You shall take for yourselves, on the first day, the fruit of the beautiful tree, a branch of palm trees, boughs of thick leaved trees and willows of the brook and you shall rejoice before HaShem, your God for seven days.

The Rambam writes in Moreh Nevuchim, The Guide for the Perplexed 3:43, that the four species are a symbolic expression of our rejoicing that the Israelites exchanged the wilderness with a country full of fruit-trees and rivers. In order to remember this, we take the most pleasant fruit of the land, branches which smell great, most beautiful leaves, and the best of herbs, the willows of the brook. These four species have three purposes: First, they were plentiful in those days in the Land of Israel, so they were easily acquired. Secondly, they have a good appearance. The etrog (citron) and the hadas (myrtle) have a great smell, while the lulav (branches of the palm-tree) and the arava (willow) do not have a good or bad smell. Thirdly, they stay fresh for seven days.

Noga Hareuveni, an Israeli botanist and scholar of Judaic Studies who was awarded the Israel Prize for his leading role in the creation of the Biblical garden and nature preserve, Neot Kedumim wrote a groundbreaking ecological and geographical interpretation of the four species.

Hareuveni pointed out that the four specific plants commanded in the Torah represent four distinct, contrasting ecological regions of the Land of Israel:

The etrog represents the moist, irrigated coastal plains and valleys, the lulav symbolizes the arid desert oases and deep valleys (like Jericho) where springs feed the soil, the hadas reminds us of the wet, rocky mountain ranges and the arava corresponds to permanent riverbeds and wadis.

Hareuveni believed that during “Aliya LaRegel”, the ancient pilgrimage to the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) on Sukkot, Jews from all different corners of the Land of Israel would meet and exchange their regional flora since these four species only grew natively in completely different territories. A farmer from the mountains brought hadasim, while a farmer from the desert brought lulavim etc. Binding them together physically mirrored the geographical and societal unification of the nation.

The next time that you travel around Israel, stop at Neot Kedumim, where visitors can walk the “Four Species Ascent,” a landscape specifically cultivated to display the four species growing next to each other, reminding us that as long as we all work together, we will be united.

Rav Yoel Bin Nun points out that the first stop that B’nai Yisrael made when they left Egypt was at a place called Sukkot where they baked and ate their matzot (Shmot 12:37-39):

B’nai Yisrael travelled from Ramses to Sukkot…They baked the dough that they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread, not risen. They had been driven from Egypt and they could not delay and had not made provisions for themselves.

Rav Bin Nun comments that if the Torah would have ended with the Book of Shmot- with the covenant at Sinai and the building of the Mishkan, we probably would have ended up eating matzot in sukkot to remember the exodus from Egypt!

Since B’nai Yisrael transgressed and had to wander in the desert for 40 years with no homes, the term sukkot referred to the temporary homes that they lived in for 40 years.

The holiday is first introduced to us as Chag HaAsif, the Festival of the Ingathering in Shmot 23:16: “…and the Festival of the Ingathering at the close of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labor from the field.”

The commandment to observe the holiday which begins on the 15^th of Tishrei is outlined in Vayikra 23:33-43.

Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the laws of Sukkot in Vayikra are divided into two passages. The first refers to the sanctity of the festivals as represented by the Korbanot (offerings) that are brought. The second brings up the mitzvot that are unique to the holiday.

In Vayikra 23:34-35, the holiday is called Sukkot:

…On the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot (Booths), a seven day period for God. The first day is Mikra Kodesh (a sacred assembly) on it you shall perform no laborious work…

In verse 39, we read:

Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the crop of the Land, you shall celebrate God’s festival for a seven day period. The first day is a rest and the eighth day is a rest…

Then we are introduced to the mitzvah of Lulav and Etrog followed by the commandment to dwell in sukkot.

In verse 42-43 we read:

You shall dwell in sukkot for a seven day period; every native in Israel shall dwell in sukkot. So that your generations will know that I caused B’nai Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I took them from the land of Egypt…

The Festival of Sukkot is also mentioned in Dvarim 16:13-15:

You shall make the Festival of Sukkot for a seven day period, when you gather in from your threshing floor and from your wine cellar. You shall rejoice on your festival- you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant, the Levi, the convert, the orphan and the widow who are within your cities. A seven day period shall you celebrate for HaShem, your God, in the place that HaShem, your God will choose, for HaShem will have blessed you in all your crop and in all your handiwork, and you will be completely joyous.

