In Hilchos Rosh Chodesh (Orach Chaim 417), the Tur cites his brother, Rabbeinu Yechiel, who teaches that the Shalosh Regalim correspond to the three Avos [Patriarchs]. Pesach corresponds to Avraham, as is alluded to by the pasuk: ‐Knead and make rolls‐ (Bereishis 18:6). (The Rabbinic tradition is that the malochim came to visit Avraham on the Yom Tov of Pesach.) Shavuos corresponds to Yitzchak, because the shofar blast at the time of the giving of the Torah (Shemos 19:19) was with a shofar that came from the ram (that was sacrificed in place) of Yitzchak at the time of the Akeidah. Finally, Succos corresponds to Yaakov, as it is written ‐...and for his cattle he made little huts (succos), therefore they called the name of the place Succos‐ (Bereishis 33:17).
Rav Meir Bergman asks an obvious question in his sefer Sha’arei Orah. We can understand that Pesach corresponds to Avraham, because he told Sarah to bake matzos. That makes sense. The attribute of Avraham Avinu (our forefather Avraham) was chessed [kindness], and the act of preparing food and serving guests — at a time when he was still recovering from bris milah — represented his attribute of kindness, his essence.
We can also understand that Shavuos corresponds to Yitzchak, because the shofar of Har Sinai was from the ram of the Akeidah. That too makes sense. Yitzchak represented the attribute of self-sacrifice (mesiras nefesh). That attribute is embodied in the ram that was a replacement for the sacrifice that Yitzchak was prepared to offer of himself. This fits in well with the theme of receiving the Torah (on Shavuous) for which we also need that same attribute of self-sacrifice. Therefore, both these allusions make sense. However, in what way does making huts for his sheep embody the essence of Yaakov Avinu? We can add one more question, which is what does this have to do with Succos?
To explain the above I would like to use an idea I saw in the sefer Milchemes Yehudah:
The context of the pasuk that the Tur brings is, Yaakov met Eisav, they (at least partially) reconciled, and then they decided to go their separate ways. Then the pasuk says, ‐So Eisav went back that day on his way toward Seir. Then Yaakov journeyed to Succos and built himself a house, and for his livestock he made shelters (succos); therefore, he called the name of the place Succos.‐ (Bereishis 33:16-17).
There are two problems with this pasuk. The first is that Yaakov only called the name of the place Succos after he got there (after he erected the shelters (succos) for the livestock). Nevertheless, the pasuk says ‐he journeyed to Succos‐ as if that was the pre-existing name of the town. Of course, we can say that the pasuk is speaking in ‐prophetic future tense‐ — i.e., Yaakov journeyed to the place that in the future he would name Succos. However, it is strange to find it written that way.
The other question is that it seems that Yaakov named the town for a very insignificant fact — namely the structures he built for his cattle. Why is the town (apparently) named for the huts he made for his livestock?
The Milchemes Yehudah discusses these questions. He says that the pasuk is teaching that Succos is not merely a place on the map — it is a state of mind. The Torah is teaching that Yaakov Avinu is now entering the final stage of his life. Yaakov lived in his parents’ house for many years, during which time he sat and learned. Then he went to Yeshivas Shem V’Ever for another fourteen-year period where, again, he sat and learned. Then, as a fugitive running for his life, he left Eretz Yisroel— the Promised Land — and worked by Lavan for twenty years. He worked for one wife, then he worked for another wife, and then he needed to earn a bit of a livelihood for himself. This was all a prelude for the final stage of his life. Now, Yaakov is coming back to Eretz Yisroel. In today’s terminology, he is finally ‐settling down.‐
Yaakov makes a decision. He said to himself, when I was by Lavan, I saw what is involved in earning a living. I saw how Lavan acts. I am now beginning ‐the rest of my life.‐ I have seen enough of life to know that materialism (gashmiyus) and the struggle to make a living and all other mundane pursuits in this world can become a person’s raison d’etre — they can become the reason for a person’s existence. I do not want this to happen to me because I know that the only thing that counts in this world is spirituality (ruchniyus) and service of Hashem. All the rest is just peripheral. It may be necessary, but it is only a means to an end.
So therefore, when the pasuk says that Yaakov traveled to Succos, it is not referring to the name of that town. It is referring to this concept that a person must look at his pursuit of gashmiyus — the material things in life — houses, livelihood, cattle — as merely just travelling ‐to Succos.‐ It is all temporary. A person cannot take it with him. All these acquisitions are not going to make a bit of difference after 120 years. They are all transitory.
They are like a succah. When someone is out camping, he does not put up a house for his ten-day camping trip. People put up tents, because it is just a temporary situation. Yaakov traveled to Succos: ‐Now I am starting my life — I have finished with Lavan, I have finished with Eisav – so now I am beginning. My mindset is to Succos.‐ I called the name of the city I would live in ‐Temporary Huts‐ [Succos] because I am making a statement for myself and for my children that this entire world must be viewed in the context of a temporary dwelling — ‐Succos.‐
With this idea, the Milchemes Yehudah interprets a puzzling Gemara (Shabbos 33a). After mentioning that Yaakov named the city Succos, the next pasuk says, ‐Yaakov came intact to the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, upon his coming from Paddan-aram, and he encamped before the city (va’yichan es pnai ha’ir)‐ (Bereishis 33:18). The Gemara asks, what does ‐he encamped before the city‐ mean? The Gemara gives three interpretations: Rav answers, ‐He minted a coin for them‐ (matbeah tiken lahem). Shmuel answers, ‐He founded marketplaces for them (shevakim tiken lahem).‐ Rav Yochanon says, ‐He founded for them bath houses (merchatzaos tiken lahem).‐
This is strange. Yaakov arrives in Shechem and he suddenly decides to invent a monetary system? He invents shopping malls? He brings in spas? What does this mean?
The Milchemes Yehudah says that Yaakov came into this city after he established this principle that the whole world must be looked at as ‐Succos.‐ He asked himself — what consumes these people? Number 1 — coinage; Number 2 — shopping; Number 3 — spas — the good life. He told them, ‐My friends, you have it all wrong. This is not the way to live. You must view your major activities in life from a different perspective.‐
According to the Milchemes Yehudah’s reading of the Gemara, the words tiken lahem in each of the three opinions does not mean ‐he founded‐ or ‐he established,‐ as the simple reading of the Talmudic text might lead us to believe. He interprets the verb tiken to mean, ‐he fixed or improved‐ (from the infinitive l’saken — to fix). Rav interprets that Yaakov tried to teach them the proper perspective they should have about money. It is not everything in life! Shmuel says that he did not establish marketplaces. On the contrary, he tried to convince them that shopping is not the be-all and end-all of existence. There is no mitzvah to stand nine hours in line at night to buy a 31-inch television set at a discounted price. Finally, Rabbi Yochanan said he tried to ‐fix‐ their attitude towards bath houses — just to live an epicurean existence, luxuriating for hours on end in warm soapy water is not what this world is all about.
Tiken does not mean he invented. He tried to be ‐mesaken‐ — to correct their perspective in each of the three areas of life cited by these three Rabbinic opinions.
This is what Succos is all about, and we can now understand very well why Succos corresponds to Yaakov Avinu. (Adapted from a devar Torah by R’ Frand in Parshas Vayishlach)