בס”ד 19 April 2024 - י״א בניסן ה׳תשפ״ד‎

Sukkos Questions

question markQuestions on Sukkos:

  1. The sukkos we build come to remind us of how the Jews had them when leaving Mitzrayim. This means that really the festival of Sukkos should be celebrated in the month of Nissan, the time of the exodus. Why then do we celebrate it in the month of Tishrei?
  2. What are the different names of Sukkos?
  3. How many walls are needed for a sukka and what is a good way to remember this?
  4. We refer in our tefillos to Sukkos as Zman Simchoseinu, the time of happiness. Each festival we are commanded to rejoice. Why then single Sukkos out for a time of rejoicing?
  5. What is a Simcha Beis Hashoeiva and why do it?
  6. What are the Ushpizin?
  7. What happens on Hoshana Rabba, the last day of Sukkos?
  8. Why do we say the full Hallel on all seven days of Sukkos (while only on the first two days of Pesach)?
  9. Why do we call it Chag Ha-Sukkos as opposed to others name for Sukkos in the Torah – like Chag Ha-Osif and Chag HaShem?
  10. We say a special Harochamon in bentching about raising up the Sukkos Dovid that fell down. What is this referring to and why mention it by Sukkos?
  11. How many times is Sukkos mentioned in the Torah?
  12. Usually the festivals are called “Chag” and then a name. When the word “Chag” by itself appears in chazal it refers to Sukkos. Why?
  13. Each festival is also a time of judgement for something specific. What is the judgement that takes place on Sukkos?
  14. Why do we only remember the Ananei Kovoid and not also the Mon and Be’er that escorted the Jews in the desert?
  15. Why do we call it Sukkos in the plural and not Sukka in the singular (like Pesach)?

Ideas for answers on Sukkos:

  1. The Tur answers that we move the festival of Sukkos to the month of Tishrei that is the beginning of the rainy season to show how we are willing to do whatever Hashem commands us to even if it is not easy.
  2. Besides for the name Sukkos, after the building of the booths, it is also called Chag HaOsif. This means the time of the gathering in of the produce into the houses at the end of the harvest and agricultural year. It is also called Chag Hashem (Emor, 23:39). In tefilla we refer to it as Zman Simchoseinu, a time of happiness.
  3. It can have four, three and even two and a bit walls. The Vilna Gaon amazing points out that this is seen in the letters for the word Sukka – סכה. The Samech has four sides, the chof has three sides and the Hei has two and a bit!
  4. Sukkos was when the farmer gathered in all his produce after his months of labour and therefore people naturally felt happy. Also, Sukkos follows on from Yom Kippur when we were forgiven for our sins. This adds renewed happiness in addition to the usual happiness by each festival.
  5. During the days of Chol Hamoed the celebration of the drawing of water for the nisuch hamayim, water libation, brought on the mizbayach during the times of the Beis Hamikdosh took place. It was accompanied with music and dancing. We remember it nowadays by celebrating with music and dancing at night.
  6. Ushpizin means guests alluding to seven shepherds of the Jews who come to visit the Sukka. In chronological order they are: Avrohom, Yitzchok, Yakov, Yosef, Moshe, Aaron and Dovid. There is a kabbalistic order that moves Yosef before Dovid.
  7. Hoshana Rabba is the seventh day and final day of Sukkos and means the day of great supplication. It is the final stage in judgment when the Angels are sent to carry out the decrees.
  8. Since we have different amount of sacrifices each day of Sukkos (as opposed to by Pesach) this warrants a full hallel each day.
  10. The Sukkos Dovid refers to the Beis Hamikdosh that was prepared to be set up by Dovid and was done in practice by his son King Shlomo. Sukkos is the time when the Ananei Hakovoid returned and this expresses Shechina. The rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdosh that was instigated by Dovid is expressed during Sukkos at a time where naturally the Shechina is present.
  11. The discussion of Sukkos takes place five times in the Torah – 1) Mishpotim (Shemos 23:16); 2) Ki Sisa (Shemos 34:22); 3) Emor (Vayikra 23:34); 4) Pinchos (Bamidbar 29:12); 5) Re’eh (Devorim 16:13)
  12. Perhaps, this is because Sukkos is the climax and end in the cycle of the festivals and contains in it elements of all the others.
  13. The Mishna in Rosh Hashana 16a brings that on Sukkos the world is judged on the amount of water it will receive.
  14. According to the Vilna Gaon (Shir Hashirim 1:4) that these are new Ananei Kovoid that returned after atonement for the sin of the egel therefore we are not making a reference to any of those three things. Perhaps another answer is that the mon and be’er came with people complaining about them while the Ananei Kovoid we do not find any complaints about.

Questions on the korbonos on Sukkos:

  1. We bring seventy cows for the other nations. Why?
  2. Usually, for every festival, seven lambs are brought. Why by Sukkos is double that amount, fourteen lambs are brought?
  3. What is the idea of the amount of cows brought decreasing in amounts each day?
  4. Why when describing the goats (in Parshas Pinchos) does it sometimes call it Soer and sometimes Seir Ezim?
  5. Why are the amount of sheep fixed each day? Why the amount of fourteen making a total over seven days of ninety-eight?