Seeking Yerushalayim
The Mishna teaches that originally, during the time of the Beis Hamikdash, it was only in the Beis Hamikdash itself that the mitzva of lulav was performed on all seven days of Sukkos. In the rest of the land, it was performed only on the first day of Sukkos. However, after the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai instituted that the mitzva should be performed on all seven days of Sukkos in the entire land, in commemoration of the Beis Hamikdash.
The Gemara finds the source for the concept of commemorating the way things were done in the Beis Hamikdash in the verse: "For I will bring healing to you, and of your wounds I will heal you, says Hashem, for they called you an outcast, that is Tzion whom no one seeks out" (ירמיה ל יז). The words "whom no one seeks out" imply that we ought to be actively seeking "Tzion", namely that people should think of and remember the Beis Hamikdash. This is the basis for Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai's ordinance (ר"ה ל ע"א, סוכה מא ע"א).
The special remembrance of the Beis Hamikdash was established specifically for Sukkos, the time of year when we used to pilgrimage to Yerushalayim to visit the Beis Hamikdash. This teaches us that Sukkos is an especially auspicious time to arouse the emotions of longing and yearning, "seeking" the glorious times when we were able to visit the House of Hashem and be in His presence.
Desperate Longing
Dovid Hamelech beautifully conveyed his deep yearning for the Beis Hamikdash, serving as a voice for the sentiments of countless future generations who would express their feelings through his words. He portrays his intense thirst for closeness to Hashem, likening himself to a deer desperately whining over the dried watercourses of parched land. "As a deer cries over brooks of water, so does my soul cry for You, O G-d; my soul thirsts for G-d, the living G-d; O when will I come to appear before G-d!"
Dovid vividly depicts how his very soul "spills out upon him" when he reminisces about the joyous journey to the House of Hashem, the Beis Hamikdash. He describes the lively scene of walking among the crowd, swept along by the celebratory masses, and arriving at the sacred sanctuary amidst the sounds of joyful singing and gratitude.
Millennia have passed since the times of Dovid Hamelech, and the yearning only intensifies. For almost two thousand years, we have been unable to appear before Hashem at the appointed times. We no longer merit experiencing the profound sense of closeness to Hashem, the feeling once experienced by our ancestors. We continue to plead with Hashem every yom-tov, asking: וְהָשֵׁב וְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל מִקְדָּשְׁךָ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים - Return and once again have compassion upon us, and upon Your sanctuary, with Your abundant mercy.
However, until that time comes, we can find comfort in the words of the Tif'eres Shlomo. The Tif'eres Shlomo writes that even though we cannot physically ascend to the Beis Hamikdash, we fulfil this commandment in a spiritual manner.
Spiritual Pilgrimage
The Torah commands: חַג הַסֻּכֹּת תַּעֲשֶׂה לְךָ ... שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תָּחֹג לַה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר ה' - You shall hold the festival of Sukkos ... Seven days shall you rejoice before Hashem your G-d in the place that Hashem chooses (דברים טז טו). "The place that Hashem chooses" is Yerushalayim, of course, and that brings up the question: aren't we supposed to observe Sukkos even outside of Yerushalayim? Since Sukkos is meant to be observed by all the Yidden, regardless of their location, why does the Torah specify a particular place for the festivities?
The Tif'eres Shlomo provides a profound answer, explaining that during the yomim-tovim, our souls are all elevated to stand before Hashem in יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל מַעְלָה, the heavenly counterpart of Yerushalayim. When the Torah tells us to observe Sukkos, it adds the words בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר ה', teaching us that wherever we may be physically during Sukkos, we are in fact spiritually standing "in the place that Hashem chooses".
In the time of the Beis Hamikdash, physical presence in the Beis Hamikdash was necessary in order to achieve this degree of closeness to Hashem. Nowadays, when we can no longer be there physically, we can all merit this spiritual closeness no matter where we are.
