The Holiday of Sukkot
Exalted Guests--the Ushpizin
When the people of Israel leave their homes and enter the Sukka for the sake of G-d's Name, they achieve the merit there of welcoming the Divine Presence and all the seven faithful shepherds descend from the Garden of Eden, and come to the Sukka as their guests. (Zohar)
Waving the Four Kinds
One waves the Four Kinds [palm, citron, willow and myrtle] to and fro to Him who owns the four directions; up and down to Him who owns heaven and earth. That is to say: the four kinds are an allusion to G-d's having created all of existence, and that there is naught besides Him. (Tractate Suka 37)
Simchat Beit HaShoeiva-Rejoicing at the Water Drawing
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chanania stated: "When we used to rejoice at the place of the Water-Drawing, our eyes saw no sleep. How was this? The first hour was occupied with the daily morning sacrifice; from there we proceeded to prayers; from the prayers to the additional sacrifice; then to the House of Study; then eating and drinking the festive meal; then the afternoon prayer; then the daily evening sacrifice; and after that the rejoicing at the place of the Water-Drawing all night!" (Tractate Sukka 53)
Genuine Desire on Simchat Torah
There is a unique dimension to Simchat Torah in that every Jew is given an aliya to the Torah. Generally, on a festival, five aliyas are called to the Torah; on Yom Kippur, six; and on Shabbat, seven. Simchat Torah is the one and only time in which every person in attendance is given an aliya. Although it involves time and one might think that it would be improper to delay the entire communal prayers for this reason, this practice is followed. Why? Because it is the genuine desire of each member of the community that every person present receive an aliya. (The Rebbe, Simchat Torah, 5752-1992)