Illustration Credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Tell Me More About This! בּוֹאוּ נְדַבֵּר עַל זֶה!
In the mishnah section, we saw that a sukkah is supposed to provide shade. That’s the role of the סְכָךְ (skhakh) on top.
The Zohar explains that a sukkah’s shade can represent a bigger idea: faith in God.
בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ יָתִיב בְּמָדוֹרָא דָּא צִלָּא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא פַּרְסָא גַּדְפָהָא עָלֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא.
וְאַבְרָהָם וַחֲמִשָּׁה צַדִּיקַיָּיא אָחֳרָנִין שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן עִמֵּיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, אַבְרָהָם וַחֲמִשָּׁה צַדִּיקַיָּיא, וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא, שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן עִמֵּיהּ.
When people sit in this home (a sukkah), under the shade of the faithful, the Shekhinah (God’s presence) spreads Her wings above them.
Then Avraham and five other tzaddikim (righteous people) come and live there with them. R. Abba says it’s Avraham, five other tzaddikim, and King David who come to live in the sukkah with them.
- In this text, the shade of a sukkah is called צִלָּא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא (tzila dimheimnuta, the shade of the faithful). How does a sukkah symbolize God's protection over those who have faith?
- How does sitting in a sukkah make you feel closer to God?
- The special guests mentioned in the Zohar are called אֻשְׁפִּיזִין (ushpizin). Why might these guests want to sit with us in the sukkah?
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Click here to return to the Table of Contents for Sukkot from Devash
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Click here to return to the Table of Contents for Sukkot from Devash
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