This provides a much deeper understanding of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai's institution of performing the mitzvah of lulav on all seven days of Sukkos, something that was previously done only in the Beis Hamikdash. This is because, nowadays, we are essentially all in the Beis Hamikdash! (תפארת שלמה מועדים, חג הסוכות ד"ה שבעת ימים)
But simply being in Hashem's presence is not enough. We also want to experience His presence. Amazingly enough, this too can be achieved - through the mitzvah of sukkah. but for this to happen, a lot of preparation and תְּפִלָּה are required.
Our Ultimate Goal
The Gemara (תענית ח ע"ב) mentions that לֹא מְצַלְיָנָן אַתַּרְתֵּי - One should not pray for multiple things at the same time. However, on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we do daven for all of our needs. We ask for life, health, parnassah, success in our pursuits, and virtually anything we wish for. This may seem contradictory to the Gemara's instruction, but the Hafla'ah offers an insightful explanation. While we may daven for different things, he says, the underlying intention behind all of our requests is to attain peace of mind and the ability to dedicate all of our efforts to serving Hashem. Ultimately, our goal is to be לְקַבֵּל פְּנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, to become as close as possible to Hashem. All of our prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are centred around this one aspiration.
The Hafla'ah highlights Sukkos as a particularly auspicious time for drawing exceptionally close to Hashem. During Sukkos, he says, we have the opportunity to spiritually ascend to the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁל מַעְלָה and experience elevated levels of closeness to Hashem. This is the pinnacle of what we want to achieve with all of our תְּפִלּוֹת on the Yomim Nora'im. In a sense, the Yomim Nora'im serve as a preparation for the great yom-tov of Sukkos!
With this idea, the Hafla'ah sheds new light upon the heartfelt plea of Dovid Hamelech, אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־ה' אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־ה' כָּל־יְמֵי חַיַּי לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם־ה' וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ - One thing have I asked of Hashem; that shall I seek: That I may dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of Hashem and to visit His sanctuary (תהלים כז ד). Dovid is essentially saying that although he asks for a wide range of things, the underlying motive is one; to "dwell in the house of Hashem" and "gaze upon His beauty".
The Sukkah as a Portal to Heaven
Visiting the Beis Hamikdash seems impossible nowadays, as the physical structure of the Holy Temple is not standing. However, Dovid Hamelech reassures us that even in our time, we can behold the beauty of Hashem and His goodness - in the spiritual Beis Hamikdash. How is this possible? David provides an answer: כִּי יִצְפְּנֵנִי בְּסֻכֹּה בְּיוֹם רָעָה יַסְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵתֶר אָהֳלוֹ בְּצוּר יְרוֹמְמֵנִי - "For [even] in the day of evil, he shall hide me in his sukkah: in the covert of his tent he shall hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock."
The Hafla'ah explains that the word "בְּסֻכֹּה" refers to the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah, while "בְּסֵתֶר אָהֳלוֹ" alludes to the heavenly Sanctuary. Through the observance of the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah, one can merit ascending to the heavenly Sanctuary even בְּיוֹם רָעָה - in the day of evil, that is, the time of exile. The holiness of the sukkah is so profound that it can enable spiritual ascent to the heavenly realms.
The same idea also allows a new, beautiful interpretation of the passuk referenced above, אֵלֶּה אֶזְכְּרָה וְאֶשְׁפְּכָה עָלַי נַפְשִׁי כִּי אֶעֱבֹר בַּסָּךְ אֶדַּדֵּם עַד־בֵּית אֱלֹקִים בְּקוֹל־רִנָּה וְתוֹדָה הָמוֹן חוֹגֵג - I remember this, and I pour out my soul: how I walked with the crowd, moved with them, the festive throng, arriving at the House of G-d, with a voice of joy and gratitude (תהלים מב ה). According to the Hafla'ah, the verse refers to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and entering the sukkah as stages in our spiritual journey towards the great encounter with the Divine Presence.
