Writing in MyJewishLearning.com (10/16/16), Rabbi David Golinkin lays out a variety of reasons for why we are commanded to
live in the sukkah. He notes the agricultural reason cited in the Torah: “After
the ingathering from your threshing floor and your vat, you shall hold the
Feast of Booths for seven days…You shall hold a festival…in the place that the
Lord will choose, for the Lord your God will bless all your crops and all your
undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy” (Deut. 16:13,15).
A historical reason is also found in the Torah: You shall live in
booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths. In order that
future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths
when I brought them out of the land of Egypt… (Lev.(23:42-43).
Tradition adds additional reasons: Philo, the first century
Egyptian-Jewish philosopher, suggests that “it should remind us of the
long wanderings of our forefathers in the depths of the desert... and to
remember your poverty….”
There is more to this line of thought. Most of us have the ability and the
means (the privilege) to live in far better conditions than our ancestors.
Thus, the sukkah becomes an ironic statement of gratitude. Philo says that it’s
a pleasure for a prosperous person to remember the “bad old days.” He adds one
additional factor: sitting in the sukkah leads us to thank God for all the
kindness He has bestowed upon us.
At a time of plague, physical separation from our community, racial strife, the
rise again of anti-Semitism and political division, it may be difficult to
remain grateful for what we have received. I believe that the act of putting up
the sukkah in my backyard is one of hope that with God’s kindness, we can
overcome the difficulties we face.