What does Sukkot Really Mean?

(16) and the Feast of the Harvest, of the first fruits of your work, of what you sow in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in the results of your work from the field.

(22) You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of the wheat harvest; and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

(13) After the ingathering from your threshing floor and your vat, you shall hold the Feast of Booths for seven days. (14) You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the [family of the] Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities. (15) You shall hold a festival for your God ה׳ seven days, in the place that ה׳ will choose; for your God ה׳ will bless all your crops and all your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy.

(42) You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, (43) in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt—I, your God ה׳.

כי בסכות הושבתי THAT I MADE [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] ABIDE IN BOOTHS — This does not mean literally “booths” but, “the clouds of Glory" by which they were sheltered (cf. Onkelos; Sifra, Emor, Chapter 17 11; Mekhilta; Sukkah 11b).

(1) למען ידעו דורותיכם, the plain meaning of the text is in agreement with the view expressed in Sukkah 11 according to which the word סוכה is to be understood literally. The meaning of the verse then would be: “construct for yourselves the festival of huts when you gather in your grain and grape harvest (Deuteronomy 16,13) You are to do this at the time you gather in the produce of the earth and your houses are filled with all the good things the earth produces such a grain, grape, wine and oil (olives). This is to be done in order that you will remember” כי בסוכות הושבתי את בני ישראל, in the desert for a period of 40 years when they neither owned land nor found themselves in a cultivated part of the earth. Remembering all this you will have ample reason to be grateful to the One Who has provided you with all of your present wealth and comfort. You must not fall into the trap of thinking that all this success is due to your own efforts. We find a similar thought expressed in Deuteronomy 8,2-3 “you shall remember all the way which the Lord your G’d has led you for these last 40 years…and He fed you the manna, etc.” Why do I command you to do all this? For the Lord your G’d brings you to a good …and you will eat and be satisfied, etc. As a result your heart may become haughty and you will credit yourself with all this as your own achievement. (Deuteronomy 8 7-18) In order that this will not happen and to show that the Israelites G’d’s part in their success they will move out of their solid houses as a reminder to the time when they had not been blessed with any of these benefits which they enjoy ever since inheriting the land of their forefathers. They acknowledge that it is G’d Who provides the Jewish people with the ability and valor.

THAT…IN BOOTHS. The Israelites made booths after they crossed the Sea of Reeds. They certainly did so in the wilderness of Sinai, where they dwelt close to a year. This is the manner of all the camps. This festival too [ *Like Passover.] is thus in memory of the Exodus [Even though it is not observed in the month of Nisan.]

is thus in memory of the Exodus from Egypt. Should someone ask why this commandment is to be observed in the month of Tishri [The month Israel left Egypt.]

, then one can answer: God’s cloud was over the camp during the day and the sun did not strike them. However, they started to make sukkot from the days of Tishri onwards because of the cold [I.E.’s point is that Israel had no need of booths for shelter until the cold weather set in. The latter occurred in Tishri. Hence booths are constructed in Tishri.

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(37) The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand fighting men on foot, aside from noncombatants.

(20) They set out from Succoth, and encamped at Etham, at the edge of the wilderness.

(5) The Israelites set out from Rameses and encamped at Succoth.

כי בסכות הושבתי את בני ישראל, “for I have let the Children of Israel dwell in huts, etc.” .. If one accepts the view of the people who believe that the Israelites had dwelled in actual huts one must suppose that they had had regular commercial contact with traders from far off who had brought to them the various necessities of life including plants, etc.

(10) Moses heard the people weeping, every clan apart, at the entrance of each tent. ה׳ was very angry, and Moses was distressed.

(5) How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!

(5) GOD will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night. Indeed, over all the glory shall hang a canopy, (6) which shall serve as a pavilion for shade from heat by day and as a shelter for protection against drenching rain.

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who chose us from among all people, and exalted us above all (tongues) languages, and sanctified us with His commandments. And [You] gave us Adonoy, our God, in love
On Shabbos, add:
(this Shabbos day, and) this day of Remembrance a day for
On Shabbos, add:
(the day of remembrance of) sounding the shofar
On Shabbos, add:
(with love) a day of holy assembly commemorating the exodus from Mitzrayim. For us have You chosen and us have You sanctified from among all peoples; and Your word is true and enduring forever Blessed are You Adonoy, King over all the earth Sanctifier
On Shabbos, add:
(Of Shabbos and) of Yisrael and the Day of Remembrance:

a day of holy assembly commemorating the exodus from Mitzrayim.

on Rosh HaShana our forefathers’ slavery in Egypt ceased; in Nisan the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt; and in Tishrei in the future the Jewish people will be redeemed in the final redemption with the coming of the Messiah.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

On Shabbat, add the words in parentheses. בָּרוּךְ Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from among all peoples, raised us above all tongues, and made us holy through His commandments. You have given us, LORD our God, in love (Sabbaths for rest), festivals for rejoicing, holy days and seasons for joy, (this Sabbath day and) this day of the festival of Matzot, the time of our freedom (with love), a holy assembly in memory of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us above all peoples, and given us as our heritage (Your holy Sabbath in love and favor and) Your holy festivals for joy and gladness.

§ Rava says: Why do I need the mention of the exodus from Egypt that the Merciful One wrote in the context of the halakhot of the prohibition against interest (see Leviticus 25:37–38), and the mention of the exodus from Egypt with regard to the mitzva to wear ritual fringes (see Numbers 15:39–41), and the mention of the exodus from Egypt in the context of the prohibition concerning weights (see Leviticus 19:35–36)?

(10) [God] found them in a desert region, In an empty howling waste. [God] engirded them, watched over them, Guarded them as the pupil of God’s eye.

Now Jonah had left the city and found a place east of the city. He made a booth there and sat under it in the shade, until he should see what happened to the city.