawing. Men of piety and
good deeds used to dance before them with lighted torches in
their hands, and sing songs and praises.
Mishna Sukkah Chapter 5 (Soncino Translation)
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YESHIVA UNIVERSITY • SUKKOT TO-GO • TISHREI 5771
, הבאושה תיב תחמש האר אלש ימ לכ
בוט םוי יאצומב
. וימימ החמש האר אל
, םישנ תרזעל ודרי , גח לש ןושארה
לש תורונמו . לודג ןוקת םש ןינקתמו
בהז לש םילפס העבראו , םש ויה בהז
דחא לכל תומלס העבראו ןהישארב
הנהכ יחרפמ םידלי העבראו , דחאו
האמ לש ןמש לש םידכ םהידיבו
לפס לכל ןיליטמ ןהש , גל םירשעו
ןהינימהמו
םינהכ יסנכמ יאלבמ . לפסו
, ןיקילדמ ויה ןהבו , ןיעיקפמ ויה ןהמ
הניאש םילשוריב רצח התיה אלו
םידיסח . הבאושה תיב רואמ הריאמ
םהינפל םידקרמ ויה השעמ ישנאו
םירמואו , ןהידיבש רוא לש תוקובאב
. תוחבשתו תוריש ירבד ןהינפל
'ה
קרפ הכוס הנשמ
The celebration that took place in the Beit HaMikdash on Sukkot was an elaborate celebration.
Rambam explains why there such an elaborate celebration:
Even though there is a mitzvah to rejoice on all of
the festivals, on Sukkot, there was added joy in the
Temple as it states "You shall rejoice before the
Lord your God seven days."
Rambam, Hilchot Lulav 8:12
גחב ןהב חומשל הוצמ תודעומה לכש יפ לע ףא
רמאנש הריתי החמש םוי שדקמב התיה תוכוסה
. םימי תעבש םכיקלא 'ה
ינפל םתחמשו
בי:
ח בלול 'לה
ם"
במר
Sukkot is not merely a holiday of indulgence in the physical. Sukkot is a holiday of extreme
simcha (rejoice). There are many physical attributes of Sukkot and they are all channeled
through our obligation of rejoicing before G-d.
Affliction and Rejoicing: Polar Opposites
Affliction and rejoicing seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. Affliction involves
shunning the physical world, whereas rejoicing involves embracing the physical world. Which
approach is more effective in pursuing our spiritual goals?
The Gemara quotes a Beraita that shunning the physical can constitute a transgression:
R. Eleazar ha-Kappar Berabbi, as it was taught: And he [the nazir]
shall make atonement for him, for that he sinned against a soul.
Against which ‘soul’ then has he sinned? But it is because he afflicted
רמוא יברב רפקה רזעלא 'ר
לע אטח רשאמ וילע רפכו
הז אטח שפנ וזיאב יכו שפנה
ןייה
ןמ ומצע רעיצש אלא