It makes sense to separate Sukkot from Pesach. It is important when we are gathering in all of our bounty to remember that for 40 years we wandered without homes and God took care of us. Now that we are in the Land of Israel growing amazing things, we have to remember that it all comes from God. Chag HaAsif, which seems materialistic transforms into a spiritual holiday when it becomes Chag HaSukkot.

May we merit to enjoy both the spiritual and material aspects of Sukkot in the Third Temple in Jerusalem!

The words from the song come from Yishayahu 12:3:

Ushavtem mayim b’sason mimaayanei hayeshua

You can draw water with joy from the springs of salvation.

The music for the song was composed by Emanuel Pugashov Amiran. The dance was created in 1937 to celebrate the discovery of water in the desert. The choreographer was Else I Dublon.

Da’at Mikra comments that in the future, B’nai Yisrael will have celebrations at the time of the drawing of the water like the Simchat Beit HaShoeva (Water Libation ceremony when the Temple stood in Jerusalem). The water will be drawn from springs of blessing whose water will save the land and all those who are thirsty for water.

This alludes to the minhag (custom) of having a Simchat Beit HaShoeva celebration where they draw water in order to thank and praise God, even when the Beit HaMikdash is not standing. At the time of the celebration they would sing songs of praise to God.

Many of the mitzvot of Sukkot are connected with water or with rain:

The Talmud, Ta’anit 2b states that blessing and shaking the Arba Minim, (four species), the lulav, etrog, hadasim (myrtle), and aravot (willow) on Sukkot is essentially a prayer for rain.

Rabbi Eliezer said: Seeing that these four species are intended only to make intercession for water, therefore, as these cannot grow without water, so the world too cannot exist without water.

On Shmini Atzeret, when we no longer need to sit in the sukka, we begin to “mention” rain in our prayers with the blessing of “Mashiv HaRuach u’Morid HaGashem,” “He who makes the wind blow and the rain fall.”

The Hoshanot which are added to the prayers on Sukkot also have a heavy focus on rain.

As the rainy season begins, let’s pray for rain of blessings, let’s hope that this year will be a better year than last year, that the hostages and our soldiers will come home safely and may the Beit Hamikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days so that we can observe the true Simchat Beit HaShoeva ceremony.

The Rabam, Mishneh Torah- Zmanim- Hilchot Shofar, Sukkah and Lulav
7:13-18 speaks about the evolvement of the mitzvah of Lulav:

The Original Mitzvah:

The mitzvah of shaking the lulav only
applies on the first day of the holiday of Sukkot in every place during every
age and is practiced even on Shabbat, as we see in Vayikra 23:40 “And on the
first day, you shall take for yourselves fruit of the majestic tree, branches
of palm trees, boughs of the leafy tree, and willows of the brook…”

In the Mikdash (Jerusalem) alone the lulav is taken on each of the seven days
of the holiday as it says “and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.”
When Shabbat falls during the later days, the lulav is not taken. This is a
decree lest one carry it four cubits in the public domain, as decreed regarding
the shofar.

Why was this decree not put into
effect on the first day of Sukkot? Because taking the lulav on the first day is
a mitzvah from the Torah, even outside of Jerusalem. Thus, the laws applying to
it are not the same as those applying to the remaining days since on the
subsequent days of the holiday a person is obligated to take the lulav only in
the Mikdash (Jerusalem).

Changes once the Beit HaMikdash
(Temple) was Destroyed:

When the Beit HaMikdash was
destroyed, the Sages ordained that the lulav be taken everywhere for the entire
seven days of the festival, as a remembrance. Every day the blessing would be recited
over it. This enactment, like the other enactments instituted by Rabbi
Yochanan ben Zakkai when the Temple was destroyed is only temporary. When the
Temple is rebuilt, these matters will return to their original status.

While the Temple was standing, the
lulav would be taken in Jerusalem when the first day of Sukkot fell on Shabbat.
The same applies in other places (throughout Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora)
where they were certain that this day (the fifteenth of Tishrei) was celebrated
as a holiday in Eretz Yisrael. However, the places which were distantly removed
from Jerusalem would not take the lulav on this day because of the doubt.

When the
Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, the Sages forbade everyone from shaking the lulav
when the first day of the holiday occurred on Shabbat including the inhabitants
of Eretz Yisrael who had sanctified the new moon. This was instituted because
of the inhabitants of the distant settlements, who were not aware of when the
new month had been declared. Thus, a uniform guideline was established, rather
than having some take the lulav on the Shabbat and some not. The guiding
principle was that the obligation of taking the lulav on the first day applies
in all places and there is no longer a Temple to use as a point of distinction.

