DON’T KICK YOUR SUKKA
The Talmud (Avoda Zara 3a) discusses an intriguing dialogue that will take place in the future Messianic Age between G-d and the Nations of the world:
After discussing how they will testify that the Jewish people observed the commandments, they too will come and demand a reward. They will say:
“Master of the Universe! Give [the Torah] to us anew and we will observe it.”
The Holy One Blessed is He, says to them, “Fools of the world! Whoever toiled on the eve of the Sabbath will eat on the Sabbath, but whoever did not toil on the eve of the Sabbath from where will he eat on the Sabbath? Nevertheless, [I will accede to your request]. I have an easy Mitzvah and its name is Sukka. Go and perform [it].”
Immediately, each [member of the Nations] goes to construct a Sukka on the roof of his house. The Holy One Blessed is He pierces them with the sun in the Tammuz season. And each and every one kicks his Sukka and leaves.
The Talmud questions G-d’s tactic in proving the disloyalty of the Nations to the performance of a Mitzvah. Even a Jew would be exempt from dwelling in a Sukka under these circumstances of extreme heat since the rule is that when one is in distress he is exempted from the Sukka. The Talmud answers that although a Jew would be compelled to leave the Sukka he would not kick it on the way out.
THE FOUR QUESTIONS
Many questions have been asked about this enigmatic story in the Talmud.
First, why did G-d choose the Mitzvah of Sukka specifically as a test of the Nations’ desire to fulfill the commandments?
The Talmud seems to address this question by referring to the Sukka as an “easy Mitzvah” because it doesn’t involve a significant monetary cost. But there are many other Mitzvos which do not involve major expense. Why this Mitzvah specifically?
Second, why did G-d then make it difficult for them to observe the Mitzvah of Sukka? Certainly it was G-d’s way of demonstrating that they were not serious about serving Him. But, the fact that G-d made the performance of this “easy” Mitzvah difficult seems to undermine the initial emphasis that this was an easy Mitzvah. It turned out not to be so easy.
Third, why did G-d cause them to leave the Sukka as a result of the extreme heat? G-d could have poured rain down on their Sukkos, which would have yielded the same result.
Fourth, why did they build the Sukkos on their rooftops?
Rashi explains that in those days roofs were flat and people used roofs for many of their needs.
However while this explains how it was possible to build a Sukka on a rooftop, it does not explain why they chose the rooftops instead of their yards. And, more importantly, why were the Talmudic authors interested in reporting such an inconsequential aspect of the story?
TOTALITY!
One way of approaching this matter is to reflect that the Mitzvah of Sukka was chosen specifically because, despite its simplicity, it is one Mitzvah that comprises all the other Mitzvos, both subjectively and objectively.
From the perspective of the person who fulfills this Mitzvah, the Sukka is unique. When we perform this Mitzvah it encompasses the totality of the person. One enters the Sukka wearing his clothing and his boots. Even the Mikveh, which requires full immersion, does not involve one’s clothing. The Sukka is the sole Mitzvah that involves the totality of the person and encompasses all of one’s routine activities such as eating and sleeping.
SUKKA = 248
The word Sukka, when spelled phonetically [i.e., when we take each letter and spell it as it is sounded] adds up to 248, which is the number of positive commandments in the Torah. [There are a total of 613 commandments in the Torah of which 248 are prescriptive, the do’s, whereas the other 365 are proscriptive commandments, the don’ts.]
Another fascinating connection between the Sukka and the number 248 has been stated by the famous Chassidic Masters, Rabbi Chaim of Tzanz and Rabbi Avraham of Sochotchov:
The minimum dimension of a Sukka (in terms of Biblical law) is that it must have at least two walls, each consisting of 7 by 10 t’fachim (handbreadths-about 3 to 4 inches). A third wall must be at least one handbreadth by 10. If we add the s’chach (the covering of branches), which is 7x7 it amounts to an additional 49 handbreadths. If we add on the floor space it gives us another 49 handbreadths. When we add up all these dimensions, 70+70+10+49+49, they equal 248!
