Why do we sit in Sukkot?
The answer is found in Vayikra 23:43: “So that your
generations may know that I made B’nai Yisrael dwell in Sukkot when I brought
them out of the Land of Egypt”.
The Tur in Orach Chayim explains: We sit in the Sukkah to
remember the Exodus of Egypt since everyone was there to see the Exodus and
nobody can deny that it took place. The Sukkot in the desert were the clouds of
glory which protected B’nai Yisrael from the heat and the sun. The Sukkot that
we make remind us of those miracles.
The Bayit Chadash points out that the fact that the Tur who
usually sticks to explaining the Halachot spends time here explaining the
reason behind the mitzvah shows that part of the mitzvah is to have Kavana
(intent) when we are in the Sukkah to remember the Exodus from
Is it enough to have Kavana that we are doing a mitzvah by
sitting in the Sukkah or do we have to have Kavana that God took care of us in
Sukkot when we left
According to the Pri Migadim and Mishna Brura, one would still
have fulfilled the mitzvah if they ate
in the Sukkah while only having the intent of fulfilling the mitzvah of eating
in the Sukkah (without focusing on the Exodus from
Rabbi Yaakov Ettlinger gives a stricter opinion. If a person
didn’t focus on the Exodus from
during the meal on the first night then he should actually eat another Kezayit,
this time making sure to focus on the Exodus. One should teach their children
and grandchildren on the first night the reason why we sit in the Sukkah in the
same way that we teach our children about the Exodus at the Pesach seder.
We see from here that Kavana is a very important aspect when
fulfilling the mitzvah of Sukkah. Since we are physically sitting outside
eating our meals in a booth instead of eating at our dining room table we may
automatically have more Kavana. However, over time we may get so used to the
mitzvah that we may take sitting in the Sukkah for granted.
Sukkot is a great opportunity to invite guests who are not
as familiar with the holiday who will ask a lot of questions and give us the
opportunity to explain why we are living in a booth for a week.
harona Margolin
HalickmanL’ay ghy we are living in a booth for a week.with the holiday who will
ask a lot of questions and give
