Perashat Ha'azinu & The Sukkah

By Victor Bibi Haazinu

The Clouds Protect the Glory and the Sukkah

The spiritual atmosphere of the מדבר (desert) was one fraught with danger. At the end of the Israel's sojourn through the desert - Moshe reminds us in the verse 32:10 - יסבבנהו - that God had offered us his protection in this environment via the ענני הכבוד or clouds that had surrounded both the people of Israel and his שכינה - his glory. The Talmud (Taanit 9) teaches that this protection in the form of spiritual clouds was due to the merit of Aharon.

In Sefer Vayikra 23:42 - the Torah commands כל האזרח בישראל -to dwell in סכות for seven days. This is to mimic the protection offered by Hashem in the desert. The Talmud (Sukkah 11) records the dispute whether the סוכות that we are to dwell in beginning the 15th of Tishri - are parallel the metaphysical clouds of glory or actual booths that Israel dwelt in - during the forty year sojourn through the desert.

Either way - I would assert that this commandment to dwell in סוכות is to offer during this seven day period - a parallel protection as to what was made available at that time. We hope to prove that it was the שכינה in its "immature" state that needed protection at that time - And it is the same שכינה that requires us to dwell in סכות today to offer it a similar type of protection as it advances from its "immature" state towards unification on שמיני עצרת -

Aharon's Death Weakens the Protection of the Shehina

The Targum Yonatan elucidates the verses that record Aharon's death - And when Aharon's soul rested the ענני הכבוד moved away on the first of the month of Av. It is important we understand that the protective clouds are called ענני of the spiritual vessel called כבוד - This is synonymous with the שכינה or the divine presence. With the death of Aharon the שכינה lost her protection from the elements. The Torah in Bem 21:1 records what occurred as a result - When the Canaanite King of Arad who lived in the south heard that Israel were traveling along the Atarim Highway - he attacked them and took from them a captive.

The Talmud (RH 3) teaches that he heard of the death of Aharon and the removal of the protective clouds. This is the meaning that the congregation of Israel saw - ויראו that Aharon died. R. Abhu said that the word should be read וייראו - they became visible. With the loss of this spiritual protection the enemy achieved their intended target - וישב ממנו שבי - He took a captive from amongst them.

Based on the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni) Rashi writes that this was merely a single maidservant. - Who is this שפחה whom the Torah wants to tell us was captured? This action spurred Israel to vow to Hashem to dedicate all of their spoil if he would assist them in (the return of the captive and) success in war.

The Shehina was Taken Captive

According to the Midrash (Tanhuma) - It was with the removal of the clouds of the כבוד that - Israel now appeared as a woman whose head covering had been removed. This is a reference to the שכינה being exposed as ערוה - The שכינה is the divine reservoir - When it is in its elevated unified state in the world of Asilut it is protected from all spiritual filth and impediments and gives forth to Israel the clean spiritual water it needs to survive.

However there are times when the שכינה descends from her mature state or גלות השכינה - into the lower worlds. It is at that time that she is considered a שפחה - a maid servant who is subject to be taken captive -This - I would assert is the lone captive that was captured after the death of Aharon and the removal of her clouds of protection.

Sukkot - Protects and Prepares the Shehina

R. HaAri teaches that from the period beginning Rosh Hashanah culminating with שמיני עצרת the Divine Presence or the שכינה goes through a progression leading to her final Tikun. Part of the process will be for the שכינה to accompany Israel -taking her place in the סוכה - in what is similar to the עננים of protection for the כבוד - There - this divine reservoir will receive the hasadim אור מקיף - from an elevated spiritual source called אימא - In the shadow of the סוכה she will be protected from all negative spiritual forces who seek to nourish from her - and at the same time prepare her to unify with the channel above her - receiving the spiritual water or the DNA for the coming year at מוסף of שמיני עצרת -

Sukkah and Clouds of Hesed

It is clear how both the ענני of the שכינה called כבוד and the סוכה serve similar purposes of providing protection and growth for the שכינה via the lights of Hasidim - or Divine mercies. The עננים are a reflection of חסד as the verse in Bem 10:34  כי ענן ה׳ עליהם יומם - The Zohar (Emor 103) comments that daytime is reminiscent of Hesed - As the verse in Tehillim 42:9 יומם יצוה ה׳ חסדו - Aharon is rooted in kindness in his role as כהן גדול - as it is written Dev 33:8 תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסדיך - R. HaAri teaches that during סוכות the שכינה will be endowed via the  מצות סוכה - with 7 lights.

Similarly the Zohar writes on the verse in Vayikra 16:13 וכסה ענן הקטרת - that the cloud of ketoret also was of seven in Unity. Aharon - although related on a personal level to the channel of הוד - He was as the כהן גדול of Israel rooted in חסד - Hence it was in his merit that the clouds of Hasidim protected the שכינה - The Zohar teaches that on סוכות all seven of the אבות make their appearance accompanying the שכינה in the סוכה - as Ushpizin.

The Seven Holy Ushpizin

If we are to invite all seven Holy guests - we must admit that all must be associated with סוכות and with the Divine mercies aroused at that time. According to the Midrash (BR 48:10) - Israel was divinely protected in the wilderness by the סוכה - because Abraham had given shelter (also a sukkah - Bem R 14:2) to three strangers beneath the tree. Regarding Yishak - The Talmud (RH 11) teaches that the angel brought the news of his conception on Sukkot.

Yaakov (Ber 33:17) made Sukkot for his cattle. Moshe (Taanit 9) had the merit for the clouds of glory to return after the passing of Aharon. Yoseph who is related with the attribute of Yesod or Shalom - retains the adjective associated with the Sukkah - referred to as סוכת שלומך - David embodies the שכינה associated with the mizbeah - or the שלחן upon which we eat our Holy meals. This is the secret of the rule that the סוכה must be 7x7 - Tefahim - Which is large enough to contain a man's head most of his body and a table.

Our Participation in Hesed Protecting the Shehina 

According to the Talmud (BB 15) another name for Abraham the pillar of hesed is האזרחי - as in the verse in Tehillim 89:1 משכיל לאיתן האזרחי - We can now understand writes the זאב יטרף - the strange locution given to Israel in their requirement to live in סוכות while providing hasadim for the שכינה - The commandment reads בסכת תשבו שבעת ימים כל האזרח בישראל - Here we see the requirement to draw down hasadim as the seed of Abraham the אזרחי - as we are too similarly called אזרח - We are to arouse his Middah of Hesed -upon the שכינה - How? The authorities are adamant that we take care on סוכות - to invite and show kindness to the poor - Why? Because the poor are associated with the שכינה as is known throughout the writings of R. HaAri.

When we sit in the Sukkah inviting the poor - along with the spiritual guests called אושפיזין we are thereby mimicking the protection offered by the clouds of glory - We are drawing down the Hasadim to both protect and shower the שכינה with her requirements for her upcoming unity on שמיני עצרת - . The Zohar (Emor 103) praises Moshe in bringing back the departing clouds of glory. In Teh 68:19 it records his efforts - עלית למרום שבית שבי - You ascended on high and have returned the captive! It appears to me that this is none other than the שכינה - The lonely שפחה - maid servant - who descended while being striped of her protection of the clouds. Moshe brought her up לשכן י״ה - to dwell and unite above.

So too - it remains our task on Sukkot to insure that the Shekhina is protected and endowed with the Hasadim preparing her for unification on שמיני עצרת - As we recite the שמע ישראל during the כתר chant of the חזרה - The שכינה will become spiritually impregnated with the Holy water משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם לברכה - and endowed with the DNA of life for the coming year.