The verse opens with the words אֵלֶּה אֶזְכְּרָה, referencing Rosh Hashanah, the day of remembrance. וְאֶשְׁפְּכָה עָלַי נַפְשִׁי - I will pour out my soul - is a reference to Yom Kippur when we pour our hearts out before Hashem. When we have already cleansed our hearts, we enter the sukkah - alluded to in the words "בַּסָּךְ אֶעֱבֹר". After this process of cleansing and preparing, we can arrive at the heavenly house of Hashem with joy and gratitude. (אלקי' אחת ד"ה אחרי פ' מות יפית עינינו)
Parallel Sanctuaries
When we take a deeper look, we discover a profound connection between the sukkah and the Beis Hamikdash. In fact, the term סֻכָּה is often used to describe the Beis Hamikdash.
When lamenting the destruction of the Temple, the Navi conveys the image of Hashem stripping His "sukkah" bare like a garden, ruining His "meeting place" - וַיַּחְמֹס כַּגַּן שֻׂכּוֹ שִׁחֵת מוֹעֲדוֹ (איכה ב ו). This imagery highlights the connection between the Beis Hamikdash and the sukkah, emphasizing the common purpose of both structures - to facilitate a connection between man and his Creator, a meeting place for Heaven and earth.
According to the Maharal, this is the reason why the First Temple was inaugurated on Sukkos; the Temple and the sukkah carry the same meaning. Furthermore, when Yidden dwell in the sukkah - Hashem comes to dwell in its counterpart, the Beis Hamikdash. We see this in the Midrash, where Hashem promises to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash "in the merit of Sukkos". (מהר"ל בדרשה לשבת הגדול)
The Gaon of Vilna writes that the process of redemption will unfold in four distinct stages, each corresponding to one of the four times of judgment in our calendar. The first stage will occur on Pesach, when we will be liberated from servitude to the nations. The second stage will unfold on Shavuot, our release from exile and our return to Eretz Yisroel by Moshe Rabeinu. Rosh Hashanah will be the time for the final judgment against the wicked, and on Sukkos we will witness the ultimate realization of the redemption with the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash. (אֶבֶן שְׁלֹמָה פֶּרֶק יא אוֹת יא)
Upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that these stages are all connected to the meanings of their corresponding yomim-tovim. For example, Pesach, the time when we were released from slavery, aligns with the future liberation from servitude. Shavuot, when we were led to Mount Sinai by Moshe Rabeinu to receive the Torah, symbolizes our release from exile and return to Eretz Yisroel by Moshe. Rosh Hashanah, the day of judgment, will mark the final judgment against the wicked in the grand scheme of redemption. The redemption will essentially "replay" these events, on a bigger scale. It follows then that the sukkah is indeed the smaller-scale equivalent of the Beis Hamikdash.
The First Sukkah
The Midrash reveals a new perspective of the deep-rooted connection between the sukkah and the Beis Hamikdash. It expounds on the verse וַיְהִי בְשָׁלֵם סֻכּוֹ - "His Tabernacle was in Shalem" (תהלים עו ג), explaining that from the beginning of the creation of the world, Hashem established a sukkah in Yerushalayim. It metaphorically describes Hashem praying within this sukkah, expressing the wish that His children would fulfil His will, thus preventing the destruction of His house and sanctuary. After the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the prayer shifts to a plea for the repentance of His children and the swift rebuilding of His house and sanctuary. (מִדְרָשׁ תְּהִלִּים שָׁם)
Although this Midrash speaks in allegory and is not to be understood literally, it offers a profound insight into the significance of the sukkah as a place of prayer, specifically for the restoration of the Beis Hamikdash. This brings us back to our opening theme of Sukkos as a time for "seeking Tzion", a time for awakening our thirst and longing for the Beis Hamikdash.
May we all merit to witness the fulfilment of the long-awaited prophecy בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים אֶת־סֻכַּת דָּוִיד הַנֹּפֶלֶת וְגָדַרְתִּי אֶת־פִּרְצֵיהֶן וְהָרְסֹתָיו אָקִים וּבְנִיתִיהָ כִּימֵי עוֹלָם (עמוס ט יא), speedily in our days, אָמֵן.
אַ גוּט יוֹם טוֹב!