Another connection of the Sukka to the number 248 is in the Talmud’s association of the 248 Mitzvos to the 248 organs of the human body. When we enter the Sukka we enter with all of our limbs and organs, which symbolize all of the positive Mitzvos. Here we see how the subjective nature of the Sukka (entering with all of our 248 organs) matches the Sukka which represents the 248 commandments.
ENTERING G-D’S DOMAIN
Conceptually, each and every Mitzvah enables us to enter into G-d’s Sukka, i.e., G-d’s abode, one Mitzvah at a time. However, a single Mitzvah gets us only part way into the Divine Sukka. The Mitzvah of dwelling in a Sukka allows us to enter G-d’s Sukka completely.
We can now understand why G-d will test the Nations with the Mitzvah of Sukka. When G-d tests these clamoring protesters he chooses to give them a Mitzvah that comprises all the other Mitzvos. If they were to pass this test they would be ready for all of the commandments. Otherwise, even fulfilling one Mitzvah would still not entitle them to the same reward the Jewish people are destined to receive for observance of all the Mitzvos.
On a deeper level, one may suggest that by giving them the one Mitzvah that contains all of the Mitzvos, G-d would expose them to incredible spiritual energy.
This then is the deeper significance of building the Sukka on their rooftops. The roof is the closest part of one’s home to the rays of the sun. These test-Sukkos will not be ordinary. The object of having the Nations perform this Mitzvah is to expose them to the powerful spiritual G-dly energy that is compared to the sun.
Contrary to the surface understanding of the story, the test here is not if they will respect the Mitzvah or be willing to do it. Rather, the test is whether they have the spiritual stamina to absorb the lofty warmth and heat of the cumulative power of 248 Mitzvos. G-d would not test them merely to see how faithful they would be. It will be G-d’s way of showing them they did not have the capacity to absorb the spiritual reward for all the Mitzvos.
THE REWARD OF A MITZVAH IS THE MITZVAH
This is based on a deeper understanding of the reward for our observance of Mitzvos. Understood conventionally, a reward is something received in return for doing something meritorious. The true meaning of reward for a Mitzvah, however, is that the reward is the Mitzvah itself. Each Mitzvah generates a measure of G-dly light, which, when experienced fully, is the greatest form of bliss and pleasure.
In the pre-Messianic Age most of us cannot experience this bliss. The coarseness of the body and Animal Soul is an impediment to this feeling. Moreover, if every Mitzvah produced an immediate blissful state beyond any delight we can imagine, it would be virtually impossible to resist doing every Mitzvah possible.
Every Mitzvah we perform has a gradual impact on our bodies and souls that prepares us for the Final Redemption by conditioning us to absorb the powerful blissful energy that we generated by our own Mitzvos.
This thought is based on the statement of the Talmud (Nedarim 8b): “G-d will take the sun out of its sheath; the righteous will be healed by it, whereas the wicked will be punished by it.” In the Messianic Age, the world will experience a spiritual form of “Global Warming.”
The sun’s effect on the wicked is not simply punishment, but a direct consequence of their sins. One who commits a transgression becomes resistant to the G-dly energy generated by a Mitzvah. As a result they will be ill prepared to tolerate and enjoy the incredible delight and magnitude of G-dly light that will be generated when G-d removes the sheath that has obscured the effects of the Mitzvos in the present day and age.
This then also explains the meaning of the phrase that G-d “pierces them with the sun.” This image is meant to suggest that they will be unable to tolerate the Divine radiance generated by the all-encompassing Mitzvah of Sukka.
One cannot just show up for the Messianic Age, unprepared by the performance of Mitzvos, and expect to bask in the G-dly light. Even if they are able to generate light in the Messianic Age, they will not be able to reap the full benefits because they will be unable to safely and comfortably absorb such intense light.
As the Talmud (in the context of their demand for reward in the future), explains the verse: “You shall keep the commandments… which I command you today to do them”: “Today [in the pre-Messianic Age] was made to do them, and not tomorrow [the Messianic Age]. Today was to do them, and today was not for receiving reward.”
The Mitzvos (and particularly the Mitzvah of Sukka) we do today serve a dual function: They generate G-dly light and they refine and shield us so that we are capable of being exposed to the G-dly radiance and fully equipped to enter into G-d’s overarching Sukka.