At present, when everyone follows a
fixed calendar, the matter remains as it was, and the lulav is not taken on Shabbat
anywhere- not in the outlying territories or in Eretz Yisrael even on the first
day of the festival. This applies even though everyone knows the actual day of
the month. As stated above, the reason for the prohibition of taking the lulav
on Shabbat is a decree lest one carry it four cubits in the public domain.

We learn from the Rambam that in our
time, nobody shakes the lulav on Shabbat regardless if they are in Jerusalem, Israel
or the Diaspora. When the Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt, we will go back to
shaking the lulav on the first day, even on Shabbat but the Diaspora will not
shake to lulav on the other days of the holiday. Hopefully, when the mashiach
comes all of the Jews will be back in Israel and then they can have the opportunity
to come to Jeusalem and shake the lulav there.

Until that time, Jews all over the
world will shake the lulav on every day of the holiday aside from Shabbat and
yearn for the Beit HaMikdash to be rebuilt speedily in our days.

The Haftara for the first day of
Sukkot (Zecharia, Chapter 14) speaks about the war of Gog and Magog and the
future days when the nations of the world will be obligated to come to
Jerusalem to observe the holiday of Sukkot.

What is the connection between Gog
and Magog and Sukkot?

Rabbi Shimshon Repahael Hirsch (Bamidbar
29:13) explains that the name Gog is similar to the word gag, roof which is the
opposite of a sukkah, an unstable building with a flimsy covering of schach,
foliage. The nations think that they don’t need to rely on God since they can
protect themselves by building a strong roof. The war of Gog and Magog is the
war between the roof and the sukkah- putting our trust in ourselves vs. putting
our trust in God.

Rabbi Hirsch (Chorev 221) points out:
We can find a universal explanation to answer the question of why the mitzvah
of sitting in the sukkah was chosen for the nations to observe. One of the most
decisive sins from the beginning of humanity was the sin of the building of the
Tower of Bavel (Breisheet, Chater 11) so that they could rebel against God. In
contrast, in the future days, prophecied by Zecharia (14:9) “God will be the
King over all the land; on that day God will be One and His Name will be One.”
Observing the mitzvah of Sukkot, the symbol of our trust in God, is a form of
atonement for the nations for the building of the Tower of Bavel.

In the future days, humanity will be
uplifted and God will accept all under His Sukkat Shalom (shelter of peace)
which He will spread over all of the families of the earth and the One and only
God will not just be considered to be God of the Jewish people, He will be
accepted as the God of all of humanity.

According to Radak and Abarbanel,
once they have seen the great miracles that He performed for His nation, all of
the nations that attacked Jerusalem and survived will acknowledge that God is
the King over the entire world. His Kingship will no longer be recognized only
by Israel but by all nations.

May we be blessed with the words
from the Hashkivenu Prayer:

Safeguard our going and coming- for
life and for peace from now to eternity. And spread over us the sukkah (shelter)
of Your peace. Blessed are You, HaShem, Who spreads the Sukkat Shalom upon us,
upon all of His people and upon Jerusalem.

In Nechemia 8:13-18 we read about how Sukkot was celebrated after the
Second Beit HaMikdash (Temple) was built:

On the second day, the heads of the families of all the people, the
Kohanim and the Leviim were gathered together to Ezra, the scribe, to delve
into the words of the Torah. They found written in the Torah that God had
commanded through the hand of Moshe that B’nai Yisrael should dwell in Sukkot
during the festival that is in the seventh month. They commanded that they
should announce it and make a proclamation in all their cities and in
Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain and get branches
with olive leaves, pine needles, myrtle leaves, palm leaves and leaves of the
braided tree, to make sukkot (booths) as it is written (in the Torah).” So the
people went and brought these items and made themselves sukkot, every one upon
the roof of his house, and in their courtyards, and in the courtyards of the
house of God, in the plaza of the Water Gate and in the plaza of the Gate of
Efraim. The entire congregation that had returned from the captivity made sukkot
and dwelt in sukkot. B’nai Yisrael had not done so since the days of Yeshua
(Yehoshua) Bin Nun until that day, and there was very great joy. Ezra read in
the scroll of God’s Torah day by day, from the first day until the last day.
They observed the festival for seven days as well as Shmini Atzeret, the
assembly on the eighth day, according to the law.

Why were they specifically told to go to the mountain and get branches
with olive leaves, pine needles, myrtle leaves, palm leaves and leaves of the
braided tree?

