The mitzvah of sukkah is described in the possuk, “His [HaShem’s] right hand embraces me.” Just as a person embraces his friend out of great love, not letting him separate from the embrace, similarly on Sukkos, the schach and the four walls signify the embracing of HaShem, surrounding the person from every side with kedusha and closeness to HaShem.
The Frierdiker Rebbe said that a glimmer of the sukkah that will be in the days of Moshiach shines in every sukkah.
(לקוטי תורה סוכות עט, ב, ספר השיחות תש"ה ע' 45)
Once, as the builders were erecting the sukkah outside the home of the esteemed chossid Reb Hillel Paritcher, the elderly chossid himself appeared. Taking a hammer, he joined the effort by knocking nails into the walls. “Rebbe,” the men pleaded with him, “We do not need your help. You can be sure that we will build for you a kosher sukkah.” Reb Hillel responded, “You should know that the three walls of the sukkah and the schach correspond to the four letters of HaShem’s holy name. I too want to have a share in this.”
(לקו"ס פרלוב ע' רצז ובלוח התיקון שם)
It is the minhag to begin preparations for the sukkah on Motzoei Yom Kippur, at least in conversation. The Rebbe explains that since this is the time when kelipos are being returned to power, one protects himself by engaging in matters of the sukkah, which are a protection like the ‘ananei hakovod.’
(ס' המנהגים, שמח"ת תשכ"ו)
THE ENCOMPASSING KEDUSHA
The Torah commands us to set the sukkah as our home on sukkos. Therefore, throughout sukkos one should perform all respectable activities in the sukkah, such as learning, conversing and relaxing. The mitzvah of sukkah is unique in that one performs the mitzvah when doing ordinary activities inside it.
However, one must be careful not to act inappropriately in a sukkah, which can ch”v chase away the Shechinah. Conversely, through learning Torah in the sukkah, one reveals the kedusha more.
(שוע"ר סי' תרל"ט ס"ד, וראה לקו"ש ח"ב ע' 418, יערות דבש ח"א דרוש ו)
As a young child at his father’s farbrengens, the Frierdiker Rebbe heard the following sayings: The Baal Shem Tov said that a sukkah and a mikveh have a correlation, whereas they both refine the person and draw down new light. The Maggid said that while a mikveh purifies the person, the sukkah elevates him.
(לקו"ד ח"ג ע' 1010)
In Lubavitch they would not hang “noi sukkah” (decorations) on the sechach or the walls. The reason for this: by the Rebbe Rashab the “noi sukkah” was the one sitting in the sukkah. Since the fear of accepting the Heavenly yoke on Rosh Hashanah, the avodah of Erev Yom Kippur, Yom Kippur and the joy of Sukkos, were, for the Rebbe Rashab, experiences of the innermost soul.
(סה"ש תד"ש ע' 12)
The sukkah is a mitzvah article and must therefore be treated with reverence by keeping it clean and respectable.
(שוע"ר סי' תרל"ט ס"ב)
The meshares of the Rebbe Maharash, Reb Yosef Mordechai, once entered the sukkah in anger. The Rebbe said to him: “One must have derech eretz for the sechach; sechach does not like anger.”
(ספר השיחות תד"ש ע' 12)
SPECIAL GUESTS
The Zohar teaches that throughout Sukkos, our sukkos are honored with the ruchniyus’dike presence of the Ushpizin, the seven shepherds of klal Yisroel. On each day, one of the tzaddikim heads the visit, and his kedusha dominates that day.
The Rebbe explains that these visits instill in us kedusha to overcome the long winter months.
(זח"ג קג ע"ב, שיחו"ק תש"ל ח"א ע' 79, תו"מ ח"ד ע' 33)
There are two versions concerning the order of the Ushpizin, whether Moshe precedes Yosef or follows him. After many years of following one order, Reb Yitzchak Aizik of Komarna considered changing to the other order, and sent his son Reb Eliezer to consult with Reb Yitzchak Aizik of Zidatchov. The Zidatchover Rebbe replied, “I am surprised that your father suggested this change, for didn’t we see last year how Moshe Rabbeinu entered our sukkah before Yosef Hatzaddik.”
(סיפו"ח זוין מועדים ע' 151)
Reb Avrohom Mordechai of Ger once arrived late at the sukkah of his father the Chiddushei Harim. When questioned about his delay he replied that his young son, later to become the Sfas Emes, had cried, insisting that he be shown the Ushpizin in the sukkah.
“Nu,” responded the grandfather, “Why didn’t you oblige?”
(סיפו"ח זוין מועדים ע' 152)
The Rebbeim added that throughout sukkos we are also visited by the seven Rebbes from the Baal Shem Tov through the Rebbe Rashab. They accompany us in our avodah of refining the world during the time of galus. The Rebbe added further that on Shemini Atzeres we are visited by Shlomo Hamelech and the Frierdiker Rebbe.
(אג"ק ריי"צ ח"ט ע' 444, ליל א' דחה"ס תש"נ)
CONSIDER
Can the kedusha of the sukkah be felt? Does it affect us? What does it mean that the Ushpizin ‘visit us’? What is the difference who heads the visit?