According to Rav David Tzvi Hoffman in his commentary on Vayikra, during
the harvest season, the etrog (citron) and arava (willow) were readily
available so the people already had them. Therefore they only needed to bring
back the myrtle (hadas) and palm (lulav) from the mountains in order to
complete the set of four species. The branches from the other trees listed would
be used for schach (the roof of the sukka).

Sukkot were built everywhere: The residents of Jerusalem built them on
their own properties, either on their rooftops or in their courtyards, The
Kohanim and Leviim used the sukkot that were built in the courtyard of the Beit
HaMikdash and Olei HaRegel (pilgrims) used the sukkot in the plaza of the Water
Gate and in the plaza of the Gate of Efraim.

Why was this Sukkot with Ezra celebrated with the same enthusiasm as the
celebration at the time of Yehoshua Bin Nun?

The Talmud, Arachin 32b teaches us that B’nei Yisrael coming back to the
Land of Israel with Ezra was similar to B’nei Yisrael coming into the land at
the time of Yehoshua and renewing their obligation in Shmita and Yovel as well
as the Mitzvot HaTluyot Ba’Aretz, the mitzvoth that are only in effect in the
Land of Israel.

Malbim explains that the exciting part was that they built sukkot in
Reshut HaRabim, the public areas and not just on their own private property.

The Jewish People are back in the Land of Israel. We see sukkot
everywhere- private sukkot, public sukkot, beach sukkot and sukkot at
campgrounds and nature reserves. We have the four species readily available in
market places, street corners and even in supermarkets. Palm branches are seen
piled up all over Jerusaelm, waiting to be taken away on roofs of cars to be
used for schach. As we celebrate the holiday of the harvest we must not forget
that now that we are back in our own land there is an excitement of being
obligated in observing the mitzvoth that can only be observed in the Land of
Israel and we must relearn the laws once again.

There is no Sukkot like Sukkot in the Land of Israel. May we all merit
to celebrate together in the Modern State of Israel.

When the angels disguised as men
went to visit Avraham, he was more than happy to host them. In Breishhet 18:4
Avraham tells his guests: “Let a bit of water be brought and wash your feet.
Rest yourselves under the tree.”

In Breisheet Raba 48:10 we learn
that Avraham seated the guests under the tree so that they would have a
comfortable, protected, shaded place to sit. The Midrash teaches that since
Avraham seated them under the tree, his reward would be that his future
offspring, B’nei Yisrael would always be protected by God.

When B’nai Yisrael left Egypt, God gave
them shade in the desert, as it says in Tehillim 105:39: “He spread out a cloud
for shelter, and a fire to illuminate the night.”

How do we know that God also gave
Avraham’s offspring shade when they were living in the Land of Israel? In
Vayikra 23:42-43 we read: “You shall dwell in sukkot for a seven day period;
every native in Israel shall dwell in sukkot so that your generations will know
that I caused B’nai Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I took them out of the land
of Egypt.” The sukkah is like a chuppah (canopy) of honor which protects us and
gives us shade from all harm, so that in every generation we will remember that
God protected B’nai Yisrael and enveloped them in the clouds of glory.

From where do we see that God will
protect us and envelope us in the future/ the days of the mashiach (messiah)? Yishayahu
4:6 states: “And there will be a sukkah as a shade from the heat in daytime as
a protection and refuge from storm and from rain.”

Since Avraham went out of his way to
protect his visitors, the Jewish people will forever be protected by God. It is
not a coincidence that the first of the Ushpizin (virtual guests) is Avraham
followed by his son, Yitzchak, his grandson, Yaakov, his great grandson, Yosef
and his future descendants Moshe, Aharon and David.

Out of the twenty-four books of the
TaNaCh, Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) which we read on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot is
one of the least well known. An excerpt of the book (3:1-8) did become popular
as part of the song “Turn Turn Turn” written by Pete Seeger in the 1950s which
reached #1 on the Billboard top 100 when sung by the Byrds in 1965.

Aside from the words “turn, turn,
turn” the song almost follows the Biblical text exactly:

To everything there is a season and
a time to every purpose under the heaven

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck
up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to
build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to
dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a
time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing;

A time to seek, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to cast
away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time
to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time for war, and a time for
peace.

This list of opposites gives us the
ups and downs in life.

Sukkot is called “Zman Simchateinu”,
our happy time, as this was the time of year that if all went well, the produce
would be gathered into the house and we would not have to worry about what we
would be eating in the upcoming months.

Sukkot pushes us to be happy even if
we have gone through a difficult period. We now have to appreciate what God has
given us and leave our homes to show that everything that we have is not due to
our own strength but is rather due to God’s involvement.

There will always be highs and lows
and it is important for us to appreciate the good times and remember that the
difficult times will pass.

An extra line was added to the
Biblical verses at the end of the song as a plea for world peace: “I swear it’s
not too late.” This song became popular during the peace movement in the 1960s
but it still rings true today. May we see peace in the State of Israel and
throughout the world.

Now that you had preview from the
Byrds, you can check out the rest of the book!

In Dvarim 16:13-15 we read: “You shall make a festival of
Sukkot for a seven day period, when you gather in from your threshing floor and
from your wine cellar. You shall rejoice on your festival (visamachta
bichagecha)– you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant,
the Levite, the convert, the orphan and the widow who are in your cities. A
seven day period shall you celebrate to Hashem, your God, in the place that
Hashem your God will choose, for Hashem will have blessed you in all your crop
and in all your handiwork and you will be completely joyous (vihayita ach
sameach).”

Rashbam explains that the reason the word “ach” is used is
to contrast Sukkot with the holidays that came before it: “Although Rosh
HaShana is a day of remembrance and Yom Kippur a day of atonement, Sukkot is a
feast of joy and thanksgiving for the bountiful crops God has blessed the
people with.”

The Baalei HaTosafot add: “At Sukkot, when all has already
been gathered in and the sins had been forgiven on Yom Kippur, rejoicing is
mentioned three times: once in Vayikra 23:40 ‘You shall take for yourselves on
the first day the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date palms, twigs of
a plaited tree and brook willows and you shall rejoice (visamachtem)
before HaShem, your God, for a seven-day period’ and twice in Dvarim: ‘You
shall rejoice on your festival’ and  ‘you will be completely joyous’. You
should be rejoicing for the produce of the earth, for the fruits of the tree
and for the forgiving of the sins. Rejoicing should be your exclusive concern.”

Rabbi Naphtali Hirz Wessely (1725-1805, Hamburg) explains that we should be happy on
Sukkot. However, the word “ach” limits us and tells us not to get carried away,
it is a warning against frivolity and folly.

Nehama Leibowitz adds that the word “ach” limits the
rejoicing which is to be a festive one, in the spirit of the commandment, with
no alien motives which are apt to emerge at this season when the sight of
plenty may go to one’s head and joy may turn into riot.

Although we are commanded to be happy, we can’t just do what
we want all week as if we are on vacation. We move out of our comfortable homes
into sukkot (booths) which must be built in a specific manner. We must buy
kosher four species that are prescribed by the Torah which can often be very
expensive. We have restrictions over Yom Tov as well as over Chol HaMoed.

Despite all of the laws and restrictions, when we are
sitting outside this evening in our Sukkot under the full moon, there is no
question that this is the holiday where we can really feel God’s presence. It
is also a happy time to be in Israel
as we only have one day of Yom Tov, you can find a sukka almost everywhere
including on the beach and they have really good deals on Lulav and Etrog sets!

On the last day of Sukkot, when we leave the Sukkah for the
last time, we say the following prayer:

Yehi Ratzon- May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the
God of our forefathers that just as I have fulfilled the mitzvah and dwelled in
the Sukkah, so may I merit the coming year to dwell in the Sukkah of the skin
of the Leviatan (Monstrous fish). Next year in Jerusalem.

The Leviatan was created on the Fifth day of the creation
(Bresiheet 1:21 “And God created the great sea monsters”). The Leviatan is the
ruler of all of the creatures of the sea. In Masechet Bava Batra 74b we learn
that the Leviatan will be slain and its flesh served as a feast to the
righteous in the World to Come and its beautiful skin will be used to cover the
tent where the banquet will take place.

In a prophecy about the destruction of our enemies in
Yishayahu 27:1 we read “On that day God will bring punishment with His harsh,
great mighty sword upon Leviatan… and He will kill the great fish that is in
the sea.”

According to Radak, the Leviatan symbolizes the great world
powers. Yishayahu uses the death of the Leviatan to allude to the eventual
downfall of the enemies of Israel.

According to the Daily Mail, last month a thirteen foot long
sea monster washed up on the beach in Villaricos,
Spain. Marine
biologists are having trouble identifying it saying that they have never seen
anything like it before.

Since there is a good possibility that the sea monster that
was found dead in Spain was a Leviatan, then there is also a good possibility that soon we will see the
downfall of our enemies as well.

As we celebrate Sukkot and pray for peace we look forward to
the day that we will sit in the Sukkah made from the skin of the Leviatan.